Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Manny Noceda is tired. He’s glad his hair is cut short, otherwise it would be getting in his eyes right now. He can feel sweat and probably some blood trickling down his face. He knows bruises are forming all over his body. He’s pretty sure he has some broken ribs. But he refuses to give up. He looks over at Odalia. She hasn’t broken a sweat. There doesn’t even appear to be a speck of dirt on her white vest. Her violet blouse and navy pants look just as clean. Unlike Manny’s shirt which has been torn in several spots.

Odalia’s picking dirt from her nails while she waits for his next move. She gives him a condescending smile. Manny lunges at Odalia with a high punch. She dodges it, grabs his arm and twists it. While he screams, she delivers a kick to his side. He attempts to punch her but misses. She retaliates with a low punch to his side. She hits his broken ribs and Manny tumbles to the ground. Odalia grabs Manny’s hair and pulls him up. She gives him a sinister smile.

Manny is in too much pain to keep fighting her. He strains to keep his voice steady as he speaks. “You’ll never succeed. Humans will win in the end.”

Odalia hits Manny in the side again then lets him fall to the ground. “Foolish human.” She glares as she stands over him. “We’ve already won.”

Manny struggles to sit up on his knees. He coughs up some blood. He shoots his best death glare at her. “You haven’t won yet.”

Odalia kicks Manny in the head. She grabs the pink gem hanging from her necklace. Odalia sneers, “Your soul is mine.”

Luz bolts up in bed. She can tell she’s drenched in sweat. It takes a moment for her breathing to calm down. Luz runs a hand through her short, brown hair. She glances around her room. It’s still dark outside. There isn’t much to see in the room besides her bed and the nightstands. She decides to get out of bed and stretch her legs.

The nightmares have been happening more frequently lately. She knows what that means, even though she doesn’t want to admit it. She’s going to need to go home and talk to her mom soon. She can’t keep travelling around and staying in these cheap motel rooms. Running isn’t going to work anymore. It’s time to face her destiny.

***

Vee walks into Robin’s Roast Café. She looks around. Several tables are occupied but none have the person she is looking for. She goes to the counter and orders a coffee. Vee waits to the side while the barista makes her drink. She doesn’t really want a coffee but knows she will draw less attention this way.

Yelling can be heard from the back room. It sounds like a heated argument. The barista looks nervous as she hands Vee her drink. Vee politely smiles but keeps an eye on the back. The person she’s looking for is back there. Vee wants to run back there and get things over with. But that would draw too much attention. No one pays attention to a twenty-something human girl with a nose ring and blond hair with blue tips. She blends in with all the customers. Everyone will remember her if she turns into a basilisk. So, she needs to bide her time.

After a few minutes, her target storms out of the back. Jacob Hopkins. He’s wearing a brown coat over a pale green shirt, jeans and square glasses. His brown hair is brushed back to make him look professional despite the soul patch. No one would suspect him of anything if he wasn’t ranting about Martians stealing people’s teeth. The manager follows Jacob out while holding a phone and pointing at the door. Jacob tries to flip over one of the empty tables but it’s bolted to the ground. Instead, Jacob throws the napkin holder on the ground then walks out.

Vee groans at his actions. She picks up the napkin holder and places it back on the table. Then she leaves the café. She spots Jacob heading down a back alley. Vee takes a sip of her coffee then throws the rest away before following him.

Jacob heads into a nearby forest. There’s no one around and it doesn’t seem like Jacob has noticed she’s following him. Vee could attack him now but she wants to know where he’s going. While Vee and her family have learned where Jacob lives, they know that isn’t his base of operations. It’s possible that’s where he’s going now. Vee doesn’t want to miss a chance to find it. If they had known the location, they could have save Diva before Jacob killed her. Vee needs to be sure Jacob isn’t holding anyone else prisoner.

There’s an old-looking house in the distance. Vee slows her pace so she can send her brother, Trey, her coordinates. She doesn’t let Jacob out of her sight as they get closer. He glances around then walks right up to the house. She doesn’t see him deactivate any security measures before entering the house. Vee stays hidden nearby until she gets a response from her brother.

Once Trey confirms her location, Vee heads to the house. She approaches from the side. There’s a broken window Vee can look through. Inside, she sees Jacob talking to someone. Vee can’t get a good look at the other person. She can only tell it’s an older woman with green hair. They are too far away for Vee to hear the conversation. Vee moves around the house to see if she can hear them.

Vee finds the back door is missing and quietly enters the house. She does her best to stay out of sight as she approaches where she saw Jacob and the woman earlier. She can hear them talking but can barely make out the words. It’s something about a tournament. When they stop talking, Vee does her best to hide.

She’s able to see the green-haired woman walking to the front door. The door starts to glow yellow. The woman calls back. “Make sure you don’t miss the boat.” Then she walks through the glowing door and disappears.

Jacob mutters and goes to the side of the room. Vee can’t see him from her position but it only takes a moment for him to walk back into view. He’s carrying a bag as he approaches the front door. There’s a dial next to the door and Jacob is changing it in some way. The door starts to glow purple and Jacob walks through it. Vee doesn’t want to lose Jacob. She sprints from her spot to make it through the door before it stops glowing.

***

Masha walks around the museum just after closing time. They are checking on the displays to make sure nothing is out of place. The newest exhibit on the history of witchcraft has proven to be quite popular. The section about the witch trials throughout the world grabs most people’s attention. However, the items that supposedly belonged to real witches have also garnered some attention. A few too many people have tried taking the items out of the displays. No one has succeeded yet, but Masha needs to make sure the items are still secured in place.

There’s a noise in the next room. It sounds like some glass broke. Masha cautiously makes their way to the next room to investigate. Three people in Cosmic Frontier masks are standing around a broken display case. Captain Avery and Chief O’Bailey are trying to remove a key from the display case. Security Officer Quando looks like he is standing watch but he is facing away from Masha.

Masha sneaks up behind him and hits him on the back of the head with her flashlight. He hits the ground and his two friends are now aware of Masha’s presence. Masha grins, revealing their tooth gap. “You know the gift shop will reopen tomorrow?”

Avery tries to punch Masha but they duck out of the way and kick O’Bailey in the leg. O’Bailey stumbles forward as Avery tries to kick Masha. Masha dodges to the side and the kick connects with O’Bailey’s chest. Masha delivers an uppercut to Avery as O’Bailey gets back up. He throws a punch at Masha but they grab his arm and use the momentum from the punch to throw him into Avery. They both fall to the ground. Avery pushes O’Bailey off him and jumps back up. Avery and Masha exchange blows. Avery ends up tripping over Quando’s body, allowing Masha to connect a kick to his chest. Avery looks ready to get up when several museum security officers run into the room.

Masha smiles at Avery, “You should stay down, now.” Avery growls at them but stays put when an officer points a gun at him. Masha shows the officers their museum credentials then explains what happened.

After the robbers are taken away, Masha cleans up the broken display. They examine the key the robbers were interested in. It’s a brown, double-bitted key with a yellow eye-shaped bow. There isn’t any information given about the key other than it was found in a witch’s lair.

“Rumor has it the key can open a door to a dimension full of witches.” The museum curator informs Masha in his squeaky voice.

Masha quickly puts the key back in place. “Sorry, sir. I was just finishing up here.”

The curator gives Masha an owlish smile. “No problem. I’m glad you’re doing okay after the attack.”

