The Arena
The doors opened on the eastern side.
Eddie Goodman walked through.
He was BIG. Six-foot-three easily. Broad shoulders. Thick arms. Built like a tank. His ginger hair was cut short, and his pale skin was covered in freckles. Irish ancestry clear in every feature.
His frame was massive for a fourteen-year-old. Pure muscle. He moved with the confidence of someone who'd never been knocked down easily.
The crowd gave polite applause. Respectful. But it wasn't what they wanted.
"Eddie Goodman!" Larry announced. "The Iron Wall! Ranked sixteenth but don't let that fool you! This kid's got ENDURANCE!"
Jango leaned into his mic. "Eddie's a tank. Plain and simple. High pain tolerance. Can take hits that'd drop most folks. His strategy's usually to outlast opponents, wear 'em down, then capitalize when they're exhausted." He took a sip of soda. "Problem is... he's facin' someone who don't get tired."
Eddie stood in the arena center, rolling his shoulders. Cracking his neck. Ready.
But the crowd wasn't looking at him.
They were staring at the western doors. Waiting. BEGGING.
"COME ON!"
"WHERE IS HE?!"
"WE WANT THE BLONDE BRAWLER!"
"WEIPER! WEIPER! WEIPER!"
VIP Box
The squad captains were getting restless.
Goldberg was on the edge of his seat. "COME ON! WHERE'S MY BOY?!"
Bianca sat with perfect posture, but her fingers tapped rhythmically on her armrest. Impatient.
Seraphina's serene expression had a crack in it. Her eyes kept darting to the western doors.
Even Louis Vors Kiel, emotionless as stone, leaned forward slightly.
Fang adjusted his sunglasses. "Pops really trained someone this hyped?"
"Apparently so," Saya muttered, her hand resting on her sword hilt.
The Announcement
Larry stood up. His voice reached levels that defied biology.
"AND NOW! THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! THE NUMBER ONE SEED! THE CRUCIBLE CHAMPION! THE RAGNAR SURVIVOR! THE REVERSE JUMPER! THE DEMON OF THE OUTER RIM! THE BLONDE BRAWLER! THE KID WHO DOESN'T QUIT! THE ONE! THE ONLY! JULIAAAAAAAN WEIPEEEEEEER!"
Raider Outpost
"FINALLY!"
"I'VE BEEN WAITING FOREVER!"
"SHOW US WHAT YOU GOT, KID!"
Several raiders were literally pulling their hair. The anticipation was KILLING them.
Ragnar leaned so far forward he nearly fell off his chair.
The Entrance
The western doors opened.
And Juli walked through.
The outfit was DIFFERENT. Gone were his usual clothes. This was something else entirely.
Black pants. Fitted but flexible. A black sleeveless top that clung to his frame, showing every muscle he'd built over months of brutal training. His arms were exposed, lean and defined. His blonde hair caught the light, messy but styled. His red eyes gleamed with confidence.
The look was simple. Clean. Devastating.
Pure drip.
Every step he took, the crowd got LOUDER.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
"HE'S HERE!"
"LOOK AT HIM!"
"THAT'S OUR CHAMPION!"
VIP Box
Bianca's eyes widened. Her composed expression faltered. Her cheeks flushed slightly. That physique... those muscles...
She caught herself. Cleared her throat. But the pink remained on her face.
Seraphina's tribal markings seemed to glow brighter as blood rushed to her cheeks. "My word..." Her elegant composure cracked. She actually looked away, fanning herself slightly.
Saya's grip on her sword tightened. Her face went RED. "The discipline required to forge such a body... most admirable..." Her voice came out higher than intended.
Even the normally stoic officers behind them were exchanging glances.
Goldberg noticed. ALL of it.
His three arms SHOT UP. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!"
Bianca snapped back to attention. "I was merely—"
"HE'S FOURTEEN! FOUR-TEEN!" Goldberg pointed with all three arms. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PROFESSIONALS! WARRIORS! LEADERS! AND YOU'RE BLUSHING LIKE SCHOOLGIRLS!"
"I was assessing his training regimen," Bianca said coolly, though her face was still flushed. "Tactically."
"TACTICALLY?!"
"Oui, she does have a point," Olivier said smoothly, his accent thick with amusement. "Ze boy's physique suggests exceptional discipline. One cannot 'elp but notice."
"DON'T ENCOURAGE THEM!"
Andre nodded vigorously beside his brother. "This is absolutely disgraceful. The boy is a child."
Seraphina regained her serene expression, though pink still colored her cheeks. "Thy outrage is noted, Captain Goldberg. We shall... compose ourselves."
"YOU BETTER!"
Sparta's deep, gentle rumble cut through. "The boy carries himself like a warrior grown. 'Tis the aura of one who has faced death and conquered it. That be what ye sense, not mere physical form."
Saya nodded quickly. "Yes. Precisely. The warrior's spirit. That is what commands attention."
"SURE. KEEP TELLING YOURSELVES THAT."
Fighter Waiting Room
Pam tilted her head, sensing the reactions even without seeing. "Juli went shopping, didn't he?"
