Song is, "This Means War," by Avenged Sevenfold. I know the music is metal, but try to imagine the song being played by an orchestra. I couldn't find anything on YouTube for that so this version will have to do, although it does add the sense of a crowd cheering so that works for me.
Also, I will be putting the lyrics at the end of the chapter because it will be played during the final match and, well, they'll bog down the reading flow.
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After having defeated each of her opponent's, one who turned out to be a weresnake named Nadia, Lilly made her way to the fighter's entrance. She was so excited, she could barely contain herself due to the anticipation of the final match. Tora fought beautifully, and clearly Lilly was going to have her work cut out for her, but most importantly, Lilly wanted to hear the song Arthur had planned for her.
And now she was going to have a great challenge.
Granted, the other fighters Lilly battled had been decent and managed to last longer than she thought they would, but that was because Lilly had held back. A lot. After all, the people did pay good money to see a show.
Lilly opened the door to the fighter's box and looked around while people were setting up for the final round. As she glanced around at the coliseum styled walls, she suddenly had an idea. She quickly got back into the hallway and rushed through the passages to make her way outside. She looked up at the outer walls and smirked.
"Oh yeah, this'll do nicely," she giggled before placing her hands on the ridges of the wall.
And from there, Lilly climbed. As she made her way up, she passed by big spaces in the shape of windows and she managed to say hello to some of her fans. While sitting on the ledge, Lilly wrote autographs for people and shared a few laughs with them. During this, however, her bracelet started to flash and she clicked on her communications acorn, seeing Tora's face pop up.
"Hello, Tora," Lilly giggled.
"Hello, Lilly," Tora replied with a smile. "Where are you? The final round is going to start soon."
"I'm goin' tah make a grand entrance. Oh, you should do it too!" Lilly exclaimed in glee.
"Do what?"
"Jump off the roof into the arena! People will love it!"
Tora arched a brow. "Is that what you're doing?"
"Yes!"
"Then I'm in," Tora chuckled. "See you on the other side."
Lilly told her fans to enjoy the show before climbing up again. She got to the roof and walked across to look down. She hadn't realized how high up it actually was and her eyes went wide.
"Um...I actually dunna know if we can make a jump this high without really hurtin' ourselves," Lilly told Tora.
"Hmm..." Tora said before a flash of misty smoke appeared on the screen, then Lilly saw Tora's face again and Tora laughed. "Oh yeah, we can manage this as long as we roll our landing."
"Ah, good," Lilly said before looking across the way and seeing Tora on the roof. "...How the fuck did ya manage tah get up there so quick?"
"I teleported," Tora laughed.
"Oh." Lilly tilted her head to the side. "Hey, was that you I saw sneakin' around in the jungle the night I, uh, collapsed?"
"Yes. I was following orders and making sure you were safe."
Lilly chuckled. "I see. Arthur's orders, I take it?"
"Correct."
"How much is he payin' you, if you don't mind me askin'?"
"I don't mind at all. You're the countess and it's your money too."
Lilly chuckled. "Well, it was mine originally."
"Fifty thousand euros."
Lilly went pale in the face. "Excuse me?"
Tora chuckled. "That was my reaction, but he said he could afford it."
Lilly bit her lip. "Tora, I need to speak to Arthur. I'll see ya in the arena."
"Alright."
Lilly clicked the acorn, then she pressed it again. "Arthur Morgan."
When her husband's face popped up, she looked livid and his eyes went wide. "Hey, honey. Is everythin' okay?" he asked.
"Arthur, I need tah know how much all of this cost. We are partners and I would like tah be clued intah the finances, if ya would be so feckin' kind."
Arthur frowned. "I understand, sweetheart, but we have an excellent accountant. If you're worried that I spent too much money, relax. We ain't goin' bankrupt."
"How much money are we rakin' in?"
"Well, I can't say the exact figure off the top of my head, but our annual income last year was about...twenty seven million euros?"
