The first hit decided the battle.
As the two roared in mid-air, hurling at the other, Netu'ung curled up and managed to go over Draco. His hands reached for the boy's shoulders, then quickly pulled him over and slammed him onto his knee. Draco gasped as the breath was knocked out of him, but it was cut short as he felt his face get with a hammer in the form of a fist. He was sent across the arena, tumbling like a rag-doll until Netu'ung stopped him by punching him into the ground.
Nyla decided to fly up and try and fight Yunduko with the advantage of speed and size, but it was obvious he was just a ferocious as his partner. The elder Nera'ak slashed her wing with a set of claws, then used his tails to squeeze the life out of the dragoness. Nyla strained to roar, a small grunt the only thing able to come out, and swung her tail into the joint where the two tails met. Yunduko roared in pain, and Nyla spewed fire into his face, forcing him to thrash in the air and clear his eyes. Nyla's torn wing only allowed her to glide down, but her adversary recovered much quicker than she thought. His huge maw clamped down over her body, causing Nyla to roar in pure agony. Yunduko removed his serrated teeth from her insides and body slammed her into the ground.
Draco yelled as Netu'ung squeezed him, his bones starting to crack and sting in agony. He headbutted Netu'ung over and over, driving his knee into his stomach and even to his groin. But the warrior only released him when it was starting to bother him. He moved his arms away quickly and dropkicked him across the arena. Before he could skid once, Netu'ung ran over and drove his knee into Draco's back. He opened his mouth to scream, but silence ensued for a ridiculous amount of time before a hue of red formed in Netu'ung's palm. A sphere of red grew bigger and bigger until it was about the size of a globe. Grabbing him by the back of the neck, Netu'ung roared and pushed the sphere into Draco's back. The heat and tearing of skin made Draco roar and scream in pain, just as it blasted him and sent him flying, an explosion lighting him up halfway through his arch.
Derekosh growled angrily, as did his Nera'ak, as his brother hit the ground with tremendous force. Ember had her claws clenched together as she restrained herself from flying down there and tearing Netu'ung apart, but even she knew he would rip her apart. The ponies still couldn't believe they had to watch him suffer. It tore Celestia's heart apart that she had to watch him get beaten, and Nyla was getting just as much, maybe even more, punishment. Moon watched from beside his mother, snarling and grunting from the fact that he had to watch his cousin die.
Yunduko slapped Nyla with his tails, and she tried biting down on one, but he brought his long neck around and headbutted her side. She jumped up and spun blindingly, her wings stretching out and become spinning knives from the metals sharpening the ends. It didn't frighten Yunduko in the slightest, as his Ina-inforced scales were twice as thick as the regular ones. His head shot forward and managed to grab hold of a wing, and with Nyla's momentum her body kept going while the metal joint was ripped from her body. She roared in agony, thrashing violently on the floor as red blood spewed out from the wound.
Draco screamed as well, his connection to her stimulating the gut-wrenching pain. But his own scream came when Netu'ung started to slash at him with his claws, raking them over his chest and face. Draco rose and crossed his arms, trying to block the slashes and punches, but his adversary kept coming. Netu'ung uppercut him, and just as Draco was lifted off his feet, he grabbed hold of the boy's right arm and brought it down on his knee. It snapped like a twig under his scaled limb, and Draco cried out again, his own voice reaching the audience.
Netu'ung chuckled as he grabbed the boy by the throat and lifted him up, driving a few more punches in before tossing him to tu ground a couple yards away. Yunduko bit into Nyla's neck, then threw her over her partner. She tumbled across the ground before stopping. Nyla groaned in pain, her torn limb still gushing blood.
I… I know you're in there… Please… help…
Derekosh snarled and clenched his fists tighter. "What?" Celestia questioned quickly.
"He's calling to the Ashla," Jerosh answered, grimacing as he felt his brother's energy split in half.
"And it refuses to help," Jaqeluu added, feeling his brother's connection to Ina slip.
The metals over Nyla and Draco receded slowly into their open wounds, even as he struggled to keep them active.
P…Please… we… we can still… still win…
With the boy's rites drained, the end of the ritual was underway. Netu'ung walked over to his axe and pulled the weapon out from the ground, starting a slow walk to Draco. He raised the family blade up, and the Orukuoat family cheered raucously. Derekosh's energy started climbing, quickly too. His brothers, Ember, and the ponies glanced to him, seeing his face contorted into rage. The others gasped as Jerosh, Fermot, Agner and Jaqeluu grabbed the handles of their weapons. Netu'ung reached Draco and kicked him into his back, seeing the pained grunts and globs of blood he was spitting out. He rose his blade high in the air, the sun's rays blinding Jerosh.
