Ayggil vs Nagana - Harpy vs Naga Unleashed match!

Unleashed match: anything goes, no moves or holds are barred. Fight would go on until one of the contestants cannot go on or gives up.

It was a wonderful morning in the Amphiteater. The sun was shining high in the sky and a soft breeze welcomed everyone sitting in the stands and waiting for a good fighting show. The nice weather only made even harder for Ayggil to make her way to the Amphiteater. It was so painful for the wingless harpy to use the waygates to traverse to the giant and imposing chunk of rock and land that acted as the main stage for the matches of SRW. It was Ayggil’s first time attending that arena and it would be her first official match for SRW. Ayggil was always excited to get new challenges, but that wouldn’t make the nasty taste in her mouth fade as she magically appeared in front of the incredible arena. In another time, when she was living other life, Ayggil would have soared the skies with her wings to get there, but that day she used a waygate while the scars on her back still hurt at times, as did the ones on her soul.

Spoiler:

Ayggil traversed the entrance to the Amphiteater, identifying herself as one of the day’s challengers and being led to a preparation room even without noticing, her body moving on its own as her mind dwelled in the pain she was feeling. When the harpy shook her head and gave herself some words of reassurance she was surprised to find herself alone in the waiting room. “Get yourself together Ayggil. You are going to need it for today.”

Ayggil had been a hunter and fighter for most of her life. The wingless one wasn’t a stranger to combat, but for her it was going to be the first time that, instead of the fray of battle she would be received by a crowd of enthusiastic creatures of all realms. It was something strange for her, in her reclusive life in the tribe it would have been ludicrous thinking of people earning a living by fighting in front of a crowd willing to pay good money to be witness of some impressive battle.

Finding her center and more mentally prepared for the upcoming match,Ayggil breathed deep as she thought of her first rival. There was some sense of irony in the kind of clash the organizers of the event had prepared for that day. The harpy was going to face one of the main natural enemies of her species, a naga. The serpent people and the harpies had always been at each other’s throat, but the harpies found some advantage in the ability to take flight and dive to strike. That of course wouldn’t be possible that night. Those grim thoughts were the ones Ayggil had while stepping inside the arena, the crowd surprised to see a harpy withouth wings but still cheering for her. Making a final act of relaxation, Ayggil breathed as she tried to remain composed while she waited for the fateful rival to appear.

Nagana couldn’t sit still as she was forced to sit and wait around for what felt like an eternity! She had already gotten prepared for the fight to come, donning her combat attire and warming up to get some of her cold blood flowing through her muscles as she listened and waited for her turn. It was all she could do just to stay in that room after hearing who she was pitted against for her debut. A Harpy: A creature that had been a natural enemy to the Naga since the earliest days of Gaia.

It was fairly obvious why the two species hated one another. Each one used to prey on the other in some form. Be it with food, as with the Naga who in ancient times had an old Naga delicacy consisting of roasted Harpy eggs and legs, or for other reasons such as fashion. The Harpy culture was known to wear skin of fallen serpents they had defeated with their combat prowess. Since the rise of the Overseer, things had changed drastically! But the long seeded hate was all but imprinted onto the two species. To this day, some high class Harpies wear fake Naga skin as if to taunt the less fortunate species. With the rise of the Overseers control, the popularity and the conventional beauty of the Harpies had earned them much more political and business power than their reptilian enemies. Every Naga, no matter where they came from or how they were raised had at least a subtle disdain for the winged witches.

Nagana was no different. Though this was only her debut, she knew that there was going to be an enthralling fight. Here at Unleashed, there were no real rules. While the Harpy could fly and soar about the air, all Nagana needed was a good grip, and she could show the entire Realm who the truly superior species was! All that was stopping her was that she had to wait for them to call her. A frustrating task, considering the anger that boiled in her blood.

“Oh Na~ga~na! It’s Showtime!”

