Ada: The Witch Huntress

Chapter 23: Demon Squad

   The crowd was unusually silent as the match between the Demon Squad and the Elven League officially commenced. Everyone seems to be taking this battle seriously, and Ada doesn’t know why. She couldn’t help but feel the intense pressure enclosing the whole arena as if the outcome of this match determines the judgment of everyone’s lives. 

    They rumbled so much during the last match. Why is everyone so serious now?

    She nudged Zachia’s arms and whispered in her ear this time, afraid that she’d distract everyone's concentration on the match if she spoke normally. “What’s going on?” 

    “This is the most awaited fight,” Zachia mumbled back to her. “The Elven League is hailed as the strongest squad, everyone sort of wanted to see how they beat the Demon Squad into a pulp.”

    Her brows automatically furrowed at Zachia’s statement. Just how strong are these elf-shifters?

    The game’s goal is simple. A team needs to drive all of the opponents outside the glowing, bluish magical circle mark in the middle of the arena. It’s up to a player whether he wants to shove, throw, or toss an opponent in the air. A player that went over the mark will be eliminated automatically. A player can use force, weapons, wits, or even magical powers to beat their opponents. Luckily, there are no Magian members between the two groups, so the match would be mainly a battle of strength and agility. 

    Of course, killing is prohibited. There are also healers around, so if a player is deeply wounded and already incapable of finishing the fight, he or she would be instantly removed. 

    Zachia told her that the circular magical mark's primary purpose is to prevent the players from accidentally hurting the spectators and prevent the crowd from interrupting the fight, physically and magically.  

    Somehow, she doubts the elves could win this match against Zeya’s squad. In all honesty, the four fair creatures in the center looked frail though they looked undeniably ethereal. The elf-shifters team consists of three men elves and a woman elf. They are slender and taller than normal men. They look pale as if they are not feeding for centuries and their faces are a bit stretched as if they are products of inbreeding, like those hillbillies in the Wrong Turn movie. However, their facial features are far more presentable compared to Zeya's Squad.  

    Their long, fiery red and straight hair are just let down, though some parts of it are knotted into thin braids. Their hair accentuates their pale skin, making them look more mystical. Somehow, their enlarged ears are quite funny to look at, and they are currently wearing light armored suits and boots, and those reminded her of someone. 

    Xena… 

    Memories of Xena’s final moment squeezed her heart that she firmly clutched her chest with a hand because of pain, fear, and guilt. 

    It was my fault. If only I had warned them.

    The crowd’s sudden whoosh pulled her back to reality, and she focused her gaze on the ongoing battle. She squinted her eyes as she tried to follow the elves’ movements. The only thing she could see as they move was the trail of the fiery glow of their hair. 

    Why can’t they cut their hair short? Or just tie it in a bun or braid it whole like Zeya’s team? Duh! It’s really an eyesore. Could they be using their hair as some sort of distraction? Or could it be the one firing them up?

    Meanwhile, Zeya’s team looked especially hideous in daylight. Her eyes settled on a grotesque, balding ghoul wearing skimpy clothes. She has sharp talons instead of fingers, and her eyes are entirely black. She was so skinny— bony would be the most appropriate term to describe her. Ada tried so hard to suppress a smile, but she grinned comically as she laughed in her head, for she knew instantly whose transformation it was.

    Haha! So that is your demon form, Nissa! What an awful sight!

    And, as if Nissa heard her thoughts, Nissa’s eyes darted in her direction that she instinctively hid behind the person in front of her while her heart palpitated uncontrollably.  

    That psycho b*tch!

    If she ever transforms into a demon, she wished she’d still look presentable, unlike Nissa’s transformation. She slowly peeped back at the ring after a few minutes of producing an awesome-looking demon huntress version of her in her head. Her eyes then darted to an unfamiliar figure of a muscled, gargoyle-like monster. His eyes are blazing red, and he has large grotesque wings like that of a bat. He has two horns on his head and has four arms.  

    Cloy… 

    It’s incredible how she doesn’t feel an ounce of fear in his demon form. In fact, she liked his demon transformation the most. 

    What would it feel like to fly in the sky while nestled in his four bulky demon arms? It would be a million times better than the nauseating ride Jaxx had given me, right?

    She instantly slapped her face as she realized how dirty her thoughts were. Zachia gave her a startled look as she noticed her weird gesture. She smiled sweetly at Zachia so she’d be aware that she’s not really losing her mind. She looked back at the ongoing fight.

    Okay, focus!