TRC - Lord of the Glass Desert Ch. 34

"Couldn't they have given him a little bit of privacy?" Kal asked

Yua shook her head. "Doing it out in the open like this keeps people honest. Those hoping to cheat have a harder time defending themselves when it happens in front of a crowd. And if you aren't willing to bare yourself in front of everyone, then you shouldn't have signed up."

"You seem familiar with how this all works."

"This isn't my first tournament. Very few have monster girl contestants, and the men running them send out messages to me and a few others whenever one does." She said as they waved goodbye to Ichiro as he made his way to a roped-off area manned by guards who didn't hesitate to thump the heads of overzealous fans with their staves.

Just behind the contestant's area and roughly in the middle of all the combat rings stood a wooden dais with four men on it. Three faced the contestants and audience, while the fourth stood a little forward and faced the other three. Kal and Kashka got to see their first magic window as it coalesced in the sky above the raised platform. The face of the center man appeared in the illusion and began speaking, his voice magically amplified so all could hear.

He spent the first few minutes welcoming contestants and spectators alike and thanking the town of Sayaka for hosting this tournament. He then reiterated Ichiro's warnings about staring at the magic windows. Finally, he broke down the tournament's structure.

For the unarmed combat group, there would be two sets of twelve-man melees. The last three standing in each ring moved on to the second round of six-man melees. After the second round of unarmed combat would be the armed combat twelve-man and six-man eliminations. Following a break for lunch would be a six-woman elimination round and the first set of women's one-on-one duels. Monster girls rounds began with duels, having two rounds before moving on to the magic-users and the final two rounds of the day. Tomorrow and beyond, the duels would continue during their assigned time slot, getting in as many as possible per day until the winners were decided.

The announcer then introduced Sayaka's historian, an elderly man who did not look comfortable addressing such an enormous crowd, and relinquished the magic window to him.

"Many," he said but stopped immediately, startled by his voice's enhanced volume. The historian continued after some coaching by the announcer, "Many of you know about the story of Ikuno and how she saved our small town many years ago. You also likely know that the winners of this tournament will be the ones to help her replenish her power once she returns to us, much like those men and women did on the eve of her departure." The historian paused for a few seconds, distracted by the judges and organizers dividing the contestants into their respective rings. "W-While our village was under her protection, Ikuno fended off raiders with her magic or a great steel club. The worst of those who sought to destroy our home she ripped apart with her bare hands. This is why we split the men's portion of the tournament into three groups, unarmed, armed, and magic users.

"Nearly every resident of Sayaka has been touched by Ikuno's deeds in some way. Ikuno began as a spirit of safe travels and many travelers who received her blessing over the years returned home safely.

"When Ikuno created her physical form, she began bringing couples together and became a spirit of love, romance, and lust." He paused again as a ripple of laughter ran through the crowd. "A tradition the people of Sayaka began centuries ago was to write the name of those they love on a slip of parchment or fabric and leave it in front of her shrine. If two people's hearts pointed toward each other, the two would sometimes come together under odd and often intimate situations. Ikuno was never seen directly taking action, but when a couple returned to the oni's shrine to thank her, it was said that she commented on details only the couple would have known of how their relationship began. My own ancestors sought her aid to conceive their first child, and without her, I would not be here to tell you these stories."

"Thank you. Thank you!" interrupted the announcer as his face appeared in the illusion again. "We shall be hearing more stories about Sayaka's patron spirit as the tournament goes on. But now, it's time for the first round!"

The guards keeping the spectators at bay fell back to take up new positions inside the Watcher's circle around the ring. As the crowd surged forward, Yua finished repeating the announcer's words with a look of confusion at Kal.

"Why did you need me to repeat everything he said," she asked once finished.

"I have a translation spell," Kal replied while making his way toward the fighting rings with Kashka and Yua in tow as Ming floated over people's heads toward the wooden dais. "But it only works within a certain range."

"I'm learning the Azum language, but I'm not very good at it yet. There were a lot of words he said I've never heard before," Kashka added.

