Nero vs. Polliver

Nero had been out of the Coliseum for a little while after his first match against a big name. He had beaten Rocky, a barbaric warrior known for killing all but one of his opponents and being undefeated for 12 straight matches- a record Nero found out he ended post-match. His victory having been secured, he was able to admit that this was by no means an easy win- he had war wounds to prove this. The break in matches had been caused by the injuries received during his match- serious bruising and a gash in his right thigh. While these wounds healed, Nero had not skipped a beat- he followed a strict regime of training, complete with a diet of protein-rich foods meant to strengthen his muscles. Today was the day he would make his return to the arena, as his thirst for fighting drew him to compete once more.

Standing in the tunnel, Nero felt the butterflies in his stomach once more, but this time, they were brought on by a different emotion. He was excited- enthusiastic about making a name for himself. On the streets, after his bout with Rocky, some people recognized him and shared their impressions of the fight with him. He was referred to as the underdog, mostly due to Rocky’s overwhelming performance in the early stages of the fight. Deep down the Fanalis yearned to change that notion- even though outwardly he was happy to have recognition on a minor level.

He walked into the arena once more, and heard the chants of the fans. Today, he was fighting against another man from Reim, an experienced competitor within the great Coliseum. He waited for the announcer to begin his spiel. Like in his previous bout, the crowd’s cheering and roaring was drowned out by the voice of the announcer, welcoming the spectators to the arena.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, OF ALL AGES AND CREEDS! WELCOME TO THE GREAT REIM COLISEUM! TODAY, I HAVE BEEN GRANTED THE GREAT HONOR OF INTRODUCING YOU ALL TO THIS GREAT MATCH! ALLOW ME TO ANNOUNCE THE COMPETITORS…

Nero shook himself out, bouncing from his right leg to his left to test mobility. The legs seemed fine, even after his injury. He stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles, getting ready to fight. Once again, he wore loose-fitting pants, as well as his steel bracers and necklace (which, again, could not be used to aid him in combat.) The Fanalis was ready for a fight. He knew his opponent would be ready, too.

ON THE LEFT… YOU KNOW HIM AS THE UNDERDOG FROM REIM, THE FEARLESS FANALIS… HIS NAME… NERO REGIS!

The crowd cheered louder for Nero this time than before. He smiled at this. His fame was beginning to grow somewhat. However, once the crowd saw who Nero’s opponent was, their cheering almost doubled in volume.

AND ON THE RIGHT… ANOTHER HOMETOWN HERO! THE GALLANT GLADIATOR, THE UNDEFEATED SHOWMAN… GUARANTEED TO PROVIDE A GRAND SPECTACLE, HIS NAME… POLLIVER!!!

Oh, great. Another undefeated opponent. Nero wondered how long this man’s streak was, compared to Rocky’s. And furthermore, it was almost as if the announcer had exclaimed Polliver’s name three times as loud as Nero’s. He was facing a fan favorite- would that mean the crowd would boo Nero if he won? He would have to find out. The two men approached each other, near the center of the ring. Nero’s eyes widened somewhat in shock at the contrast in demeanor between this man and Rocky- even further, when Polliver offered his hand to shake.

Young man…Nero, was it?  I heard about your match with Rocky- and I heard that you were able to defeat him valiantly. I wish you luck in the oncoming match, but I warn you- I never pull my punches.

He smiled at Nero, and Nero took his hand, shaking it firmly.

Don’t worry. Neither do I.

When he responded, he looked Polliver dead in the eye, with a serious expression on his face. Polliver shrugged, and prepared his greatsword. Nero noticed that armor covered Polliver’s whole body; body shots would be ineffective- he would have to aim strikes for the head, or use slams which would hurt him from the impact.

LET THIS BATTLE… BEGIN!!!!!

Just like Rocky had done, Polliver opened the battle with a swift deluge of attacks- he used his Slice and Slash maneuver, speedily striking with his greatsword at different angles. Nero moved out of the way of the first hit but was unprepared for the second and third- they made shallow, D-tier cuts in his upper abdomen (near the ribs) as well as his left shoulder. Nero raised a fist just in time to swat away the fourth, and final, D-tier sword strike with his bracer, utilizing his Exeo Minor skill.

That ain’t all you’ve got, is it?

Not even close, my friend!

