Whispers of the Sky (Hunter X Hunter)

A Game X Of Life X And Death

Facing forward,
For what purpose do you fight?
-*-

Rhode stared at the gold coin in her hand before her eyes slowly looked up to her overly excited opponent.

He was huge, probably a few feet taller than her, with a typically buff built to match his appearance. Tattoos littered his upper body like a trophy, his razor sharp teeth smirking at her form across the arena.

"What's wrong little girly? Cat got your tongue?"

If he was planning to get a rise out if her then he was sorely mistaken.

The challenge, as the twins explained, was simple. Defeat your opponents, any means used is allowed which meant that killing them also counted as a win. Of course, same rules applied to their opponents and it's obvious what their choices would be.

Their prison sentence was already definite proof.

It was a sneaky tactic, Rhode surmised, knowing well that the prospect of shedding a few years off your life sentence would be enough to motivate the prisoners. It also didn't help that it would be a simultaneous battle with Yllina's group, clearly the association thought it through to pair them all up in this challenge.

It would have been better to be in a group of strangers, that way, the gnawing worry for their safety wouldn't be that bothersome during battle. It was true that they were all barely friends but having stuck with each other through perilous situations that the exam had thrown at them, it was obvious that there was an unmistakable thread that tied them together.

So Rhode had to leave it to fate. They've all made it this far, surely there would be no cause for worrying.

"I get to go first!" she overheard Gon's enthusiastic voice from across the platform, Rhode wondering to herself why he would feel excited doing such a dangerous task while she followed Gon's pace as they both crossed over to their respective opponents.

"You both better not lose!" Yllina cheered them on followed by Leorio's equally encouraging outburst. "Damn right! We've made this far so you both better not throw in the rag when we're on a streak!"

"Don't jinx them old man!" Killua yelled back earning him a deafening squawk from the older teen. "Shaddap! They need all the cheering they can get!"

"Your friends have too much faith in you. Clearly they overestimate your abilities," her opponent continued to taunt her, his arms uncrossing themselves just as she was a few feet away from him. "My name is Bando, a hundred and five years of sentence for the murder of twenty people and robbery." He introduced just as Rhode looked up to scan the stage.

She could see Efil and Theda standing in the balcony positioned on either side of the Tower's walls, their faces unreadable but calculative. For what purpose they were for, Rhode decided to dwell on for later.

She had a match to win after all.

"Let the match begin!" both twins exclaimed which immediately prompted Rhode's opponent to move, his speed surprising her regardless of his incredibly heavy built.

"Rude little missy, aren't you? Ignoring me during my introduction and not even giving me your name. Let me give you a welcoming hit!"

She dodged the swipe aimed for her face, pain shooting up on her cheek from the graze he dealt her. Normally, she'd dodge a readable attack like this but it seems the long years of hiding had rusted her senses. Bando gave her no time to recover, his body adjusting to grab her by the arm and throw her to the ground.

"Ack!"

"Rhode!" She heard most of them call out for her in worry before she used her arms to hoist herself up backwards to prevent the fist aiming for her face.