AN: Hello all. Sorry about the wait for this update. Between life, birthdays and cleaning up Galataea for the first Amazon and Smashwords release, I've fallen behind.

Anyway, those of you who know and love Galataea (Another of my monstergirl stories with some pokemon parody elements) can find the Amazon release here: Amazon

The Smashwords release can be found here: Smashwords There is also a free coupon for Smashwords that you can use up until October 1st. Coupon: WF93N

Anyway, if you don't know the story at all and just want to read the RRL version, there is a link in my signature at the bottom of this chapter.

Chapter 2.6: Battling Beauties

The combatants took up their proper locations and squared off once more. A brief pause led to a growing sense of tension. Even the crowd grew silent after a moment. All eyes on the two girls prepared for mortal combat, few noticed the split-second when the referee moved his hand. Loudly he announced, "Begin!" to the surprise of those members of the viewing public who were engrossed in the moment.

In unison, the two fighters withdrew a short distance from their masters. Kara quickly fired off too shots and moved quickly to the left. Her shrunken Gigas opponent leapt clear of the rounds before they reached her. The untrained eye might have thought that the girl could move quickly enough to dodge bullets after they were fired. In truth, she went into motion the moment the guns came up to fire.

By the time Kara's shots fired, her opponent's muscles were already in the throes of rapid acceleration. The battle quickly became a game of cat and mouse.

Kara was the cat. Her sleek movements and rapid-fire assault tactics would have made any kitten proud.

At full size Hana would only be considered reasonably fast, roughly similar to a human of proportionate size and strength. While she did lose a large portion of her considerable power after being shrunk to a height slightly over six feet, she could still move with the speed of an individual who was over thirty times stronger and more durable than a normal human being. No mouse in the world could claim that incredible capacity.

Hana became a blur to the audience. A borderline super-sonic battler, she could occasionally move with such speed and ferocity that thunder pealed throughout the arena as a small sonic boom occurred in the wake of her movements. Even Kara's enhanced accuracy and ability to lead targets was strained heavily by the girl's prowess.

Kara could line up shots with incredible accuracy, but her speed was not the same as her overpowering opponent. Time after time the tiny giant managed to zig-zag around the hail of gunfire to attempt a quick, but potentially fatal, punch or kick. Each time Kara narrowly managed to avoid receiving a blow that could potentially break her armor, and her ribcage along with it.

Less than a minute after the battle began, Hana ran toward Kara at full-speed. The Steel Valkyrie thought to evade, but to her surprise the speedy girl rebounded off the arena and instantly reversed direction. A powerful palm-strike slammed forward striking the armored girl in the center of her chest.

Deep cracks spider-webbed outward from the epi-center of the blow even as Kara was hurled away by the incredible ferocity of the blow. She flew through the air, her arms and legs forced forward by the speed of her movements, touching down briefly only to skid along the surface of the area like a stop skipping across the surface of a pond. She eventually rolled to a stop just shy of the arena barrier on the other side of the battle zone.

Stan slapped his hands together and laughed loudly, "That a girl Hana!"

The Gigas made a cute bow to her master. She then turned to the crowd and threw her fist up into the air as though the battle were already decided.

Kara was knocked back with a brutal palm strike, and even her high-end armor was damaged heavily by the blow. Her body was bruised and battered underneath due to the transfer of kinetic energy during the attack. However, it was not enough to finish her. She sluggishly began to rise to her feet.

If this were a normal battle it would have been over long ago. A Gigas is powerful, but Kara would be strong against such a large and ponderous creature. The speed and skill of the fighter she faced was more in keeping with a skilled martial artist than anything else.

As fortune would have it, Kara landed near John. He knelt down by her, on the other side of the barrier, as she struggled to get up. She'd had to fire off a large salvo from her plasma blasters to keep the speedy dwarf-giantess out of her attack range. Even then, only one solid attack nearly ended the battle. "I don't know if it will help," said John, "But aim for where she's landing when she jumps. She doesn't jump much, but she can't use that speed of hers in mid-air."

The Steel Valkyrie acknowledged the advice and rose to her feet. It was time that she got back into the fight. She was moving slowly, but she was still moving.

