Chapter Text
Muffled loud cheering was heard all around him as it vibrated through the walls and left echoes in their wake. He stood in the darkness of the bunker, waiting for the doors to open for battle, only holding a sword in his right hand to fight against the enemy. The fighter wore no armor, only the black tunic, pants, and boots that made him blend in with his surroundings. He could feel his heart racing in excitement as he tried to control his breathing and relaxed his muscles to try and save his energy for the battle. His cat tail twitched in anticipation and his ears stood up straight, listening for the trumpets to make his entrance. At last, the instrument sounded off and the gate was rising up and light flooded over the dark, leaving everything bright in its wake. He took a breath and calmly walked in the brightness, ready to fight.
‘What a pain’, Katsuki thought, holding his right arm due to the cut on his forearm. It was dripping with blood as he walked to where he first entered the sandy field of battle, leaving the ox hybrid lay unconscious on the ground.
He wasn’t dead and he had no intention of finishing the job either, much to the crown’s dismay, but they can all go to hell as far as he’s concerned. His opponent was a fierce and powerful warrior who deserved to live and fight another day.
The crowd today was bigger then usual. People came from all over the land to watch the famous ‘Raging Bull” take on the ‘Savage Cat’ in the battle to the death. That stupid title of Katsuki’s was really blown out of proportion and he loathed it. He wasn’t some mindless beast who only took pleasure in brutally murdering another to win a fight and basking in glory of a victory covered in blood. Just because he enjoyed a good fight and always giving it his all doesn’t mean he had to kill anybody for other’s entertainment. He had morals to live by and the thought of ending someone’s life by his hands sends a cold shiver down his spine when past memories resurfaced in his mind when he’s in those situations. A gladiator who doesn’t kill(he’s done it before, but only in extreme measures) was unheard of and some don’t take kindly to that, but they don’t know what it’s like to be the one to end a living, breathing soul. Despite these protests though, he still makes a lot of money which is odd, but you won’t hear Katsuki complaining.
When Katsuki was back in the barracks located near the entrance of the arena, he sat on one of the many infirmary beds to get his cut patched up. The walls, roof, and floor was stone with an open door and window that was protected by metal polls. The room was stuffy and it smelt of blood and ointment so the opening was a big help to get the smell out.
Everybody around him getting treated was a hybrid. There were dogs, wolves, horses, wolverines, and other dangerous animals, which wasn’t surprising since they were all gladiators who’s only purpose is to fight for you life to either leave this place by buying your freedom from the Master or just continue to battle because they get a thrill out of the fighting and killing. Katsuki’s goal is to leave this hellhole and never come back. He’s been here for so long and he was more than ready to go.
He didn’t have to wait long before she came walking to his bed silently carrying a med box. She was a cat like him with short brown hair with bangs framing her face and a set of cat ears on top of her head, and a tail peaking out from under her skirt. Her cloths consisted of a rustic orange tunic with a shin length muddy skirt that had been sewn together in a couple of places, and her shoes were worn and coming apart. She was a mute and never smiled or showed any emotion and thus treated like crap. Although, there were times he’s seen some flare in her eyes when someone was getting too handsy with her while she was working on them and her tail would do a little twitch as it puff out a bit. She’d bat their hands away and look at them like she wanted them to burst into flame, but as soon as the fire was there, it’d go gone and she’d go about as normal.
She was the only one who he would allow to tent to his injuries because the other med hybrids were women and they’d talk on and on about his battles and how amazing he was, caressed his muscles, and ask if he needed help falling asleep or to have a bit of fun that they would be more than happy to oblige. That made him want to gag. They were all so annoying. With her, however, there was no funny business. She focused on her job and did her work without hesitation and no distractions because of that, she was the only one he would allow to treat him.
Katsuki never knew her name and neither did anybody else, so they called her whatever they wanted whether it be insults or just “girl” or the occasional cat pet names from the gladiators. There was something about their words that made him hate them more. There was this instinct inside him to watch over her and defend her from those who would cause her harm. Maybe because she was cat like him and he had to watch out for his kind, or probably because he was attracted to her.
The brunette cleaned the wound and put the medicine on it before wrapping it up tightly with some bandages.
“Thanks, Cheeks,” he said as she was getting up to leave. That was the name he dubbed her with and she seemed to like it, or at lease, tolerate it.
She stopped her movements for a second after she stood up. She have him a small bow and walked out the door.
With his injury taken care of, Katsuki got off the bed and made his way to his private room. He was one of the few fighters who got their own room since he was a favorite of the Master because he brought in the most money. As he walked down a hallway, he passed by two rabbit women who stopped in their tracks to gawk and blush, and asked if he wanted anything from them. Katsuki ignored them and opened his door before closing and locking it.
He heaved a sigh of relief for the much needed silence of his room. It was far enough away from the battlefield that the roars of the crowd was muffled by the stone walls. The space he occupied wasn’t particularly large, but spacious enough to do simple workouts. There was a big bed of straw in the corner that was covered by a blanket with a change of pants resting on it and a small window above it. Right beside his bed was small round table with a bowl of water and a cloth to wash himself and that was it. Nothing too grand and that suited him just fine. Katsuki did have the option to move to a different room that was better than this which included an actual bed, finer blankets, but declined almost immediately after it was offered. He wasn’t suited for the luxurious life and he was leaving(hopefully soon), so it was a waste.
Katsuki removed his cloths and used the water and rag to wash himself of the blood and sweat from the day’s activities. He put on a clean pair of pants and laid down on his bed to relax and get some sleep before his workouts tomorrow.