The Rebirth of FnF: Nomu vs Shiroi Taigākurō

It had been so very long since the last time the stadium had seen a soul participate in its mighty arena. So long since its seats had comforted an excited audience there to witness a spectacle. For a long time this building stood hollow and empty, a reminder of a time long passed and almost entirely forgotten. The one magical and unique fighters had all gone away into a sort of Semi-retirement, only ever reappearing every once in a while to relive old glories that had once seemed so engrossing that they would never be forgotten but now only reside in the memories of the fighters themselves. It was a shame. A lingering spark inside a broken body was all that was left when the new blood had arrived. It was time to finally relight the flame that birthed this building into being...but this time, it would be done with a BANG!

The stadium had finally been cleaned after years of neglect. It’s chipped and ill colored walls were scraped and repainted with fresh, vibrant colors to build up the excitement of the events that lay ahead! A painter was commissioned to create a depiction of good and evil fighting in the stadium's arena right in the lobby! Lights, doorways, machinery, all of it was repaired or replaced with the latest in magical and technological advances inside the great world of Gaia! Even the Audience’s seats had been upgraded to provide maximum comfort and support for various species and body types! But even more important than all that was the talent! Great lengths were made to find as many veteran Competitors as well as fresh faces onto the scene to ensure a varied cast of powerful or interesting combatants!

So much time, effort, and money had been pumped into reviving this world of combat! So much was riding on its success! Everything up to now had gone according to plan. But now, the hardest part of all was about to arrive. Great care and thought had been put into this project, and now it was time to release it to the world!

Opening night. Showtime~

__

The arena was packed. There were so many different audience members of various heights, builds, and species all interested in the revitalization of the fighting league known as Fur and Feathers. There was a swirl of energy in the air that seemed to infect each and everyone of them, making their cheers and excited cries even louder than before! Every passing moment, the volume grew until it felt as though the newly refurbished stadium might just collapse! The desire of the audience was heard well throughout the entire building.

And they were soon answered.

At the fever pitch of their cheers, streamers, confetti, and a small plume of smoke erupted inside the arena and rained from the sky! The smoke quickly dispersed into the open air, leaving a lone figure to be standing in the dead center of the arena. The large screens placed overhead for the audience suddenly all flickered to life with a close up on the figure. The person’s large brimmed hat hid most of her features, creating an air of mystery and adding to the showmanship of the opening night! All eyes were on her, expectations burning as the event began to roll underway. Soon the speakers would breathe to life, a small microphone settled next to the mysterious woman’s lips.


The audience’s approval was monstrous! The eruption of cheers was just as strong as before as the woman tapped her cane onto the floor, the confetti and streamers instantly disappearing into thin puffs of smoke! With a grand gesture, Eros motioned towards a pair of large metal doors that slowly began to swing open as though on command. Darkness filled into the doorway, a long and dark tunnel greeting the audience.

“We have a very special treat for you all in our opening battle! Introducing first to our glorious new Arena is the Bio-engineered weapon from another world! This beast is infamous for wrecking the Vitality Forest to the west, destroying the Skull Tower and forcing its residents into hiding, and perhaps most frightening of all...Surviving over forty execution attempts!”

Eros paused a bit to let the drama settle in. Many people knew exactly the beast she was referring to, and the expectations that came with it. Most of them had only ever seen it through a screen or spell. Never had they ever seen this modern legend of destruction in the flesh! The beast itself could be considered an attraction, but to see it fight? An individual no less?

“Of course, we have placed proper measures to ensure all of your safety. So please, feel free to enjoy the destructive power of The Anti-Symbol of Peace! The Nomu!”


Creeping out from the darkness, the beast stepped out into view with a team of armed guards surrounding it. The Monster towered over all of the guards. Their armor, their weapons all paled in comparison to the Monster’s sheer height and musculature. A sea of gasps and murmurs could be heard as its footfalls shook the earth in the arena. Exactly the reaction Eros was looking for.

The Nomu’s body was enveloped in what looked to be a metal straight jacket tied together with bright bands of magical light. The device seemed hooked into the monster's skin, with absolutely no slack given to the beast in the restraints. The Monster did not seem to be struggling, however. It’s mindless eyes wandered about this bright new world, a high pitched hiss slipping through its rough, pointed teeth as the guards continued to prod it towards Eros.

