The Arena
The energy was INSANE.
The crowd wasn't just excited. They were FERAL. Screaming. Chanting. Stomping their feet so hard the entire structure shook.
"IT'S TIME! IT'S FINALLY TIME!"
"WEIPER! WEIPER! WEIPER!"
Larry could barely be heard over the noise. But he tried anyway. "THE MOMENT! THE GALAXY! HAS BEEN! WAITING FOR!"
Raider Outpost
Complete CHAOS.
Raiders were JUMPING on tables. Drinks flying everywhere. Furniture being thrown.
"THIS IS IT!"
"THE BLONDE GOD!"
"I'VE WAITED MY ENTIRE LIFE FOR THIS MOMENT!"
"YOU'RE ONLY TWENTY-SEVEN!"
"AND I'VE WAITED MY ENTIRE LIFE!"
The veteran raider had given up trying to control them. He just joined in. Screaming with the rest.
Ragnar stood. For the first time since arriving. His massive form towering. His golden eyes locked on the screen.
Show me, boy. Show the galaxy what you truly are.
VIP Box
Even the CAPTAINS couldn't contain themselves.
Goldberg was STANDING. All three arms pumping. "THIS IS IT! THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!"
Sparta was on his feet too. His massive bear form tense with anticipation.
Fang had his sunglasses off. Eyes wide. "Pops trained a MONSTER."
Bianca was leaning so far forward she was almost out of her seat.
Seraphina's serene mask was GONE. Pure excitement on her face.
Even Louis Vors Kiel, the statue himself, was leaning forward. Actually engaged.
Outer Rim Home
Pietro was literally on the EDGE of the couch. Mary had to grab his arm to keep him from standing.
"This is it," he whispered. "This is where he shows them."
Juno was bouncing. "JULI! JULI! JULI!"
The Arena
The eastern doors opened first.
Pamela Vors Kiel walked through.
The crowd gave her respect. Warm applause. Cheers for the blind warrior who'd made it this far.
She walked to the center. Her fluorescent green battleaxe gripped tight. Her silver Resonance already flickering around her body. Preparing. Steeling herself.
Her hollow silver eyes, useless for seeing, somehow conveyed everything she felt.
Fear. Determination. Acceptance.
She knew what was coming.
Then the western doors opened.
And the arena EXPLODED.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! BEINGS OF ALL SPECIES! SYSTEMS! SECTORS!" Larry's voice somehow reached new impossible volumes. "THE RAGNAR SURVIVOR! THE CRUCIBLE CHAMPION! THE DEMON OF THE OUTER RIM! THE ONE WHO MOVES LIKE LIGHTNING! THE BOY WHO REFUSES TO QUIT! THE FUTURE! THE LEGEND! THE BLONDE! BRAWLER! JULIAAAAAAAN! WEIPEEEEEEER!"
The noise was DEAFENING.
Chanting. Screaming. Pure WORSHIP.
"WEIPER! WEIPER! WEIPER! WEIPER!"
VIP Box
Bianca's face went RED. Her hands gripped the armrest.
Seraphina's cheeks flushed. She looked away quickly.
Saya's face was CRIMSON. Her hand trembling on her sword.
Goldberg NOTICED. "NOT AGAIN! HE'S STILL FOURTEEN! CONTROL YOURSELVES!"
"We art merely appreciating his... warrior spirit," Seraphina managed.
"WARRIOR SPIRIT MY..."
Andre put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Let it go. This is a losing battle."
The Arena
Juli walked.
Slowly. Deliberately. SAVORING every single step.
His black outfit hugging his frame. His blonde hair catching the light. His red eyes scanning the arena. Taking it all in.
Every step generated MORE noise. MORE energy.
He was AURA incarnate.
The crowd felt it. The PRESENCE. The overwhelming confidence. The absolute certainty of victory.
Pam felt it too.
Fear crept into her heart. Cold. Consuming.
The match hadn't even started yet.
And she was already terrified.
Juli reached the center. Stood opposite Pam.
They looked at each other. Friends. Teammates. Family.
Now opponents.
Juli dropped into his stance. That Bruce Lee-esque positioning. Side-on. Bouncing. Always bouncing.