“Of course.” Masha smiles back. “Didn’t even break a sweat.”

“Wonderful.” The curator hands a paper to Masha. “The robbers had this on them. I’d like you to investigate, see if you can find any artifacts related to the key. Possibly the door it belongs to.”

Masha reads the paper. It’s a flyer inviting people to a tournament between witches and humans. It starts soon and the departure location isn’t too far away from the museum. “I’ll be there, sir.”

***

Luz drops her bag next to the door and calls out to the house. “Hola, mamá! I’m home.”

Camila emerges from the kitchen. She has her brown hair tied back in a ponytail. Her glasses are a bit foggy but quickly dissipate as Camila wipes her hands off on her apron. She smiles upon seeing Luz. “Mija! I didn’t expect to see you.” She goes over to give Luz a hug.

Luz happily returns the hug. She’s almost a foot taller than her mom. Needing to bend over slightly for the hug does nothing to take away from the comfort her mom’s hug provides. Luz chokes out a small chuckle. She doesn’t want to worry her mom. “I wanted to see you.”

Camila pulls back from the hug and looks up at Luz. She places a hand on Luz’s cheek as she takes note of the bags under Luz’s eyes. “Have you been getting enough sleep, cariño?”

Luz pulls away. She purposely avoids looking her mom in the eyes. “Just some nightmares. You don’t need to worry.” Luz looks at the kitchen. “Are you making empanadas?”

“Don’t change the subject.” Camila pokes Luz in the stomach. “But it also looks like you haven’t been eating enough, so you can help me finish.”

Luz rolls her eyes and groans, “Mama.” Camila gives Luz a stern look, cutting off the rest of Luz’s complaint. Luz grins, “I can always eat a home cooked meal.”

Camila nods, now smiling at Luz. “Good.” She heads to the kitchen. “You can tell me about your dreams over a nice meal.”

Luz follows Camila to the kitchen and takes a seat at the counter. She picks at some of the ingredients still on the counter while Camila checks on the food in the oven. Luz decides there’s no point in delaying the conversation. Even if she doesn’t really want to talk about it. It is why she came. “I’ve been having nightmares about dad dying.”

Camila turns and gives Luz a sympathetic look. “Oh, bebé.” She places a hand on Luz’s and lightly squeezes. “Your father made his choice. He wouldn’t want you losing sleep over it.”

Luz pulls her hand away. “He shouldn’t have been there!” She can feel tears forming in the corner of her eyes. “He didn’t need to go.”

“Mija…” Camila reaches out to Luz but pulls away. Luz wipes at her eyes, trying not to cry. Camila can only offer a sympathetic smile. She misses Manny, too. She didn’t want him to leave but she understood why he did. “Your father wanted to protect you.”

“He failed!” Luz angrily slams her hands on the counter. Camila steps away from Luz. She’s trying to hold in her own tears. Luz sighs. “Lo siento, mami.” She takes her mom’s hand. “I didn’t mean to yell.”

Camila pulls Luz into a hug. “I know, mija. I miss him, too.” They stay like that until the oven timer goes off. She pulls away from Luz and takes the empanadas out of the oven. Luz gets up and grabs some plates. They head over to the table to eat. Neither saying anything.

After Luz has finished her first empanada, she decides to continue their talk. “I’m going to enter the tournament.”

Camila feels a mix of emotions from the comment. She knows Luz is talented enough to win but she’s still concerned something could happen to Luz. Camila doesn’t want to lose her daughter like she did her husband. “You don’t have to go.”

“I do.” Luz states confidently. She’s had time to think about this. She knows what needs to be done. “I’m going to kill Odalia.”

Camila frowns. “Luz, that isn’t the reason you should enter.”

“Your mom’s right, kid.” An older woman with ivory skin, gold eyes and a long, wild mane of gray hair enters the kitchen. She’s wearing a maroon dress with mid-length sleeves and a ripped hem. She goes to an empty seat at the table and makes herself comfortable. She grabs an empanada then leans back in the chair while resting her dark gray boots on the end of the table. “Revenge isn’t going to win you anything.”

Luz is befuddled by this woman’s sudden appearance. She doesn’t know how the woman got into the house. She also doesn’t understand why her mom doesn’t seem to look bothered by the woman joining them. “Um, who are you?”

“Mija! You should know the Owl Lady.” Camila scolds while sending an apologetic look to the other woman.

“What?” Luz scrutinizes the woman sitting at the table as she wipes her mouth with her hand before grabbing another empanada. “You expect me to believe this is the protector of the Human Realm?” The Owl Lady shoots a finger gun at Luz. Luz grimaces. There’s no way this is the most powerful person in the world. Luz glares at her mom, “You can just tell me if you got a girlfriend. You don’t need to pretend she’s someone important.”

“Look, kid! I’m Eda the Owl Lady!” Eda stands up and holds out her hand. A small owl flies over and lands on Eda’s shoulder. She rubs the owl’s head and whispers, “That isn’t what we rehearsed, Owlbert.” The owl coos in response.

“Whatever.” Luz stands up and grabs another empanada. “I’m entering the tournament. And I’m going to kill Odalia.” With that Luz leaves the kitchen.

Camila calls after Luz. “Be careful, mija!” Camila looks over at Eda and sighs. “She isn’t ready.”

“I know, but we don’t have any more time.” Eda responds. She places a hand on Camila’s shoulder. “I’ll do my best to protect her.”

***

Masha arrives at the coordinates on the flyer just before midnight. It’s a dock near the night market. There aren’t any ships in the harbor but there are several people waiting around with their travel bags. Masha tightens their grip on their duffle bag as they walk closer.

Vee stumbles out of a door. She looks around to try and gain her bearings. It’s night and there’s a dock not too far away. She can see people standing around, most with luggage. Unfortunately, she doesn't see Jacob anywhere. She checks her phone. She has several messages and missed calls from Trey. She wonders how long she was trapped in that door. She continues scanning the crowd for Jacob as she walks closer to the dock. Vee sends a message to Trey, informing him of her current whereabouts. While sending the message, she bumps into someone. She looks up to apologize but her voice gets caught in her throat.

Masha smiles at the cute girl who just bumped into them. They give her a slight wave. “I’m okay. I know it’s crowded here.” The girl just nods her head. Masha chuckles. “I’m Masha. They/them.” They show the girl their fingernails so she can see they’ve been painted in the non-binary flag colors.

Vee nods again. She needs to say something. “Vee!” She cringes at how loud that came out. She tries again in a more normal voice. “I’m Vee.” Masha grins, revealing an adorable tooth gap. Vee can’t help but smile back. She glances around the crowd again. “Do you, uh, know what’s going on here?”

Masha shrugs and shows Vee the flyer. “Some sort of tournament.”

“Oh.” Vee reads the flyer. She remembers hearing mention of a tournament. That woman also said something about not missing the boat. Jacob must be around here somewhere. That doesn’t mean Vee needs to run off, though. She might as well blend in with everyone else. “Do you know what this tournament is about?”

“Not really.” Masha winks at Vee. “I don’t mind going with the flow.”

Vee feels her face heat up. She quietly coughs out, “Cool.”

A fog descends on the harbor. A boat can barely be seen travelling towards the dock. It more closely resembles a Viking longship than a modern boat. It’s decorated with deer antlers and the sail has a gold sigil of a triangle with wings and a sword down the middle. Once the boat is docked, the crowd start boarding.

Vee lets out a slight shiver. “That’s not ominous.”