“And introducing next will be The Nomu’s opponent! A world famous martial artist whose family is renowned for their use of the difficult, nearly impossible to master White Tiger Kung Fu”! A variant of the famous martial art that exudes grace, power, and even a bit of pride~ Legend has it that should the full power of the White Tiger be unleashed, there would be no fighter to challenge them!”

Gesturing once again to the opposite side of the arena, two identical metal doors began to creak open as the light of the outside world snaked its way into the tunnel. Unlike the Nomu’s tunnel, there were warm lights coming from inside. A visual distinction already being made to the audience.

“Please welcome the youngest to Master Tiger Kung Fu from her family, The One Handed Hurricane, Shiroi Taigākurō.”

Shiroi had come into this tournament this... other world with pride. As the representative of her home, SHE would be the one to display the sacred martial-art of her family! White-Tiger Kung-Fu, objectively the strongest variant of the art, would be introduce to this realm by her hands and her hands ALONE... To say that wasn't anything to take pride in would be to lie... And to say that Shiroi felt nothing for this great and wonderful responsibility would've been an even greater affront to the truth. Standing before the massive metal doors to the arena, the small, white tigress took the opportunity of the announcer working up the crowd to warm herself up, throwing a few quick palm-strikes in the open space ahead, her claws RENDING the air to pieces in moments before quickly shifting to kicks! Her movements as fluid as water and as sharp as steel, with only a few moves, Shiroi had sliced a bubble of NOTHING in the middle of the air, a bubble of suffocating space that QUICKLY snapped back to full with an audible BANG! A small smirk stretched across the lips of the white-haired tigress, her azure eyes glinting with utter confidence! Even now she was growing ever stronger, the fruits of her training still becoming known! She didn't care WHO her opponent was... If she could whip out attacks strong enough to create SONIC BOOMS... What hope could ANYONE have!?

As the titanic gates of steel cracked open, SUDDENLY a HUGE gust of wind would send them CRASHING to either side, BLASTING across the arena as the edges of the air-burst threatened to slice RIGHT into the rock, concrete and stone! Stepping out through the black that was backstage, a small, white-tigress would slowly but confidently make her way out into the light, surges of wind trailing her, wailing mournfully in her steps!



Her expression, cold. Her eyes, focused but emotionless. She stared down the giant bird-man before her with a gaze intense enough to rival her entrance, as if trying to pick that exposed brain of his... Nothing but strength in that blackened body, its form like a twisted giant, eyes empty, its beak full of stone-like teeth that could grind anything to dust. Huge... but slow... Probably thinks himself invincible... Shiroi was already imagining ways she could take him apart, how she could flay a win from his back.

Stopping a good handful of meters from the straight-jacketed Nomu, Shiroi's brow would furrow slightly... as she realized just how BIG he was. Tall as a mountain and twice as wide... Hm. Maybe she'd have to try a bit, after all. shifting into her combat stance, the white-tiger would lower herself into a slight crouch, leaning one side forward, raising that arm up defensively!



"Better be as strong as you look." She muttered in a harsh, but monotone voice!

Eros’s announcement already had many of the audience members interested in this new martial arts master. Few of them had even heard of the White Tiger Kung Fu variant, but the way it was hyped up made it sound as though it was a powerful force that only the most dedicated and skillful could wield. They all looked at The Nomu, witnessing its strength and power even in restraints! If this White Tiger martial artist could actually withstand such a monster, then was there truly any limits to their power?

What happened next answered their questions better than words ever could as the large metal doors swung open as though they were weightless! A powerful windstorm flew out into the arena, kicking up dust and small debris against the security team next to the Nomu. Their heavy armor protected them from the rocks and dust, but the strong winds began to drag them down one by one, forcing them to retreat a few steps just to have a chance at staying upright. Even Eros herself was in awe of such power, as she gripped both her cane and her hat to keep it from blowing away in the winds. A wide smirk soon crossed her face as she laid eyes upon Shiroi for the second time.

So, this was the power you had all along.

The second Shiroi stepped into the arena, the powerful windstorm grew even stronger, finally blowing away the security team entirely! Only the Nomu itself was unaffected by the winds. It’s aimless eyes peered at the doors behind Shiroi as they slowly began to close themselves. The White Tiger proudly marched towards the center of the arena radiating strength and pride. Never once did she take her eyes off the restrained monster, and she didn’t hesitate or falter as it peered down at her with its beady eyes, and the pressure of what was standing in front of her finally settled in.

