#battle 004

The low, golden sun lit up the meadow in patches, illuminating the dust that still lingered in the air from the last match. The beads of sweat that ran down Rufio’s temples told Bandit the obvious: he looked as tired as Bandit felt. Coming into this Battle back-to-back from the previous match could either aid or hurt Rufio, he figured. Though he was technically still catching his breath from his last fight with Echo, he was also already warmed up and ready to go. Bandit had the edge of a moment’s rest, but it was a double-edged sword: taking that time to sit down also made him realize how exhausted he was. His muscles began to ache, and his whole body began to feel heavy.  

Thankfully, there were ways to win other than solid strength. All he had to do was bait the bull--wave the red flag and watch him run. If Bandit played his cards right, by the time Rufio realized what was happening, he’d be on the ground and bleeding.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Bandit called, digging his toe firmly into the ground where he stood. “You took quite a beating out there. Wouldn’t want you to embarrass yourself.”