“I know.” Masha grins. “It’s rather cool looking.” They start heading to the boat.

Vee follows, making sure to stay close to Masha while keeping an eye out for Jacob. As they get closer to the ramp, Vee spots Jacob boarding. She swears he looks right at her and grins before getting on the boat. Vee starts running to catch up with him but runs into someone else, knocking them down. Vee hesitates a moment then goes to help the person up while offering an apology.

Luz rubs her head once back on her feet. “What’s the rush?” She looks at the two people standing by her. The slightly shorter, tan-skinned girl is still apologizing. Luz waves her off. “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry. The boat isn’t going to leave until we’re all on.” Luz starts walking to the boat again.

The taller one with the pixie cut keeps pace. “Sorry about Vee. She just got excited about the boat.” Luz nods. “I’m Masha, by the way.”

“Luz.”

Vee joins Luz on her other side. “Do you know what this tournament thing is about?”

Luz stumbles slightly. She didn’t expect there to be people here who didn’t know what was going on. She grins, “You two are in for a surprise.” Luz knows the rules will be explained soon enough. She could tell them exactly what is going on but thinks it’ll be more fun to give hints. “The fate of the world is at stake.” Vee gives Luz a skeptical look while Masha seems excited. Luz chuckles as they finally board the boat.

On board, Luz finds a spot to lean against the side. Masha and Vee stick with her. Vee constantly glances around for someone. Luz also looks around but she stays more subtle about it. They make small talk, but Luz doesn’t give them any details on the tournament. Once everyone is aboard, the boat takes off.

After sailing for a bit, the door to the cabin in the back opens and woman walks out followed by a guy. Luz immediately recognizes the green-haired woman as Odalia. She’s even wearing the same clothes she had on when she killed Manny. Luz tightens her hand into a fist. She notices Vee also tenses up. Vee mutters the name Jacob. Luz assumes that’s the guy with Odalia. She doesn’t know their story but Luz has no problem wiping the smug look off his face while taking off Odalia’s head.

Odalia tsks as she walks closer to Luz. “Wonderful of you to make it this year, dear.” She smugly grins. “Your father proved to be a disappointment.”

Luz is ready to beat that smile off Odalia’s face. She’s stopped by Masha placing a hand on her shoulder. Masha whispers, “She’s goading you.”

Odalia gives Masha a death glare before looking back to Luz. “I was hoping to surprise you with my new fighters.” There’s a yellow flash and someone in a white cloak with a golden mask with two eye slits appears between Luz and Odalia. Another person in a white cowl walks up. They have a grey bird mask with black eye holes and a protruding beak. Odalia smiles and grabs the gem hanging from her necklace. “Meet Hunter and Steve.”

Odalia and Jacob step back. Hunter summons a staff with a red crystal atop it. He starts spinning it in his hands, ready to fight. Steve has made half a spell circle with his hand, also waiting for the fight to begin. Luz takes her fighting position, trying to decide who to go after first. Vee and Masha also form fighting stances next to Luz.

Before anyone can move, a bolt of lightning shoots across the ship, splits apart and hits Hunter and Steve. They fall out of their fighting stances as they try to recover from the shock. Odalia glares at someone behind Luz. Luz turns to see Eda strolling up to them, wagging her finger.

Eda smirks at Luz, then returns Odalia’s glare. “You know fighting isn’t allowed before the tournament begins.”

Odalia huffs, “I know the rules, Owl Lady. You aren’t allowed to interfere, either.”

“I won’t need to if you keep your boys on their leash.” Eda summons a staff with a wooden owl sitting on top. She taps it against the ground, releasing a small shockwave that knocks Hunter, Steve and Jacob off their feet.

Odalia snarls as she barely keeps her balance. “Nothing will happen before the tournament.” She turns and walks back into her cabin. Jacob hurries after her while Hunter and Steve disappear in similar fashions to how they appeared.

“You really are the Owl Lady?” Luz says more shocked than she intended.

Eda grins, “You know it.”

“Can someone explain what is going on here?” Masha looks back and forth at Luz and Eda. “How did that guy appear out of nowhere? Where did your staff come from? How did you make it do whatever it is you did?”

“Magic.” Eda lets out a hearty laugh. She pats Masha on the back. “Don’t worry, kid. You can handle it.”

Masha still feels confused. Luz is grinning along with Eda. Vee looks slightly embarrassed. “Do you understand this, Vee?”

Vee nods. “Not the tournament part. But the magic part. Those guys were witches. So was that green-haired woman.”

“Odalia.” Luz snarls the name.

“Right.” Vee continues, “Witches come from a different realm than humans.”

“That’s right.” Eda pats Vee’s shoulder. “I’m the protector of the Human Realm. Odalia is in charge of winning this tournament for Belos. You three have been chosen to stop her.”

“Us? How?” Masha and Vee ask simultaneously.

Luz grins at them and strikes a confident fighting pose. “By winning Mortal Kombat!”

Vee and Masha continue to look confused.

Eda puts on a more serious face. “There are many realms out there. Odalia is from the Demon Realm, ruled by Belos. Belos is attempting to bring all the realms under his rule.”

Masha asks, “If he’s that ambitious, why hasn’t he invaded yet?”

Eda continues, “In order to invade the Human Realm, they need to win ten Mortal Kombat tournaments in a row. They’ve won nine, so far.”

“So, if they win this tournament, humans are going to be invaded by witches? Or demons? Is there a difference?”

Eda waves her hand in a so-so gesture. “Witches and demons are different, but they both reside in the Demon Realm along with other species. Belos conquered that realm then set his sights on this one.”

“Can we really win?” Vee asks.

Eda nods, “Mortal Kombat is about mortals defending their own realm. I’ve looked into the souls of everyone on this boat. One of you three, will determine the outcome of this tournament.” She laughs at them, then stops when she notices they aren’t amused by this fact. “Sorry. I know you’ll pull it off.”

***

The boat arrives at its destination the next morning. It’s a large island owned by Odalia. The boat stops short of reaching the beach, letting everyone walk to the shore through the shallow water. There are tall, jagged mountains further in. Luz thinks she sees an ancient building in the center. It’s too high up for her to be certain. Luz is glad she got a little bit of sleep before they arrived. There are flags lined up along the beach, creating a path for everyone to follow.

The walk across the beach isn’t difficult. It only lasts about a mile. During this time, Vee tries to call her family but discovers phones don’t work on the island. The terrain gets a little tricker when they enter the maritime forest. Luz enjoys looking around at the various plants and animals. She makes small talk with Masha and Vee on the way. After a couple of miles, they reach a huge stairway like the kind seen leading to ancient temples. She can hear complaints coming from some of the other fighters as they start going up the stairs. Masha and Vee don’t look thrilled but aren’t complaining. There are stone statues of warriors sporadically placed along the stairway. Some hold weapons. Luz thinks their faces look more like they are in pain than showing off how fierce they were.

About midway up, there’s a flat area to allow people to take a break if they need it. Luz glances around the area as the head to the next stretch of stairs. Off to the side, she spots a girl with purple hair reading a book. She’s wearing a purple dress. There are a couple of guards standing nearby. The girl isn’t paying any attention to all the people walking by her.

“You’re drooling.” Masha lightly elbows Luz in the side.

“Wha?” Luz looks away from the girl to see Vee and Masha watching her with huge grins on their faces. “I was just… um, wondering what she’s reading.”

