The gateway opened to the arena, a place where legends were born and a battle waged to determine the strongest fighter alive. Unsurprisingly, it was a simple, traditional ring of 100 feet in diameter that would serve as proving ground for the initial match. It was completely surrounded by spectator stands, protected by a barely visible magical barrier. After the fighters were lead into the ring, they were given a few minutes to warm up, during which they noticed a few things. For starters, the ground was a single thick block of stone, not even a single pebble or bit of loose earth lay beneath them, while the 'walls' consisted only of the magical barrier, stopping anything from leaving the ring and endangering the spectators and were, quite simply, impossible to climb.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer's voice spoke up, although the owner of the voice remained unseen. "Welcome to the McleodGaming tournament! I know our warriors are aching to test their mettle, so I'll keep this short. The strongest fighter must be capable in straight combat, therefore this arena has been designed to take as many tactical elements out of the equation as possible. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, so go out there and crack some skulls! And for those who might be preparing to 'give it their all', don't forget that other participants might have spies in the audience, waiting for you to show off what you can do, so don't be too hasty in showing all your abilities!" The announcer ended his 'short' speech, thankfully, with some useful information.

"Now, moving on to the rules! It's quite simple. The fight doesn't end until one or both fighters are unable to continue or in the event that they surrender. Attacking a fighter that has abdicated or been incapacitated will result in immediate disqualification. And remember, we all like blood and gore in these fights, but refrain from killing your opponent. It's just not very sporty. Got all that? Well then, no need to stand around and twiddle your thumbs! Ready... Set... FIGHT!"

Haerus' ears rang with the piercing yell of announcer. The roaring of the crowd was still clearly heard through the magical barrier. The man was beginning to worry as he looked about his surroundings. He was obviously quite open to any attacks, with no cover available. His eyes raised to meet his opponent. Standing across the arena, the opposing man had an intimidating aura. Posed in all black, he seemed to fit in with most young adults that Haerus had been so 'fortunate' to encounter. There was something about the look in the man's face that tempted the elder man to stand down. Things had certainly changed since Franklin had been in his youth. However, the man was quite ready to battle, having prepared for this day for a good time. He had a good amount of confidence that had yet to be shattered. With a slight smirk on his face, he considered taking the first step. Foreplay was no fun at all.

Clearing his thoughts, Haerus began his slow march towards his opponent, slight ringing emerging from the bells as he took each step.

Akshon stood confident across from the old geezer. The voices of the crowd quaked through his body, boosting his ego, and also adding to his thirst to take down the old an. Akshon knew that this would be a tough match due to there being no available cover, but he wasn't afraid. With his opponent having no place to take cover, it was guaranteed that his bullets would hit. The big question was what can that old man do, and what will he do it with.

His opponent began to step towards him. Akshon took notice of the sound of the beautiful bells ringing softly from the distance. Akshon took a similar approach and began to stroll confidently towards him. He put a blunt in between his lips and lit it. He mumbled under his breath, "Pussy."

The seemingly elderly figure continued his graceful stride towards his opponent. At a distance of around twenty-five feet away, it was apparent that the younger man had lit something, and the familiar smell from Haerus' youth filled the area. It was a peculiar thing to do at the beginning of the match, but Franklin had no intentions of underestimating the other contestant. The other man had now begun stepping towards him. The decision to make the first move was still foggy. Haerus stroked one hand through his hair, noticing that his scalp had already started dripping sweat. Age was beginning to take its toll. Wiping the beads of sweat off his forehead, he determined that this would be a much harder challenge than he had feared. The man considered removing his sweater, but he concluded that it was a far better decision to continue to veil what he wore beneath.

Planning to meet his opponent in the middle, Haerus began walking slightly faster, the bell ringing becoming far more frequent. As he walked, he scanned the arena for anything that he could rig explosives to. The man confirmed that this would be much, much more difficult than he had anticipated. Although he wasn't nearly as sharp as he used to be, and he was at an obvious disadvantage, his confidence did not falter. The only fear that he held was of the unknown abilities of the man he needed to defeat.

Akshon noticed his older opponent picking up the pace. This n**** must be crazy, the thought flew across Akshon's head. He saw the elderly man sweating. This rose his confidence even more. He was certain that he would win this. Akshon pulled the pistol that rested on the holster on his right hip. He looked down, locating the safety, and triggered it off. He puffed a thick white cloud of smoke. Brad put a grin on his face and began to speak to his opponent;" Fine day to die, ain't it?" Akshon continued to stroll towards his opponent, with his gun at his right side.