At first, Eros was unsure why her superiors wanted this fight to be the opening match on their  first day of opening. The Nomu was something she could understand, and so was the intriguing idea of seeing a brand new fighting style few in Gaia had ever seen before could make for a decent add on. But the first time she had ever seen the girl and her tiny, cutesy appearance, Eros was all but certain she would have to be scraping her off the wall. But seeing her now, and feeling just the residue of her strength that was radiating off her suddenly made her realize her misjudgment of dear Shiroi. Now, Eros was genuinely wondering if this girl could come out on top of this fight!

“Well then...Now that our fighters are finally here I’ll go about explaining the rules! Thankfully, they are simple enough that even the Nomu can understand them~”

A nervous chuckle came from a few of the excited audience members, but it was clear they wanted the battle to start as soon as possible! Eros took the time to glance over towards Shiroi, a knowing glint in her eyes.

“You two will be battling until one of you can no longer go on! Whether that be knockout, verbal submission, count out, or I deem the battle to be unsafe to continue! You will be free to use whatever is on your persons in this battle, and all attacks are permitted! We call this match type Unleased! The audience will be protected by a high-tier defensive spell, so please…”

Eros spun on her heel and, with a dramatic flourish, spread her arms apart in an encompassing gesture!

“Fight to your heart's content!”

The audience voiced their agreement with thunderous applause and cheering! The crowd's adulation for what was about to come was fervent, prompting Eros to speed things along! But not before flicking her microphone off and subtly turning towards the White Tiger.

“Oh, and Shiroi? I’m going to remind you that the Nomu has been slated for execution. I’m not telling you to do anything you are uncomfortable with...I’m just giving you another option~”

The announcer smiled at the Martial Artist, even going so far as to wink at the girl before spinning around and snapping her fingers! A puff of smoke swallowed the cat woman up, hiding her from view until her voice echoed through the speakers once again!

“Now then! Let's get this party started!”

A distinct beeping noise began to emit from The Nomu’s restraints! The claws that hooked into its skin suddenly burst away, and the bonds made from pure mana faded away, letting the contraption fall to the floor. The Nomu was free, the monster emitting a pitched guttural noise as it’s dull eyes finally focused on the small woman in front of it. Her defensive stance seemed alien to everyone that looked at it, but The Nomu was already moving forward with no hesitation. After only taking two steps, the beast lurched forward! It’s fist swinging around like a wrecking ball backed by the force of a meteorite! All of it focused on the small martial artist that was standing in its way!

Spoiler:

Shiroi never took her eyes off the twisted visage before her, the exposed-brain, beak-mouthed beast of black skin and beady eyes. Its gaze was unfocused and dumb, lightly hovering on the tiger-girl as if only passingly, as if whatever passed for a mind up there could barely hold more than a single instinctual representation of thought within it at a time. Still, its apparent lack of intelligence didn't stop the chill of anticipation from washing over Shiroi's fair, pale skin, a single drop of anxious sweat rolling down her cheek! The beast's eerie calm, its complete silence as its lidless, beady eyes closed in on its target. Nothing was said, nothing was communicated by either body-language... and that was terrifying... It was like staring down a fleshy machine, a mighty towering bulk of artificial creation with not a hint of complex emotional or rational reasoning within its shell! Alien... Fearsome in its unknown nature... Only the very bare surface revealing anything resembling a hint of its capabilities... Steadily, Shiroi's confidence was beginning to hollow. Her remark on its strength bounced off the Nomu like the very wind of her sonic blast, not a twitch at the lip of its beak or a bob in its neck to indicate understanding. It only stared... its mouth contorted into a permanent, half-open smile...

BREAKING the tension, Shiroi would reveal the tiniest hint of her true feelings as the Announcer brought the attention of all back to the rules, the little white tiger flinching slightly at the commanding town of the tall-hatted woman! Declaring that this match would ONLY end when defeat was complete and absolute, Eros would turn to Shiroi and comment... that if this match, say, went a little further than Knock-out, nobody would miss this... thing... The white-tiger-wrestler's ears twitched at that, her jaw clenching slightly as that single sweat of anxiety... multiplied into a couple. What... What was she saying? Kill...? She was being told she could kill this thing...? The very remark itself was nearly enough for Shiroi's azure eyes to flick off of the Nomu as its bindings were coming undone, her mind swirling this way and that in discomfort... and anxiousness! Never once, in all her life had anyone given her the remote indication that any fight she'd ever participate in might go this far. She'd always fought equals, RIVALS, people who could push hard enough against her that they would come to a mutual stop! She'd never fought anyone to the point of death...