"Come on! Give it up already," called out Stan with another laugh. "Your girl can barely stand."

"My girl is superior to yours. She'll win," said John.

Kara blinked owlishly. Did her master just refer to her as his girl? It was technically true, but strange to hear. Despite the fact that she was weakened considerably by the blow, he still felt that confident of her victory? The way that he'd spoken was so determinate. There was no hint of sarcasm or fear. He was absolutely certain of her superiority in this battle.

When did he decide that? The thought intrigued Kara, slightly. It was difficult to think of anything else while her mind attempted a return to proper coherence after her sudden assault.

Of even greater intrigue was the mystery of the warmth spreading through her body. Suddenly, she felt a little lighter than before. Her slightly blurred vision became sharper, and she could focus properly once more. It was not a spell, she felt no tell-tale symptoms of magic. Yet, somehow his simple statement caused her to feel strengthened in some way.

"I'll win..." She tasted the words on her lips. A single blow from her opponent sent her reeling, yet she was going to be the one who achieved victory.

"Stop dreaming," said Stan before glancing over to his smiling Gigas. "Finish this Hana."

"Of course, master!" cried the girl excitedly before she took up a running stance.

Hana blazed a trail of dust and debris as she raced forward amid the sound of a small sonic boom. Kara narrowly avoided the strike, and then it happened. Hana stopped just short of the arena barrier and leapt up against it. She rebounded back toward Kara with lethal intent, her fist primed for an explosive strike that would end it all.

Until now, whenever Hana jumped, Kara tried primarily firing at Hana while she was in the air. It was a proven, moderately effective, tactic. However, the girl could prepare for the incoming fire and rotate a little in the air to help deflect the shots. Her durability was quite high. The combination greatly lessened the amount of damage she would take from such shots.

Now, however, Kara dodged to the side as the human-shaped missile streaked through the air then span around to aim at her landing point. With her accuracy this was not a difficult proposition.

Hana cried out in pain as she felt a bullet tear into her left calf to lodge into the back of her shin. With the continuing cry of pain she fell to her knees and tried to understand what happened. Enhanced toughness was all well and good, but most of hers was in her bones and tendons, not in the bulk of her flesh. When faced head-on, most of the shots fired in her direction would impact bone or hit her powerful abdominal muscles. At full size that round might have barely penetrated her calf. At her current size, however, there simply wasn't enough mass to stop the round from piercing deeply.

The Gigas looked up in time to hear another thunderous retort as a second, and then a third bullet screamed out of Kara's twin pistols to slam into her back. The force caused bruising and bleeding when it impacted her ribcage, but was not enough to penetrate beyond that.

Kara wasted no time in tearing the Gigas' legs apart. She fired rapidly into the bloody mess that was the girl's caves. Hana tried to roll over to defend herself, but it did not matter. Mobility reduced, she was an easy target for similar strikes to her thighs. Now that her aim was nigh-perfect, Kara went for the meat of her fall foe.

Hana screamed in pain as blood spurted into the air. Eventually she rolled over into a fetal ball and cried. Such was the cruel reality of gladiatorial combat.

John frowned darkly at the sight. He did not understand why Stan refused to end the match. His combatant was clearly defeated. If John called Kara off, it would be a forfeit. He could not end the match until a Red Line occurred, or unless he chose to give up. That was the way of things.

On the other side of the arena Stan glared hatefully at the scene but did nothing for his badly injured fighter. He refused to submit.

The next three shots fired ended the fight, thankfully. Now that the girl was driven into a ball of shock and pain from her wounds, her opponent had time to aim at the same spot repeatedly.

The first two shots stressed, and then fractured her ribcage. The third shattered the injured rib allowing it to puncture a lung.

"Red Line! The battle is over!" exclaimed the referee as the crowd stood in stunned awe. A medical team ran over to collect Hana after the barrier fell. John walked over to congratulate Kara for her victory.

"You won," said John simply.

Kara nodded to him once. "Yes."

"Do you require medical attention?" he asked immediately thereafter.

"No," said Kara.

