Originally Posted by
Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh
"It would be a welcome distraction," Ishtar said with barely a pause to consider, as, after everything that had just transpired, watching the tournament -- with Zurvan, and the others -- would provide a welcome distraction ... Not to mention that, despite her newfound 'freedom', it didn't take a luminary mind to realize that rushing headfirst into any decision moving forward from herem without considering all that had transpired before would be ... foolish to say the least; especially with the current swirl of emotions risen to the fore.
So after carefully collecting her remaining pudding cups, the Oni made her way over to where the group had assembled to watch the Tournament; and in sitting down the Oni caught the first of those who had gone -- Charco, Cthylla, Meagan, and her Sarada -- stepping into the ring with what appeared to be, of all individuals, Chris the Knife.
When the fight ... commenced, Meagan -- or .. Meg ... Luna ? What ? -- was the first to act and in a flurry of moves the Chromakian had disarmed the familiar assassin; and given all they knew of their own version, this was certainly a wise move. Though the words Meagan offered after the fact were curious. To which the Oni had to ask, aloud, her spoon hanging from the corner of her mouth;
"Why would she disarm an opponent their preferred weapon, and then taunt them about honorable combat ?"
... though the question would have to go unanswered, as ... this version of Chris was perhaps a few shades beneath the one they had known.
With a sudden blink, the intended move from Chris was met with disqualification as he teleported to where his was, over where he wished it to be ... squarely outside of the ring. Which, Ishtar supposed, never-minding what had happened to precipitate it, was certainly the intent of this Tournament. Content with the outcome given the aim was to win, and not fight 'honorably', -- no matter what paradoxical comments ... Meg Luna ... had to offer on the matter -- the Oni opened one of her pudding cups and set about to eating it as the fights continued. Content for the moment to watch as the Pied Piper, Masked Man of Mystery, and a 'Toadil' are all dispatched by their respective opponents: Spidus, Candy, and Vatta von Deathstaker ... the latter of which seeming to have a passing resemblance to the Which of the Moon of their world.
Hm ... how curious.
The next match however, certainly perked the golden-eyed Oni's interest however, as it was to be her Little Love, versus Titanus.
... and what a match it was.
Unlike the previous four, all of which had ended rather swiftly, Titanus and Sarada proved to be a drawn out slug-fest.
Every blow Titanus landed, Sarada responded with -- with a familiar gleeful glint in her eye -- as the two warred back and forth. It seemed after a moment however, that the Titan had the upper hand; his massive size and corresponding strength increase quickly pushing her Saiyan love on the defensive as she was assaulted with attack, after attack ... and it all seemed to come to a head when the, now massive, Titanus began charging up for a rather hellish looking attack ... and while Sarada responded with an amplified Galick Gun, the odds didn't seem to be in her favor as the 'Kami Bomb', how curious ... is this Titanus a Guardian ? ..., began to overwhelm it.
Thankfully however, Sarada's quick thinking paid off.
With a decisive response, the Saiyan Monarch responded with the all too familiar -- and all too painful -- Agony Matrix, struck true and in a lapse of concentration the Kami Bomb detonated prematurely ... and when the smoke cleared and revealed the two opponents ...
It seemed Sarada stood the victor, Titanus, seeming able to continue the fight ... only to drop to one knee ceding defeat. And Ishtar, on seeing this ... swallowed the bite of pudding she had all but forgotten was in her mouth.
---
With her love, and Meagan coming out victorious in their matches, and a brief lull sitting between the now, and the next bout; there was not much to do but sate curiosity -- or focus on things she felt she was not yet ready for -- so after taking a moment to breath, and finish off another pudding cup, the golden-eyed Oni turned her attention to Zurvan.
"While I feel it may be otherwise ... irrelevant," she began, eyes occasionally glancing at the monitor in case the next match was close to starting, "this Titanus ... What do you know of him ?"