...But as the metal bindings of Nomu collapsed to the floor in a heap... and as the bioweapon unleashed its chillingly high-pitched wail... Shiroi knew in her white-tiger blood that this... would be her first time.

"Tch." She grunted as the beast RUSHED her without hesitation, closing the distance in only a couple bounds of its tree-trunk-like legs! As its body reared back, its massive fingers curling into an instrument of devastation... Shiroi would close her eyes... brow furrowing in concentration. Veins and nerves would bulge around her right eye-socket, growing profusely in girth as they surrounded in a spiral...

Eye of the Tiger

Spoiler:

Suddenly, Shiroi's eyes would snap open, revealing that her right eye now glistened a deep gold, her pupil slit down the middle like that of the animal she embodied! Through it... She could see now... in slow motion... what the Nomu was building towards, its monstrous bulk heaving forward towards the smaller girl, aiming to SMASH her, and the ground she stood upon, to dust! It was like the ghost of an image... an afterimage of events to come... and already, with this foretelling... her whole BODY had begun to burn! Quickly deactivating it, her eye flicking back to normal with a blink of her lids, Shiroi would THROW herself sharply to the side as Nomu's fist OBLITERATED the ground where she once stood, sending dangerous eruptions of stony shrapnel flying this way and that! Using her blinding speed, Shiroi would bring her arm up as she attempted to flank the mighty bioweapon, SLASHING her claws at the back of its knees in an effort to hamstring it as it retrieved its arm! In the same moment, Shiroi would rake her claws against the back of his other leg in an effort to handicap it as well!

Unbeknownst to many, Eros had reappeared in a separate section of the stadium called the Camera room that was positioned slightly higher than the rest of the audience members. It was there that the announcer could get a wonderful view of the battle that was unwinding and properly commentate to the public down below. All she had to do was dig the remote that controlled The Nomu’s restraints out of her pocket, and the battle could finally begin! The device was not very large, being just a bit larger than a wrist watch with similar straps and a clip for various carrying methods. The remote contained two brightly colored buttons with a dial, a screen, and four tiny switches on its side. One might confuse it for a child toy, which made it a decent disguise for the device that controls one of the most destructive forces to ever fall into Gaia. Eros was sure to keep it on her throughout the day, even though the design of the remote gave some people the impression that she carried around a child's game system.

With a simple press of a button the Nomu’s restraints fell to the floor! An excellent and dramatic way to nonverbally initiate combat! The beast stretched its massive body, getting used to its body’s new found freedom while Shiroi had still glared at it with a proud stare. Eros herself could see just the slight bit of hesitation in her shoulders, probably in part because of what the Warden had said to her. A thin smile creeped across the Bakeneko’s face as she wondered how long the tiny white tiger would hold back against the viciously destructive force of the Nomu.

She wouldn’t have to wait too long to find out. The creature’s beady eyes locked onto its target after letting out a pitched hiss.

THUMP THUMP THUMPTHUMPTHUMP!

With earth shaking force, the Nomu rushed at Shiroi with its destructive instinct still intact despite being incarcerated for some time! Eros knew the best had been locked up for at least a year, but its body moved just as brutish and powerful as it did when the creature first came to Gaia! The tiny snow cat looked like a simple pebble in the way of a war machine! One that would be rushed if she didn’t move as it pulled its arm back in a frightfully powerful looking strike! And yet, the martial artist hadn’t moved! She sat there, watching her opponent rush her until it was right on top of her!

CRACK-OOM!!!

The blow actually shook the audience area! The strike of the beast more akin to a small explosion as Shiroi completely disappeared from view! The erupting dirt, dust, and debris fellow out in a grand show of force! A few pebbles even struck against the magical barrier that protected the audience! It was an overwhelming blow that threatened to be lethal had it been taken head on! Eros’s eyes narrowed at the sight, her thin smile turning into a dark smirk.

Did that girl just get crushed in the first blow of the match? Or is this just part of her martial arts? What on earth was going through her head?

The Warden would flick her microphone back on, getting ready to go out on a limb and act as though the white Tiger was still in the game! Although she herself was unsure of the martial artists condition.

“Wa-Hoo~ What a way to start! Already the Nomu is blasting it’s opponent away with the sheer force of its blows! It’s easy to see why this monster was a building killer when it first erupted here and Gaia! How in the realm will Shiroi get past the overwhelming strength of her opponent?”

The Warden wasn’t ready to write the Tiger off just yet. At least, not until she had seen the body.

