Mantle of the Gods [LitRPG / Slow Burn / FTB Harem]

It was loud.

Considering there were eight fights going on, I would have expected the few hundred people watching, but I hadn't been expecting just how loud it was going to be with the cheering and screaming.

Each of the eight 'pits' was below ground level arranged in a three by three square with the center area without a fighting area. Each one had a transparent cover over them which kept anyone from throwing something into the fighting area. There was a railing around the edge that was keeping most people out, but I saw a few that were on top of the glass, excitedly following the fight going on below them.

"Where's Rix?" I had to get close to Ether so she could hear me over the cheers.

The ivory woman pointed at the area to the far left, which was diagonal from where we had entered. The other three women had put their weapons away before we came down, which I regretted as Ether tapped on her CB.

"There's a jammer in here, just like in the mall." She looked around. "We're weaponless."

"Not completely." Gesai moved in front of us and opened her jacket to show a dagger under her arm. "Come on."

I grabbed Fray's hand and followed after Ether and Gesai, with Oz bringing up the rear. We were moving around the edge of the huge room, which didn't have many people to move around, since most were at the railing, watching the fight.

If I assumed that Rix was in the third area and we'd come in at the seventh one, then as we reached the first 'pit' we ran into our first trouble.

Two Grim walked up to us and tried to push Gesai, but she didn't budge.

"You don't belong here." The first of the bone covered skeleton looking men made a fist and part of his exoskeleton between his wrist and his elbow peeled out, giving him a foot long blade fin. This one was a Reaper, which meant that even if he was a Mundane, he was going to be tough for the four of us to fight. But there was something about him that screamed that he had a Mantle.

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"Leave." The other Grim peeled out both of his fin-blades. "And we won't arrest you for trespassing."

Of course they would be Authority. We were in an underground, probably highly illegal, fight ring and there were Authority down here for security.

"Gesai…" I could feel Fray tense. Against Mundane, we could more than hold our own. I could probably even go up against a Tier One. But anything higher than that and we were relying completely on the teacher.

"I've got this." The redhead glared at the two skeletal looking bruisers. "I'm a teacher at the Cathedral. Two of MY students are down here. Once I get them, we're leaving."

The second Grim looked at the four of us. "You brought the rest of your class?"

"I can keep an eye on them if they're with me." She flexed. "But I'm in a hurry, so get out of my way, or I'll get you out of my way."

"The Temple doesn't have any authority here!" The first Grim peeled out his other fin-blade. "We only answer to the Six!"

He started swinging, but Gesai was so much faster. She caught his fist with her right hand, pivoted on her right foot so she could grab his right shoulder with her left hand. She pulled his right arm up as she pushed his shoulder into the floor.

I winced as the sound of breaking bones crunched above the crowd's yells. The Grim had exoskeletons, which gave them a lot more natural protection than my skin did, but it was also more vulnerable to breaking than my bones were.

Gesai kneeled on his arm and slid her hand up to the back of his head. She slammed his face into the floor once and he stopped moving.

I expected the other Grim to attack her while she was on her knees, but he retracted his fin-blades and started backing up.

"Get your students and get out of here." There was a sneer in his voice that told me he didn't like being outmuscled, but at least he was smart enough to recognize that he could only slow Gesai down.

The redhead stood up and motioned for us to follow her.

I watched the Grim start typing on his CB.

"GES!" I nodded at the Authority Officer.

Gesai grabbed his wrist and pulled it back. "What are you doing?" She looked at the message. "Backup?! Seriously?!" She twisted him around her, then grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face into the wall beside us. That was all it took to knock him out.

"He reported that there was a Tier Four plus rampaging and to send a containment unit." She looked over at me. "We need to get RIx and Astrid and get out of her NOW!"