Kade's tail swished. "Apparently. And made quite the statement."
Raider Outpost
Ragnar's golden eyes were WIDE.
That's... that's the same boy?
The frail, broken kid from the desert. The one barely clinging to life. The one who'd been so weak Ragnar could've ended him with one finger.
Now?
Now he walked like a WARRIOR. Like someone who'd earned every scar. Every victory.
You've grown, boy. By the Void, you've GROWN.
Outer Rim Home
Pietro STOOD UP.
"THAT'S MY BOY! LOOK AT HIM! LOOK AT THOSE MUSCLES!"
Mary grabbed his arm, pulling him back down. "Pietro! Sit!"
"I CAN'T SIT! THAT'S—" He pointed at the screen. "That was the same frail kid! The one who could barely walk! And now he's—"
"We know!" Mary was grinning despite herself. "We're proud too!"
Juno was bouncing. "JULI LOOKS SO COOL!"
Pietro's eyes were wet. Pride. Pure, overwhelming pride. That's my son. That's MY son.
The Arena
Juli reached the center. Stood opposite Eddie.
The size difference was STARK. Eddie towered over him. Outweighed him by at least sixty pounds. Pure mass.
But Juli dropped into his stance.
That Bruce Lee-esque positioning. Side-on. Weight on his back leg. Front leg light. Hands up but relaxed. Bouncing. Always bouncing.
And Eddie felt it.
Fear.
This kid was SMALLER. LIGHTER. Should've been the underdog.
But Eddie felt like prey.
The horn rang.
MATCH BEGIN.
Juli moved.
FAST.
Too fast.
Eddie didn't even register the movement. One second Juli was ten feet away. The next he was IN Eddie's guard.
Juli's body spun. A complete rotation. His leg extended in a devastating spinning back kick.
The heel connected with Eddie's jaw.
The SOUND echoed across the arena. Like thunder. Like a cannon.
Eddie's eyes rolled back. His massive body went LIMP. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.
He crashed. Hard. Didn't move.
The horn blared again.
KNOCKOUT. WINNER: JULIAN WEIPER.
Time elapsed: Three seconds.
Silence.
Complete, absolute silence.
Then the galaxy EXPLODED.
"WHAT?!"
"DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?!"
"THREE SECONDS!"
"HE ONE-SHOT HIM!"
"THE BIG GUY DIDN'T EVEN MOVE!"
Broadcast Booth
Jango's soda fell from his hand. It clattered to the floor, spilling. He didn't notice.
His jaw was OPEN. His clouded eye wide.
"That... that might be..." His voice came out hoarse. "That might be the fastest knockout in finals history."
Raider Outpost
Jaws DROPPED.
Every single raider stood frozen. Drinks forgotten. Bets forgotten. EVERYTHING forgotten.
"Did he just..."
"THREE SECONDS."
"ONE KICK."
"LIGHTS OUT."
Ragnar was on his feet. His hood had fallen back slightly, revealing more of his face. His grin was MASSIVE.
THAT'S MY STUDENT! THAT'S MY BOY!
VIP Box
Louis Vors Kiel's empty silver eyes were WIDE. Actually showing emotion for the first time.
Goldberg's three arms hung limp. "Madonna..."
Bianca sat forward, all previous composure gone. "That speed..."
Seraphina's hands covered her mouth. "Merciful stars..."
Fang took off his sunglasses. His eyes were wide. Then his voice took on that familiar drawl. "DAD... WHAT IN TARNATION DID YA TRAIN?!"
Sparta the Second leaned forward, his massive bear frame tense. His voice was a gentle rumble. "The boy moves like wind itself. Like death given form. Impressive. Most impressive."
Samuel Barragan's unsettling smile had frozen.
Rori de Lhys's shark teeth were visible. Stunned.
Olivier adjusted his goggles. "Mon dieu... zat was... extraordinary."
Saya's hand trembled on her sword. "Such speed. Such precision. The way of the warrior embodied. Honorable. Pure."
Even the composed ones were staring.
Fighter Waiting Room
Everyone stopped.
Kade's tail went completely rigid.
Pam's enhanced hearing had caught the impact. She actually flinched.
Stone's cybernetic eye was running calculations. Trying to understand the speed.
Polo's black eyes narrowed. That fast?
Lyrielle's meditation shattered. Her eyes snapped open.
The Arena
Juli stood over Eddie's unconscious form. Hands back in his pockets. Not even breathing hard.
Medical personnel rushed in, checking Eddie's vitals. He was alive. Just completely knocked out.
Larry was CRYING. Actually crying. Tears streaming down his face.
"WINNER!" His voice cracked. "ADVANCING TO THE QUARTERFINALS! IN THE FASTEST KNOCKOUT IN TOURNAMENT FINALS HISTORY! JULIAAAAAN WEIPEEEEER!"
The crowd's roar could be heard from space.
Juli walked back toward the exit. Casual. Like he'd just taken a leisurely stroll.
The cameras captured everything. His confidence. His power. His aura.
The Blonde Brawler.
The Demon of the Outer Rim.
The boy who'd just announced to the entire galaxy:
I'm here. And I'm not playing games.