Casino goers placed their final bets as the show began. Even those who couldn’t get tickets placed bets, as the losing side had put up all their rare- and legendary-rated Chips. Though the prize payout was relatively low-the standard 2:1 ratio for any win, as far as the betters were concerned, Akita had it in the bag.
That was the rumor circulating on the Floor, anyways. Even if they couldn’t get their hands on Deng-Long’s chips, with so many people betting, the payout would still be nice. Some, of course, sweetened the pot by copying and then betting all of their common-rated chips in Deng-Long’s favor. By the time of the show, they’d managed to manipulate the odds so it was a 3:1 payout for Akita.
Dmitri hustled to the backstage area, bypassing the crowd, but he still caught wind of a few conversations.
“Are you sure sir? Once you bet all of your chips, there’s no backing out.” A servant at one of the betting stations said.
“I’m willing to risk it all.” The older human male shrugged. “It’s not like I can get chips any other way.”
“Not entirely true, sir-”
“Just shut up and place my bet, please.” The man said hurriedly. “I gotta get back to my room and watch the show.”
The servant rolled his eyes and placed the bet.
He had to agree with the servant. If the man wanted to place a stupid bet, that was his prerogative. Small wonder Deng-Long doesn’t feel bad for people who ended up Blanks like this.
Dmitri checked the betting tables and winced. As the last bets trickled in a half hour before the show started, over a thousand people had bet their whole collection in what was going to be the second biggest bet in casino history. At the end of the day, only 523 players would be left in the casino if Deng-Long won.
The crowd was packed in the theater when Dmitri hurried past. The rest of the crowd dispersed back to their rooms to watch it on their televisions or to the bars. Someone had paid to televise it there. Dmitri gulped. Everyone would see him when he threw the match today. Everyone.
Christ, what had he gotten himself into?
Dmitri ducked backstage just as Arcana Dolan appeared in a puff of smoke and sparkles in the center of the stage.
“Welcome to the show tonight! Boy, we are packed tonight! How’s everyone doing?”
The crowd cheered.
“Great to hear! Tonight we will be judging two competing magicians. Let’s go over the rules. The magicians shall each be allowed two assistants. They will attempt to dazzle you with a battle, supported by the magician backstage. Last man-or beast, most likely-standing wins! Got it?”
The crowd cheered.
“Alright! To my left, the mysterious Kirin, a comeback kid and master magician with a 70% win rate, The Dazzling Deng-Long!”
The crowd’s cheers were drowned out by the roars of a dragon as a thousand small silvers dragons appeared, whizzing around the auditorium and over the audience’s heads like fireflies dancing in the dark. The dragons zoomed back to the stage, circling faster and faster, glowing a bright silver until, in a flash, the disappeared.
Standing on stage after the flash dissipated was Deng-Long, the dragon-horse wearing an opulent gold and silver-threaded garment that showed off his tight abs, his scales immaculately polished and silver fur brushed back. The audience cheered as he took a bow.
“Wow, folks! I’ll tell you what, he really earned his nickname, because that entrance was absolutely dazzling!” Arcane Dolan grinned.
The crowd laughed and Dolan smiled and held up his hands.
“Now then, it’s time to introduce his opponent.” Arcane Dolan paused. “He shrouds his identity in mystery, doesn’t back down when the chips are against him. With a 90% win rate, it’s my pleasure to introduce…Akita the Great!”
The air in the auditorium chilled, lights dimming. The audience fell silent as glowing blue-green spirits appeared, flitting about in the dark. They crept out of shadows, from under chairs, howling and screaming. The audience ducked and wails of fear could be heard from the crowd.
Then 8 brilliant blue flames appeared on stage. The spirits came to an abrupt halt, held in rapt attention by the appearance of the flames. The flames began to rotate and the spirits drifted towards them. Each spirit that touch the flames disappeared, the flame growing bigger. As the last spectre disappeared, the flames were huge balls, rotating at a dizzying speed.
Akita appeared in the center of the flames, twirling his eight tails, and the air grew warmer, lights brightening. He was dressed in a handsome tuxedo and top hat, much less ostentatiously adorned than his rival. The flames flickered out and he bowed.
The crowd went wild.
