Sometime later...
"Oh, if it isn't the late group? So, what drew you all to this humble event?" The Warden asked with a sly smile as the latecomers sat down beside him.
"You know why we are here, Gen, so stop acting dumb and just end this fight already," Crystal said as she glared at the Warden with unconcealed anger and frustration at his antics.
"But Crystal, you must understand my position in this whole situation, as your son nearly killed my cousin. So, to prevent such a situation from happening, I had to step in, and with that, we now have today's fight. Which you folks have so wonderfully come to support," The Warden stated jokingly.
"Gen, stop playing games and just inform us of the true reason behind this charade of yours?" President Olivia asked tiredly, as this was a waste of time, since they all knew that Gen would not be doing such a thing unless his father had ordered it.
Which could only mean the war was coming sooner than expected—an outcome none of them wished to acknowledge, even though they had to begrudgingly accept it.
"What game could I possibly be playing, Ms. Olivia? When all I am trying to do is resolve the conflict between two convicts within my vault," said Gen as he faced the group with a grin.
"There's no point in arguing with him, so let's just watch the match and see what happens," said Sir Gotham as he dismissed Gen and focused on Rin and Zinc's fight instead.
"It seems that's the only thing we can do at this point," Adam agreed.
***
Coincidentally, once Adam said that Rin and Zinc's match ended, with Zinc found dead on the arena floor, as a thin line of blood encircled his neck. While Rin stood a few feet away with a calm expression on his face as he gazed at the announcer, waiting to hear the verdict of their match.
So, he could return to his cell and begin the creation of Rin's star body.
'Sir, what should I do? Considering the match wasn't meant to end like this, nor this quickly.' The announcer asked nervously as he kept looking at Rin and the Warden, while standing awkwardly between the two.
'Announce the result of the match and bring this event to a close,' the Warden said as he eyed Rin with suspicion, considering that Zinc was not meant to die today. Yet after everything that transpired, perhaps this was the fate he had earned for the chaos he had sown over the years.
'Will do, sir!' The announcer smiled as he glanced at Rin before facing the audience and announcing the outcome of the fight.
"Now, while unexpected and quite fast, if I do say so myself. Haha! The winner of this death match is Rin Kurama Jasper, and with that, let's take a moment of silence for our lost brother and friend in time, Zinc Gravenor."
At the announcement, the convicts of Obsidian Vault dropped to one knee, heads bowed, a single middle finger raised skyward as quiet sobs cut through the stillness. While the rest of the crowd held their silence for a moment before slowly filing out, following the end of the convicts' ritual.
***
Meanwhile...
"Welp, I guess that's one way to end an event," Adam muttered as he gazed at his son with a proud smile for winning his fight.
"Hmm, while true, I guess this means our time together has come to an end," Calvin sighed as the group looked at each other before smiling and saying their goodbyes.
Because in time they will gather once again, not as old friends and leaders of their respective factions, but rather as allies and comrades against a singular enemy. Or more specifically, a colony of parasites that should have been eradicated centuries ago.
"So, Gen, with my son winning his fight against your supposed cousin, could we talk with him for a moment? Before he has to return to his cell to finish his time here." Crystal asked politely with a proud and jovial grin as Adam stood a couple of feet away, discussing something of importance on the phone.
"Sure, just don't take too long," replied Gen as he got up and walked back to his office, with his mind preoccupied with thoughts of Zinc and Rin's recent fight.
'Hmm, just what occurred during the time between their last clash and the arrival of these nuisances?' wondered Gen as he called his assistant, "Hey, Erica, could you retrieve the footage of Zinc and Rin's fight for me from the surveillance cameras located around the arena?"
"Will do, sir! Give me a moment." Erica said as she got to work on the task assigned to her.
"Thank you," replied Gen as he ended the call and teleported back to his office.
***
Later that day...
After sharing a brief conversation with Rin's parents and telling them bits about his school life and a few interesting events that occurred during the year.
Life resumed its quiet and boring tempo as the prisoners of Obsidian Vault returned to their cells, and night fell upon the entire city. Yet, while everyone got ready to hit the hay for the day, Pharaoh could be seen placing the last touches on Rin's array in preparation for his journey into the Star Realm tonight.
To help him with the most vital part of setting the foundation of a Star Body while also opening his first Celestial Star. Even though he initially said he wouldn't… but it seems even Gods can go back on their words.
Nevertheless, while Pharaoh worked quietly and meticulously in the slightly lit environment of his cells, the Warden could be seen rewatching the tape of Rin and Zinc's fight.
"Hmm, so that's what happened," muttered Gen as he shut down his computer and sat in silence after reviewing the match at a 0.75x frame rate, which revealed that after Zinc summoned his domain.
He and Rin exchanged a few more attacks before a pillar of flames destroyed the domain and pierced the sky. Displaying a scorched and cracked arena floor with Rin and Zinc standing a few feet away from each other, with flames swirling around one while the other was engulfed in shadows.
Before they had one last clash, which ended with Zinc dying as Rin withdrew the flames that surrounded him and infused them into Scarlet. While also creating a makeshift sheath of energy to perform a simple quickdraw.
Yet, what may have seemed like something simple to the audience was truly something extraordinary, as before Zinc could even say the incantation of his move. Rin appeared behind him and unsummoned Scarlet before walking off without a care in the world.
Just as Zinc blinked before closing his eyes and falling to the ground with a thud. As blood dripped down his neck and stained the area around him.