Selene looked at herself in the mirror while posing to see how the outfit she was wearing looked on her. It was a tight black dress with a high neck, covered shoulders, and short sleeves that didn't even cover half of her thighs.
She wore it with plain black stockings and matching shoes. It was a simple outfit, but it suited her quite well, in her opinion. It matched her purple hair and pink eyes perfectly.
"Ah, how beautiful I look!" Selene blew herself a kiss as she admired her appearance. She felt perfect in those clothes, but she had to stop admiring herself when her communication crystal indicated she had a new message.
[I'm outside your house. Are you coming out, or are you going to keep looking in the mirror? I know you always do, so hurry up!]
It was a message from Morgana that caused Selene to roll her eyes because she didn't have the perfect answer. After all, she had been looking in the mirror and wasting time.
[Just a moment. I need to take some pictures~]
Selene replied before doing exactly that. She took photos with her communication crystal and sent them to Noelle, Kim, and Morgana. She also uploaded them to her Vetrorum profile, where she had suddenly started gaining followers.
She put her communication crystal and ID card in a hidden pocket of her dress. Then, she went downstairs, said goodbye to her parents, got on her motorcycle, and rode a few meters down the street. There, she saw Morgana leaning against the façade of a house, watching the purple-haired girl arrive.
"You really did take those photos," Morgana complained. She was finally free of her bandages, leaving only a few new scars on her skin, which gave her a much fiercer look.
"You know how things are. You have to show off your beauty. If we don't, the effort would be pointless, don't you think?" Selene shook her hair as she said this, appreciating the clothes her friend was wearing.
Unlike Selene, the brunette wore tight black pants and a red-and-black striped sweater that covered only her chest, leaving her toned abdomen, covered in scars, and her belly button piercing exposed.
"Yes, we have to show off! But not when you keep me waiting," Morgana replied, climbing onto Selene's flying motorcycle and hugging her waist tightly, resting her chin on her shoulder.
"The show starts in half an hour, and I don't want to be late," the brunette said directly into the purple-haired girl's ear. She trembled a little as Selene accelerated.
"We'll be on time!" Selene exclaimed, keeping her motorcycle's speed just below the speed limit so the traffic robots couldn't stop her. After all, she wasn't breaking the law.
"The city is really beautiful at night," Morgana whispered. She stared at the scenery passing by at high speed. Since her senses were extremely sharp, she was able to appreciate it in great detail.
"Eclipse is the best city-state of all! If anyone disagrees, we'll fight them," Selene replied with a big smile, which Morgana echoed.
All the inhabitants of Eclipse thought the same way. They could be peaceful and didn't usually interfere with other city-states. However, they responded forcefully to provocation, as the City of Nightfall had discovered decades ago.
As they chatted about trivialities, the motorcycle entered an area near the suburbs. They arrived at a single-story building with a guard posted at the only door.
The guard was sitting carelessly in a chair, unarmed, with only his communicator crystal in his hand. He was probably chatting with someone or watching short videos on Vetrorum.
He only reacted when Selene pulled over to the side, where other vehicles were parked. Some people had already arrived and gone inside, but it wasn't too late; according to the schedule the girls knew, the events hadn't started yet.
The man did not ask for identification; in this place, only the tickets given to Morgana or memberships were valid. Both women took out their communication crystals and showed the guard the tickets they had.
The guard scanned the tickets and checked that they were valid. Then, he simply took a metal card out of his pocket and swiped it in front of the door. The entrance unlocked, revealing a fairly large elevator.
"Remember to get more tickets or a membership. The latter will allow you to access exclusive benefits depending on your level," the man announced with a stiff smile, looking fed up.
"Thank you~" Selene said softly before entering the elevator with Morgana.
Shortly after the door closed, the elevator began to operate without having to press a button, descending into the depths of the earth. When this happened, Selene laughed, causing Morgana to glance at her, one eyebrow raised.
"We came to see the underground fights. We're going down right now," the purple-haired girl explained, revealing what had made her laugh. However, it wasn't her words that had made the brunette burst out laughing, but rather the face she had made while speaking.
"Okay, that was funny," Morgana said before the elevator stopped and the door opened to reveal a dimly lit hallway.
The two women walked through the dimly lit hallway without fear, knowing nothing bad would happen to them. However, the atmosphere was particularly tense for anyone with claustrophobia or nyctophobia.
Soon, they began to hear voices. Even though they had arrived early, it seemed that the audience had already made their way in through various entrances. They took the entrance closest to them, but there were other ways to access the place.
The two arrived at a large, open space that resembled a giant stadium. There was plenty of light, and seats were arranged in circular rings around a large arena that was empty at the moment.
In the ring where the women were standing, there were no ropes, but there were establishments that appeared to be for food, drinks, and staff. The first thing they did was go directly to a stand set up by the organizers of the underground fights.
"Good evening, ladies. How may I help you?" A robot with a pink metal casing, a feminine voice, and an appearance that left little to the imagination answered them.
"Oh, a gynoid. May I ask your name?" Selene asked, intrigued by this completely humanoid robot.
"I am XL1313, but you can call me Xilenna. Do you require my services?" the gynoid replied, asking more directly.
"Xilenna, we want to purchase memberships. Could you tell us about them, their benefits, and their prices?" Morgana asked, causing Xilenna's blue eyes to sparkle with joy.