"Ah, so that's why you always speak in Common though you seem to understand the Azum language so well. It also explains why his mouth doesn't move right when he speaks Azum."

Kal worked his way through the throng toward Ichiro's fighting ring but as they got close the mass of people stopped them. A few seconds later, they saw Ming float over and take up a position above the Watcher's circle.

"She's watching Ichiro's match!" Yua squeaked happily.

"I think she asked to," said Kal. "When she left us, she went over to the men next to the announcer before coming over here."

"Must be nice to be tall," she grumbled. "But I could kiss the woman right now. There won't be any bouncing," she pointed at the magic window, "from running around."

Kashka suddenly leapt onto Kal's shoulders, her slight warning over the bond gave him barely enough time to steady himself.

"Ming!" the cat shouted, waving her over.

The lantern girl glanced at the ring, then floated over as quickly as he had ever seen the girl move.

"Ria, I need a pair of my undergarments," said Kashka as she hopped down.

"What is it Kashka? We're about to start any second." Ming asked, clearly irritated at the interruption.

"You're showing off," she replied as a plain pair of panties appeared in her hand.

"I don't mind if these men stare at my ass and pussy. I kind of like it."

"Yes, but not everyone in this crowd is an adult," said the cat, holding out the panties, "and some of the parents looked very upset their children could see all your charms."

"They're no fun," Ming grumbled. Floating downward, she slipped her feet into the undergarment's holes. "I was sort of hoping one of the men in the crowd might grab me and do me right there after the match."

Kashka pulled the panties up and into place to a few disappointed groans from nearby men. "Human village, human rules. Once you are back in the monster girl camp, you can take them off."

"I'll have to, or tomorrow I won't be able to fly."

"Even something that light will pull you down?" Kal asked.

"I was created from a paper lantern that flies from the heat of it's candle," she explained while rising back into the air. "Toss a pair of panties over one, and it will never leave the ground." With a small wave, she floated back over to the watcher's ring.

A blank magic window appeared above the arena as Kal saw Ming dip down and speak to someone at the edge of the crowd. Moments later, the face of the man she was speaking to appeared in the large illusion. As Ichiro warned, the image was slightly fuzzy and turned into colorful streaks if the moved her head too quickly.

"Contestants, raise a fist in the air if you are ready!" shouted the announcer raising his hand in the air. When all the fighters had a hand in the air the ring's judge slipped his red armband off and held it aloft. After checking to see if everyone was ready, the announcer dropped his arm in a chopping motion and yelled, "Fight!"

---

Ichiro intentionally picked a weaker-looking fighter to square off against. His opponent's nervousness reminded him of his childhood when he first began learning to fight from his father's weapon master. Ichiro briefly wondered why they would allow someone with so little skill to participate in a tournament like this. As the announcer shouted, "Fight!" he mentally shrugged. The purpose of these first rounds was to get rid of the chaff.

His opponent held his fists up defensively, but his stance was weak. At least the man seemed to understand he faced a far more skilled fighter and didn't rush in swinging wildly. Ichiro smiled. Maybe it would have been better if his foe had rushed in. At least he'd be done with the man already and on to worrying about the other eleven men in the ring.

The brother darted forward, making his opponent scuttle backward, but not fast enough. Ichiro's hand closed around the man's wrist and jerked him forward, forcing all his opponent's weight onto the man's forward leg. The momentary loss of balance was enough for Ichiro to land a powerful kick to his opponent's gut. The man dropped to the ground clutching his stomach. The judge stepped over and removed the defeated man's armband.

Ichiro watched the two nearest men trade blows as he casually walked over. Neither of his new opponents seemed particularly competent. When they broke apart for a moment, Ichiro walked in between them and quietly waited.

The man to his left struck first, throwing his entire weight behind his fist in a powerful but sloppy punch. Ichiro spun toward him, deflecting the poorly executed strike and grabbing the man's outstretched arm. The brother stepped into his opponent and used the momentum of the lunge to flip his foe over his back. Adding a powerful shove with his legs, he launched the man at the other fighter. His second opponent held his hands up to stop the body flying at him. This offered Ichiro ample time to dart forward and plant his fist in the other man's jaw. His opponent's eyes rolled up as he slumped to the ground. The man he threw was trying desperately to get back to his feet, but Ichiro stopped him with another strong kick.