The creature tugged its fist out of the hole it had created. The rocks and mounds of dirt from its blow were still falling all around it as its tiny eyes began searching around the crater. The beast held no caution in its posture. No worry, no doubt. It was just...looking. A deep gurgle seemed to erupt in its throat, suffocated by its maw being clamped shut as it took a solitary step forward. The second its foot lifted off the ground, something came rushing towards Nomu! It’s tiny iris rolling towards the movement and seeing a silver flash before it disappears behind it’s shoulder! It was just about to turn to face it when something grazed the back of its legs. Suddenly, the thick, strong limbs of the beast began to shake. As though they were holding up just too much weight. The Nomu stopped moving to hold its balance, but it felt something nudge its right leg again, with more force than before. Suddenly, the limp buckled beneath it! The Monster falling to the knee with the grace of a brutal car crash!


“There she is! Shiroi used the shrapnel from Nomu's own attack as camouflage to get the drop on it! The second the beast dropped its guard, she struck like a bolt of lightning! The Nomu had been brought down! I’d never thought this would happen to the Nomu so early into the match!”

The Nomu was already trying to get back up on its legs. The action was akin to a baby fawn trying to stand up for the first time, the creature constantly falling back down to its knees as its head swiveled from left to right, searching for the White Tiger that had survived its strike! It was if its head and body were two separate entities, working against each other and slowing itself down! But if Shiroi’s eye was still keen, then she would see the slash marks on the back of the creature's leg had no blood pouring from the wound. But even more disturbing than that, the cuts on its legs were slowly starting to close! It would soon be mobile again...and its eyes just spotted the White Tiger!

Shiroi's lips tightened and her eyes narrowed as her claws raked against the rears of Nomu's legs, unnerved by how TOUGH that dark flesh of it's was! It was like someone taking a knife to a tire, her fangs digging in ENOUGH for the massive bird creature to reel off balance... but not completely incapacitate it! The tigress, upon her second pass along the bio-weapon's tree-trunk-like legs, would skid to a stop behind the massive beast, its hulking form writhing and struggling against its currently crippled limbs, its massive calf and thigh muscles rippling in exertion, each effort met with a short fall back to its knees, each effort digging them deeper and deeper into the rocky earth! She... genuinely couldn't believe how resilient this thing was! Cuts like those SPLIT open the flesh of normal things like a ripe fruit, reaching all the way down to the core! Nomu shouldn't have been able to kneel, let alone RISE up multiple times with swipes like those along the backs of his knees... Yet here it was, relentlessly attempting a futile climb-

"What?" Shiroi muttered, as she rose to her full height, her azure eyes narrowing skeptically as she watched the thin slices within Nomu's muscle... VISIBLY knit back together! Strands of fiber sprouted and twisted along others, flesh melding over the wound as if it were a piece of slime coagulating back with its original body! Super-healing... the fastest Shiroi had ever seen! Before her very eyes, this creature was reconstituting itself, rising just a little bit higher, staying standing for just a little bit longer with each attempt! The white-tiger's brow furrowed as she raised her hand up, twisting her wrist so that its clenched claws faced the bird-beaked menace.

Regeneration like this... It shouldn't be able to keep it up very long, right...?

It only made sense... Nothing alive should have the metabolism to regenerate this fast without overheating due to mass-energy output of rapid cell-division! Anyone with a basic knowledge of the body's healing processes would know that! But what could she do...?

Instantly, her eyes flicked up to the beast's exposed brain... and she grimaced. Stamina-games weren't Shiroi's strong-suit. She... didn't know if she'd be able to keep dancing around this thing, taking swipes at his flesh until it liquefies from radical heat-expulsion. Would... Would she have to actually kill it...?

Blinking the doubt from her eyes, Shiroi would LUNGE at Nomu's back as it collapsed to its knees once more, the tiger girl LIFTING her leg up high over her head as the arc of her spring sent her flying over the arched back of the bioweapon!

"HMPH!" She grunted as she brought her heel DOWN along the lower-neck of Nomu in a splitting axe-kick, aiming to flatten it... or at least STUN it! She needed confirmation before she could... proceed. Killing, even something marked for death... She didn't know if she could do it!

