Trixi was ambling around the eerie quiet scene until the calm was disrupted by a deep, rumbling sound in the background. The noise became deafening, breaking out across the skies and seemed to roar around her. Gradually billows of thick, white smoke started to float off the top of the mountain area she was currently traveling in as she looked to the source. The only thing on her mind was pretty simple: time to get the hell out of here. Running down hill was easy as she navigated through the various tropical greenery, each anchored in place within the dark loam soil enriched, and made a beeline for the most likely safe haven. 

At the bottom she had reached a huge, metal door. Grinding to a complete stop by pushing down her back heel and barely winded, Trixi stopped to study it closely. Compared to herself, she was suddenly aware of how small she was. It was more rattling then she expect it might be. It was undeniably another arena when she noticed the metal doors shudder and start to pry themselves open during her presence. 

Fear, always deeply rooted in human nature, filled Trixi at seeing them come to life and likely holding death beyond. She wondered in a mixture of dread and curiosity who it could be within it. Who had managed to survive this long within the mountain’s trials? Pushing aside the phantom memories from her last fight, the shrine's monks almost perfect at their repairing the wounds gained during the match, she held her thick jacket close like a flimsy shield. She knew she had little to worry about due to the rune on her body but death, even temporary, wasn’t something any living creature would enjoy the pleasure of experiencing. 

Not if they were sane.   

While the steel doors gradually revealed the barren landscape and its heated breath washing down her figure, Trixi mentally took stock of her equipment while she walked inside. Her weapons included: fifteen total kunai, each she personally arranged to a style she could memorize with four knives in front, five connected to a metal ring like a keychain-attached by magnets- with  about fifty yards of wiring divided among them, six blades in back, and the extra surplus wiring bundled up on the side and finally her batons at her hip sides. 

First thing she realized was that it was hot as hell when she entered the sauna like environment. Her feet stopping  just six steps from the door as it locked her inside. Her hand immediately started to open the jacket’s zipper while her eyes sought her opponent, immediately regretting it when she found him.  

“Has anyone ever told you, stuff like that could blind people? Put at least a loin cloth or something to cover that thing for Christ’s sake!” Trixi snapped in a loud, grossed out tone. In pure instinct, her hand jerked up to shield her eyes from the butt naked man squatting before her. Of course she would get the barbarian next...he possibly could’ve grossed his opponent into defeat. With the competition dwindling, her choices for opponents would’ve had them cross paths at some point during the tourney. 

Still trying to avoid the image burning in her head-there was only one man she ever wanted to see naked and he was back in her own dimension- she noted the lacking equipment and clothing piled up nearby. It confused her for a moment. Then Salem’s voice edged into her attention, his voice sweet as poisoned honey and coaxing her into attacking with the guy’s pant literally down. Or in this case, off.   

She shook the thoughts away, her other hand finishing zipping down the jacket the rest of the way to cool her off. Part of her was considering stripping down to her sports bra and cutting her pants into shorts, but quickly dismissed the idea. As easy it might’ve to attack him right now, her last opponent making her more cautious this time, Trixi’s heart coiled in distaste at the idea of playing dirty. Life and death was one thing when she knew her adversary wouldn’t, but competition, despite the result, should be at least fair for both. 

“So, I got you then?” She asked loud enough for him to hear without straining her voice, pausing to sigh then added more. She kept her eyes averted to give him some modesty, even if he didn’t care for it or it risked him attacking her with he guard down. With that notion, her right hand drifted to her side where she could easily snag a throwing Kunai or her baton for a quick defense. “Name’s Trixi and how do you want to do this fight? Bare hands, weapons or what?”  

Trixi, inwardly, hated her sense of fair play some times.