- Copy that, Bruce! Let's start with the fact that we have a very, very interesting match in front of us. One of the biggest mysteries of the city. A moment named Tihana. She is the adopted daughter of one of the first hunters in the city and good friends with the boss himself, mister William. With a history like that, you can expect some incredible things from her, although we both aren't exactly sure what she can do.

- That's right. A mystery indeed. We only have a couple of fo hints indicating that this woman can pack a punch. Those clues are the hunting grounds she visited.

My eyebrows climbed up my forehead, as the statement surprised me.

"Can they access that type of information? Would Will allow it?", I asked myself.

- She even got as far as to take a stab at giants, which we all know are a hell of tough opponents to hunt down - Bruce continued.

"Oh, right. He leaked them something, but not too much", I concluded after his words.

- Exactly, Bruce. We know she is strong, but we just don't know her skills, and that can be an immense advantage in the upcoming duel. Satoshi Tanaka can get caught off guard if she plays her cards right!

- Yes, he can, because it's the man himself who is going to join her in the arena. One of the best Japan has to offer. The man, the myth the legend. Only Nobuo Adachi could top him before he vanished out of the blue. At least according to mister Tanaka, himself.

Bruce chuckled.

- Yes. I'm not entirely sure if that's not an exaggeration. We know from his many appearances on TV shows and movies that his skills are top-notch. He has immense support from his fans back in his home country, and he is well known to spend his entire fortune to only buy more crystals. All those sweet commercial deals and contract payments are pumped straight into honest strength - he then said.

- And that's exactly why he is one of the best - Matthew agreed. - The question only is how high to put him in the ranking at the very top.

- I have to interrupt you, Matthew, because we got so caught up in our conversation, that we forgot to pay attention to the gates, and here we have our participants stepping into the arena! - Bruce shouted.

I noticed Tihana already walking towards the center of the sandpit with the accompaniment of some dubstep, which worked well with the futuristic look. The skin-tight, metallic suit covered her whole body, with the exception of two black pieces of enchanted glass covering her eyes. She wasn't carrying any weapons on herself, but that was understandable because of her fancy 'Armory' skill.

The music got shut down as she reached the center, because the gate on the opposite side was already partially open, revealing her opponent, Satoshi Tanaka. He chose something more traditional. A piece played solely on koto, with accompaniment from some female singer who was humming to the melody. Maybe there were some stretched-out words in this, but since I didn't catch any.

You probably would expect him to come out in some form of traditional armor, or maybe clothing, like Nobuo always wore, but you would be wrong. He had a completely black suit, without a vest, and a white shirt under. His shoes were polished, matching in color. The eyes are covered by sunglasses. By his belt were two katanas, which he held with one hand, while the other one was hidden in his pocket. The hat was missing, though.

The face was serious. With the same thin mustache, I remembered from our first, and last, meeting.

He seemed confident as he walked. I noticed something different from what I remembered in the way he moved.

"That motherfucker was hiding his skills", I thought to myself. "He is dangerous."

I decided to keep those thoughts to myself after a single glance at Celestine and John by her side. They were holding hands, worrying about Tihana. There was no need to make it worse.

I just hoped that Will was watching as closely as I did. There was a good indication that he did since he reacted properly during John's fight. He didn't stop it while he was laying on the ground, still transforming into his demon form. You needed knowledge and a pair of sharp eyes to see through it. The only person around, I knew of, who matched those requirements, was him.historical

- What entrances! - Bruce shouted as the music got killed. He had to be loud, to go beyond the screams of the fans in the audience. - So different, but so sharp. A futuristic one on the one hand, and a more traditional one on the other.

- Let's see what they can show us! - Matthew joined him.

Since the two fighters went on the move, circling around one another, watching every move of their opponent, the audience went silent, and so did the commentators. Celestine, John, and my youngest daughter, all held their breaths.

The two calm people in the room reminded me and Leonel. He was confident in his sister's skills but lacked the knowledge to understand what her opponent could do. I had it, so I was quite sure that this battle will be tougher, even than John's. I also didn't really care about the outcome, knowing that in the end, I will be the one laughing.

Blue's face flashed in front of my eyes, dragged from my memories. He was smirking, but I already knew that I bested him in his own game. He just didn't know he lost yet.

"Don't you worry, you fucker. I'll announce it to your face when we meet", I told the picture.

Then I stopped thinking because Tihana pulled her two scimitars from her armory and Satoshi Tanaka followed by drawing his katana. Only one, at least for now.

The next thing lasted only a fraction of a second, as the distance was close. They clashed, sending a burst of sparks, before retreating to a safe distance. I noticed it clearly, but the speed was so impressive, that I bet not many were able to register it.

A nice prelude to what this duel quickly turned into.