--

As the crowd's cheers for the wingless Harpy just seemed about ready to die down, the two large metal doors were thrown open with reckless abandon! They swung out and smacked against the stone arena, revealing Ayggil’s opponent for her debut fight. The large, green Naga wasted no time peering over at the Harpy as she adjusted the bright red gloves on her hands. Her yellow eyes didn’t bother hiding the subtle malice that lingered in those cold, reptilian orbs. The crowd's adulation rang out just a bit quieter than Ayygil’s, but that didn’t matter. It was clear that the snake was only interested in the Harpy.

Nagana Kōshukei:

Slithering over, the fighter known as Nagana seemed to peer at Ayygil curiously. The reason why was clear for anyone with eyes. Ayggil was missing the primary weapon of a Harpy. A Harpy without wings was like a turtle without its shell, or a bird without a beak. It was a strange and even sad sight, but to Nagana the realization brought a fanged smile to her scaly lips. Slowly, she began to circle Ayggil. The feathered cape had a few mixed feathers, most of which matched the few remaining on the flightless Harpy’s limbs. Scars long healed over could be seen around her body where the feathers were ripped from her body.

“So, the rumors are true…I knew your kind were always a pathetic brand of scavenging opportunists but even I figured they would never allow the shame of having their wings plucked from them like a bird about to be eaten. Tell me, have your nest mates forsaken you? Or have you come here to protect them from your shame?”

The snake woman finally recoiled. Her powerful arms crossed over her chest as her smug smirk gleamed in Ayggil’s face. Not a moment after that, A purple puff of mist appeared between the two of them! It almost seemed to be intentionally placed exactly in the middle to prevent any kind of fight, which was exactly true. The mist was quickly dispersed, revealing a small, well dressed woman with a long cane and wide brim hat! A coy smile seemed glued to her lips as she gave each fighter a glance. The tension in the air was palpable!



With that, the woman would reach up to her ear and flip on a microphone!

“Alright Everyone! Who's ready for a classic, Sovereign Realm Wrestling battle?! I’m your announcer for the evening: Eros Zuul! And today we have a red hot match of ancient rivals debuting in our arena! A slithering striker and a high flying high hitter! At least, that is what we normally would say~”

Gesturing over towards Ayggil, the overhead screen above the audience members began to show various pictures of the harpy training! Shots of her shattering sandbags with her legs and moving at great speeds were displayed as Eros seemed to jump around in excitement!

“Introducing first is the Wingless Harpy from the mountains! A youngling who has had a lifetime's worth of experience in both combat and life! While she may have fewer feathers than some, that doesn’t mean she isn’t any less dangerous of a combatant! The Survivor that turned into a fighter! Please welcome our very own Ayygil!”

Many people in the crowd erupted into excited cheers! Ayygil was unique, a Harpy without wings willing to stand across from its natural enemy. While it wasn’t much, it was clear that many in the audience wanted her to know that she had their moral support! Eros seemed to subtly scan the arena, her smile never dropping from her face as she waited for the adulation to die down a bit before continuing on with her opponent.

“And facing her today! The Serpent Striker from the outskirts of Tsubar! Trained in the arts of Pankration, and with a body made almost entirely of muscle! Her life was hard, but she is going to make her opponent’s even harder! The Slithering Submissionist: Nagana Kōshukei!”

Once again the crowd erupted, but Nagana wasn’t listening to them anymore than she did the first time. She never once let her eyes leave the Harpy in front of her, and that fanged smile was still on her face.

“This battle is going to be one for the ages! So why are we waiting around?! Time to get this fight started!!!”

Ayggil could feel a knot forming in her stomach as she made her way to one of the contenders' places in the arena. The harpy wasn't used to being in the spotlight, and the general murmur that would arise at her peculiar condition was something she hated. It was enough for her to have to live with the humiliation, shame and sorrow that her wingless situation led to.