Looking around, the brother noted only four fighters were left besides him. One pair seemed evenly matched, but both were still below his level of skill. The other set of fighters was more interesting. One seemed to be nearly on Ichiro's level while his opponent looked notably less skilled. The lesser skilled opponent kept ceding ground and stayed on his heels but still managed to avoid any injuries serious enough to take him out of the fight. With a calculating grin, Ichiro walked toward the two men.

---

"That seems almost cruel," said Kal as they watched Ichiro take up a place next to a man slowly losing his fight. "But I get it." Within seconds Ichiro and his ally had shifted the flow of battle and began forcing their opponent backward. Seeing he was fighting a losing battle, their adversary jumped backward and out of their reach. His face turned bright red and he shouted in impotent rage before ripping off his armband and stomping out of the ring.

---

Ichiro glanced over to see one of the other two combatants kneeling on the ground with blood running from his nose as he spat more onto the ground in front of him.

"Thank you," said his temporary ally.

The brother shook his head in response. "Don't. I'm here to win. If we fight one another later in the tournament, you are an easier victory than he would have been," said Ichiro as the judge removed the armband from the man on the ground and declared the three men still standing as the round's winners.

---

The image on the magic window followed Ichiro as he walked toward Ming, then turned around for a brief moment to show Kal standing in between Kashka and Yua before going back to Ichiro. A few seconds later, the brother pushed his way through the crowd to greet them.

"Excellent show," said Kal as he and Kashka clapped.

The brother gave them a slight bow before looking over at Yua. "I expected a warmer congratulations from you."

"I'm trying really hard not to strip, bend over, and beg you to fuck me," she said with a pained expression. "I am so hot for you right now."

Ichiro stepped in close to the pika, making her gasp. "That wasn't even my best, and you're already like this?"

"I know it's not your best, But I saw hints of your best in that last fight, and it only made me want you more."

"It's refreshing to be wanted by a monster girl for more than just being a human with a cock." he said, bending down and bringing his face closer to hers.

"It's also refreshing to want a man because his skills impress me and not just because my womb is telling me to fuck him," she replied, pushing up onto her tip-toes.

"Brother! Excellent fight," shouted Asahi as he pushed through the crowd. Ichiro and Yua stepped apart with groans of disappointment as he came over and clapped his elder brother on the back.

"And how much did you actually see?"

"All of it, dear brother," he replied, pointing up at the illusion above the fighting arena. "Though I may have missed the first few seconds trying to figure out where you were." Asahi looked around. "I'm guessing Nao didn't make it?"

"Are you surprised?" Ichiro sighed.

"No. Just disappointed. What will you do until the next round?"

"Find a healer and do my best not to drag this one back to camp and pin her to the bed," he said with a grin at Yua.

"You don't have to do your best in that regard," said Yua, returning the grin.

"Here, I can take care of the first part," said Kal, putting a hand on the eldest brother's arm and pushing some healing magic into the man.

A few seconds later, Ichiro slapped his wrapped arms and shins to check the bruises beneath, then looked at where one of his opponents scratched his his shoulder and saw it healed over with barely a scar. "You're a handy person to have around," he laughed.

"Now, what about that second part?" Yua asked.

In response, Ichiro pointed up at the magic window where the next set of fighters filed into the ring. "We watch and keep an eye out for any exceptional fighters." He pulled the pika in front of him and held her to his chest with an arm. "I will watch, at least," he said as his other hand slid down the monster-girl's stomach and slipped beneath her shorts. "You need to keep quiet and not draw attention."

"You bastard," she whispered before gasping as his fingers found her sex.

Kal looked at Kashka. "Are we that bad?" he asked.

She smiled and said, "Sometimes," as the announcer started the second set of fights.

---

"You absolute evil bastard," Yua seethed as Ichiro finally removed his hand from her sex and sucked each finger clean of her juices.