The dirt floor around Nomu continued to crack and rumble as the beast continuously tried and failed to rise back onto its powerful legs! It was as if the beast did not understand what happened to the tendons in its legs, nor that they were still being mended by its subtle healing ability. Nothing changed at all with the monster, like it didn’t even know its legs were not working. Its beady eyes remained locked on Shiroi! A terrifyingly blank gaze, as though it were already dead! But beneath that gaze was the clear intention to go after the small white tiger! The situation might have felt akin to being in a tank with a large shark! An intruder that had wandered into a living nightmares territory and only just managed to stall the inevitable! Even now, The Nomu was staying on its feet longer! The tendons were being tied back together and the wounds were slowly evaporating before the martial artist's eyes! It seemed she was only just realizing Nomu’s terrifying endurance was almost as big a threat as its strength!

Eros only smiled as she watched the prideful Tiger straighten up out of confusion. Surely, she didn’t think that Eros was just allowing competitors to slaughter each other for no reason. The entire reason the Nomu was here was because nobody else could kill it! The Overseer had ordered this match themselves, likely hopping this strange White Tiger Kung Fu would finally be the weapon Gaia needed to destroy this blight on their world. Eros hadn’t been so certain, but followed their orders and organized the whole thing. Seeing Shiroi’s entrance had given the Warden some hope, but the girl that possessed such power seemed weak willed. She was hesitating, even with the overwhelming calamity kneeling right in front of her. Eros knew that if Shiroi was going to continue holding back, then this match was already decided.

The wounds on the back of Nomu’s legs were almost healed! It was climbing back up to its feet, keen on destroying its tiny target when Shiroi suddenly lunged at her target! The small girl climbed up the Nomu’s back, pushing off its shoulders so she could get up high in the air in a stunningly flashy display! The Nomu looked over its shoulder, completely unaware that its opponent was right on top of it! Shiroi extended her leg up into the air in a fashion few in the audience had ever seen before! Even Eros herself tilted her head at the peculiar sight. Had Shiroi missed her kick? Why was her leg so high up?

It would be Shiroi who answered those questions as she brought her heel down right at the base of the Nomu’s neck! The force sent the creature smashing to the ground! Another bout of debris and dust kicked up by its massive body being ford to the floor! A noise came from it’s maw that actually sounded surprised, its sharp tone squeaking out weakly before being cut off by the floor! Shiroi would certainly feel the tough skin and muscle resisting some of her axe kick, but the shockwaves of the blow could still be felt through her leg! There was power in the kick, and while the monster’s expression hadn’t changed and it’s beady eyes were still staring at her...it had ceased to move. One of the lumps on the back of its misshapen neck had moved! Doubtlessly a disk of its spine that had shifted from Shiroi’s mighty blow! It was possible it was paralyzed… But the way it’s fingers twitched, the way it gurgled while looking at her.

“EEeeeRRroOOOOooOOO!!!”

Suddenly, one of its massive arms swung around from the ground, looking to grasp at the girls tiny feet! It was slower than before, but the sheer size of the limb was akin to a great beast trying to pounce little Shiroi! It’s strong, crushing grip moved to clamp around the Tiger’s ankle! The terrifying strength in that hand promising a painful response!

Until the tips barely brushed against her leg.

The Nomu was stuck! It’s one arm grasping for Shiroi, who was simply just out of reach! Another inch, half inch closer, and who knows what could have happened to the Martial artist! Its left arm was the only thing it could move at the moment, but even still it was coming for her with a single minded mission! It was relentless, almost mindless. If Shiroi took the time to observe it, she would notice it’s right hand beginning to twitch, and a small mist of steam squeezing through the thin gaps in its teeth!

Shiroi's strike was MIGHTY indeed, her axe-kick SMASHING the great and mighty bird-beaked beast DOWN into the earth with a shattering impact rivaling the first blow of the fight! The blowback of the impact threw the small tiger-girl back as well, throwing her in almost a reverse arc to her approach, forcing the dexterous white-tiger into a preemptive back-flip, using her backwards momentum to right herself in the air before landing deftly on the ground below... before dropping to one knee a moment later, huffing and puffing! Stabs of pain ARCHED up and along Shiroi's leg as if she had connected with an immovable force, her achilles-tendon SHOOTING with sharp pain as the heel of her foot throbbed from the raw impact! The creeping claws of blowback agony arched ALL the way up to her upper thigh, cramping and twisting at the muscle as the faintest wince of pain flashed across her face, the energy and spirit Shiroi had shown moments ago... seemingly spent in this one, ferocious strike!