Each bounce was INTIMIDATING. A promise. A threat.
I'm coming for you.
Pam gripped her axe tighter. Tried to steady her breathing.
The horn rang.
MATCH BEGIN.
Pam knew. She KNEW what was coming.
Her silver Resonance FLARED. Coating her entire body. Maximum defense.
She brought her massive axe up. Both hands. Creating a wall of metal between her and Juli.
Tight guard. Perfect form. Everything Jango had taught her.
It wasn't enough.
Juli MOVED.
Superhuman speed. One second he was ten feet away. The next he was INSIDE her guard.
His leg came up. A front kick. TEXTBOOK form.
His foot connected with her jaw.
CRACK.
Pam's head SNAPPED back. Her body left the ground. She FLEW backward.
Twenty feet. Thirty. FORTY.
She crashed into the sand. Hard. Rolled. Tumbled. Finally stopped.
The galaxy ERUPTED.
"HE DID IT AGAIN!"
"ONE SHOT!"
"SUPERHUMAN!"
"THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!"
Larry was CRYING. "HE DID IT! HE DID IT AGAIN! ANOTHER DEVASTATING OPENING BLOW!"
VIP Box
The captains were STUNNED.
All of them. Even the composed ones.
Goldberg's jaw was on the floor.
Bianca's eyes were WIDE.
Sparta was frozen mid-celebration.
They all looked at Louis Vors Kiel.
The man's empty silver eyes were wider than anyone had ever seen. Actually showing shock. Horror. Pride. Everything mixed together.
His daughter had just been obliterated in one hit.
The Arena
Pam lay there. Barely conscious. Her vision blurred. Her jaw screaming in pain.
Get up. Get up. GET UP.
She tried. Her body wouldn't respond. Everything was wrong. Disoriented.
Then she heard it.
Footsteps.
Juli walking toward her. Slowly. Like a predator stalking wounded prey.
He stopped a few feet away.
"Get up." His voice was different. AUTHORITY. Command. Like a king addressing a subject.
Pam tried to move. Couldn't.
"GET UP!" Louder this time. More forceful.
Pam's blurry vision focused. Tried to see Juli.
But it wasn't Juli she saw.
It was HIM.
Her father. Louis Vors Kiel. Cold. Heartless. Empty silver eyes staring down at her.
"Get up. You're embarrassing our family."
This beating. This dominance. It reminded her of TRAINING. The brutal, inhumane sessions that had defined her childhood.
Being beaten down. Over and over. Expected to rise. Expected to endure.
The defect. The failure. The disappointment.
But she wasn't that girl anymore.
In DEFIANCE of that past, Pam's hands pushed against the sand.
She STOOD. Barely. Swaying. But standing.
Juli's red eyes gleamed.
He RAN.
A blur. Impossible speed.
His body launched. A flying side kick. Perfect form. His leg extended fully.
Connected with her HEAD.
The IMPACT was UGLY. LOUD. The sound echoed across the entire arena like a gunshot.
And he wasn't even using Resonance.
This was just his BASE speed. His BASE power.
Pam crashed again. Face-first into the sand.
Broadcast Booth
Larry was speechless. Literally couldn't form words.
"Jango..." His voice cracked. "What... what IS this? How... how is he THIS fast? THIS strong? EXPLAIN IT TO ME! PLEASE!"
Jango leaned back. Took a long sip of his soda. His clouded eye distant.
"That boy worked harder than anyone I've ever trained. And I've trained LEGENDS." His voice was quiet but carried weight. "I've never seen someone that POSSESSED. That OBSESSED. Every day. Every hour. Pushin' himself beyond limits. Beyond reason."
He paused.
"This was inevitable. And his ceiling?" Jango looked directly at the camera. "I don't think he HAS one. That boy might be limitless."
Larry's jaw dropped further. "Limitless..."
Raider Outpost
Several raiders were BOWING. Actually on their knees. Hands clasped.
"HE'S THE MESSIAH!"
"THE CHOSEN ONE!"
"OUR GOD!"
"THE BLONDE PROPHET!"