Nero saw Polliver bend his knees somewhat, as if he were going to attack. The Fanalis then backed up, such that there was a 10m distance between them, and readied himself to block something. Polliver would then Dash forward, with his greatsword extended to the side, aiming to slash through Nero with his Wicked Death maneuver. Polliver moved quickly, at approximately 20 meters in a second, but Nero was ready. As soon as the greatsword came near, Nero violently struck the blade, knocking it out of Polliver’s hand, four feet away from the wielder, using his Exarmo Minor ability. Nero smiled at Polliver, before dashing towards the weapon and kicking it further away, towards the side of the arena. Polliver glanced at his sword, and then glared at Nero.

That was my Father’s sword… How dare you!

He looked to have lost his cool for a second, but smiled again with a tiny trace of wickedness etched into his face. He walked up to Nero- stopping roughly 5 feet away from him.

That is no matter. There are no rules in a fight. Perhaps it is time to impose some.


He drew out a shortbow, and fired off 10 fire arrows in a circle, performing his Fiery Rain ability. They would each land one after another, forming a 5 meter ring of fire surrounding the two men, who were in close quarters.

If you touch a single arrow, you will suffer from punishment in the form of affliction by the burning flames. We shall do battle unarmed. I hope you are up to the task.

Nero nodded; this was met by a slap to his face by the gladiator Polliver, which inflicted more stinging pain than damage. Perhaps Polliver expected this move to intimidate Nero, whose shirtless body definitely looked less physically imposing than the armored warrior. To clarify, Nero’s body was plenty muscular.  However, he had less girth. Polliver stood nearer to his own height than Rocky did. Because of this, Nero did not need to reach directly upwards to administer a sharp slap to Polliver’s face, whipping the blonde man’s cheek with his fingers and likely inflicting more pain than damage as well.

Polliver followed Nero’s slap up by administering a jab to the Fanalis’ gut, which Nero did feel. Pain rocketed through his body, and he felt the urge to throw up. He fell to his knees, coughed up a little blood, and gagged somewhat, but forced his vomit back downward. Some blood did remain in his mouth, however. Polliver picked Nero up by the neck, as if he were about to chokeslam the Fanalis onto the flaming arrows. Nero felt helpless at this moment- Polliver was a strong man, of course- he had to be strong to go undefeated in an arena like this, full of competitors like Rocky, among others. His mind raced- what was something pragmatic that he could do to regain an upper hand? The taste of the blood in his mouth made it hard to focus on anything else other than the state of his body, helpless.

Wait. The taste… of his blood.

Just as Polliver was about to slam Nero down onto the flaming arrows, Nero used the remaining muscles in his mouth to propel a wad of saliva and blood downwards, towards Polliver’s eyes. The armored warrior, who was focused more on where he would drop Nero rather than Nero himself, was blinded momentarily, and in his shock he dropped his opponent. Nero landed in a position in which his knees were bent- this was perfect. He sprang upwards, twisting his body in such a way that he could aim a kick to the side of Polliver’s unarmored head- this was Nero’s Enzuigiri maneuver. Now Polliver fell to his knees, clutching the stricken area with his hands. Nero then took advantage of his natural lifting strength as a Fanalis, rooted his feet into the ground, before picking Polliver up by the waist. At this point, an almost collective gasp was heard throughout the crowd. From this point, opponent lifted by the waist, Nero stepped forward until he was near the edge of the circle of flaming arrows, and slammed Polliver down on his spine, utilizing his Tower Smash maneuver. The gladiator landed in the flames, and did not move for a second. The fire, at this point, died down, some of it having been smothered by the warrior’s frame, and the rest having burnt through the wooden arrows that they had lit up. Nero was declared the winner of this bout as well.

As he walked through the tunnel, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Young Nero!

He turned in shock to see Polliver- he pushed the blonde’s hand off his shoulder and assumed a defensive position.

Relax, boy. I will not hurt you. I came to commend you on your victory, and to apologize for losing my temper.

Nero looked confused.

I spat blood on you. Like, in your eye. That could make you sick, or something. Shouldn’t you be angry?

Well, I should. But I know there are no rules in a fight. Rather, I am impressed. You are quite the pragmatist, young Nero. And strong, too. I would have raised your hand in victory after the battle, if I were able to stand.

He bellowed in laughter which seemed to shake the tunnel. But his face turned solemn after the fact.

Now… My father lost his life in the arena. I inherited his sword. A warning- Coliseum battles, as you will find out, are no joke. You must be careful. Although- his face lightened once more- With skills like yours, perhaps being careful is less of a necessity and more of a request. Congratulations again!

He made his way out. Nero meditated on what was told to him- and eventually, he, too, left the arena.