Derekosh took the opportunity.
He socked Jerosh in the face, just as Jaqeluu tried to get behind him. He tripped up his older brother and elbowed Fermot, then roundhouse kicked Agner's jaw, using the blunt end of his spear to smack Jaqeluu. Ukorvo, Derekosh's Nera'ak, used his frost breath to trap the other dragons in place, then leaped off with Jerosh.
"What is he doing?!" Rainbow shouted.
"He's going to stop it!" Agner groaned, clutching his throbbing jaw.
"Rodaki!" Jerosh yelled. His Nera'ak broke free, but they glanced down as Derekosh let out his battle cry.
Netu'ung looked in time to get bashed in the head with a Loki'irian warhammer, which broke the fangs protruding from his mouth.
Ukorvo, gerg ech grak Nyla undu, prot! (Ukorvo, take him and Nyla away, now!)
Dro! (Yes!)
Ukorvo slapped his thick tail into Yunduko's face, then ripped his wings off with his tail and dug his claws into his chest, then bit into his neck. The blinding motions were enough to spew gallons of blood from his body, and Ukorvo hurried over to Nyla and Draco, carrying Nyla with his front claws while the boy was between his hind right leg's claws. Netu'ung groggily reached for his weapon, just as Derekosh rushed forward. He yelled as he brought his hammer up for another swing, and Netu'ung put his axe up to block it. The thin, sharpened metals shattered under the pure force, then slammed into his chest, shards and all. Twirling it around expertly, Derekosh grabbed the ends of the shaft and brought it over like a wooden axe, and caved Netu'ung's head in. He raised a palm towards Yunduko, and a purple beam fired at him. The energy enveloped the dragon completely, leaving nothing but ashes.
Celestia, Luna, Ember, Moon and the others ran over to where Ukorvo set Nyla and Draco down. Celestia did her best to close the wounds, but he was still horribly disoriented and Nyla wasn't even moving, the gash from the torn auxiliary wing having sealed. Ember held Draco, trying to shake him awake.
He coughed out a little blood, which she wiped away. "Wha… what happened?" Draco groaned, clutching his head.
"We should have never let him fight!" Agner yelled, stabbing his spear into the platform. "Damn it!"
"You could have stopped him!" Jerosh shouted to Fermot. "Why did you let him through?!"
"Don't pin this on me!" Fermot snarled, surprising them, as he was usually the calmest. "Jaqeluu, you could have knocked him out in one mental wave!"
"He slammed the back of my head with his knee!" Jaqeluu argued back. "TUVEK! (FUCK!)"
"What's wrong?" Moon questioned.
"DEREKOSH!" Figanti's voice boomed, drawing the attention of everyone, pony, and dragon.
Their uncle flew down on his Nera'ak and leaped off, punching Derekosh in the face and pulling him up by the collar of his shirt.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Figanti roared, punching him again. "MINIRA DAMN IT, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS!"
Derekosh stared at his uncle with a solemn smile and nodded. Figanti restrained the tears of knowing the young man's fate caused by his actions. The other League members landed as well, placing energy neutralizers around Derekosh's wrists, neck, ankles, and arms. Then they wrapped chains around his body, keeping him still. Figanti tried glaring at his nephew for interfering with one of the most sacred of their traditions, but knowing his punishment, and who would have to carry it out, made it incredibly difficult.
"I'm sorry, uncle," Derekosh whispered. "Not for what I've done, but for what you must do."
Figanti shook his head, wishing he could tear the grin off his own face. "Stubborn and foolish as always," he chuckled bitterly. With one last nod, he was taken away, and Ukorvo was taken by the bigger Nera'ak of the League.
Draco watched until the dragons carrying his brother were out of his vision. His brothers sat at the edge of the platform, eerily silent.
"Why did they-"
"Derekosh stopped Netu'ung from killing you and taking his rightful place as Doshu'um," Jerosh said, a snarl barely repressed. "You shouldn't even be alive."
Draco kept silent, sitting up even as his sore abdomen begged him not to. "What are they going to do?"
"By law… should anyone disturb the battle for right as Doshu'um or Makti… they will be punished by the leader of The League of Thirteen," Jaqeluu said next.
It all led to the final question.
"What's the punishment?" Celestia asked.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…death."