“Sure, you are.” Vee deadpans. “Why don’t you talk to her?”

Luz shoot Vee a quick glare then looks back at the mystery girl. Luz exaggeratedly waves while shouting at the girl, “Hola, hermosa!” The girl barely turns her head away from the book to look at Luz. Luz grins, “I’m Luz! We should chat later!” The girl turns back to her book. Luz thinks she sees a slight smile on the girl’s face but is too far away to be certain. The guards, on the other hand, look ready to fight Luz should she approach.

Vee and Masha do their best to hold back their laughter during the exchange. Luz gives them an annoyed look, but it’s clear she isn’t really upset. Luz doesn’t say anything before she heads to the next set of stairs, forcing them to run to catch up to her.

Once they reach the top, they get directed to a large room with a throne. Several banquet tables are lined up, each with a large selection of food spread out on it. Luz takes a seat at the end of one of the tables and grabs an apple. She quietly chuckles to herself when Vee and Masha realize they can’t have Luz as a buffer in between them and they must sit next to each other now. Serves them right for teasing her about her crush.

Luz notices a few guards glaring at her while she picks at the food. They probably expected her to wait for the feast to officially begin. She doesn’t care. She worked up an appetite on the trek. Masha and Vee have started eating, also. Luz thinks it might be more of an excuse for them to not talk to each other than from hunger.

It doesn't take long until all the fighters make it to the room and find a place to sit. Odalia strolls into the room and walks over to the throne. She is followed by the purple haired girl. Odalia takes a seat at the throne while the purple haired girl takes a seat to her side. Hunter and Steve enter the room from opposite sides. They are followed by warriors all dressed in grey outfits and white capes. They line up in front of the throne. Odalia smiles at the visiting fighters. The smile conveys a look of self-importance and contempt.

After several minutes, Odalia stands up to address the crowd. “Welcome! I am Odalia Blight. I’ve been hosting the tournament on my island for eight generations now. Beside me is my daughter, Amity. Now, I imagine you are all excited to be representing the Human Realm during the Demon Realm’s final steppingstone in Mortal Kombat. Some of you may even have the misfortune and pleasure of meeting Wrath, our reigning champion, in the tournament.”

Luz tunes out Odalia’s speech. She’s pretty sure if she keeps listening, no one will be able to stop her from running up there to punch Odalia in the face. As much as Luz would enjoy that, she doesn’t need to be disqualified from the tournament before it begins. Luz looks at the beautiful purple haired girl with the equally pretty name of Amity. She looks equal parts bored and annoyed by the speech. Luz wonders how many times she’s heard a variation of this speech. And what would she want to do on a date. As if sensing Luz’s thoughts, Amity turns her head slightly and locks eyes with Luz. Luz is positive she can see a slight upturn in the girl’s lips. Luz feels her cheeks heating up and quickly looks away. She looks back at Odalia in time to hear the end of her speech.

“The tournament begins tomorrow morning. For now, enjoy a taste of things to come.” Odalia returns to her throne. Warriors start swarming into the room. They line up next to the tables and start forcing everyone to stand up. Then they flip all the tables over, spilling the food onto the ground. Afterwards, they form two lines to make a path to the throne with Luz and the other fighters forced to stand behind them.

Hunter moves to the center. One of the uniformed warriors moves to stand opposite Hunter. The warrior removes his cape then starts demonstrating his fighting moves. He throws several rapid punches, followed by some high kicks then transitions to a spin kick. He takes a taekwondo fighting stance and waits for Hunter to make a move. Hunter takes a step forward then disappears in a flash of light. He reappears behind his opponent, delivering a kick to the back that sends the warrior flying across the room until he hits a wall. Hunter returns to his spot next to the throne.

Odalia grins. “Flawless victory.” She then walks behind her throne and leaves the room.

The warriors dissolve their lines and start leaving as the other fighters figure out what to do next. Amity has disappeared without Luz noticing. Hunter and Steve had walked off in the directions they entered from. Luz decides to follow Odalia. Masha and Vee follow her out of the room.

It's a straight path on the other side of the door. The trio find themselves in a carved-out cave and follow the path until they reach an opening. There’s a long, stone bridge leading across a pit. The only light comes from the torches on the bridge. Luz is unable to see how deep the pit is. She doesn’t want to toss anything in it, in case the noise draws some unwanted attention. She leads Masha and Vee onto the bridge.

Masha peers over the edge as they walk. “Do you have any idea where we are going?”

“I’m following Odalia.” Luz confidently replies.

“Right.” Masha gives her a skeptical look. “And what’s the plan if we find her? We aren’t supposed to be fighting yet.”

Luz dismissively waves her hand. “We’re close enough.”

Vee adds, “She can tell me where Jacob is hiding.” Masha gives her a quizzical look. “I’m here to stop Jacob from killing anyone else.”

Before any follow up questions can be asked, there is a loud roar. They see a shadow of demon move across the wall next to them. The demon is easily twice their size.

Masha whispers, “Please tell me that isn’t Jacob.”

Vee shakes her head. “I have no idea what that was.”

Luz points ahead. “Let’s get off this bridge.” The others nod and follow Luz.

***

The three make their way into a hidden upper portion of a room. Below they can see a table covered in food with someone sitting at the end. Vee immediately recognizes the person as Jacob. She starts to move to go after him but is stopped by Masha. Vee reluctantly stays behind their cover so they can listen to his conversation.

“It was crazy! That guy moved across the room in a split second.” Jacob takes a bite from a chicken leg and continues talking around the food in his mouth. “I’ve never seen anyone move that quickly. And that kick!” Jacob takes another bite. “The guy flew across the room. You should have seen what remained of him on that wall. I almost lost my appetite.”

“Yes. Horrible.” A deep, disinterested voice responds. A muscular, purple-skinned demon wearing a white tunic stands up. He has a huge mouth filled with sharp teeth. A dark gray cowl covers the rest of his face. He moves to tower over Jacob.

“It was.” Jacob looks up at him nervously. “But I’ve seen worse things in my time, Wrath.”

“Do tell.” Wrath grabs the rest of the chicken and stuffs it in his mouth, swallowing it in one bite.

“W-witches. I’ve seen witches try to steal people’s teeth.”

“Hmm.”

“I-I managed to stop them.” Jacob drops the remaining part of the chicken leg onto his plate as he tries not to look away from Wrath.”

Wrath’s voice is full of doubt, “You managed to defeat a witch?”

“Titan, no!” Odalia laughs as she enters the room.

Luz shifts in her spot. But she stays hidden when Vee shoots her a look that says, ‘if I can’t go after Jacob, you can’t go after Odalia.’

“But he did kill a basilisk.” Vee tenses as Odalia continues speaking. Odalia looks at Jacob with a disgusted glare. “Somehow.”

“I have a lot of resources.” Jacob defends.

“Of course.” Odalia dismisses the comment. She looks at Wrath. “He did help bring one of them here. Belos wants to know where the rest of them are hiding.”

“You said if I find that information, you’d get my Mewtube account verified, right?” Jacob nervously looks at Odalia.

“Of course, dear.” Odalia returns to addressing Wrath. “Another Noceda has entered the tournament.”

Wrath laughs. “I saw her in the tunnels. She doesn’t pose a threat to me.”

“Maybe.” Odalia looks around thoughtfully. “I’m worried Amity is sympathetic to the humans. She may try to aid them.”

