The Arena
"FINAL MATCH OF THE ROUND OF SIXTEEN! ST. NARA VALERIYER VERSUS C'LUPPO CHECHCHERIN!"
The horn rang.
C'luppo's tentacles spread wide, his skin shifting through multiple colors. Aggressive red. Cautious blue. Tactical purple. He was everywhere at once.
Nara held her advanced crossbow steady. Her red eyes tracked his movements with predatory focus.
C'luppo lunged. Three tentacles came from different angles.
Nara rolled. Fired. The bolt grazed one tentacle. C'luppo yelped but didn't stop.
"YA GONNA HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT, LOVE!"
"I am NOT your love, squid!"
"NOT YET!"
She fired again. C'luppo's body flattened, making himself a smaller target. The bolt sailed overhead.
He wrapped a tentacle around her ankle. YANKED.
Nara went down. Her crossbow skittered away.
C'luppo was on her immediately. Tentacles trying to pin her arms. Her legs.
But Nara was TRAINED. Combat refined over years.
She twisted. Used his momentum against him. Flipped their positions.
Got behind him.
Her arm wrapped around his throat. Proper sleeper hold. Cutting off blood flow to the brain.
C'luppo's tentacles flailed. Grabbed at her arm. Her face. Anything.
"Tap out!" Nara hissed in his ear.
"NEVER!"
His skin turned panicked yellow. Then pale. His strength fading.
"TAP OUT!"
C'luppo's tentacle slapped the ground. Once. Twice. Three times.
TAP OUT. WINNER: ST. NARA VALERIYER.
VIP Box
C'veri leaned back, his massive form relaxed. His skin shifted through contemplative colors. "The boy fought vell. Lost to superior grappling. But he fought vell."
His tone carried both pride and disappointment. A captain seeing potential but also recognizing defeat.
The Arena
Nara released C'luppo. He gasped for air, his skin slowly returning to normal colors.
She stood. Looked toward the fighter area. Toward where Juli would be.
I did it. For you. For us.
Larry's voice boomed. "AND THAT'S IT! THE ROUND OF SIXTEEN IS COMPLETE! EIGHT WARRIORS REMAIN!"
Raider Outpost
Several raiders who'd dozed off JOLTED awake.
"Wait, what?! It's over?!"
"When does the blonde kid fight again?!"
"WHEN IS JULI'S NEXT MATCH?!"
They were practically CRYING. Desperate. Addicted.
Ragnar shook his head, amused. Pathetic. But understandable.
The Arena
"WITHOUT FURTHER ADO!" Larry gestured dramatically. "THE QUARTERFINAL BRACKETS! MATCHES BEGIN TOMORROW!"
The holographic display shifted. Eight names. Four matchups.
QUARTERFINALS:
KADE THE FIFTH VS ST. NARA VALERIYER
POLO ROSSI VS JAVAR
STONE JACKSON VS LYRIELLE XISTRITH
JULIAN WEIPER VS PAMELA VORS KIEL
...
Raider Outpost
"TOMORROW?!"
"WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW?!"
"I WASTED SLEEP FOR THIS!"
"Why did you finish so fast, Juli?!" One raider actually looked like he was crying. "Three seconds! THREE SECONDS! Now we wait a whole day!"
"This is torture!"
"Beautiful, amazing, incredible torture!"
The veteran raider from before just put his head in his hands. "We're all addicts. Every single one of us."
Fighter Viewing Area
Pam stood frozen.
Juli vs Pam.
The words on the screen felt unreal.
Too soon. It's too soon.
Her father was watching. Up there in the VIP box. Those empty silver eyes that had haunted her childhood. That had demanded perfection. That had never shown warmth.
And now she had to fight Juli. In front of him. In front of everyone.
She remembered. The frail boy. The weak, malnourished kid who could barely stand when they first met. The one she'd protected. Guided. Helped.
Now?
Now he was in his own stratosphere. His own level. He'd one-shotted his opponent in three seconds. THREE SECONDS.
When had the gap become so vast?
How did you get so far ahead, Juli?
Kade noticed her reaction. Placed a hand on her shoulder. Said nothing. Just stood there. Support without words.
Outer Rim Home
Mary noticed Pietro's expression shift. Serious. Analytical.
"What is it?"
"Vors Kiel," Pietro said quietly. "That's one of the five great noble families. If that girl is from that house, she's had training since she could walk. Brutal, intensive, refined over generations."
"Is Juli in danger?"
Pietro's eyes remained on the screen. On Juli's name. On Pam's.
"No," he said finally. "But it'll be interesting. Very interesting."
VIP Box
Every captain turned to look at Louis Vors Kiel.
His empty silver eyes stared at the bracket. At his daughter's name next to Julian Weiper's.
Goldberg leaned over. His voice, for once, was gentle. "Rough matchup, man. Your kid against the favorite."
Louis said nothing.
But his fingers, resting on the armrest, tightened. Just slightly.
The only acknowledgment he'd give.
Seraphina's voice was soft. "The girl hath trained well. She may yet surprise us."
"She will need more than surprises," Bianca said quietly. "That Weiper boy is... something else."
Fang removed his sunglasses. "Pops trained him. That means somethin'. But yeah. Kid's on another level right now."
Louis remained silent. Watching. Always watching.
Fighter Holding Area
Juli stood alone, staring at the bracket display.
Pam.
His first real friend at the academy. The one who'd pulled him and Kade by the ears when they fought. The one who'd stood by him through everything. Who'd believed in him when he was nothing.
Memories flashed. Her pulling him away from trouble. Her calm voice during training. Her quiet strength. Her loyalty.
Team 9.
His family.
But that was before.
This was now.
Juli's red eyes reflected the holographic light. His expression was neutral. Not cold. Not cruel. Just... focused.
He had a mission. A purpose. A dream to chase.
And right now? At this moment?
He looked invincible.
The bracket was set.
Tomorrow, the quarterfinals would begin.
Tomorrow, friends would become enemies.
Tomorrow, the tournament would truly show its teeth.
And Juli stood there, hands in his pockets, ready for whatever came next.
The Blonde Brawler.
The Demon of the Outer Rim.
The boy who wouldn't stop.
No matter who stood in his way.