There was also of course the uncertainty of facing someone of the naga people. Throughout history the harpies and the naga had been at each others' throats for ages, waging war at each other. Those conflicts weren't honorable and with time passing diplomacy or reconciliation became impossible for them as both civilizations committed terrible crimes against the other, all rules of decency or honor fading to reveal the cruel nature of war and spite between races. Of course all that happened much time before Ayggil's birth but some customs aren't easily dismissed and the wheel of hate kept spinning since no one broke it. Even in times of peace when the Overseer enforced coexistence, the proud harpies never looked to the serpent people as equals, and taught their younglings to distrust the elusive and deceitful serpent folk. Even in time when conflict would be strictly forbidden the harpies would take any chance to provoke the naga or boast about their past conquest, and if someone from the serpent people carelessly entered harpy territory that one wouldn't be seen again.

Ayggil grew up in that kind of environment, learning to be proud of the victories of the past and to look down on that treacherous people, taking her superiority as a harpy for a fact. Birds of prey would eat snakes for breakfast, so it was only the logical position, taking their rightful place on the food chain. But with time and experience, life took Ayggil to places she could have never dreamt to visit and to learn lessons she couldn't have thought of. Even with the harpy way of thinking still rooted in her mind she was making an effort to see things in other way. Because no matter what she wasn't a harpy anymore, she was one of a kind. In her travels she had learnt to open her mind to new experiences and people, sometimes by force, but facing her natural enemy would be a real test of fire. It wouldn't totally depend on Ayggil as her rival's disposition would also count to this connundrum, and having the harpies and nagas a long history of hate it would be difficult to find a rival who wanted a friendly or at least not openly hostile approach. After all, all that show with an unleashed match was thought for them to rip each other to shreds.

When Nagana finally appeared slithering on the arena Ayggil felt the knot on her stomach tightening. The naga came closer and taunted her, making remarks as her lack of wings since that was the harpies' main advantage over the serpent people. If taken to the ground, they could be easy prey to the nagas and Nagana was so happy to highlight that fact. Feeling the tension and spite in the atmosphere, Ayggil felt the knot going upwards and blocking her throat, almost making her eyes tear and her legs to run away, but her rival retreated after that, her bidding done.

A weird, small creature appeared and made the introductions so the crowd would have a loon at them. People cheered for Ayggil as she was introduced and she could feel some of her fears fading as she was still honoured as a fiery warrior, wings or not. She breathed to compose herself before the fray. She was as ready as she could be. She wouldn't give her rival the sstisfaction of seeing her in fear. Carefully hopping around to warm her legs up, she started circling around Nagana, keeping the naga's size and reach in mind as she tried to make her nervous and lose her from sight, always keeping those fiery eyes and teasing fanged smile in sight.

The broken Harpy didn’t seem to know the trouble she had gotten herself into. As Nagana teased Ayygil and encircled her petite form, the Harpy froze up! As though she had been turned to stone by the gaze of a Gorgon. The way the few remaining feathers on the bird woman’s wings tensed up and frizzled outward, as though she were subconsciously preparing to take flight. The humiliation of what she was must have stung Ayggil, but she was little more than a circus freaks to the opponent that slithered around her. A would-be meal, were it not for the laws the Overseer had instilled upon the realm. The Harpy’s hesitation would only make her an even easier target then she already was, meaning Nagana could play with her to her heart's content! The idea of crushing the bird woman’s frail body between her scales was certainly enticing. To the point where Nagana flicked out her forked tongue, just to get a hint of what Ayggil might taste like.

Before the fight could begin, some bit of ceremony was apparently necessary to help warm up the crowd. Thankfully, that job was left to the announcer who suddenly appeared in a plume of purple smoke. The little thing introduced herself as Eros, and began to rattle off nicknames she must have come up with on the spot. The small figure seemed to have done a bit of research, since she spouted off some surface level background history on both the fighters. Nagana took it all in stride, simply scratching a small itch just under her eye as Eros got the crowd to cheer for both the Harpy and herself. The Naga’s body grew tense as the announcer’s speech began to wind down, knowing that the fight was just about to start.