“Frightening! Astounding! Ladies and gentlemen, Akita the Great!” Arcane Dolan grinned.
The roar of the crowd could be heard backstage.
Dmitri nervously adjusted his cuff-links, getting ready for curtain call. His whiskers tingled in excitement. Sure, he was going to take a dive in round 3, but he had to make it all look good. There was no way he was going to look like a chump. Akita had told him he was ready for this. Dmitri gave himself one final look.
Staring back at him was a beautiful white tiger. Chunkily muscular, he was almost identical to Ivan in terms of build. He tweaked his handsome muzzle, checking his eyeshadow, making sure it fit his ensemble. His fur had a beautiful shine to it thanks to some shampoo Ivan had recommended him.
Yuyaku returned from the stage. They had five minutes before the show really got started. Ivan hurried over and they got into a heated discussion, making last minute plans about what techniques they were going to use. It was all new stuff they’d never discussed in front of Dmitri.
Wait, had they suspected him after all?
But they hadn’t given any indication that he’d done anything wrong. Except, if that was true, then why were they going over techniques he’d never heard of? It didn’t jive.
Maybe he was being paranoid. Dmitri patted his muscle-gut and slapped his face, shaking the funk away. It was more than a little disgusting, doing what he was going to do. He wanted to scream at the fools who’d bet everything they had on his match. But he couldn’t. They’d made their choice just as surely as he’d made his.
“Okay, I have to do this. It’s my big chance.” Dmitri felt bad, “Come on, you can do it! This is it!”
Someone grabbed his bulge from behind.
Dmitri yelped and jumped a foot in the air, whirling angrily on Ivan, who was chuckling bemusedly.
“Nervous, huh?” Ivan grinned. “I know that feeling all too well.”
“Yeah.” Dmitri gulped, unable to meet Ivan’s gaze.
“Is there something else on your mind?” Ivan asked.
Akita strolled up behind them. Dmitri tried not to look at him.
“I’m just…Worried something might go wrong.” Dmitri said.
“Something like you letting Deng-Long win?” Yuyaku said nonchalantly, adjusting his tie in the mirror.
Dmitri stared at them both in shock. Ivan crossed his arms.
“Wait, you both knew?”
“More of a hunch, really. We noticed your behaviour change when you showed up late the other day.” Yuyaku shrugged. “And you were acting weirdly guilty your first day, so…”
“And since we’re basically brothers, I could tell.” Ivan said. “You have a tell, I mean. Your tail wags when you lie or feel guilty.”
“Guys, listen, I’m really sorry.” Dmitri backed up and bumped into the mirror. “I thought it would be an easy way to earn chips. I had no idea Deng-Long was as messed up as he turned out to be. When I did, I tried to take it all back, but it was too late.”
“Now, now.” Ivan smiled and held up Dmitri's chin. “It’s not all your fault. I was supposed to keep watch on you. Didn’t think Deng-Long’s goons would ambush you so quickly.”
“Yes, but I’m afraid we still need to win.” Yuyaku shrugged.
“But I bet all my chips! If we win, I become a Blank.”
“Owned by…?” Yuyaku smirked.
“The House, right?” Ivan frowned. “He’d need to be on Deng-Long’s team for ownership to revert to you.”
“Then I’m screwed…” Dmitri said miserably.
“True, you might lose yourself. But we aren’t backing away from this.” Yuyaku winked at Dmitri.
“You have a plan?” Dmitri blinked.
“We have connections with the House, remember?” Ivan said.
As soon as he spoke, Robo-Dolan, MB Dolan, and Dragon Dolan walked in.
“So the intel we received was right.” The Fuckbot Dolan said.
“Playing us all along.” MB Dolan frowned. “Unfortunate.”
“It’s going to be quite the scandal.” Dragon Dolan smirked.
“Wait, how did you guys know?” Yuyaku frowned. “I was actually going to call you.”
“A bug on the wall tipped us off.” MB Dolan shrugged. “In return for mercy.”
“Now to punish the first offender.” Fuckbot Dolan held up his Book.
“Whoah!” Dmitri held his hands in front of him. “Wait! If you punish me now, Akita will lose and Deng-Long will win! I-I know what I did was bad, but I can fix it!”