"You heard the man," he said, pointing at the central magic window. "I need to get inspected before they will let me into the contestant's area again."

"No, I didn't. I was a little distracted," she huffed. "You could have at least gotten me off."

"This way, we both get to suffer," he chuckled before striding over to the inspection station.

"What are you two smiling at?" the pika snapped at Kal and Kashka.

"Nothing," said the cat, her voice dripping sweetness. While keeping an eye on the various magic windows for Ichiro, the eldest brother's and pika's antics prompted a steady stream of teasing memories and images between the cat and human over the bond. Between the teasing and watching Ichiro and Yua, Kal was ready to grab Kashka and fly back to their tent, the secret of his flying magic be damned. Kashka was no less aroused. If Kal did fly off with her, she would make sure his cock was inside her before they left the ground.

"Would you two like to borrow my tent for a few minutes?" Asahi chuckled. He had watched the two couples get worse and worse as the second set of fights went on. The cat looked ready to rip the mage's clothes off as her face and upper chest flushed with arousal, and the mage looked prepared to throw the cat on the ground right there.

"Thanks," said Kal. "But we said we'd stay for Ichiro's fights. Besides, It's good research for whenever I face Nao."

Asahi laughed, "Nao will only fight hand-to-hand if he's desperate. Ichiro has told him many times that if he gets to that point, he's as good as dead. You're better off watching me fight if you want an idea of what it will be like to face my little brother. He's much better with a sword."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Kal as the announcer asked the roaming healers if the injured winners of the last set of battles were ready.

---

This second round was already proving to be a large step up in difficulty from the first. Ichiro paired off against a street thug who had shown amazing endurance in the lst set of fights. The large man wasn't exceptionally skilled but seemed able to soak up damage until his opponent tired before going on the offensive. Ichiro would need to severely wound the man and do it quickly. He didn't doubt his own endurance, but there were four other people in the arena he had to consider, and any of them could put him in a similar situation as his last opponent. Ichiro had a few tricks available but didn't want to use them this early in the tournament.

As expected, his adversary dropped into a defensive crouch the moment the announcer started the match. There would be no throwing this man off-balance like in his last bout. Ichiro lunged forward, and the man hopped to the side, his feet thudding firmly into the grass as he maintained his stance.

Ichiro ignored him, instead bolting for the two men fighting behind his opponent. The fighter facing him smiled as the brother kicked the back of his adversary's knee then spun on his heel to aim a reverse kick at the back of the man's head.

Ichiro's heel sailed over the head of the collapsing fighter and into the smiling man's face.

As his foot completed its arc, Ichiro switched feet and kicked the kneeling fighter in the side of his head. The blow stung despite his wrapped legs but was enough to make the man collapse to the grass below.

The big man stood there staring at him in confusion as the other two men in the ring finished their bout.

"Why?" asked the thug as the judge declared them winners.

"It's too dangerous to fight you here. I'll happily fight you again when I don't need to worry about others sneaking up behind me," he said with a wave at the two men he downed.

Bowing to the judge and the other two winners, Ichiro made his way out of the ring.

---

"Asahi is in line for inspection, but it doesn't look like they've started letting contestants through yet," Kal told the eldest brother as he found them in the crowd. "Was the big guy annoyed you ignored him?"

Ichiro chuckled, "No, I told him he was too dangerous to fight sharing the ring with others. Can I beat him? Yes, but against someone who absorbs hits like he can, it would take time I didn't have. Thankfully, this is the last time strategy like that will matter. From now on, I'll only need to worry about the man in front of me. Also, I won't be able to meet you between matches again. The inspectors were not happy I left the contestant's area last time." He raised an eyebrow at Yua, "I can't imagine what might have annoyed them."

"Someone get a face full again?" the pika giggled

"Nearly."

"It looked like she was having a more difficult time than you were when you left," said Kal.

"You would have thought so, but that tail of hers..." Ichiro explained while motioning where her butt rested against his legs earlier. Yua's tail would have been mashed against the base of the brother's prick, and Kal had seen how fast it could vibrate when the woman was excited.

"Curious?" Kashka asked.