This rivalry would finally have an audience! A no hold fight to the finish! Nagana couldn’t help but flash her fangs in a toothy grin, a promising taunt that let Ayygil know her Naga opponent was looking forward to what was coming next! A fight where just about anything goes and the laws of Realm were excused! So long as neither left in a body bag, the two could go at one another however they deemed fit! Even without wings, Ayygil was still a harpy! Any Naga would sleep just fine no matter what happened to her.

Ayygil seemed to be getting a similar impression, as she began to circle around Eros. Something Nagana reciprocated with. As the Announcer talked, the two glared at one another, watching each other for any hint of an attack. Of course, all that was needed was the signal. Which quickly came in the form of Eros’s final announcement! The words hadn’t even completely rung out before the small figure once again disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. Essentially letting the two fighters off the leash!

Nagana dropped to the floor almost faster than one could blink! Her powerful arms gripped the dirt of the arena as she opted for her species' natural fighting stance. On the floor, she appeared even longer with her full length on display! It wasn’t hard to guess that she was about to strike with that position, but when she did it proved to be a powerful and speedy strike! Like a bullet let loose from a rifle, Nagana suddenly sprung towards Ayygil!

The Naga’s larger form looked to take it’s smaller prey to the ground, but had the effect of a set trajectory. If Ayygil dodged it, Nagana would be unable to adjust her momentum and go sailing past. Either way, the instant speed seemed to shock most of the stadium, as some cries of fear and surprise echoed out into the arena.

Those minutes of buildup could have been interesting for the crowd which was getting roused by the second as it got more and more invested in the match, mostly thanks to the small Eros creature, who looked completely on her element as she was acting as the master of ceremonies for that day’s event. One had to admit that the cat-creature had some good speech abilities and had the people on her pocket now. It was truly entertaining watching her from the stands, but for the broken harpy the wait before the match could start was proving to be excruciatingly painful. Tension was building up on her body and it was the thing she needed the least. Ayggil wanted this feeling to end so she could entirely focus on the match. Watching her rival didn’t actually help the harpy since Nagana looked at her defiantly, hissing and showing her fangs in a more than obvious threatening way.

But after what it look like an eternity the introduction ceremony ended and Eros disappeared in an explosion of smoke, marking the formal beginning of the match. From there on every mind game or intimidation trick was irrelevant as Ayggil reassured herself before starting circling around her rival, slightly hopping from one leg to another. In a fair fight a Harpy would have a solid edge against a Naga because of their wings, but that was obviously not the case, but what Ayggil lacked in flying capabilities she compensated it with solid determination.

When Nagana dropped to the floor Ayggil’s fighting instincts took over. Even if a Naga was a terrible rival to face with almost infinite reach, their fighting stance was so easy to read given their physique. However, not even knowing what was coming helped Ayggil escape, and that was because Nagana was so fast she became a blur. Just in the last instant managed the harpy to avoid being hit by what would have been a nasty and powerful hit. It looked like an elegant, last second frontflip for the public who raged with enthusiasm, but Ayggil knew how close she had been to a hit that most likely would have broken some bones.

From her new position Ayggil notices how Nagana was unable to properly stop on her tracks, and that gave her her rival’s back. Running to make good use of this oportunity, the harpy would execute a high jump to position over Nagana’s head to then come down with a one-two downwards kick combo aimed to the back of the Naga’s head.

Naga’s were renowned for their striking speed. There had been tales of the wars between Naga’s and Harpies, where the serpent people fought their feathered foes using their speed and stunning strikes! Spears and arrows makeshift from wood and stone had been the weapon of choice to defeat the winged menace, and while it was true that today Harpies were much more preferred by the community in general, the Naga’s serpent strike was one that every species had learned to respect, and fear. To see it in action, from a fighter like Nagana was simply breathtaking to the audience! No one could even trace the serpent at that speed! All that was visible was a greenish blurr that was barreling towards Ayggil with malicious intent! The entire situation happened so fast that hardly anyone could process what happened next!