“We’d just have the show canceled.” Dragon Dolan rolled his eyes.
“Oh no you don’t!” Yuyaku said. “Not after all the work I put into this show! Cancel the greatest battle in…weeks?”
“He does bring up an interesting point.” MB Dolan frowned. “It’s our reputation on the line too. Tons of people have made bets. It’s going to be a mess if we cancel. And they’d lose trust in our system.”
“We can’t allow the customers to doubt the sincerity of the house, but we have a duty to punish cheaters.” Robo-Dolan replied.
“No.” Dragon Dolan frowned. “No, this is a disaster. We’re in a lose-lose. If we cancel, we lose the trust of the people. If we don’t punish them and let this go, we lose trust in the system. Not that anyone would know. But he still has your chips, Dmitri. He can order you to take the fall.”
“Then there’s nothing left to do except…” MB Dolan and Robo Dolan both pointed at Dmitri.
“Please don’t!”
“We have to be fair.” Dragon Dolan shrugged.
“Stop!” Ivan stepped in front of Dmitri.
“What is it now?” Dragon Dolan rolled his eyes. “You know he’s a cheater. If we let him go, you lose.”
“Hello?” Yuyaku said. “I told you I was going to call you. I have a way to get us out of this mess, but I need him.”
Yuyaku pointed at Dragon Dolan.
“Me?” Dragon Dolan blinked. “Why?”
“Because with a legendary shift, we can punish him and make sure he stays on the correct path.”
“And how will you do that?”
“I will be by his side at all times.” Ivan smiled.
“I…think I understand.” Dragon Dolan paused as Yuyaku whispered something in his ear. The Dragon smiled and stroked his whiskers. “Now that’s interesting! It might actually work.”
“What?” Dmitri looked around, confused. “What might work?”
“Your punishment.” Dragon Dolan smiled. “It still works if you win or lose. And it bypasses the hold Deng-Long has on you. Now, Ivan, this will affect you as well. You will be an entirely new tiger. No amount of splitting will separate you.”
“I accept it.” Ivan said. “I failed in my responsibilities.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m fusing you both into one creature.” Dragon Dolan grinned.
“B-but you have no way of knowing if that will work!” Dmitri sputtered. “And I’ll be dead, right?”
“Kinda.” Dragon Dolan shrugged. “And as to whether it will work-who the hell knows!”
“So you’ll do it?” Yuyaku grinned.
“Of course! Sounds fun.” Dragon Dolan.
“I will inform Arcane about what has happened.” Robo-Dolan sighed and left.
“Guys…wait..” Dmitri backed away.
“It’s going to be okay.” Ivan grabbed Dmitri and held him close, belly to belly.
MB Dolan walked forward and put earmuffs on Ivan and the struggling Dmitri.
“Are we ready yet?” Dragon Dolan asked.
“Yup. Together?” MB Dolan replied.
“Together.” Dragon Dolan nodded. “Care to guide the process, Yuyaku?”
The kitsune nodded and strolled over to the two tigers. Dmitri realized the kitsune was also wearing earmuffs. He was confused. Did they have to be deaf for the spell to work?
Dragon Dolan smirked and pointed at the two tigers. MB Dolan did the same. They whispered something, and Dmitri shivered, the taste of copper flooding his mouth. He could feel Ivan shuddering next to him.
Yuyaku ran his paws along their asses and they plumped under his gentle touch, becoming perkier. His fingers played with the tails, keeping them separated when they attempted to merge together. There was a flicker, and then blue flame danced at the tip of the tiger tails.
Dmitri grunted as Ivan grew even closer to him. Their bellies were beginning to merge and he felt himself being drawn forward. Yuyaku ran his paws up to their dicks as their balls merged, plumping thicker and fuller. Dmitri felt his spine lengthen, his body pulsing with muscle as he grew even stronger.
Yuyaku softly stroked their thickening dicks as they slowly merged at the base. His dick changed color from pink to red, a knot growing at the bottom, the spines that ringed his length becoming little fleshy nubs. The kitsune gave the massive schlong a tentative lick and sniff. The smell of potent magic was strong in his mouth and the precum that leaked from the sensitive tip was sweet.
