Chapter 8 - 7. A Display of Violence
Ryu Hajin widened his eyes slightly as he read the pale lips of the butterfly girl. There were no other fighters around him since he was staying in the corner--or rather, being told to stay put in the corner--so he was sure the girl was looking at him.
Well...looking was normal; he was used to being looked at. But what did she say?
Win?
She told him to...win?
"Hey, get ready for the battle royale," one of the staff told him in passing, but Hajin grabbed the staff's hand. "What the fuck are you doing?"
"Does someone bet on me?" he asked.
The staff yanked his hand away and clicked his tongue in response. "Weirdly, yes. Only one, but it's quite a high amount. You're in luck, punk--but only if you win."
All participants had a fixed fee depending on their class--of course, the newbie Hajin got the smallest rate. But if they won a round or became the champion, they would receive a percentage cut of the money the client won that night.
"Oh, and that person bet on the champion," the staff added with a sneer. "So unless you beat everyone tonight, you won't be getting any."
Only betting on the champion wasn't fun, since there were a few rounds per game. Sometimes, people would bet on several rounds on several different people; whether to have fun or to make sure they didn't lose everything. Unless they knew for sure someone would win, people seldom put all of their eggs in one basket.
And Helios's Colosseum was known because they didn't do any match-fixing--because what was the point of preparing an illegal stage if they still have to do that?