Pendekar Batari Mahadewi: The Journey to Find Your Self
Episode 24 Battle Arena
Jalu and Niken went to visit the arena of the game that was opened every day. Jalu wanted to observe and learn first the situation in the arena before he decided to become a fighter to get some gold pieces as a provision for his task trip.
The arena was always filled with many spectators. Surely their purpose came not just to see the spectacle, but for betting gambling.
Anyone can be a fighter in the arena. The manager will give certain rewards, namely a piece of gold for the loser and three pieces of gold for the winner. If the winner can still win the next match, then the reward is twice the first reward, and so on.
If there is a fighter who died in the arena, then the arena manager is willing to take care of his body properly and properly.
Most of the people who came were gambling bots who brought their own fighters. In that case, the fighters brought by the botohs will get double rewards, wages from the botoh and rewards from the arena manager. The fighter will only be allowed to compete five times in a row if he is undefeated during that time. He can fight again tomorrow.
The business sucked a lot of benefits from the manager. Aside from the ticket money, the manager himself created his own network of botohs and fighters for betting with other visitors. The manager in this case also acts as a bookie that holds betting money from both sides even though the amount of the bet is not balanced.
In that case, the Bandar can play around to determine who wins and who loses. Only the dealer knows how much the difference in the amount of bets received. And therefore, the fighter who must win is a fighter with a small amount of bets that keep him winning.
Jalu had known this since childhood because it was not a foreign thing among the royal army. Not a few of the fighters were royal soldiers who were not on duty. They do it to make extra money.
“Will my sister fight? Said Niken.
“It feels funny. Look at the fighters waiting outside the building. Their bodies were large, but they were just ordinary bouncers, not warriors.” Said Jalu. I'll find a botoh first so I can get double rewards. And...what if sister waits somewhere else while I fight inside?” Said Jalu.
“What's the reason?” Said Niken.
“Maybe sister will be the only girl there.so about that I'm not sure, but surely sister will hear unpleasant words from the mouth of visitors there.” Said Jalu.
“Then I'll kick them.” Said Niken.
“That's what I worry about. And if you do, this arena will become a mound of ice, then our efforts to get money will be in vain.” Jalu said with a smile.
“Hmm..it looks like brother was right. Then I'll wait for the art building. Over there, not far from here.” Said Niken.
“Alright, wait for me there. I won't be here long.” Said Jalu.
Niken rushed out of the arena to the art building. I don't know why he always likes to see the activities of artists there to create artwork.
Jalu met someone who looked like a botoh and then talked to him for a while. The trap was right, that person was a pure botoh in the arena. He depends his life on gambling.
“Can you really fight?” Ask that botoh.
“I can subvert your flagship fighter in one hit.” Jalu
“Can you break that block of wood in one hit?” The botoh wants to test the truth of Jalu's words.
“I'll do it, wait a minute.” Said Jalu. He then stood beside a thick wooden block that was used as a seat for fighters who were waiting their turn. He pretended to make a move like the one done by the attraction who showed his ability, then he hit the wooden block. The wooden beam cracked and did not break in two. It was enough to prove that Jalu could fight.
“Sorry sir, just crack a little. Can I still be a fighter sir?” ask Jalu.
“Yes, you can fight. Seeing that your body isn't as big as those guys, I'm sure there aren't many who keep you winning. I'm gonna bet big and you're gonna have to win. Can you do it?” ask the botoh.
“I will try my best lord.” Jalu
“I'll give you a quarter of my winnings later, but you have to follow my rules. In the first game, you have to win absolutely. I'll bet a lot on that. Then in the second game, I hope you show more ability. I'm not gonna bet on this. You better fight as best you can without getting hit. And in the third game, you have to lose. I'll bet big on your defeat. So you'll only fight three times. Do you agree?”
“I agree mister.” Answer Jalu.
“Good. Any questions?” Botoh.
“No sir....e...can I wear a mask while fighting sir?” Said Jalu.
“Yes, no problem. All right, just wait for your turn here, I'll register you.” The botoh said as he rushed inside and met the registration officer.
Soon the botoh came out of the building and called Jalu. “Hey you, come here. It's your turn soon.” Then Jalu went inside following the botoh.
“Well, after the current match, you will enter as a challenger. That guy has played twice and his stamina is still good. His body shape is almost the same as yours. He is tough and has played here several times and always wins.”
Jalu noticed the fighter that the botoh meant. True to his words, the man fought well and was able to knock out his opponent in no time. That guy is no ordinary fighter.
“Well it's your turn now. Remember I said, you have to win.” The botoh word. He was sure Jalu would win because he saw for himself his ability to crack a wooden block that was thick enough. He himself is not sure if his mainstay champion can do that. So, the botoh was tang-anggung in the bet, 500 pieces of gold he bet for Jalu's victory.
Jalu immediately put on a mask that covered half of his face so that his opponent could still see Jalu's mouth, then embarrassed to look at the cruel eyes of his opponent who was now in front of him.
“You're a newcomer?” ask Jalu.
“Iya, any problem?” Reply Jalu.
“You look stupid with that ugly mask. Don't you have another mask? Or your face is worse than
“Prepare for defects. I'm not shy with newcomers.” Said Jalu's opponent.
Finished saying that, the man immediately attacked Jalu with a series of moves. Jalu simply compensates for the attack with a stalk and it tends to dodge. The man looked annoyed that his attacks had always failed.
Next the man attacked again with more tangles with the pattern of attack up and down and again, the punches and kicks more often hit the air than Jalu's tank.