“I can crush her just as easily.” Wrath snorts.

Luz lets out a low growl. Unfortunately, it is loud enough for those below to hear it.

Odalia looks at the spot where the noise came from but doesn’t see anyone. “Kikimora!” A short, red-skinned demon with hair shaped like a blue hand emerges. “Go investigate.” Kikimora quickly runs off.

Luz, Vee and Masha take that as their cue to leave. They quietly go back the way they came. When they get back to the previous room, it has changed into a cave with several tunnels to choose from.

“Where are we?” Masha looks around. “There’s no way we changed paths.”

Vee peers down some of the tunnels. “Which one should we take?”

Luz also peers into some of the tunnels. At the end of one of them she spots Amity holding a torch. Luz calls to her friends. “This way.” She looks back to see Amity walking off.

***

The group finally emerges back in the throne room. Amity had only appeared in the distance to show which way to go when there were diverging paths. Luz hadn’t seen her since they took the path back to the throne room. There are several choices for where the group can go now.

“Any ideas?” Vee asks.

Warriors suddenly come running in from all the options to surround the trio. Everyone takes a fighting stance. Luz counts ten warriors. She notices a few of them have weapons.

Masha glances at her friends. “Think they’ll let us go if we ask nicely?”

The first warrior leaps forward. Luz sidesteps him and punches the next warrior. She jumps back to avoid the next warrior’s attack but gets kicked in the side by another warrior. Luz quickly recovers and spins to kick one of the warriors in the head. She then grabs another warrior and throws him into one of his allies.

Vee has been blocking punches from a warrior. She senses another approaching her from behind. She times her duck so the warrior in front punches the one behind her. Vee then sweeps the warrior’s legs, causing him to fall. She hits him in the head to knock him out.

Masha ducks under a high kick and punches the warrior in the stomach. They follow up with a low kick. Masha jump kicks the next warrior. They block a punch from the side and grab the warrior’s arm and pull him in front of them so he gets kicked by his ally.

Luz ducks under a swing of an eskrima stick then punches the warrior in the jaw as she bounces up. She leaps at the next warrior and grabs him by the neck and uses the momentum of her landing to flip him to the ground.

Vee jumps at the wall and bounces off to kick the warrior chasing her. She blocks another kick from her side. She retaliates with a high punch then a kick to the warrior’s knee.

Masha kicks a warrior in the chest. Another warrior swings a bo at them. Masha manages to catch the bo and kick the warrior, forcing him to let go of the weapon. Masha swings the staff and disarms another warrior of his sword.

It’s not long until all the warriors are unconscious on the ground. Luz grins at her friends. “That wasn’t too hard.”

Masha leans on the staff breathing heavier than normal. “I could have gone longer.”

They hear clapping behind them and turn to see Eda sitting on the steps. She smiles at the trio. “Great job!” She points to the other side of the room. “What are you going to do about them?” The trio see at least two dozen warriors ready to fight. Eda raises a finger and spins a small circle. A fiery owl appears behind her. She looks at the warriors, “I don’t think so.”

The warriors stand down. Eda gets up and starts walking to an exit. She gestures for the trio to follow her.

Vee grins at the warriors as the trio walk by them. “You guys are lucky.” She flips them off then catches up with the others.

Eda points down a hall. “You’ll find your rooms down there. Get some sleep. The tournament starts in the morning.”

Chapter Text

At sunrise, all the fighters get escorted to the beach for the first round of the tournament. Each fighter from the Human Realm has an opponent to start the day. The survivors of the first round will get another match later. The details get vague after that. It could be because Odalia expects everyone from the Human Realm to be defeated quickly or she just plans to bring out the reigning champion for the Demon Realm to defeat whoever remains.

Luz is bouncing around waiting for her match to begin. She’s standing by the ring that’s been drawn in the sand to represent her fight area. There aren’t any rules about staying in the ring, but Luz doesn’t think she’ll need more room. There’s a small crowd standing around outside the ring. Some of them are the fighters who have already won their matches while others are the warriors who work on the island.

Odalia approaches the ring followed by some warriors carrying a small throne. The warriors set the throne down next to the ring and Odalia takes a seat in it. Odalia raises a hand to silence the crowd.

Luz steps up to the circle ready to start. She does a couple of last-minute stretches as she waits to begin. A guy easily twice her size steps up across from her. He’s wearing brown overalls with only one strap, no shirt, and a light brown hoodie that hides his face. He’s also carrying an axe that might be as big as Luz.

Odalia gives Luz an evil smirk as she announces the start of the match. “Luz Noceda vs the Flexicutioner! Let Mortal Kombat begin!”

The Flexicutioner moves surprisingly fast for his size. He charges at Luz while swinging his axe. Luz manages to dodge by jumping back then she ducks under his follow up swing. The next swing hits the ground in front of Luz with enough force to knock Luz off her feet. As he raises his axe, Luz rolls between his legs and pops up behind him. She punches him in the back, which along with the swing of his axe, causes him to stumble forward. Luz kicks the back of his knee to make him fall. Then she delivers a punch to the back of his head. The Flexicutioner falls to the ground unconscious.

Odalia rises from her seat and points at the defeated demon. Two of the warriors run over and flip the Flexicutioner onto his back. He lets out a moan as he wakes up. Odalia glares as she stands over him. She grabs the gem hanging from her necklace. “Your soul is mine!” The Flexicutioner screams as his soul is ripped from his body and absorbed into Odalia’s necklace. She sneers at Luz then walks away.

***

Vee stretches as she waits to meet her first opponent. She was instructed to wait in a more isolated part of the beach. There are a few warriors stationed nearby but no one else. Vee knows Luz had her fight earlier. She hopes Luz hasn’t come to watch because of the isolated spot and not because Luz lost her match.

Odalia walks to Vee’s area. Odalia is followed by several warriors carrying a small throne. They set the throne down and Odalia takes a seat. Odalia smiles at Vee in the way a snake would before attacking its prey. “I got a special treat for you, dear.”

“I don’t want anything from you.” Vee cautiously watches Odalia while keeping her distance. She turns when she hears someone else approaching. Vee growls upon seeing her opponent. “Jacob.”

Jacob wears armor on the upper half of his body. He has a silver chest plate with a red cap on his back. There are black shoulder pads with spikes that match his helmet with horns. He just has jeans and sneakers on his lower half. He gives Vee a cocky smile. “I’m here to protect humanity.”

“By siding against us?”

“No! Your kind have infiltrated the Human Realm and the only way to be sure you’re all gone is to help the Demon Realm wipe everyone out!”

Vee gives him a puzzled look. “You know what? I’m going to enjoy kicking your ass.”

Jacob scowls at her. “You’ll meet the same fate as your sister.”

Odalia yawns. “Enough talk. Fight!”

Vee immediately rushes Jacob and pushes him to the ground.

Jacob raises his arms to protect his face. “No fair. I wasn’t ready.”

Vee groans and stands back while Jacob gets up. Vee takes a judo fighting stance and waits for Jacob. Jacob lunges at her. Vee grabs his arm and throws him to the ground. Jacob struggles to roll over so he’s on his back. Vee waits while he slowly gets up again. He takes a step toward Vee and she quickly punches him in the face.

“Ow!” Jacob covers his now bleeding nose. “That wasn’t nice.”

Vee rolls her eyes. “I don’t know how you could have possibly killed my sister.”