Lilly immediately gulped, her eyes as big as saucers. "How?"
Arthur snickered. "Well, we discovered, uh...mineral deposits on the property."
"What kind of minerals?"
"Um...all the minerals."
Lilly arched a brow. "I'm sorry, all the minerals?"
"Mmhmm. Gems, metals, crystals, things like that. And other things that Darrach uses for building materials."
She gasped and covered her mouth. "Yer tellin' me we own mines?"
"Um, just the one. I'll show it to you when we get back, but you should get ready. The match is gonna start any minute."
Lilly nodded. "Alright. I love you."
"I love you too."
Play music here
Lilly smiled before clicking the bead off, then she looked over the edge and took a deep breath. She could hear Mr. Ly announcing Tora and a screen popped up in the arena for the crowd to see her on the roof. She waved at the camera with a grin and Lilly chuckled. A blue acorn came flying up and hovered in front of Lilly before Mr. Ly announced her name, making the crowd go nuts. She wiggled her fingers with a confident smile.
"Hi Aoífe and Junior! This one's for you!" she said, her voice echoing from the screen below.
Suddenly the strings from the orchestra started to play and the drums beat, making Lilly look at the orchestra area. Fireworks started going off and lights flashed, smoke and fog filling the arena. Lilly smiled deviously as she felt the music flow through her, immediately feeling in the mood for a fight. "The Red Wolf" was what the people called out for as she took some steps back to get ready for her jump. She clicked her weapons acorn and her sword and knives came out, settling themselves in the appropriate places. Lilly shut her eyes as the wind picked up, and she laughed as she went running towards the edge. The music stopped when she leaped off and the crowd screamed as they watched Lilly fall. The drums made two slow beats as she descended, and the music picked back up as she tucked and rolled on the ground, popping back up and walking confidently across the arena towards Tora. With a huge smirk and the look of death in her eyes, Lilly held her arms up and twirled, loving the music Arthur chose for her.
Flames shot up from the sides of the arena and the two fighters pulled out their swords, Tora having a katana while Lilly had her own bastard sword. They got closer enough to each other and tapped their swords together, then they smiled mischievously at each other before backing up a little. They circled around the announcer, their eyes locked together.
Lilly was going to enjoy this.
"Fight!" the announcer yelled before backing away immediately.
Tora was the first to attack when someone started singing words, and Lilly blocked the katana with her sword. The two practically danced as they sliced and diced at each other, deflecting with flourishes and parries. Lilly and Tora grunted and shouted to exert their attacks but Lilly still listened to the music. The intensity, rhythm and words of the song moved her soul and she could hear O'Callaghan and Rose singing along like they knew the words.
That was strange.
Tora jumped back as Lilly side swiped her blade, and the two circled as they pointed their weapons at one another. Lilly spread her legs apart and held the sword with both hands, bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet subtly as she bared her white toothed grin.
They went at each other again as the music changed in notes, the crowd clapping as they watched. Lilly needed to bring things up a notch so she began to twist her body with the occasional attack she'd give Tora, yet the tiger demigod didn't seem too bogged down by the change. In fact, she bent backwards just as Lilly performed a tornado kick. A platform suddenly burst up behind them and Lilly's eyes went wide when Tora jumped on it.
"Come and get me, slowpoke!" Tora laughed.
Lilly laughed and jumped on as well. The two engaged in battle again. Punches were thrown with their free hands while they clashed swords together.
"Having fun yet?" Tora asked with feeling.
"Of course!" Lilly squeaked with a smile.
Lilly did a spin hook kick and sent Tora sailing off the platform. She then leaped off the edge with her sword pointed downwards, the handle in both her hands.
"Súil Marbh," Lilly uttered. [Dead Eye.]