One moment, the green blurr was upon the wingless harpy. The next, Ayggil was safe and sound, crouched low as the green bolt of speed sailed past its target. Only the camera captured what happened, the screen above showing a slowed down video of Ayggil narrowly avoiding Nagana’s lunge as she did a front flip over the snake’s entire body! It was amazing, and more importantly, it looked planned! It seemed as though Ayggil could see through Nagana’s speed, earning her the majority of the crowd’s adulation in a single instant!

Nagana despised it all. As she impacted against the floor, she was already pushing herself upright, ready to continue the fight with her hated enemy until her forked tongue tasted the Harpy. Whirling around, Nagana found that Ayggil had her own speed on her side as the wingless bird jumped into the air and descended downward on the snake, talons at the ready! It looked as though Ayggil would wrap this fight up quickly, the crowd already cheering her victory and bemoaning the speed the match had concluded.

But Ayggil would find her kicks meeting only dirt. Nagana wasn’t so foolish as to let herself be done in so quickly. Instead, Nagana swiftly darted to the right! Her not-so-feathered foe missing her elongated target as Nagana slithered away. When Ayggil turned around, she would find the Naga’s piercing faze locked onto her, the snake's body coiled and ready to strike as Nagana’s fangs protruded through her cruel smirk.

“You’re quick. I guess that's the only reason you’ve survived out in the jungle for so long. I’d wanted to end this with that spike, but I guess I get to have a bit of fun~”

The forked tongue that slipped through nagana’s fangs seemed to be taunting in nature as she moved to crack the knuckles in her left hand. For now, neither had an overwhelming advantage over the other. Both were quick, and Ayggil had succeeded in making Nagana think the wingless harpy was faster than her spear. A fact that made the reptile a bit more aggressive.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve fought your kind. I hope I think I’ll finish where your nestmates left off, and take the rest of those feathers for myself~”

The Overseer had enforced peace between peoples that had been irreconciliable from the very dawn of time, but some old customs were so rooted in a civilization that it is too hard to make them disappear. That was the reason why no matter how the last harpy who actually fought against the nagas had been dead for decades the new generations of harpies were still trained in special combat maneuvers conceived to fight the snake people. That was the reason why Ayggil was expecting some kind of spike attack. After all, she had been training for combat against that kind of enemy for most of her life, and only because of that was the harpy capable of dodging Nagana’s attack. This seemed to upset the naga, if only she knew that Ayggil barely managed to escape unscathed, how the adrenaline was warning the harpy about the tremendous amount of damage she avoided by just a pinch.

The logical follow-up to Nagana’s miss was a talon strike to the naga’s rear while she was still on the ground, but the snake-woman showed quickness beyond imagining even for the serpent-people by dodging to her side just when everyone in the crowd was expecting a furious and devastating damage. None of the contestants were holding their punches, and that made the people sitting in the stands enthusiastically cheer. Ayggil found it pretty hypocritical: people finding joy in others’ suffering instead of fighting their own battles, but that has been her life since she was cast out. She wasn’t going to mark a difference in that cruel world.

The crowd settled down as another staredown came into being. Each time both fighters looked at the other in the eye the atmosphere could be cut with a knife. There was that nasty, agitator attitude of the nagas, thought Ayggil as her rival hissed at her and gazed with an expression that could turn lesser rivals into stone, but not her. She could bear all the resentment or learnt hate towards nagas, but now she knew that harpies were no better. After all, harpies pluck her wings out because she commited an act of mercy.

It wasn’t the time to be thinking about that. Those ideas would only manage to distract Ayggil, and she needed all her focus not only to try and get victory, but to escape with the least damage possible. The idea of getting in the way of Nagana was terrible as she had proven that she was capable of great feats of strength. Things would only get messier from there on. “Come and take them if you can. I might take some of your scales.”

Deciding not to let her rival go first again, Ayggil kicked the ground testing the consistency of the arena before using her legs as a spring and jumping to try a powerful kick aimed at Nagana’s side of the head. It was a wild card, but she needed to think big and show her rival why she should be cautious around the wingless harpy.