For as impressive as the attack was... It was obvious that a body so tiny wasn't meant to emit a force that great in one blow... especially against something so durable! The ghost of the sensation of impact still haunted Shiroi's foot, the utter RESISTANCE Nomu had put up against her making the recoil that much more damaging! It would be like a normal human putting all of their strength into punching a withered tree, BARELY strong enough to crack it... hardly enough to avoid the ramifications for such a reckless attack! Still, there the Nomu lay, its neck contorted and bulging at an unnatural angle as if she had SNAPPED it in several places, its form pancaked against the ground in its own little crater, suffering a blow akin to the one it had for Shiroi! The tiniest of whimpers escaped from its toothy beak, as if it couldn't fathom the force of such a hit... before falling silent, the white-tiger bowing her head in acknowledgement.

It's dead... It has to be...

Slowly, Shiroi would PUSH herself up to her feet, favoring her non-attacking leg as she started to limp past the twisted, black beast. She allowed both arms freedom now that the battle had been won, one clutching at the tightening, searing muscles in her leg, the other swaying unevenly at her side as she limped back towards her entrance door. Adrenaline still coursed through her blood, blanking out the moral blowback to come from her decision... and the subtle noises and movements of the Nomu as its regeneration kicked in again!

Shiroi's eyes SHOT OPEN in dread as the ends of the creature's fingers SWIPED at her thigh in a failed grab, managing to SCRATCH the fair skin of the White-Tiger as she passed him, just out of range of his attempted grab! Letting out a yelp of unrestrained fear, the girl would LURCH back and away from the creature as she turned on her stiffened leg to face it, the beast already writhing and thrashing on the ground as its body, once again, regenerated the spine-busting damage Shiroi had inflicted! It let out a wail loud enough to nearly SPLIT the ear-drums of the fighter as well as those of the audience, the force of its scream sending Shiroi stumbling back and falling on her rear harshly!

Steam BLASTED from between the metal-blade-like-teeth of the Nomu as its eyes locked FIRMLY on the Tigress, its one arm still grabbing at her, the other... slowly twitching back into functionality!

...All Shiroi could do was stare in utter disbelief, mouth slightly agape, her humble form trembling lightly in the still sprinkling dust and debris, her eyes as wide as dinnerplates as she observed the epitome of reconstructive body-horror that was the Nomu!

"N...Not.... Possible..." Shiroi whispered softly, scooching pathetically, yet desperately back from the writhing beast, trying to put distance between them! "Wh... What does it take...?"

“What does it take? That is indeed the question on all our minds,~ Isn’t it?”

Suddenly the chipper, excited tone of the announcer was directly behind the frightened White Tiger girl. Her golden irises peered down at the seated competitor the same way a child might look at an animal at the zoo. As if she were divorced from any sense of danger that could come from the situation at hand. Eros didn’t care that Shiroi was frightened. The smile on her lips was one made of curiosity and cheer, with no attempt being made to reassure the downed fighter as the living black mass of muscle and mending bones continued to quiver and shake a few feet away from them. It’s constant clicking and cruel squeals finally grabbed the Warden’s attention. She leaned on her cane, her relaxed posture almost alien when compared to Shiroi’s trembling form.

“The Wardens have tried just about anything and everything we could think of. We’ve submerged it in deadly chemicals, hoping it would drown it while melting its insides! Unleashed high tier magic of various elements. Fire, Thunder, Ice, and Rock. All of them failed. We’ve hung it, stabbed it, blasted it, crushed it, and starved it! But he always comes back. Spooky, isn’t it~”

As Eros spoke, The Nomu began to drag itself closer with its one good arm! The beast with its soulless eyes, exposed brain, and haunting gurgles was a chilling sight as it drew closer and closer. The Warden’s eyes narrowed, reminded of a horror movie she had seen once upon a time. It was hard to be frightened of the beast the Overseer themselves had charged her with, but she was still smart enough to be cautious around the Nomu. Already she could see its eyes moving between herself and Shiroi, as if trying to decide who would be the easier prey. So long as Eros held the controller to the chip inside of the Nomu, she still maintained a modicum of control over the beast.

“Well, it looks like The Nomu has been taken down! But it's not quite out! Lets see if it can get to its feet before the timer counts down to zero~”

The screen directly behind Eros suddenly flashed to a ten second countdown timer, with the crowd slowly counting down along with it as each second ticked by with a slight delay.

“10!”

