Chapter 51: Powerless

A steel door creaked opening. In the darkness beyond the cold door a single pink eye glowed.

"<It's time.>" The guard said.

A woman with short black-hair, in a torn and ragged maids outfit stumbled out from the prison. She was escorted through the halls and corridors of the dungeon by several guards as they traveled to the prison. They are stopped short of going into the arena before them.

From behind Rakon appeared. Looking down at the succubus maid before him.

********

Within the mess hall, Donovan served food to all the other inmates, all while watching Kalika from afar. He watched as she simply stared at her food, uninterested in touching it.

"She's been like this for almost a week… What happened to her?" He thought.

She was alone. Anyone that dared to approach was always met with a knife to their neck. He's never seen someone so closed off to the world in his life. Despite some doubts and his fear, he continued to feel a deepening concern for her.

Another cook noticed Donovan's lack of attention calling him out. "Hey Don! stop daydreaming!"

"Grrr… Don't call me that!"

"Then get back to servin!" The Cook retorted.

Donovan glanced back, seeing Rakon now in front of Kalika. She stared at the demon for a few seconds before finally taking a few bites of her meat porridge. He noticed a subtle change in her, as though she had found her emotions once again.

Kalika's disdain and annoyance had returned, along with her indignant demeanor. Not long after finishing her bowl she got up to follow Rakon out of the mess hall.

Some prisoners seeing this start talking. 

"You reckon they closed the arena, because of her again?"

"No doubt." another answered. "I've been hearing that she's supposed to leave this prison as of today."

"Bah~! I'll believe it when I see it." Another joked, ever so mockingly.

The group laughed while enjoying their meal without a care in the world.

Even if she almost killed him, he felt there was something much deeper going on. And he watched on, feeling useless to help.

Memories of his stepmothers' brutally cold words resurfaced. The words of: "You're a useless boy with useless dreams. So quit trying to act useful when you're nothing but a wasted pile of meat!" 

These words that still haunt him, as do her and his stepsisters' other words that only recognized him as just wasted space.

He cringed trying to regain focus.

"Whatever's happening… I'm sure she'll get through."

********

Kalika walked alongside Rakon through the halls. Eventually they entered the arena filled with demons seated, awaiting for the spectacle to start. 

Some of the face's she saw looked familiar but others very new to her including demons the size of Bjorn. Strangely enough she also found demons that look like humans with their only differences being their horns on their head, their tails and pink eyes.

The Demon's seeing her started to get riled up, pointing and conversing in their native language. She ignores all of them, instead keeping her attention to the lone black-haired maid in the center of the arena. Rhonda.

Kalika met Rhonda at the center of the arena where Rakon finally made his announcements. White noise soon drowned out Rakons words as he spoke.

Kalika continued to stare at the guilt-ridden maid. And slowly, Rhonda brought out her blood blade, posing with it in both hands.

Kalika could clearly tell that she didn't want to fight, from her avoiding eye contact and her constant shaking. Her eyes had become more sunken and her body much dirtier than before. She could tell that Rhonda was devoid of hope. 

"Imagine being tortured and ripped apart day after day," Kalika suddenly said. "Can you Imagine it? Of course not. Because you'll never understand the pain of dying over and over again."

Kalika conjured her own dagger. "But I know it well…"

Rhonda started to tremble much more. "I…I-I…"

A dark Aura instantly flared up, cloaking Kalika's dagger.

Everyone in the audience is taken aback by this including Rakon who smiles shortly after. Kalika looked at the dagger confused, feeling herself being drained.

"The condition is simple. The winner is the first to kill the other. Of course if Kalika Dies once she will lose this match." Rakon turned his attention back to Kalika. "Did you hear? Die once, and you lose."

Kalika gave a quick glance at Rakon before turning back to Rhonda. "Yeah. I think those conditions are perfect."

"Good." Rakon turned to a bloody mist, reappearing at the arena balcony. "Let the fight begin!"

In a split-second Rhonda already made the first move. Her attack is easily deflected.

"Is that all?" Kalika questioned.

Rhonda stumbled, quickly turning back to Kalika with her dagger aimed at her again. She then charged forward, attacking at random.

 Despite Rhonda's apparent best effort Kalika, Dodged each strike one after another.

Kalika dodged and quickly grabbed Rhonda's hand from the side. She stared at Rhonda, much more irritated.