Jalu saw his opponent had started to irregular his breathing due to the attack. Jalu was still not attacking, he was waiting for the right moment to take down his opponent in an entertaining manner. However, the crowd enjoyed the match as both fighters launched their best attacks.
The opportunity came. The man attacked again blindly because he was very frustrated with the failure of the first attack and both.
Jalu catches a favorable moment as the man launches a melee blow. The hammer gave one an invisible little touch right at his opponent's temple while as if dodging his opponent's punch. As a result, the man lost his balance and fell down.
The audience cheered scornfully. The man against Jalu was not aware that he fell because of a small touch from Jalu's fingertips. So he got angry, and attacked Jalu without tactics. This is Jalu's chance to launch an attack.
At first Jalu fended off, then he made a series of counterattacks, punching several parts of his opponent's front body, then kicked him until his opponent fell.
Jalu gave light blows so that his opponent could get up and attack him again. The opponent knew he would lose. But he still wants to try and hope to be lucky. It's a pity that that guy's luck is unlucky.
He ran and jumped and kicked Jalu. Quickly catch the man, then pull him until the man slammed. This time the man could not get up because he was running out of energy.
Some of the spectators who guarded Jalu cheered in excitement for winning the bet. Jalu's next opponent was a large tall man with a face full of scratches. He was a former bandit who had once been feared.
This time, Botoh did not bet. He is still speculating on Jalu's abilities. Most of the audience took care of the big man.
Jalu looked into his opponent's eyes with a smile. The man returned Jalu's smile with a hostile grin. Match starting. Jalu was still standing quietly in his place. The big man was preparing to pulverize his body with a single blow.
Too bad, when the man smashed his fist towards Jalu's head, jalu deftly lowered his head and hit the man's stomach with enough force to break the block of wood until the man's entire body was lifted slightly before falling to the floor.
The man screamed in pain, then collapsed unconscious. The match was very short. The audience still could not believe what they saw. Botoh Jalu smiled. He was convinced that today he would win a lot and he was very happy with the way Jalu was smart enough to understand his point.
The next challenger is a fighter who is not so big in size. It even looks thinner than Jalu. The fighter was already trembling to see the action of Jalu who knocked down a big fighter with a single blow. But he had no choice. It was registered by his botohnya.
This time, Jalu had to give up. ‘Not bad succumb to the man because it seems he is a good person and not as haughty as the two previous opponents’. Inner Jalu. Then Jalu put the horses ready to attack. He arranged in such a way that his opponent could read his attacks and dodge them.
Then Jalu did a hard kick and deliberately did it with the wrong technique so that the man could avoid it, while he would slip down. Plan succeeded. Jalu got up and pretended to stagger and walked limping so people thought his legs were sprained.
Many visitors bet for Jalu's victory because they saw his action knock down his big opponent with a single hit. Seeing the hero walking limping, their hearts felt dislodged because they realized soon would lose a lot of money.
Jalu's opponent didn't want to waste a chance. He immediately attacked the hammer that looked unprepared and had not recovered from the fall. Once again Jalu's plan worked. He tried to fend off a makeshift attack and let a lot of opponents punch him. Opponent Jalu ended the match by kicking right in Jalu's chest so that Jalu pushed back and then fell. This time Jalu had no intention of getting up. He pretended to faint. The audience was disappointed, botoh Jalu laughed.
Outside the arena, Botoh Jalu smiled in satisfaction and said.”We won 2000 gold pieces and as I promised, you'll get a quarter. Here are 500 gold pieces for you. The botoh handed Jalu a bag of gold pieces. The money is ten times more than the gift of his teacher and with that much money, Jalu, Niken and Batari Mahadewi no longer need to be confused thinking about the cost of travel.
“If you want to fight here again, you just find me. I'm not a stingy botoh. I thank you and only this time I won with a very large amount.” The botoh said smiling happily.
“I also thank you sir. See you next time.” Jalu said as he passed after Niken in the art building.
“Kakak is done?” niken
“Yes, as I said, I won't be long.” Said Jalu.
“Does sister get enough money to pay for lodging while we're here? Otherwise, I have another idea.” Said Niken who did not want Jalu to fight again in that stupid arena to look for a piece of gold.
“I don't know this is enough or not, but I just get this.” Said Jalu. Niken looked up at the bag full of gold coins.
“Kakak is impossible to rob right?” Niken asked seriously.
“Hahaha. The booth I met won a lot and he promised a quarter of what he earned. Here's the result. I don't think I need to come to that arena anymore. I know my sister is very worried about my safety.” Jalu teases Niken.
“What you said!” Said Niken sewot. Jalu laughed out loud.
“If you're not worried about me, then why would you say you have other ideas than fighting. What was your idea?” Said Jalu was still happy to tease Niken and make Niken look upset. For jalu, Niken looks very beautiful when it has started to put on a sewot face because Jalu teases her.
“Before I want to invite brother to do silat attractions like those people do.” Niken said pointing to a group of people performing martial arts shows and hoping that the audience who swarmed them was satisfied and distributed some silver coins.
“That's a great idea too. Maybe we can do it after the money we have today is thinning again.”
From a distance, five soldiers rode horses towards Jalu and Niken. “Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, is it true that sir is Raden Jalu and this lady is Miss Niken?” Ask the soldier respectfully.
“True, can we help you?” Said Jalu.
“The Duke told us to pick up raden and miss to the City Hall. Raden's younger sister, Miss Batari Mahadewi, was waiting there. Let's raden, please ride to this horse.” The soldier gave up two horses for Jalu and Niken to ride. They rushed to the City Hall.