The Nomu hadn’t stopped. It was still pulling its body closer towards the two, but now the audible cracks in its neck were growing more subtle. The spinal disks were starting to get realigned! And its right hand was fully functional! With two working arms, its speed had increased exponentially. Eros was brave enough to turn her back towards the beast, walking over towards Shiroi with that same knowing smile she wore when they first met. Her hand moved up to the microphone, flipping it off once again.

“9!”

“Can you still fight, Shiroi? You’ve hardly shown these fine guests of ours your special martial arts~ I was so looking forward to seeing some of your “Kung Fu”!”

The Nomu’s squeals were getting closer, but it stopped pulling itself! The beast's legs and body were starting to convulse! The massive limbs flicked and kicked, as if the creature was quickly learning how to use them once again!

“8!”

“Of course...if you can’t fight, that's alright. It's just a shame. You know, that monsters' healing capabilities are pretty amazing right? Healing cuts like that…it's too bad the healing process has trouble with blunt, precise body blows. If someone were to deliver an attack that could, say...throw two large metal doors wide open…”

“7!”

“I bet that, plus the busted neck, would take a bit of time and steam for even that thing to recover from~”

“6!”

Eros adjusted the hat on her head as she walked past Shiroi and disappeared into a purple burst of smoke! Leaving the small Tiger all alone once more. The Nomu that had been crawling on the ground behind her was suddenly picking itself up just like before! Its gaze was now entirely focused on Shiroi! The imposing form of the Nomu seemed to be getting more stable by the moment! Soon, it would be on its feet once again, and the timer would reset! Was Shiroi going to be able to face such a horror again? Could her body, or more importantly, her mind take such an enemy?

The crowd would have to find out!

Shiroi froze as the voice of the announcer slipped up along her ears from behind, like a pair of snakes slowly constricting around her, holding her in place! The white-tiger didn't dare turn to face the seemingly omni-present creature, struggling to keep her eyes upon the beak-mouthed monster as its form twisted and contorted, forcing itself into a functional shape! Its neck snapped and twisted towards a disturbingly functional angle, its arms and legs slowly regaining the signals once lost to them, allowing both arms to aide in the CLAWING towards them! The blank-eyed, monstrous abomination would finally to act on its mindless desire for destruction, using both of its mighty hands as surrogate forelegs to grab into the stone and HEAVE itself forward! However, in a moment, time would slow... and not in the way Shiroi's eye made her perceive it would! Voice-pitch would dip, movements would grow gradually sluggish, the most pronounced motions of both Nomu and the crowd dragging to a crawl. All except Shiroi... and that announcer seemed to be affected, the dapper-clad woman gazing down upon the tigress as she... provided context to her situation. By all known means, according to Eros, the Nomu was invincible. Chemicals, physical trauma, magic and whatever else... it all FAILED to even slow down this beast, let alone slay it!

...Shiroi realized... She didn't want to be here anymore. One might consider her abilities remarkable, something to behold... but this thing... it just didn't die! As time resumed, the ferocity of the Nomu became obvious to ALL once again as it RIPPED and tore towards the both of them again, tearing up tile, dirt and even the clay beneath JUST to get at Shiroi! As the tigress glanced back over her shoulder, the commentator was gone, returning to her job of relaying information to the audience... as if they couldn't make out what was going on already!

"S....stop it..." Shiroi muttered under her breath, head downcast as she struggled up to her feet, limping on her wounded leg as she slowly neared the teeth-gnashing beast! The voice of the dapper-Eros echoed in her mind, mocking the young fighter, egging her on to fight, attacking her PRIDE! Insinuating she couldn't continue... With one leg stiffened, muscles CLENCHED in resistance to use it certainly looked like it was over for the young white-haired tigress! As Nomu's body continued to heal, its movements growing more coordinated, fluid and fierce, Shiroi stood before it, the monster's massive paws reached towards her...

The next instant, Shiroi disappeared, FLICKERING behind the massive beast, her right eye flashing a shining gold... as sanguine bubbled out from beneath, rolling down over the cheek beneath like tears! With a sharp SWIPE of her claws, Shiroi SPLIT the air between them, causing a visible FLEX and WARP in the very thin area between the two brawlers... before it SNAPPED back into place with a sound-shattering BOOM! The force of the sonic blast would EXPLODE into Nomu's back, aiming to SPLIT him open entirely and blow him apart! Should it connect, Nomu's shape would be sent FLYING, Shiroi's white-clad shape a blur as she chased right after it, springing into the air and THROWING a huge kick into the back of the bird-beaked-beast's head JUST as he would have collided with the stone-wall of the arena itself!