“I’m a legitimate threat!” Jacob snarls. “And I didn’t get scared off like that guy who roofied her drink when her face started to change!”

Vee growls and grabs Jacob’s hand away from his face. She punches him a few more times before he falls to his knees and starts crying. Vee kicks him so he falls onto his back.

Jacob looks at her and cries. “This wasn’t a fair fight.”

Vee ignores his whines. She decides to make sure Jacob won’t be a threat anymore. She starts sucking in the air around Jacob. She can feel magic being gathered and dragged through Jacob as she takes a long breath. Jacob cries as the sucking forces him to sit up. Then in a puff of smoke Jacob is left sitting on the beach, crying. Jacob, now no more than three years old, is wearing smaller oversized armor and a diaper.

Odalia almost looks shocked. “Babality!” She points at one of her warriors who then goes and picks up baby Jacob. Odalia leaves, followed by the other warriors.

***

Masha waits by their designated fight circle. They are too far away to see anyone else’s fights, but they can hear some cheering and screaming in the distance. They know their fight will be starting soon as more people start to gather around.

A purple-skinned demon with a beak-like mouth and a magenta mohawk stands across from Masha. The demon starts stretching and occasionally making threatening gestures at Masha. It’s not hard for Masha to figure out this will be their opponent.

Odalia arrives with several warriors carrying a small throne. The warriors place the throne down and Odalia stands in front of it. She glances around the gathered people. “Masha vs Ukla. Fight!” She sits down and starts picking at the dirt in her nails.

Masha hasn’t even registered the fight has begun before Ukla charges at them. Ukla swings and connects with Masha’s cheek. Masha stumbles to the side but quickly recovers. They block the next few punches Ukla throws. Masha kicks Ukla in the chest to make her back off. Then Masha follows with their own punches. Ukla blocks the first but Masha connects with the next ones. Ukla tries to kick Masha but they jump back. Masha kicks Ukla in the side then follows with another kick to her head. Ukla hits the ground then rolls away from Masha.

Ukla takes a moment to catch her breath and wipe away some of the blood on her face. Masha stands by watching her, waiting for a moment to strike. When Ukla stands up, Masha immediately jumps towards her. Ukla sidesteps the punch but Masha turns and elbows Ukla in the head. Masha continues to turn and hits Ukla with another punch. Ukla tries to kick Masha but they grab Ukla’s leg and flip her onto her back. Masha stomps on Ukla’s chest.

Ukla puts her arms up and mumbles, “I surrender.” Masha backs off.

Odalia looks up from her seat. “Finish her!”

Masha looks over at Odalia. “Nah. Fight’s over.” Masha offers Ukla a hand up. The demon looks over at Odalia after standing up then quickly scampers off.

Odalia glares at the two fighters. She gets up and angrily walks away.

***

Luz wanders along the beach after her fight. She tried to find where her friends were fighting but hasn’t had any luck. It’s been a pleasant stroll with the light ocean breeze. Luz doesn’t know when or where her next fight will be. The only instructions provided after the first fight were ‘we will find you when it’s time.’ Luz doesn’t want to dwell on how that can be accomplished.

Instead, Luz is enjoying being able to cool down after her fight. She likes watching the water lap along the shore. She spots some spectacular seashells. She can see some birds flying around. There’s a white cat sitting in front of her. She can see… Luz stops walking. She looks ahead of her at the cat. It’s watching her. And it appears to be holding a paper in its mouth.

Luz takes some cautious steps towards the cat. She kneels in front of it and sticks out her hand. She speaks softly to it, hoping it’s a friendly cat. The cat moves its head so Luz can scratch its ears. Luz happily obliges. After a moment the cat pulls away and sits so Luz can see the paper in its mouth. Luz sees her name written on it and reaches out to take it.

Luz unfolds the paper. The cat rubs itself around Luz’s legs. Luz smiles and pets the cat. She looks at the letter. It has beautiful handwritten calligraphy. Luz reads the letter to discover Amity sent it. She’s inviting Luz to a practice sparring session down the beach. There’s no way Luz is going to say no. Luz stands up and tucks the letter into a pocket. She glances around the beach, not seeing any obvious way to go. Luz looks back at the cat, “Do you know where I can find Amity?” The cat meows then takes off down the beach.

Luz slows down her jog when she spots a fighting ring up ahead. She can see a purple-haired girl sitting nearby reading a book. Luz watches the cat run up to Amity. Amity sets her book down and pets the cat. She looks over at Luz and smiles.

Luz has the biggest grin as she approaches the witch. “Hola, again.”

Amity stands up. The cat jumps up to Amity’s shoulder then walks across her outstretched arm where it turns into a white staff with a cat sitting atop it. She looks at Luz with her gorgeous golden eyes. “Ready to begin?”

Luz pouts, “That’s it? No ‘Hi, how are you?’ or ‘Let’s get to know each other first?’ Just right into the fighting?”

Amity giggles. “Maybe if you do well, I’ll answer some of your questions.” She makes her staff disappear, then takes a fighting stance.

Luz brightens up. “That’s what I’m talking about.” Luz takes her own fighting stance across from Amity. Luz winks at her then gestures for her to make the first attack.

Amity rolls her eyes, then pounces forward. Luz blocks the series of punches Amity throws. Luz responds with a kick to Amity’s side. Amity grabs Luz’s leg and they lock eyes. Amity winks at Luz, making her face flush. Amity pushes Luz back and they reset their fighting stances. Luz jumps forward. She attacks with some low kicks followed by a high kick which Amity blocks. Luz spins and tries to elbow Amity in the face. Amity grabs her arm and twists so she’s holding Luz from behind.

Amity whispers into Luz’s ear, “You can’t just react to what you see, you must anticipate what comes next.” Luz shoots her a confused look. Amity releases her hold and pushes Luz away so she can attack again. Amity kicks at Luz but Luz backs up. Amity immediately follows with a kick from her other leg. Luz ducks under then jumps up and tackles Amity to the ground.

Luz smirks while pinning Amity to the ground. “Did you see that coming?”

“Yes.” Amity quickly twists her arms and legs to flip Luz over so Amity is now pinning her down. Amity leans closer to Luz, so their faces are only a few inches apart. She smirks when Luz blushes. “Staffs provide power.” Luz groans. Amity pushes herself off Luz and stands up. She offers a hand to the human, which Luz takes.

“Does everything have to be cryptic?” Luz pats some sand off herself. “Can’t you tell me something about yourself? Your favorite color? What book you’re reading?”

Amity chuckles and takes a fighting stance, waiting for Luz to attack. Luz attacks with three quick high kicks that Amity blocks. Luz switches to punches which Amity keeps countering. Luz goes back to a high kick but stops when Amity raises her arm to block. Luz grabs Amity’s arm and spins her so that Luz holds Amity with her arm pinned behind her.

Amity blushes and looks back at Luz, “The Good Witch Azura.”

Luz looks confused for a second until she understands what the comment is a response to. Luz grins and releases her hold on Amity. Amity turns to look at Luz. Her smile disappears when she glances behind Luz. Luz is about to question what’s wrong, when she hears a familiar voice come from behind her.

“What do you think you’re doing with that human?” Odalia glares at Amity as she walks closer. She is followed by a couple of warriors and a small red demon.

Amity gives Luz an apologetic look before pushing her to the side so she can walk over to Odalia. Amity speaks in a neutral tone, “I needed practice. And your warriors don’t provide enough of a challenge.” Amity walks off.