Those golden, serpent eyes of the Naga watched with an empty, heartless glare that could truly only ever be accomplished by a cold-blooded species. Though the crowd seemed enthralled with the fight, neither one of the competitors was having any fun. They were settling a grudge between their two species, fighting with an ancient hate neither of them truly understood but both harbored immensely. Any excuse they could find to dislike the other was embellished and exaggerated. While Ayggil’s speed was commendable, Nagana convinced herself it was a trait to be despised. The fact she thought the Harpy could be faster than her strike dug beneath the thick scales that coated the reptile’s body, her tongue slipping and flicking through her fangs in agitation as the two were about to clash once again. This time it wouldn’t be a contest of speed, not when they were so close. It was unreliable for the moment, so a new approach would be necessary to continue this fight. The two were testing each other, looking for holes in their defences and flaws in their technique.

This time, it would be Ayggil who started the next clash! Nagana’s eyes darted to the Harpy's feet at the first sign of movement, the dirt of the floor quickly being tossed away as the bird woman’s talons dug it up with ease. It didn’t take the bird woman long to make her decision, because the next step she took, she used to quickly pull herself closer to the serpent! Her long leg came lashing out at Nagana’s head, the limb more akin to a blade then a body part! A sharp hiss erupted from Nagana as she brought her arms up in defense, the Harpy’s leg SLAMMING into the Serpent's muscular arms with more power than anyone thought such a small body could muster! Were it not for Nagana’s taut, coiled body grounding her, the blow would have easily pushed her off balance! A pained grunt slipped through her lips as the blow stung her right arm extensively. Even with her muscles and scales protecting her, the pain was clear as day on her face! But more than that were those golden eyes that still were stuck to Ayggil’s form!

The crowd loved it, and the Bakeneko that watched them from the arenas gallery smiled to herself as the two rivals fought in a climactic manner. The head Warden could already see how this match would stir and build upon itself. It was simmering now, but soon these two fighters would boil over and the real fight would begin! Eros’s grin only grew as she watched the live camera feed, seeing the effects of Ayggil’s kick on the Naga’s scales and how it angered the serpent! The thought of the crowds getting all excited and seeing the viewing numbers shoot right up got the Warden’s blood pumping as she reached over and snatched the microphone to the arena’s speakers!

“OOOOOH YEEEAAAHHHH!!! Look at that pulse pounding combat as our two fighters exchange blows with the intent of putting each other down! There is no love lost here between the Serpent and the Hawk, but that doesn’t mean we can’t show them any love, Right everyone?!?!”

A near thunderous cheer would erupt in the stands as Nagana would strike out at Ayygil, looking to sink her left fist into the bird’s abdomen in a reactionary defense! The power packed behind the fist was terrifying even if it weren’t accelerated by the Naga’s rage! The strike was meant to push her opponent back in as painful a manner as possible, the roar of the crowd paling in comparison to the fury of the Snake woman’s scorn!

If stares could kill, the gaze Nagana and Ayggil sent to each other would definitely do it, and the scorn and spite could be seen in both contestant’s eyes. Ayggil had to admit that most of that feeling wasn’t purely personal but inherited from her upbringing with the harpies. From the craddle she had been taught to hate the serpent folk and to always be alert if by any chance they would get attacked. Furthermore she was driven to search for any weak spots in the Overseer’s vigilance to strike at the nagas at the slightest chance, and also to zealously protect their territory from any invader. Even if Ayggil ties with the harpies were cut so much time ago there were some habits that died hard, and no matter that the harpie’s fight wasn’t hers animore, she still found herself at unease around snake people at least. But with Nagana she could feel how the naga would rip and tear her if given the chance. She was fighting for survival there.