Time slowed down yet the music did not. Everything became sepia colored as Lilly watched Tora's body slowly collide with the ground. She shouted loudly with a fire in her eyes as she descended towards her opponent but Tora teleported in the knick of time when Lilly landed, stabbing nothing but earth with her sword. She yanked it out and looked around, spotting Tora coming for her. Lilly twirled her sword and swung it at Tora, the Japanese woman teleporting again to get out of the way. Lilly felt herself get kicked in the back and she went flying across the arena, landing on her hands and knees and dropping the sword.
She growled as she got up, seeing Tora holding both swords now. Lilly chuckled with a shake of her head then she pulled out two knives, charging the other fighter. The fighting dance resumed and Lilly's soul counterparts urged her to continue with words of encouragement. When Lilly managed to get close enough, she sliced into one of Tora's hands, making the woman drop her katana. Tora hissed before unsheathing a wakizashi, dropping the bastard sword and pulling out a kunai.
The fight resumed, all the while the crowd was going absolutely crazy. With twists and dodges, the two women tried to slice each other up but they were not having much luck. Both of them were too fast for one another. Lilly suddenly did a back flip while pulling out some throwing knives and sending them Tora's way. Two embedded into Tora's shoulder and she narrowed her eyes as she yanked them out, Lilly looking quite pleased with herself. In the blink of an eye, Lilly felt herself stabbed in the cheek with something and she flinched, pulling out a shuriken from her face before glaring at Tora.
"Oh, ya wanna have a go? Let's have a feckin' go," Lilly laughed before clicking on her armor and weapons beads.
People whistled at her nakedness and she twirled a few times with her arms out, waving to the crowd before shifting into her red wolf. Tora gaped up at the wolf as Lilly grew in size, snickering as she looked down at her opponent.
"Ya better shift if ya wantah stand a chance, kunoichi!" Lilly giggled.
Tora nodded and pressed her palms together in prayer before disappearing in a shroud of smoke. Lilly narrowed her eyes as she looked around for Tora, then she heard a roar behind her and she turned and ducked just as the large tiger lunged for her. Tora roared again as she landed, twisting around and opening her mouth widely to show off her sharp fangs. Lilly laughed and howled towards the sky in celebration as Tora let out another roar.
"Yer tiger is really cute," Lilly remarked.
"You want cute? I'll show you cute!" Tora laughed before lunging.
The two attacked with their claws and teeth, ripping into one another as blood spilled on the ground. It hurt but Lilly's adrenaline was fueling her to fight on. The music filled her with power and her mood went into a blood infused rage, the need to conquer overwhelming her very being. Tora snarled and jumped on top of her, biting at the back of her neck. Lilly struggled to fight her off but the Japanese demigod had a tight grip on her nape. Lilly then rolled over onto her back, squishing the tiger as Lilly threw her head back. Tora let go and they tumbled with one another, more blood spilling on the ground. Snarls, growls and roars echoed throughout the arena as the crowd cheered for the White Tiger and Red Wolf. Lilly was excited that the audience liked Tora as she was a very excellent fighter. It was the challenge thar Lilly had been craving for a long time. Granted, her, Rose and O'Callaghan had been defeated by the three Greek God kings, but the girls had been at a disadvantage at the time.
The strings played a melodic tune and the drums beat loudly, Lilly glancing out of the corner of her eye at the orchestra. This was the best night she'd had in a very long time. The two continued their savage battle, Tora suddenly getting the upper paw and striking Lilly's face so hard that she went rolling across the ground.
That pissed Lilly off.
As the singing began again, Lilly got up as her eyes flashed a glowing red. A loud, bellowing roar escaped her throat as her hackles raised and she showed off her glistening white teeth. Tora took a few steps back, her eyes widening.
"Lilly?" she said.
Lilly stalked over to her prey with a vicious laugh, quickening her pace as Tora turned and ran. More platforms shot up and the two leaped onto them, Lilly chasing Tora around. Tora teleported away but Lilly immediately jumped off, meeting Tora where she reappeared and grabbed onto her neck with her teeth. Suddenly Lilly grew in size, now the rough size of a quarter of the arena. As the two began their fall to the ground, Lilly tossed Tora like a rag doll towards one of the platforms. Tora crashed into it, knocking the structure down as Lilly made her landing. It crumbled on top of the tiger and Lilly snarled hungrily as she trotted towards the area.