Dmitri felt something strange that even the kitsune’s pleasurable touch couldn’t make him ignore. His fur became tangled against Ivan’s and he could see their skin merging with each other. The white fur transformed into something more silvery in color. He felt another surge in his belly and Ivan’s muzzle drew closer by the second. Ivan stared back at him in shock.
Their legs drew together first, Yuyaku’s gentle paws guiding the change. They'd been athletic before, but under the kitsune’s touch their legs bulked with thick muscles, bones becoming sturdier. Their height began to increase and their feet wriggled.
Then their muzzles touched and despite all his efforts, Dmitri couldn’t jerk his head away. He could feel Ivan’s tongue on his and then it was all one tongue and he saw Ivan’s eyes looming ever closer and he closed his at the last second and…
Yuyaku’s paw gently, lovingly pressed against the back of his head.
There was a crunch, and suddenly their brains merged. Senses exploded, fireworks burst in his mind.His memories and Ivan’s memories were all jumbling together into one big mess. He was Ivan and loved Yuyaku, literally. He was Dmitri and he was getting fucked silly by an ogre.
And then his memories were changed.
He was Yin and he was being fucked by an ogre and yet…he was also Yang, and plowing Yuyaku. Yin struggled against the new memories, but his sense of identity was slipping away. The ogre in his memories plowed him and he let it happen because he was Yin and submissive and naughty. Yang would never betray their master because he was good and loyal.
Together, they were Taijin.
Yin tried to shake the memory of the ogre and think about something else…but he found that he couldn’t, replaying the same thoughts over and over. The naughty persona struggled, trying to think of something else other than the ogre’s lovely cock slipping in and out of his hole, bouncing him in the hallway, but he couldn’t. Yin was less than a persona, he was an urge, a thought.
Somehow he knew Yang was stuck fucking Yuyaku in his own circular memory, unable to break free. He needed to tell him to stop thinking about-the ogre’s cock slipping in, brushing his prostate-about sex. Because if he-bounced up and down on the ogre’s shaft, anticipating the next jostle-if Taijin came, they’d be-hole nice and stretched, so full.
He felt it, then. Yuyaku’s softly padded paw gently stroking Taijin’s cock.
Yin realized he wasn’t-Thrusting fiercely into his hole
The paw rode up his shaft
If he were a thought, he couldn’t-jolts of pleasure from the bouncing filled his head, driving out all other thoughts
The paw rubbed the sensitive tip of his massive shaft.
Couldn’t have-
The paw was joined by a second, squeezing his knot, his mind exploding in pleasure.
thoughts-sagging against Mothar’s soft belly, letting himself zone out
Taijin grunted, balls tensed, and came.
The newly minted Tiger Nekomata panted softly and opened his eyes. One eye was green, the other brown and they took in the scene with confusion.
Yuyaku held his huge frame steady as his memories settled in.
“What happened?” Taijin asked Yuyaku.
“You were punished. Sort of.” Yuyaku smiled. “If we lose, your bad half will be punished even more.”
“Aw man, what did he do this time?” Taijin growled and his form began to glow brilliantly.
When the glow subsided, two identical tigers stood glaring at each other. The green eyed one glared impatiently at the meeker brown eyed one.
“What did you do, Yin?” The green eyed one
“I bid our chips.” The brown eyed one replied. “I’m sorry Yang!”
“Seriously?” Yang growled. “Even when Master Yuyaku gave us a chance you bet it all away. You aren’t naughty, you’re stupid.”
“Hey, I get it, I’m sorry, okay! It was a moment of weakness.” Yin said. “I was worried we’d fail and I made arrangements to make sure we failed up.”
“We won’t lose. Master Yuyaku trained us and trusts us so we need to trust him.”
“I know, you’re right.” Yin sighed.
“If you two truly wish to make it up to me,” Master Yuyaku smirked. “After we win, you can show me your prowess in the bedroom.”
“Yes sir!” They both said in unison and then merged back together.
“Are you guys ready?” Arcane Dolan asked, peeking backstage. “The crowd is going nuts waiting for you.”
“One second.” Yuyaku cast a spell, adjusting the Nekomata’s cuff-links and tie. “Alright! Get ready for your grand entrance into show business!”