The veteran raider was laughing hysterically. "WE'VE LOST OUR MINDS! ALL OF US!"
Ragnar wasn't laughing.
He was AFRAID.
Not for himself. But for what Juli represented.
That boy... at this rate... he'll change the UNIVERSE. The entire galaxy will bend to him.
The thought was terrifying. And exhilarating.
The Arena
Pam tried to get up again. Her body coated in full silver Resonance. ALL her energy. Every last drop.
This was it. All or nothing.
She DASHED. Desperation fueling her. Her battleaxe swung in a massive arc. Enhanced by Resonance. A blow that could split stone.
Juli MOVED.
Dodged. Like a blur. Like she was moving in slow motion.
Too fast. Simply TOO FAST.
His leg came around. A swift kick to her midsection.
The impact was SICKENING. The sound of bones breaking. Ribs cracking.
Pam's body folded. Her Resonance shattered. Her axe fell from her hands.
She collapsed. Gasping. Crying. Everything hurt. Everything was broken.
VIP Box
The captains marveled in silence.
"He's a freak of nature," Olivier whispered.
"Beyond comprehension," Sparta agreed.
"Impossible," Seraphina breathed.
The Arena
Juli walked to Pam's beaten form. Stood over her.
The cameras zoomed in. FULL FOCUS. Every being in the galaxy watching.
He spoke.
"Pam." His voice was gentle now. Warm. "Do you remember when we first met?"
Pam's broken body trembled.
"I got into a fight at the academy. Trying to defend a defenseless cadet from bullies. Got myself beaten pretty badly." He smiled softly. "Then you showed up. Knocked those bullies out like it was nothing. Treated my wounds. Took care of me."
Tears rolled down Pam's cheeks.
"You were the first real friend I made. The first person who showed me kindness in that place."
More tears.
"You don't talk about it. But I know." His voice dropped. "I know about the training. The abuse. The inhumane methods your family used. Being labeled a defect because you couldn't see. Being told you were worthless."
Pam's body shook with sobs.
"But you persevered. You protected me. Cared for me when I was just a fresh cadet who didn't know anything about living without his mother." Juli's voice cracked slightly. "It was lonely. It was different. Everything was wrong. And if I never met you? I don't know if I could've endured those early days."
Across the Galaxy
Viewers were CRYING.
Raiders had tears streaming down their faces.
"This isn't a fight anymore..."
"It's a goodbye..."
"I can't handle this..."
The Arena
"I'm forever grateful," Juli continued. "For having met someone like you, Pamela Vors Kiel."
Her tears fell harder. Mixing with blood and sand.
"Now it's time for you to rely on ME." Juli's voice strengthened. "It's okay. It's okay not to be the strongest anymore. Because I'll carry that burden now."
He extended his hand toward her. Even though she couldn't see it.
"Because that's what a hero does. That's what heroes are for."
The crowd was SOBBING.
"So rely on me. Rely on your hero."
VIP Box
Louis Vors Kiel's facade cracked. His empty silver eyes were WIDE. Uncomfortable. Shifting.
His hands gripped the armrest so tight the metal bent.
The Arena
Pam tried to stand. Half-conscious. Delirious. Her body moved on pure instinct.
She got to her knees. Like she was waiting for execution. Like a death row prisoner accepting their fate.
She whispered. Barely audible. But the cameras caught it.
"Before I lose... before I have to rely on you... before I give up being strong..." Her voice cracked. "Give me your best shot, Juli. Please."
The final cry of the girl from Vors Kiel.
Juli's leg began to glow. Red Resonance coating it. Getting brighter. REDDER.
The energy was IMMENSE. Overwhelming. Devastating.
Then he smiled. Warm. Genuine. Full of love for his friend.
He moved.
The roundhouse kick came at full speed. Enhanced by Resonance. Powerful enough to kill.
But at the LAST second, he pulled back. Held back most of the power.
Just enough to knock her out. Not enough to kill. Not enough to permanently damage.
His foot connected with her temple.
Pam's body went limp. Fell sideways. Unconscious.
But she was SMILING. Tears still on her face. Smiling.
WINNER: JULIAN WEIPER.
The galaxy EXPLODED.