They stared awkwardly at each other for a moment then shared another simple nod. What else was there to say, really? Once the moment passed, they went to confront Stan.

"I suppose you want your prize you cheating son of a bitch," said Stan with a venomous contempt lacing his voice.

"I suppose you want to continue being an asshole instead of paying me my due?" inquired John with a thoughtful expression.

"Oh you'll get yours, mark my word. I'm done with you. I don't battle cheats and cowards. Take your girls and go," snapped the man with barely constrained anger.

"If by cheat and coward, you mean law abiding citizen trying not to lose his only team member, then yes," said John. He then narrowed his eyes and stretched out his hand. "Now then, loser, give me my due."

"Who are you calling a loser, you—" snarled Stan hatefully.

"You lost, despite having such a wondrously capable combatant on your side, did you not?" asked John rhetorically. "Further, you are far too experienced at dueling to have been unaware of the rule I utilized. Your loss was due to your own general incompetence as a leader, and nothing more."

Stan practically foamed at the mouth for a moment after those words left John's mouth. There was a brief moment wherein it seemed that the man might attempt to strike John. Thankfully, for Stan, the moment passed.

The veteran tamer glowered at John then raised his hand to silence his son. Tom was about to say something and long experience with the younger man led his father to believe that it would not be helpful. Enough time was wasted that day without more drama.

"Tera, Mindi. You're his. Get out of my sight," snapped the man. He turned away in annoyance and frustration. He had to make a few adjustments in his plans, and at some point he might even go check on his Gigas. What a waste of time and money she'd proven to be today.

The Kraken and Blazine glared hatefully at John, but did as they were instructed. The man took stock of their anger and dismissed it. What did he care if his trained animals hated him? They'd fall in line or he'd sell them off. There were plenty of other Demi-Humans he could choose from after all.

"Come on then," he said with little concern.

"We have to discuss our contracts..." said Tera.

John stopped mid-step then turned his head toward the Blazine. "What contracts?"

"Our taming contracts!" exclaimed the Kraken. "We aren't taking another step till we discuss them."

"There are no contracts. You are my property by right of salvage," explained John concisely.

"The hell we are! We were contracted for another two months to our former master. We demand compensation!" shouted Tera.

"You demand nothing," said John.

He eyed them coolly, "Your former master was required by law to cite the fact that you were contracted. The referee did not state that you were. You were stated as undisclosed citizenship. Legally, you are now my property and anything you owned prior to this is mine as well."

He saw that they were about to argue and he spoke up quickly. “If you have a problem with this facet of the law then you may ask me politely to utilize any personal funds you had prior to my seizing of them to fund your attorney fees and court costs."

"Seize our assets?" asked Mindi, her eyes widening.

"You will have to sue your former master for breach of contract. I grant you nothing as you are now my property to do with as I see fit," said John without concern.

"How dare you!" snapped Mindi. Her tentacles shot up into the air in a threatening display of impending violence. A single shot rang out. The bullet tore into one of her larger tentacle tips causing the kraken to scream in pain.

"Shut up. You'll speak when spoken too. I rescind my offer to aid you in a legal dispute with your former master. If you make a threatening gesture toward me again I will sell you to the filthiest whore house that I can find," explained John in a casual manner. Under the surface he was far from calm. If Kara had not been quick on the draw he might have ended his career and his life, right here.

Tera growled at him as her heat field rocketed up several dozen degrees. "You... You!"

"The term you are seeking in that over-cooked ham hock that you refer to as a brain is master. Get used to it," cited John.

It was clear to him that neither of these creatures would respond to logic and reason. He'd granted them the opportunity to legally strike back at their former owner, but they'd chosen to be belligerent and to threaten him with violence. Further concern for their sensibilities would be counter-productive to say the least.

He turned away from them while showing his back in an act of idiotic, but total, dismissal. They were nothing more than trained animals with tits. They would fall in line, or they would be sold. There were no other options for them. Their lives as free Demi-Humans were now over.

The two girls seethed as they started forward behind him. They knew the law. At some point in the future, though, their new master would fall into a river and accidentally drown if they had any say in the matter.