"What are you doing?" Kalika started to squeeze at Rhonda's hand making her drop her Dagger. "Why aren't you taking this seriously??"

Kalika's dagger-like stare frightened Rhonda, she then threw her hands off Rhonda. 

"Pick it Up. Now!" she ordered.

Rhonda slowly reached for her dagger on the ground. After a moment of catching her breath, Rhonda once again went on the attack. Slashing and swiping at Kalika with little regard of seeing where she was attacking.

Using her blade, Kalika deflected the last attack. She then placed her dagger at Rhonda's neck, surprising her. 

Rhonda's eyes watered up. Memories of Rhonda as a child flashed through Kalika's mind. Looking back at Rhonda of the present, Kalika cringed seeing Rhonda close her eyes to accept her fate.

"You're not going to use your power?" After not hearing a response Kalika grabbed Rhonda by her collar, pulling her in.

With fire in her eyes, she spoke soft, but also fiercely. "What kind of cruel joke are you playing at? You're a demon! You're supposed to be stronger than me!"

"I told you to never look down on me! didn't I!!??" Kalika Yelled.

Rhonda could only look on, stupefied, Remembering the one and only other time she said those words.

"Damn it! At least pretend that you care about living!!!"

Even with Kalika's bangs blocking some of her face, she could tell the turmoil of emotions flowing through Kalika at that very moment. The vibrance of blue, red and even yellow flowing throughout Kalika's body. These colors she saw soon converged into pure deep black.

The demons watchingm started to become unrest seeing the pathetic display. Not long after Kalika threw Rhonda away from her.

Rhonda stumbles a little. "I.... I understand... I… I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize!" Kalika readied her cloaked dagger once more The veil of darkness emerging even more powerfully. Rhonda reluctantly readied her's too.

Rhonda steadied her hands and breathing, calming herself. She saw that Kalika was ready so goes on the attack for the third time. This time with much more ferocity. They clashed, deflected and parried each other's attack.

Interlocking their daggers Rhonda winced from the sheer pressure from the dark aura cloaking Kalika's dagger. 

"Stop Holding Back!" Kalika commanded

 Kalika pushed back at her hard.

Rhonda steadied Herself, charging back in. "A... Alright!!" Rhonda squeaked.

Rhonda's eyes glowed brightly. Peering into them, Kalika suddenly found herself in the middle of a strange forest. "Huh?"

She heard the skittering and murmurs of strange beasts in the forest. The bushes rustled and leaves and branches crunched. Kalika felt a large presence coming from her right! She readied her blade only to find Rhonda appearing before like a spirit through the fog.

Kalika pulled her hand, dodging backwards from Rhonda. Looking back up Rhonda, disappeared again.

The same presence from the front approached. Kalika dodged a swipe to the face! She blocked another attack from above.

This time Rhonda attacked from behind, she met her head on with a parry! 

Jumping back, Rhonda slowly vanished like a mist.

"Is this what happened to those other men she fought?"

Kalika searched around, looking to anticipate Rhonda's next move.

A rapid crunching of leaves to her left. A crackle from a branch to her right. She cocked her head and from the corner of her eyes, Rhonda reappeared, launching herself at Kalika.

She blocked most of the attack, but she found herself still getting cut at the side of the face from it. Rhonda sliding low to the ground, vanished again.

"Again??"

Kalika started to become irritated by this game of cat and mouse being played. She then felt a strange gust of wind. Quickly posing herself, they clashed their blades once more. And like before Rhonda retreated, only this time she sent another slash, This time from an extended blade!

The blade retreated, vanishing only for it to reappear on the other side. She's not quick enough! And is met with its full weight of Rhonda blade across her chest.

The cut is shallow. Realizing this, Kalika stepped hard on the blade, cutting her own feet. She ignored the pain however, opting to follow its sharp edge to the user. 

To Rhonda's shock, Kalika appeared before her, kicking her in the face!

Kalika, landed behind Rhonda, went on the offensive, swinging her cloaked Dagger.

Rhonda quickly recovered and they clashed once again. scratches and cuts started to accumulate amongst the fight followed by parries and strikes.

Eventually Kalika kicked Rhonda to the ground, leaving her defenseless. 

Kalika readied her blade to strike with the pressure of the cloaked dagger starting to become more and more oppressive.