Not just noise. ERUPTION. Pure chaos. Pure emotion.
"WEIPER! WEIPER! WEIPER! WEIPER!"
Larry was SOBBING. "WINNER! ADVANCING TO THE SEMIFINALS! IN THE MOST ONE-SIDED QUARTERFINAL MATCH IN HISTORY! JULIAN! WEIPER!"
Jango's voice was thick with emotion. "I've never... in ALL my years... seen a match this dominant in the quarterfinals. That boy has SURPASSED his childhood friend. The gap is... astronomical."
VIP Box
The captains were LOSING IT.
Goldberg was SCREAMING. Jumping. All three arms pumping.
Sparta was ROARING.
Seraphina was crying. Beautiful, elegant tears.
Fang was just staring. "Pops... what did you CREATE?"
Bianca was on her feet. Clapping. Pure admiration in her eyes.
Outer Rim Home
Pietro, Mary, and Juno were JUMPING on the couch. Hugging. Crying. Celebrating.
"THAT'S MY SON! THAT'S MY BOY!"
Raider Outpost
Pure PANDEMONIUM.
Raiders were DANCING. CRYING. LAUGHING. SCREAMING.
"THE MESSIAH HAS BLESSED US!"
"I'VE WITNESSED GREATNESS!"
"MY LIFE IS COMPLETE!"
Ragnar stood there. Watching. That proud smile on his face.
Well done, boy. Well done.
VIP Box
The captains turned to Louis Vors Kiel.
The beating had been TOO one-sided. His daughter hadn't even landed a single hit.
Goldberg approached carefully. "Louis... man... I'm sorry. That was..."
Louis spoke.
Everyone STOPPED.
The statue. The silent warrior. Was SPEAKING.
"I am not ashamed of my daughter." His voice was quiet but firm. "She fought with honor. With courage. She stood when her body told her to quit."
He paused.
"She would fit well in my squad. Libra values balance. She has found hers."
Another pause.
"And that Weiper boy..." Louis's eyes shifted to the arena. To Juli. "He's beyond the level of a cadet now. She was simply unlucky to face a demon in human skin."
Goldberg's jaw DROPPED. "YOU... YOU JUST SAID MORE THAN YOU'VE SAID IN FIVE YEARS!"
The other captains were STUNNED.
Then Goldberg EXPLODED. "AND HE'S RIGHT! THAT BLONDE BOY IS A DEMON! A MONSTER! A FREAK OF NATURE! HE'S MINE! I'M TAKING HIM FOR ARIES SQUAD!"
"Thou shalt not monopolize the prodigy," Seraphina said, smiling. "Mine squad would benefit greatly from his presence."
"Ze boy 'as remarkable qualities," Olivier added. "Scorpio could use such talent."
The female captains all nodded. Agreeing. Commenting on Juli's various attributes.
Goldberg's eyes WIDENED. "WAIT. HOLD ON. ARE YOU ALL... ARE YOU SEXUALIZING MY FUTURE SQUAD MEMBER?!"
"We art merely appreciating his combat prowess," Seraphina said innocently.
"HIS COMBAT PROWESS DOESN'T MAKE YOU BLUSH!"
"Perhaps we admire his... dedication to physical conditioning," Saya offered.
"I SWEAR TO THE VOID I WILL FIGHT ALL OF YOU!"
Andre was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe. "Brother... just let it go..."
"NO! THAT'S MY FUTURE SOLDIER! MY WARRIOR! AND YOU'RE ALL BEING CREEPY!"
The captains devolved into chaos. Arguing. Laughing. Celebrating.
The Arena
Medical personnel rushed to Pam. Carefully loading her onto a stretcher.
She was still unconscious. Still smiling.
Juli stood in the center. Alone. Victorious.
He looked up at the VIP box. At the captains. At Louis Vors Kiel specifically.
Their eyes met.
And Juli nodded. Once. Respect.
Louis nodded back. Slowly. Acknowledgment.
The quarterfinals were complete.
Four remained.
Kade. Polo. Lyrielle. Juli.
Tomorrow, the semifinals would begin.
The best of the best.
The final four.
And everyone knew.
The real battles were just beginning.