Seka stood in front of the gate, whistling a tune that didn't exist—because why not? The fight was in five minutes, and he hadn't even stretched.
The shirt was missing two buttons, and the sleeves were unevenly rolled—but he never cared about things like that.
The sandstone walls were sweating from the heat of the day, but Seka looked like he could be napping on a rooftop somewhere. That was just the kind of person he was—always too relaxed for the moment.
"About time you got back." He said as he saw Rin approaching.
"It's your turn to go and hog all the attention now." Rin smirked.
"Oh cut the crap! You know that whoever gets the fight after yours only gets the boos from the crowd." He complained.
"Whatever. It's not like I want them to." He shrugged.
"It's not like I want them to." Seka mimicked him with an annoyed, yet chirpy voice.
"It's not my fault."
"Actually, it kind of is."
The banter was light, like always. Easy. The kind of easy that comes from fighting beside someone long enough to know they'll always be there.
Seka cracked his neck, gave a lazy stretch, and started walking toward the Arena gate.
"Anyway, just watch. I'm gonna kick some serious ass."
Entering the Arena, Seka stretched his hands wide, preparing to indulge in the crowd's attention. On his mouth was a cheerful grin.
'Today the Arena is going to feast.'
As the coliseum's light poured in, he waited for the chants. Sadly they never reached his ears.
There was no enthusiasm like there was for Rin, because well, he wasn't Rin.
'Damn that bastard.'
As he thought that he glanced back and saw Rin on one of the stands. He flashed him a cheerful grin that was screaming 'Watch me startle these weirdoes.'
He looked too eager for a fight. Not that he was, but certain appearances was necessary to thrive at the Arena which both he and Rin knew too well.
He was thrown out of his thoughts by the sounds of gates opening. His opponent was entering.
From the other side, a huge man entered the Arena.
'Wait are you being serious with me?'
Seka's thoughts were no exaggeration. In front of him, a bulky man stood, showcasing his muscles which he seemed to be too proud of.
Looking at his bare-chested figure, Seka felt creeped out. He forced his eyes to scan him to find out what kind of weapon he used, but he found none.
Classic brute.
The audience got a little excited upon seeing this pair. A lean and frail Seka with a bright smile against a gigantic monster.
"Ok there's a death today." Rin made a little remark.
"Hey I heard that!" Seka shouted at him. "You know I have extremely good hearing!"
Rin was the only one who watched Seka's fight with as much enthusiasm as his fans watched his. Seka's way of fighting was… fun.
While Seka was busy bickering with Rin, the enormous guy rushed at him. It looked like the fight would be over in an instant. At the exact moment of impact, Seka slipped between his thick legs which were more like pillars of concrete. The man stopped after several meters. Such was his charging speed.
"Whew. Barely got out," Seka sighed. "Dude, you definitely need some dieting. What are you even planning on doing with all that meat?"
The giant didn't give any comment and again charged. This time he punched. Seka threw himself backwards avoiding the blow. He punched again and again and again.
Seka was quite nimble and he then started to show his swiftness by performing feats in the middle of battle. His way of evading was quite clumsy and he looked like a jester showing his feats rather than a fighter.
'Wait this wasn't how it was supposed to go!'
The man continued his onslaught. Finding the perfect moment, Seka jumped and climbed on the giant's back and slid down. The man now had his back to him. Seeing the opportunity, Seka kicked him you know where. There was a muffled cry and the giant stood there with trembling knees for a few seconds after which he collapsed.
Seka got on top of him and began to gloat.
"Hahahahahaha! Look and beware the mighty Seka."
He savoured the last few hits to the best extent.
"Hmph show off." Rin smiled.
Another performance. Another day in the pit. What a lively way to live!
***
"Wake up, Mr Lord of the Arena."
Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Rin opened his eyes. Blonde hair was all he saw. Rin didn't want to get up, but Seka made him.
'Does this guy never feel tired?'
Seka never seemed to sleep much. Whenever Rin asked him the reason, he always said that he had too much energy to go to sleep. After a few tries, he had stopped asking. There were things people did not want to tell others and he knew that it was better not to dig into them.
"Wake up dude, we're going for a walk."
And that was how he found himself wandering the empty boundaries of the Arena in the middle of the night. It was surprisingly soothing.
"Good job today," Seka said to Rin.
"It was the same as always. The man didn't even put up a fight."
"Ooh, I'm scared. Please Master Rin, don't ever hurt me."
"Look who's talking. Quit the drama. After what I saw today, I'm thinking I should be on the defensive when I'm around you. That guy won't be standing for a while."
"His whole bloodline will now know the pain of fighting against me."
"If there's even a bloodline left after that."
Both of them were laughing now. And just like that his whole mood was brightened. This was what Seka really was. He had this ability to make the world seem brighter than it really was.
It was cool, but not something he was ever going to admit in front of him. He already had a huge head and Rin didn't want it to swell any further if he praised him.
The walk continued for a while when Seka suddenly staggered as if sensing something.
Rin felt weird. He felt cold for some reason. The air around him was screaming for some reason. Something was wrong.
If there was one thing, he trusted more than himself it would be Seka's senses. They were too sharp for anything to go by unnoticed by them.
'What's going on?'
"You heard that?" Seka inquired instantly. His voice had a hint of urgency.
"Heard what?" Rin replied instantly. He hadn't heard anything. What was it that Seka had heard?
Suddenly, Rin felt a push—hard and sudden.
"What—?"
Seka's mouth moved.
"Run—"
That was all he managed before the world was swallowed in fire.