"Here, kitty kitty kitty," she giggled maniacally.
Lilly jumped into the pile of broken wood and metal, tearing it apart with her fangs. She rooted around trying to find Tora, but the demigod wasn't there. Lilly sniffed the air and turned, trying to get Tora's scent.
"Where are ya, little kitty?!" she taunted in a low growl.
A sharp pain hit Lilly in the side and she narrowed her eyes before turning to see Tora's katana sticking out of her rib cage.
"Lilly, this isn't a fight to the death!" Tora shouted from atop a platform. "Keep your bloodthirst in check!"
Lilly roared like a demon at Tora before leaping up towards the platform. Tora jumped off it onto another as Lilly scrambled onto the first one, knocking it over with her large weight. She leaped off as it fell to the ground, landing on a larger platform. A domino effect occurred with the platforms and dusty clouds filled the arena when Lilly landed on the ground.
"WHERE ARE YA, TORA?! Lilly yelled. "COME OUT AND FIGHT ME LIKE A GOD!"
Lilly shifted into human form and yanked the katana from her body, holding it as she looked around through the brown dust. Tora pounced out of nowhere, knocking Lilly onto her back but the Irish woman held Tora by the canines, groaning as she held the tiger up. Tora slashed Lilly's arms and chest up to bloody hell and Lilly cried out from the pain. She pushed up with one hand and pulled with the other, attempting to break Tora's lower jaw. Tora snarled and drooled as Lilly pushed more, screaming as her eyes flashed an even brighter red. Steam began to form on her skin as it turned red, and finally Tora's mouth drooped with a loud crunch.
Tora screamed and stumbled away, her jaw slowly setting back into place as Lilly quickly got up, grabbed Tora's katana and held it up to Tora's neck.
"Do ya yield?" she asked calmly as her eyes and skin went back to normal, the crowd drowning out the song that was coming to a close.
Tora nodded as she moved her jaw around. "I do," she breathed heavily before shifting into her human form. "Did you have to break my jaw, though? That really hurt."
Lilly chuckled before flipping the sword around with the handle pointed towards Tora. "I believe this belongs to you," she cooed.
Tora grabbed the sword and got up, waving a finger at Lilly. "You should put your armor back on."
"Oh. Right," Lilly said before clicking her armor acorn, her loin cloth and corset appearing on her body. People whistled and cheered for the Red Wolf who had clearly won the battle and Lilly smiled before waving her hand at everyone. "That was such a fantastic fight, Tora. Thank you so much."
Tora grinned and threw an arm around Lilly. "You're welcome."
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Hide my face again, harbor in the shadows
Feel this weight of sin hammering away
Die, with the guilt of a thousand AWOL soldiers
Die, watch the scythe usher me astray
I can't go on this way
Not as I am today
The ugly side of me is strong
Take aim, a loaded gun.
Pull back on all who run.
A coward's truth inside the wrong.
This means war
This means war
This means war
Lash your tongue of bane
Carry me to nowhere
Mental holocaust
Battle never ends
Lie! Mask the pain
Of a child who's forsaken
Lie! To myself
Praise the new regime
I left me long ago
Reasons you'll never know
No one to miss me when I'm gone
With no more words to say
No argument to stay.
Another post I don't belong
This means war
This means war
This means war
This means war
This means war
No home to call my own
No finding someone new
No one to break the fall
No one to see me through
No name to carry on
No promise for today
No one to hear the call
No tattered flag to raise
Walk the razor's edge
Cut into the madness
Question all you trust
Buy into the fear
I see the man ripping at my soul now
I, I know the man
I know him all too well
There's nothing here for free
Lost who I want to be
My serpent blood can strike so cold
On any given day
I'll take it all away
Another thought I can't control
This means war
This means war
This means war
This means war
This means war