Odalia scowls at Luz. The warriors stand between Luz and Odalia, making sure Luz doesn’t try to follow. Odalia follows Amity. She speaks quietly to the demon next to her, “Kikimora, keep an eye on Amity.” The demon nods.

***

After her fight, Vee wasn’t sure where to go. She thought about looking for Masha and Luz but wasn’t sure which way to find them. She decided to walk back to the building. Everyone would need to go back there eventually. Unfortunately, Vee lost sight of the pathway when she entered the forest. She thought it would just be a straight path from the beach but everything looks different from what she remembers.

As Vee wanders through the forest, she gets the sense she is being followed. She hears movement behind her that’s too loud for the types of animals she has seen around. So far, she hasn’t spotted anyone. Vee bends over and pretends to tie her shoe. She glances behind her and spots movement. She’s able to tell it’s a person wearing a white cloak. Vee stays down and waits to see if the person gets closer.

Vee ducks to the ground as a fireball flies over her head. Vee rolls to her side barely avoiding a vine shooting out of the ground. She jumps onto her feet and looks around. Not far away, she sees the guy in the white cloak with a gray bird mask making another spell circle. She starts running towards Steve as another fireball is sent her way. She dodges it then jumps at Steve. He moves to the side to avoid her kick. He starts to make another spell circle but Vee’s follow-up kick disrupts him. Vee throws some punches. Steve blocks them. Then Vee fakes a punch and connects with a kick. Steve retaliates with his own series of punches and kicks. Vee manages to block them but she keeps moving backwards during the attacks. Eventually she runs into a tree. Steve manages to land a kick when she reaches the tree. He follows with a punch but Vee ducks, making him hit the tree. While Steve shakes the pain from his hand, Vee sweeps his feet to knock him to the ground.

As Steve hits the ground, Vee watches him disappear. Then the forest changes into the old house where Vee found Jacob. Vee confusedly looks around. She can smell magic all around. Steve must have used an illusion spell. She gets hit in the side. She stumbles then gets hit in the side again. She tries to block a follow-up attack but gets punched a couple of times on the opposite side. Vee subtly shapeshifts so she has a tail again but keeps it blended with the rest of her human form. When she gets hit again, her tail darts out to grab her invisible attacker. Vee fully shifts into her basilisk form as she sucks the magic from her captured attacker. After a moment, Steve reappears and the forest setting returns.

Vee drops Steve to the ground. She hovers over him, still in her basilisk form. “Give up.”

Steve grabs his head and groans, “Steve is beginning to regret his choices.”

“Good.” Vee looks around the forest. “How do I get out of here?”

Steve spins his finger and a path is revealed for Vee to follow. She smiles and takes off.

***

Luz made her way back to the throne room. She hasn’t seen anyone since the warriors quit escorting her. She thinks about going back to her room to get a quick nap. However, she wants to find Vee and Masha first to make sure they survived their fights. Before she can decide where to go, there is a yellow flash of light.

Hunter appears in front of her. He’s still wearing his white cowl and gold mask. He’s also holding his staff with the red crystal on top. He starts twirling the staff then disappears in a flash. He reappears and kicks Luz from behind. Luz tumbles forward. Before she’s recovered, Hunter disappears again. He reappears at Luz’s left side, punching her in the shoulder. Luz tries to swing at him but he’s already gone. She grumbles as she looks around for him. He appears right in front of her and kicks her in the stomach. Luz falls to her knees and tries to catch her breath. She recalls what Amity said about anticipating the next move. Luz turns to her right and punches. The punch connects with Hunter as he appears next to her.

Luz grins and grabs his staff before he can disappear again. Hunter growls and tries to kick her away. Luz avoids the kick and grabs the staff with her other hand so it’s held horizontally between them. She twists the staff, forcing Hunter to flip over to avoid falling. He regains his footing and adjusts his grip on the staff. They both disappear. They reappear about ten feet above the ground and start falling. Hunter is positioned above Luz. Luz pulls at the staff and the momentum allows them to flip over so Hunter will hit the ground first. They disappear again then reappear on the ground. Luz quickly gets up and kicks the staff, breaking it into two pieces.

Hunter throws the staff to the side. He hops up and punches at Luz. She avoids the hit and retaliates with her own. They attack back and forth switching between punches and kicks. Luz smirks at Hunter, “Are you powerless without your staff?” He kicks at her head which Luz avoids. Then, Luz lets Hunter punch her in the shoulder. She grabs his arm and flips him over onto his back. She doesn’t let go of his arm. She puts a foot on his chest and twists the arm until she hears it snap. He lets out a muffled scream then stops moving.

Luz pulls off his mask. He’s a blond boy, not much older than her. He has a scar on his right cheek. Luz leans near his face then slaps him. “Wake up!”

“Wha- ugh!” Hunter jumps awake then grabs his injured arm. He glares at Luz.

Luz gives him a cocky smile. “Hey, I won the fight. Just didn’t want to leave you unconscious in the middle of the room.”

He scowls at her as he gets up. He heads to the nearest exit.

Luz calls after him, “You’re welcome!”

***

Luz has finally been reunited with Masha and Vee. They were all happy to learn they survived their fights. It looks like another dozen or so fighters from the Human Realm are also still around. All survivors were summoned for an announcement about the next fights. They are waiting in a room that looks like it was carved out of the side of a mountain. There appears to be a boxing ring set up in the center. Several warriors stand guard by the exits. One of the exits goes outside while the rest are tunnels back to the ancient building. Luz talks with Masha and Vee about their fights while waiting for the announcement.

Odalia finally enters the room. She stands in front of all the gathered fighters. She looks at them in disgust. It’s hard to tell if she’s more annoyed that she is here or that there are still so many fighters here. She smugly smiles while making her announcement, “You have all done well to make it this far, but now it is time for you to face our reigning champion: Warden Wrath!”

Odalia steps aside as a giant, purple-skinned demon with a huge mouth full of sharp teeth approaches. The demon stands in front of the fighters and lets out a roar. He breathes fire above the gathered crowd. Some nervous mumbling can be heard. Wrath goes to the fighting ring, ready for his first opponent.

Odalia points at one of the fighters. The bulky, brown-haired fighter enters the arena. He throws some punches and kicks to warm up before the fight starts. Everyone else gathers around the ring to watch the fight. Odalia calls for the fight to start. The human runs up and attacks Wrath. He uses his best punches and kicks but Wrath doesn’t even look like he’s noticed. After a minute, Wrath turns his hand into a sickle and the human goes down after one hit.

The body is moved out of the ring and Odalia picks the next fighter to enter. He’s eliminated just as quickly. Wrath defeats half a dozen fighters. Odalia takes the souls of several of the defeated fighters. Eventually, she calls for a break. The remaining fighters are left feeling downhearted.

The trio wander off together. Vee looks at the other two, “Do you think that guy can even be beaten?”

“Definitely.” Luz confidently states. “It’s just a matter of exploiting his weakness.” Vee and Masha stare at Luz, waiting to hear more details. Luz gives them a sheepish smile, “I don’t know what that weakness is, yet.”

“She’s right. There’s always a way.” Eda suddenly appears behind the trio. They turn to look at her. “The only thing that can defeat you are your fears.”

“Who says we’re afraid?” Masha asks.

Eda shakes her head. “Kids are always so cocky. You need to look within yourselves to find the answers you need to win.”