"Is this all you have?" Kalika questioned.

"N…No…"

Kalika began to bring her blade down. And as she did, Rhonda started gulping something down. One gulp, two gulps, three gulps. And like magic, Rhonda's strength seemingly returned.

Rhonda evaded the attack just in time, quickly retreating, disappearing from Kalika's sight. Kalika began to hear heavy and faint breathing. but unlike last time the sound came from everywhere.

This left Kalika in a tizzy as she searched around for any signs of Rhonda. Suddenly a slash to the arm. Another to the leg and a third and forth to her back and chest.

"She's gotten much faster!"

Kalika was attacked another three, now four, Six more times.

 She was unable to keep up. Kalika was finding herself getting cut and scratched all over her body.

Something slimy worked its way up one of her cuts, looking behind she found a flush Rhonda licking her back! Kalika swung her dagger on, leaving Rhonda to retreat back into the darkness.

Kalka continued to look around before remembering the effects of the saliva and Succubus's.

"C-crap!!"

An immense heat started to work its way into Kalika. Making Kalika become much flusher. She trembled trying to keep her composure.

Rhonda, seeing her power take effect, once again struck back at Kalika again and again leaving deeper slashes and cuts on her body. Kalika found her body starting to become weaker with each strike.

Despite this predicament however… She could only smile.

CLANG

Rhonda stood shocked and Kalika blocked her attack. Kalika stood, sweating and flushed, and with eyes looking more crazed. 

Rhonda attempts a retreat but is met with a dagger piercing her leg! Rhonda stumbled onto her back, once again defenseless.

With Rhonda now cornered back on the ground, Kalika conjured her blade back to hand, and pounced! The dagger pressed hard against Rhonda's neck. she quickly closed her eyes expecting the worst. 

Kalika's breathing became a lot heavier. She watched as blood started running down Rhonda's neck. Slowly the illusion conjured by Rhonda disappeared leaving them in the middle of the arena once more.

The crowd of demons watched in anticipation but became shocked upon closer look. Even Rakon's face contorted upon seeing the results.

"Congratulations Rhonda… You won," Kalika said.

Rhonda slowly opened her eyes, finding her dagger stabbing Kaliaka's chest. Upon seeing this even Rhonda became shocked by the results.

"I-I-I-I-I… I-I didn't mean to-"

Kalika suddenly patted Rhonda on the head. "That's fine."

Kalika pulled herself from Rhonda's blade, stumbling to her feet before turning to look at Rakon. She could tell that he was absolutely boiling in rage.

"It looks like I lost." she proclaimed proudly.

Shortly after, she fell to her back. She revived herself a few moments later, finding Rhonda over her even more concerned. Not long after, Rakon threw Rhonda off Kalika. And into the caged wall.

"You were supposed to kill her!!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah? Well, it looks like I lost. Those were the conditions, right? I win, I'm freed." 

Slowly Kalika brought her eyes down in acceptance. "I-I lose, Then I… become your slave…" 

Rakon, getting even more frustrated, pinned her further in the ground. "But you were supposed to win." He hissed.

"Why does it matter to you whether I win or lose?"

Her sudden comment shocked him.

"Any way you cut it I'll continue to be your own little pawn. I'm not stupid Rakon."

Kalika looked away, a little more somber. "It's the same outcome either way. Besides, I already know you want something from me… Otherwise you wouldn't have gone through all this trouble for me."

Rakon began to laugh. "You think that I need you. You're just my entertainment."

"If that's the case, why did you go out of your way to help me? All this time you could've left me worse off. You have no reason to care about me."

"Those were just whims." he snickered.

Rakon forced Kalika up. "Don't get full of yourself. Now that you lost, you belong to me now!"

Kalika, hearing Rakon, looked more deeply into his eyes. "Lost? No, I lost the moment I signed that contract we made… And you know it."

Guards started to arrive within the arena to escort both Rhonda and Kalika away. Rhonda started to get dragged away as Kalika simply released herself from Rakons grasp and followed the guards.

"Oh." Kalika stops glancing back at Rakon. "And Rakon… I'm glad I was able to make things inconvenient for you. Losing isn't so bad when the person you hate most is writhing."

With those words she leaves Rakon with a balled fist and grit his teeth.

"That woman…"