Each movement would be crucial in that fight and that was why Ayggil didn’t want to give her rival any chance to do her bidding. The harpy’s powerful kick to the side of the naga’s head found some mark even if it wasn’t the one she intended. Turned out that in the last second Nagana managed to get her scaly muscular arms in the way to block what would have been a powerful blow to her face. Ayggil would have grinned in satisfaction as Nagana was in clear pain based on the look on her face, but the harpy had to grit her teeth in order to conceal how her leg was also in pain from impacting against that wall of muscle and scale. When withdrawing her leg and regaining her guard stance it would be apparent for an instant. It wasn’t a hit on the head, but the trade seemed decent for Ayggil since it would surely affect her rival’s striking power.

Another staredown. Ayggil was starting to get used to those tense moments in which both contestants waited for the minimal sign of movement to react. Her instincts were on point, but something threw her concentration off as the small Bakeneko started roaring through the communication systems and ruined her focus for just one instant.

And one instant was just what Nagana needed.

When her attention span was back to normal Ayggil realized it was too late. Nagana had rushed at her charging a nasty fist and there was nothing she could do to avoid it. “AUUUUUUGH!” It felt as if a train had hit her in the stomach, sending Ayggil limping away for some while as she bent in pain, all air escaping from withing her while she desperatedly gasped trying to get mouthfuls of air. One of her arms went to cover her mouth as she coughed on it, revealling some blood that indicated how big the damage had been. Ayggil hid that fact from her rival no matter how badly she was hurting. Now she knew what Nagana was capable of, and she needed to have extra care in order not to get hit again. But even if Nagana’s strikes were quick and strong, they were predictable, so Ayggil decided to look weakened and winded up in order to trigger another of those strikes, and this time she would counter it.

The thundering impact of Nagana’s fist was drowned out by the audience’s adulation! In the blink of an eye, Ayggil was thrown back! Her taloned feet caught the dirt and carved long, deep intents into the arena’s dirt floor. The Harpy had only just managed to keep herself upright, only to suddenly lurch over into a coughing fit. The fanged smile of the Naga could be seen even up in the stands of the audience, but the real damage had yet to come. Nagana’s tongue would flick out once again, tasting the air. There was dirt and sweat, the taste of Ayggil still lingering in the air as the dust kicked up from the dirt still lingered about in a small cloud. The Harpy seemed concerned with something she had coughed up, leaving an opening that her enemy wouldn’t hesitate to exploit! The sound of Nagana’s body slithering across the dirt would suddenly increase in volume as she drew closer to Ayggil, the wounded Harpy waiting for another strike to counter!

But that strike never came. And least, not in the form she was expecting.

When Ayggil looked up from her hand, she might be surprised to find the back of Nagana’s tail was all she could see. Should she look back down, she’d find another part of the snake’s body just inches away from the Harpy’s own! All before a dark shadow was cast down over her head! A sinister hiss rained down on the wingless harpy like a siren from hell, a signal of the danger she was currently in at that very moment!

It was true that one of the Naga species deadliest tools was their strikes. They were quick and often deadly, and could easily obliterate an opponent should they score a direct hit. But that was far from their only tool in battle. The long, powerful body that made them vulnerable to aerial attacks proved to be a rather crushing force once wrapped around a subject or victim. Their body made almost entirely of muscle, it was easy to crush an opponent between them, turning their bodies into an execution device simply by wrapping around them. Broken bones, crushed organs, all possibilities when facing a Naga’s restrictive embrace! Wounded Harpies had often been finished in such a manner during their long wars with the Naga’s. Deep rooted hatred had given birth to numerous cruel tactics and heartless traditions...

And Ayygil had found herself just seconds away from being tied down!

Meanwhile, Eros continued to cheer and sing the praises of the fighters in her happy, upbeat persona! As though she was oblivious to the very real danger of what these two combatants might do to one another. The Bakeneko seemed to be enjoying the show just as much as the crowd was, and in a way, she may have been enjoying it even more so!

“A thunderous response from Nagana! Ayygil looks to be absolutely shaking after the Serpent Striker’s sadistic strike! Looks like the elongated eradicator is looking to wrap things up already, and put this sweet little bird back in her cage!”