Night 57: The Coliseum
Touching the sandy grounds of the coliseum was a catalyst, and the progression of day did not mean the end of the process. By fortune or otherwise, this group's efforts were not allowed to halt simply due to the rising sun. Therefore, when nighttime was pronounced, those who had undergone the beginnings of an incomplete trial were pulled from their
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The setting was almost as he'd remembered it, with the differences being far and few. There were fewer people around, but it wasn't surprising since their group hadn't been all that big in the first place. There were also only two fighters around, but only Erika and the guy tagging along had been stupid enough to sacrifice their blood for this. He just hoped that they had a few tricks up their sleeve to make this fight as entertaining as he hoped for it to be.
Their placement hadn't gone unnoticed either, and green eyes were quick to wander over to the occupant in the next seat over. However, his attention was quickly captured by the man who had taken the Head Doctor's place.
"I guess it makes sense that Landel wouldn't be here this time around," He began as he watched the man with obvious amusement. Of course he had an idea of the point of his presence, but that didn't stop him from acting smug.
"Do you want me to spoil what happens or would you rather see for yourself?"
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Given all that had happened so far, this place was the last area he wanted to take his brother to, and Nigredo had thoughtlessly promised to do so. Furthermore, unless Sync had been faking the day before (which wasn't as likely as one would assume), there was no way to convey the why. He had a feeling the link was no exception to the rule, which meant he would have to survey the scenario and hopefully come up with a method where both U.R.T.V. could walk away unharmed.
Which meant having to converse with someone he detested.
"Why don't you tell me what's going on?" Nigredo muttered without looking at Sync. "And I'll see if they're true." Aguilar looked to be ready to detail out the rules himself, but it wouldn't hurt to get a second perspective, especially from one who had passed through those doors in the past.
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"Anyway, we're lucky because all we have to do is watch, but I can't say the same for those two." Now his attention was on the two 'fighters' in the arena. Call it a new sense altogether, but there was something different with how both held themselves, as if they were experiencing being whole again. Sync knew that feeling all too well when he was a participant in Landel's games, and he briefly wondered if Aguilar would gather as much entertainment from this as their previous captor.
The pause in his words hadn't been done for dramatic effect, but he might as well have been trying given what he was planning to share.
"If we want to get any farther then one of them is going to have to kill the other," The God-General revealed in an eerily casual manner.
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At least there was consolation in that his roommate was sticking with the truth--truth confirmed by none other than Aguilar himself. Indeed, it seemed that "Erika" and "Gabriel" were locked in a fight to the death. Furthermore, failure to comply with the rules meant that someone closest to them would become hurt. Of course, it came as no surprise that the girl's was herself, but the adult's proved unexpected. Nigredo narrowed his eyes at the opposite end of the arena.
"...I know that person." He had never gotten the man's name (until now, that is), but Nigredo had certainly talked with him earlier in the afternoon. And he was Gabriel's brother? The child looked between the figures, seeing no resemblance in their conduct. That somehow confirmed their familial relationship.
To add to the oddity of this trial, Aguilar mentioned a change in what was supposedly the regular routine, and this was enough to pull at the boy's attention. She has to prove he's not an archangel? Additionally, wasn't an archangel part of an obsolete collection of myths from Lost Jerusalem? Either her task was heinously simple, or there was something he was missing. The latter appeared more likely; there must be a specific reason for such a ridiculous concession.
"I guess there is more to it than just killing the other person," he muttered.
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Given their compact environment, it wasn't all that shocking to come across someone the latter already knew, but that wasn't important. So what was another person in the crowd to them? They were safe for all he cared, sparing no empathy for either occupant below him. However, what was interesting was how Aguilar added a twist before the fight even started. It seemed all too fitting that Erika's ability relied on persecuting others, and while he wasn't too familiar with the subject itself, even he could see the challenge involved existence itself.
"Can't say I'm surprised," Which was half a lie since nothing like this occurred when he was forced to fight. In all honesty he was disappointed in the delay of violence, but he figured this could easily be compensated by Erika's failure to prove her opinion with sufficient evidence.
"It looks like these fights are customized depending on who's fighting to make it more interesting." And fair, one might add, but Sync couldn't have cared less about that insignificant detail. Instead he leaned back in his chair, much line one waiting to get his money's worth on a show he's paid paid for.
"Wanna bet?"
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Ah.
Nigredo stiffened in his seat. That somehow cemented the foolishness of his promise to Albedo. If he did not take appropriate measures, they could be facing the same predicament tomorrow. Suddenly, the U.R.T.V. wished he had tried another approach earlier in the afternoon. Between forced silence and the rules presented, the next night could prove to be a disastrous affair.
The one in the adjacent seat offered his commentary, and Nigredo could only stare down at the arena, mind whirling. It wasn't until he heard the question that he spared a glance at Sync. "Bet with what?" he asked, tone incredulous. It wasn't like either of them had money, which he learned from the scientists at the Yuriev Institute was the most appropriate element to use for a wager.
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"Don't waste your breath trying to warn anyone." It was as if he'd caught wind his roommate's thoughts, but in reality the statement was based solely on previous attempts. The only good thing Nigredo had going for himself was his common sense, so he wouldn't have been surprised if the latter already figured it out beforehand. That'd certainly save him a few minutes of explaining, and minutes definitely meant more in this place.
It might've been a strange sight then, when there was a definite shift in atmosphere when one turned from the coliseum floor to their own little section. Nigredo had a point when it came to means of currency, but that didn't stop the God-General from trying to take advantage of this. Sync leaned back somewhat in his seat, keeping his gaze on all the action below while he spoke.
"If you win you can have my dinner for the next night." It sounded like a fair enough trade for the lives of a couple of idiots. "It must've been a while since you actually had something edible."
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The battle went underway in the center of the arena, and the boy watched as one attempted to negate the other's existence. Watched with veiled concern as Castiel suffered the consequences of time. With a military background, it was difficult to tell the direction of this battle. Although Gabriel appeared to be a step or two ahead of Erika's logic, Nigredo didn't believe the fight was a throwaway.
...Then again, making Erika spew out rainbow words hinted at otherwise.
Finally, Nigredo leaned back, assessing both the wager and the battle before him. Though a part of him was tempted to snap back about not needing food, he instead went with a question: "What if you win?"
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