Chapter 588: A No Win Fight
There was silence as both the Emperor and Hera attempted to keep their agitation under control. Even the normally talkative Aphrodite did not say a word after seeing her parent’s attitude.
"HOW?"
"YOU! COME HERE AT ONCE!" Hera screamed at the remaining members of the organizing board who brought together all of the battles in the Arena.
"Why is someone wearing that armor?" Hera said, her eyes like the gaze of a predator, seeing it’s prey in front of it. One wrong word and they would only be able to wish for death.
The each dropped to their knees and attempted to speak, but Hera held up a hand and pointing at the one closest to her.
"Speak,"
"My Empress. We had wanted to arrange a rather special battle for the last match of the night due to the low about of both slaves and beasts currently available to us so we had the idea to make it a more explosive battle by dressing up the slave in some flashy garb to help them win the crowds favor in the fight. Even if he lost, considering the beast he was taking on, perhaps there would be more of an emotional connection to him. Either way, we requested the use of the secondary armory to see if we could select some rather fitting clothing for the battle and this... just happened to be the best looking set we could find. Please forgive us. We had no idea that there might be some value with something in the secondary armory..." The man said, omitting that the person who had selected the armor was the daughter Artemis. Even if he did, Hera would probably be more upset for the man attempting to blame her daughter for his usage of the armor anyway so it was best to keep it quiet either way.
"No... Even though that armor was in there... there should be no way for you, any of you, to have been able to find it," Hera said, thinking to herself as only she knew what kind’s of restrictions were in place around it.
She briefly turned to her husband.
"You really think I would?" He said with a sneer as he sat down, his eyes glue to the stage as Laz made his way out until the body of the massive shadow spiked bear stood before him.
"Mother... It was my idea. I had gone with them since I thought their idea sounded intriguing. When I saw the armor, I thought it would be perfect for the use they had planned for it and since it was in the useless room anyway, I just figured..." Artemis started to say before she was cut off.
"Sigh. Of course... It’s... fine... I guess. It won’t get hurt by this battle anyway and may actually help the young man to live a little longer. Still though... Perhaps now someone will approve my request to move it out of there and put it in a better place, more fitting for the favor it and it’s previous owner granted us?" Hera said, looking over at her husband who actually seemed to be sulking while ignoring her.
"What kind of history does it have?" Aphrodite asked, now very curious.
"Nothing you need to know. Once the slave dies, the restrictions should restrain that beast so we just need to wait until then to dispose of it. I trust my wife will not hesitate to act as well?" The Emperor said, his tone going a bit threatening.
"Ha. Don’t bark your orders at me. I’ll do it only because I hate that bastard far more than I hate you," Hera said with a laugh, turning her attention to the stage.
...
Laz was frozen in place at the sight of this creature, but other parts of him seemed to be screaming out, angry and filled with rage.
"What is that thing?" Laz managed to get out while the horned bear finally turned it’s gaze towards Laz.
"It’s been infected with a foreign type of power, one that is controlling it. I can’t tell too much at the moment, but such a thing.... if it’s not at the level of a god already, it’s infinitely close," Kat responded back.
"And how do I fight that?" Laz said, wondering if cold steel could have any sort of an effect on it. As Laz watched on, it was like the skin of the beast was shifting, moving around it’s body as though it were some sort of creature on top of the beast and not actually a part of it. It was creepy and almost made Laz take a step back.
But he would not, no matter what.
"I don’t know... but she does... A message... Like water in a stream, splitting on a rock. Allow the flow to rush past, but stand tall. Move when needed, react when necessary. You can not attack a stream, but you can split the current..."
The final words were uttered, granting Laz a thought. He knew what was trying to be said, but it still seemed crazy. This beast looked far stronger than anything he had fought against, minus the dragon he had only just survived.
And the worst part... he knew he couldn’t win no matter what he did.
But he would still find a way forward.
Dropping the shield, Laz also set down the spear and set aside the sword at his waist, leaving him with just his fists and a few knives.
He then started walking towards the beast.
Perhaps it was the weight of the challenge pressing down upon him or the voice of a long dead lover that had recently appeared back to him, but either way, Laz didn’t feel an ounce of fear.
He only felt excitement.
Back up in the Emperor’s private box, they had been watching the strange actions of the slave and couldn’t help but wonder if he had gone crazy.
"Why would he just drop his weapons like that?" ;Aphrodite asked, first looking to her sister, the war nut and then her mother when she got no answer,
"I have no idea what’s in the mind of these slaves daughter. It’s best not to think about it and instead just consider that maybe this man could sense that he can not win and has just given up. That would be the most plausible explanation after all," Hera explained, sitting in her normally empty seat as several dishes and win were immediately made available.
"I’m not so sure about that..." Artemis said, speaking up at last.
"Oh? Why would that be?" Hera said, turning an inquisitive look towards her daughter.
"He just... didn’t seem like the type..." She said, thinking back to the few moments she had come into contact with him before. True, she hadn’t even really spoken to him, but she saw something in him that burned, something that seemed powerful.
"Well. I guess we shall see?"
Laz stopped when he was within spitting distance of the creature, it’s one good eye never leaving him as he approached. When Laz looked back at it, he saw something sinister coming from it’s face, a look that a beast should not have been able to have.
It was grinning.
Like lightning, one of the oversized arms shot out, aimed directly for Laz.
Yet with just as much effort, Laz stepped to the side, avoiding the first attack. As the arm slammed into the ground behind him, the beast then grinned again and it’s body shuddered before the massive arm recoiled, returning to it’s side.
’It can’t control the body how it wants?’ Laz thought, proving his own theory. He had a thought when he saw the massive arms, ones that seemed to drag as the beast walked on it’s two legs, that there was no way the beast could just use those arms the way it wanted to as they weren’t thick enough and didn’t have enough muscle to move them the way a person or beast would normally be able to.
Now having seen it though it’s arm out like a weapon and then retract it back into it’s body, Laz was sure that was the case.
"Not that it’s any less dangerous. If that thing hits you, you’re going to either pop like a balloon or be flattened," Kat’s voice said in his ear.
"I’m aware, thanks." Laz said, taking a few more steps forward. The beast didn’t move again and Laz was standing close enough to reach out and touch the beast. Instead though, he looked up at it.
"I don’t know how you got here or even what this is.... but both you and that bastard god you serve are going to pay for trying to kill me."
"You think you are strong enough to fight my master?" The beast asked, it’s voice like nails on a chalkboard.
"We’ll see when the time comes. For now though... it’s time to put this poor beast out of it’s misery,"
The shadow horned bear let out an incredible roar as it stood tall. Then, before the sound had even died out, it lunged at Laz, it’s massive jaws going straight for his head.
Laz ducked low, getting beneath it.
"Help me with this one," Laz said before planting his feet firmly, rushing his energy though his blood and body and then jolting up, smashing his fist into the underside of the creature’s head.
The beast’s head snapped up as a growl was let loose, but it recovered just as quick and shot forward, shooting out both it’s massive arms like they were whips, straight at Laz.
"Let’s do this!"