"Of course! Memberships are divided into four levels: normal, elite, executive, and supreme. Normal membership costs 500 Argentum to apply for and requires a monthly payment of 50 or an annual payment of 110.
Beyond allowing you to choose a seat in the middle rings for free and informing you where to park your vehicle, there are no visible benefits. You also receive a 10% discount on all purchases and the opportunity to participate in an arena fight, if you have the courage." The gynoid showed her palm, projecting information about this option. It was the most requested.
"Elite membership is more exclusive. The application fee is 1,000 Argentum, or 100 Argentum per month, or 1,100 Argentum per year. Members receive a 25% discount on purchases and can request a fixed seat in the inner rings, where only they can sit.
You also get a unique spot in an exclusive parking lot. Plus, you can participate in elaborate arena fights, organize fights, and challenge established fighters, but only once a month." The projection changed, this time showing information about the Elite membership. Xilenna's voice became more enthusiastic.
"The executive option costs 2,000 Argentum to apply, 200 Argentum per month, or 2,300 Argentum per year. It allows you to choose a seat in the final ring, which is the closest to the arena.
You get 50% off all your purchases, and you can give tickets to people outside, although selling them is prohibited. You get a high-end parking spot where you can have your vehicle serviced upon request.
You can join the fighters as a full member and be given a schedule that you can organize as you wish. Each fight must be planned and reviewed by you and the staff. Additionally, you will receive bulletins about people looking for challengers or challenging you. You can decide for yourself whether to participate.
You will be invited to special events ranging from arena fights against rare creatures to banquets and celebrations. You will have access to an exclusive spa and food, as well as a combat uniform customized to your liking.
All memberships can be revoked at any time with no penalty or retention. Everything is completely legal and monitored by the city government. If you get into a fight and decide to give up by canceling your membership, that is allowed.
Here, we don't force our fighters to face what they don't want to. It all depends on one's courage," Xilenna explained at length, especially regarding the last topic. She approached it with great care, although it didn't have much to do with everything else. It was as if she were accustomed to giving this answer for some reason.
"You missed the last membership, the supreme one," Selene commented.
Xilenna didn't answer, simply tilting her head before projecting the three options she had already mentioned.
"Would you like one of these three membership options?" Xilenna avoided the subject. Feeling that they couldn't learn anything more from this matter, Selene and Morgana looked at each other before shrugging.
"I choose the executive," Selene said without thinking too much about it. She wanted the maximum benefits, as well as the possibility of fighting as much as she wanted in the arena. Why would she choose another option?
Morgana chose the same option for the same reason as her friend. She had been looking for underground fights for a long time.
"Thank you for joining! Our organization, the Fighters League, welcomes you. Just show your ID and fill out these forms with your details." This time, Xilenna showed each of them a screen with everything they needed.
"Oh, right, you're called the Fighters League. People hear rumors about underground fights and assume that's what you're called," Selene muttered as she filled out her details. This included the part that said she was a Noetarca and Glyphworker, even though that information was already on her ID. The form emphasized that point.
After that, everything was done. Xilenna told them that their IDs now served as permanent tickets as long as they had a membership. In addition, a series of notifications would be sent to their communication crystals, enabling new permissions and areas in the app.
Then, the duo bought food and drinks before heading to their seats, all under the envious gaze of those who wanted executive membership.
"We're finally here!" Morgana said, sighing. She was excited to enjoy this opportunity.
"Thank you for bringing me here!" Selene exclaimed, causing Morgana to click her tongue.
"Don't worry about it. You like to fight, and so do I. Who else would I bring? Noelle is more of a thinker, and Kim only knows how to defend herself. You know that. She prefers to attack with her fire staff," Morgana replied, sounding bored, which caused Selene to stick out her tongue.
Not all notaries must know how to fight, but some choose to learn hand-to-hand combat. Noelle was the group's strategist. Many of her permanent upgrades have gone to her brain, improving her reasoning skills. Although she possesses physical strength, she is clearly better suited to staying in the rear and using her dual pistols.
Kim, on the other hand, fell in love with her fire staff, a Glyphworker that her father, Minho, commissioned from Hyperion when she was a child. She learned to use it, demonstrating great skill in controlling the flames it generated.
The group sometimes joked that she was a closet pyromaniac, though there was no concrete evidence to prove it. However, her personality was sometimes as volatile as the fire she wielded. She was usually gentle, though.
For this reason, her hand-to-hand combat style focused more on defense. Although she seemed fragile due to certain aspects of her behavior, she could take more punishment than anyone except Morgana.
["Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome back to the Underground Fights!"]
The two girls' conversation was interrupted, but they didn't mind. The voice belonged to a man and was amplified so that it could be heard perfectly throughout the venue.
["We're starting strong today! We'll see our beloved Gustav fight an adult Shadow Dog! Yes, you heard right! An adult Shadow Dog will be here in the arena!"]
Damn, this got intense too fast! A Shadow Dog is one of the smartest monsters out there!" Morgana exclaimed in amazement while Selene drank her beer.
"An adult one can cause a lot of damage, especially because of its ability to hide in the shadows. But with all these lights, will it be able to use its full strength?" the purple-haired girl asked after thinking about it.
"It doesn't matter. I just hope to see the final result," Morgana muttered as she put a hot dog in her mouth. Her eyes did not stray from the arena as she waited to see the two participants.
It was time to watch an incredible fight!