Luz glares at Eda. “Is all your wise advice just something found in fortune cookies.”

Eda lets out a big laugh and pats Luz on the back. “Those cookies stole from me.” Luz can’t help but laugh at that.

Vee gives Eda a concerned look. “Is that it? Aren’t you going to tell us what to do to win?”

Eda shakes her head. “Nah, I trust you kids to control your own destiny. You’ll figure it out.” Eda walks away.

Masha looks over at Luz. “I can’t tell if she’s all powerful or just crazy.”

Luz grins. “I think it’s both.”

***

Vee and Masha are walking around outside. Luz left them so she could meditate on Eda’s advice. They haven’t really said much to each other since Luz left. That’s just because they are also thinking about what Eda said, not because they are nervous.

Vee steals another look at Masha but this time they make eye contact. Vee quickly looks away as her cheeks heat up. She tries to keep Masha from noticing by talking about the bigger problem. “So, uh, I think I might be scared that I can’t truly represent the Human Realm since I’m not human.”

Masha hums in thought. “I know you said you’re a basilisk but I think you’ve displayed more humanity than that Jacob guy.” Masha bumps Vee’s shoulder with their own. “Besides, where you’re from isn’t important. Home is where you feel like you belong.”

Vee smiles at Masha. “Yeah. Even though most people don’t know what we are, my family and I have always felt like we belong in your realm.”

“Our realm.” Masha grins, revealing their tooth gap.

Vee blushes and mumbles. “Our realm.”

They walk in silence for a few more minutes. Masha decides to make a bold move and takes Vee’s hand in theirs. Masha enjoys the feeling for a few minutes. Eventually, they break the silence, “I’m going to challenge Wrath.”

Vee stops walking. “What?”

Masha shrugs, “I have an idea on how to win.”

“An idea isn’t enough.” Vee looks worriedly at Masha. “He’s dangerous. You could be killed. Aren’t you afraid?”

“Yeah, but I’m also afraid to see you get hurt.” Masha can feel a blush appear on their face. “Besides, I just came here to look for artifacts. Which, other than the creepy statues, there haven’t been any.”

Vee squeezes their hand. “That doesn’t mean you should challenge a demon.”

“I think it does. It gives me a reason to be here. I can protect you so you can go back to your family.”

“I want you to be part of my family.” Vee looks away from Masha as her face lights up.

Masha giggles and pulls Vee closer. “I would think a shapeshifter could hide their feelings better.”

Vee rolls her eyes. “Stop teasing me.”

“Never.” Masha pecks Vee on the cheek. They both freeze for a moment then look away from each other. Masha clears their throat. “I promise I’ll win.”

***

“You want to challenge Wrath? I didn’t have your battle scheduled yet. Are you that eager to die?” Odalia smiles at Masha like a cat toying with a mouse.

Masha puts all the conviction they can into their voice, “I’m not going to die.”

“Uh huh.” Odalia dismisses the response. She looks condescendingly at Masha. “Foolish human. You want to be a hero? You can fight Wrath. After he kills you, he will still kill your friends.”

Masha crosses their arms and glares back at Odalia. “Then what’s the problem with me fighting him now?”

Odalia huffs. “Very well. I’ll grant your request.” A sinister grin creeps onto Odalia’s face. “In return, I get to choose who to challenge for the final battle and pick the location for the fight.”

“You got it.” Masha quickly agrees.

“I don’t think so!” Eda suddenly appears behind Odalia.

Odalia turns, giving Eda a Cheshire grin. “You’re too late, Owl Lady. A deal’s been made. And a Blight always upholds their end.” Odalia walks away.

Eda stares at Masha. “What did you do?”

“I made a choice. This is our fight. We determine the outcome.” Masha shrugs then walks away.

Eda grins as they leave. “Good. They’re learning.”

***

Masha stands in the ring ready to face Wrath. The warriors of the Demon Realm have the ring surrounded as they cheer for Wrath. Luz and Vee are standing to the side offering words of encouragement to Masha. Masha appreciates it. They still aren’t sure if this idea will work. They don’t want to think about what will happen if it doesn’t.

Wrath enters the ring. He’s encouraging the warriors to cheer. He doesn’t bother looking at Masha. He poses for the crowd, showing off his muscles and occasionally letting out some fire breath. It’s clear he doesn’t expect this fight to last long.

Odalia approaches the ring on Wrath’s side. She gives Masha an icy glare while talking to Wrath. “Finish them quickly.” Odalia steps back, waiting a moment for the crowd to quiet down. “Warden Wrath vs an insignificant human. Fight!”

Wrath raises his arms, eliciting cheers from the warriors. Masha takes a deep breath. It’s do or die time. They position themselves in front of Wrath, gathering all their strength. Wrath still isn’t paying attention to them. Masha smirks at Wrath, “I got you something special in the gift shop.” Then Masha kicks Wrath as hard as they can in the nuts. The demon lets out a scream as he lowers his arms to cover his crotch. Masha grins at how well the idea worked.

Vee yells, “That was your idea?”

Masha turns around while Wrath is still groaning in pain. They can see the worry in Vee’s eyes. They also see Luz doubled over laughing. Masha then runs out of the ring. They head for the outside exit.

Odalia berates Wrath, “You imbecile! How could you let that happen? Go after them!”

Wrath slowly regains his composure. He raises his arms again and shoots fire breath. The warriors start cheering again. Wrath heads to the same exit Masha took.

Masha gets outside and realizes there’s only a few feet of standing room. They are standing on a ledge on the side of a mountain. They can’t tell how far away the ground is. They try to climb up the side of the mountain but can only get a few feet above the ledge. Hopefully it will be enough to keep Wrath from spotting them right away when he follows.

Wrath walks out onto the ledge. While he’s looking over the edge, Masha jumps away from the mountain and kicks Wrath in the back. The demon stumbles forward. Masha kicks the back of his legs to make him fall to his knees. Masha quickly follows with a kick to his face. Wrath falls close to the edge. Before he recovers, Masha shoves him over the edge.

Wrath yells for a brief moment. Masha looks over the edge and sees Wrath hanging on. He tries to pull himself back up. When he grabs the ledge, Masha stomps down on his hand. “Stay down!” Wrath screams in response then lets go and falls out of sight. Masha sighs in relief.

Masha hears a scream and runs back to the other room. When they get there, they see Odalia dragging Vee away. Odalia stops in front of a large door. Masha joins Luz and Eda a few feet away from Odalia.

“As per our deal, I have chosen my opponent.” The door slides open revealing a portal. Odalia grins, keeping a solid hold on Vee. “And I have decided on a new location for the final battle.”

“Coward!” Eda shouts. Odalia sinisterly smiles and drags Vee through the portal.

Masha looks at Eda, “Where are they going?”

“To Blight Manor in the Demon Realm.” Eda looks sadly at the two humans. “I can’t follow.”

Luz shouts, “We can! We’ll save her.”

Masha asks, “Can Vee defeat Odalia?”

Eda shakes her head. “I’m sorry. There’s still a rule you need to know.”

Luz perks up, “She has to accept the challenge or else there is no final battle.”

Eda nods. “Correct. I can’t offer any more help.”

Masha and Luz look at the portal. Masha asks, “How will we find them?”

Eda smirks, “A guide will find you on the other side.” Luz and Masha walk up to the portal. Eda shouts, “Good luck.” Luz gives her a thumbs up before going through the portal with Masha. “You’ll need it.”