Our heroes awoke to the cold reality of steel bars. They were prisoners in Saturnine City, knocked out cold by Dan's mysterious power. Outside their cell, cyborg guards stood watch.
Spart1: "Three travelers in one spot... I never thought it possible... Ha ha."
Yabal: "It seems like that word, 'travelers,' is the real problem here," he muttered with a dry laugh.
Rhea: "Yeah... Aghhh! Why are we locked up in here?" she exclaimed, utterly exasperated.
Yabal: "Hilarious. This is your fault. If you hadn't said 'travelers,' you could have just said 'tourists' or something," he said, looking far too pleased with himself.
Rhea: "How was I supposed to know that?" she snapped. "And this place is filthy! I refuse to stay somewhere like this."
While Rhea and Yabal bickered, Angel was lost in thought, haunted by the image of his doppelgänger. A deep unease settled over him, a feeling that something was fundamentally wrong.
Footsteps echoed from the hallway. A man approached, draped in a long black coat and wearing dark sunglasses.
Sakazuki: "So, you're the travelers. What brings you here? Don't tell me you want to join the tournament?" He burst out laughing. "You got caught by a kid. Besides, what proof do you have that you're travelers at all?"
Rhea: "We're tourists, sir. That's what I meant by travelers."
Sakazuki: "Right, right. I believe you," he said, a smirk playing on his lips. "Hahaha! Look, I'll let you go on one condition: you tell me which Conqueror group you belong to," he added, the smirk widening.
Yabal: "What are you talking about?" he asked, completely lost. "We don't know what you're talking about, damn it. We're just tourists."
Sakazuki: "Then where are you from?" he pressed, his ironic smile never fading.
Angel: "We're from... very far away," he said, his voice heavy. "We landed here by mistake."
A flashback seared through Angel's mind.
Yabal: "Look, I found this book in the basement of my father's office. Among the pictures, there are elemental symbols water, fire, earth, and air. There's a symbol of an old vase next to it, and a cloud symbol. But the most disturbing part is this individual, sitting on a throne in a white castle in the clouds. And Angel... this person has your face."
"Look."
Angel looked. His pupils dilated. He started to tremble, terrified. Rhea, standing right next to him, leaned in to see. She gasped.
Suddenly, a brilliant white light flared from Angel's face, and the world dissolved around them, depositing them on the plains of Jamir.
Angel: "We come from very far away. It would be hard to make you understand."
Sakazuki: "You know, we can detect a traveler. We have aura detectors. So, let's make a deal," he proposed, with a knowing smile.
Yabal: "A deal? What are the rules?"
Sakazuki: "I'll release you, and I'll even compensate you, if you aren't travelers. But in return, if you are, you'll have to work for the government." He was clearly enjoying this.
Rhea, completely certain they weren't travelers, accepted the deal immediately.
Sakazuki signaled for the detector and activated it. The tension in the cell was palpable. The device began to blink, alternating between green and red. Our heroes stared at it, holding their breath. The seconds ticked by. The device continued its alternating flash, then stopped on green. Five seconds passed... then it flickered back to red. And stopped.
Our heroes burst out cheering, jumping for joy. Sakazuki honored the deal and gave them some money.
When they left the facility, they stepped into a futuristic cityscape. Massive skyscrapers, easily 700 meters tall, pierced the clouds in bizarre and varied shapes feats of architecture that defied belief.
Cars hovered ten centimeters off the ground, zipping past at high speed. The sidewalks were moving walkways. Normal humans bustled about, going about their day.
Our heroes began to explore the city, discovering the entertainment districts and arcades, getting lost in the distractions. On a massive digital billboard, an advertisement announced that the fourth match of the tournament was about to begin that evening.
Yabal, his eyes shining with excitement, shouted, "Look! The tournament that idiot cop was talking about is starting! Let's go see it!"
Angel: "We have 300 rafia left. We'll use 100 for food and lodging for the next few days. We have to save 100, just in case we need it for something else."
Rhea: "The tickets are 10 rafia each, which is expensive. But this will be the only fight we see, is that clear?"
Yabal, already giddy, started running and jumping with joy.
He was so thrilled to see the match that he paid for the tickets, their original objective of finding out more about Tiger completely forgotten.
They entered the immense stone Colosseum, which measured two kilometers across.
The place was packed, and the spectators were chanting in unison.
Presenter: "Good evening, wonderful spectators and viewers! Welcome to the fourth match, which will pit Rodrigue against Alphonse two truly exceptional fighters! Don't forget to place your bets on who will win the tournament, and remember, registration is still open for the next five days!"
"3! 2!! 1! Let the fight begin!"
Alphonse: "Hybrid Mode: Slime Predator."
A viscous shudder ran through his body as a flood of translucent mucus erupted from his pores, enveloping him in a liquid shell. The fluid seeped under his skin, fusing with his flesh. His epidermis became smooth, slick, and nearly see-through, laced with phosphorescent veins.
On his torso, an organic spiral materialized a living symbol, slowly turning as if something was breathing beneath it.
Two eyestalks emerged from his skull, granting him 360-degree vision. Parts of his body hardened, covering themselves in pearly scales resembling snail shells. When he moved, a faint, wet hiss and traces of steaming mucus marked his path.
Presenter: "Alphonse is showing us his transformation! It's magnificent!!"
Rodrigue: "Hybrid Mode: Blast Amphibion, Flame Surge!"
As Rodrigue spoke the transformation formula, his body arched backward. His bones cracked under the pressure of a boiling internal energy. His skin wept and tore in several places, allowing nervous, tendril-like tongues of flame to slither out.
His feet metamorphosed, his toes fusing into wide, webbed palms capable of cushioning or amplifying the impact of his leaps.
Around his head, a crown of orange eyes opened in perfect synchronization, each one vibrating with incandescent light.
His primary eyes became burning orange, pulsing like embers.
With every breath, plumes of burning vapor escaped his mouth and wounds, while a low rumble built in his chest, like a bomb about to detonate.
Presenter: "These transformations get stranger and stranger! Who will win this fight?"
Angel: "That's just sad," he scoffed, making a disgusted face. "Dan's transformation was beautiful. These guys are just plain ugly."
A boy sitting near them responded.
"They aren't at a high stage of their transformation. They're novices. Besides, their hybrid animals are bizarre."
Our three heroes looked at him, surprised.
"Hi, I'm Yuga. Are you new here?"
Yabal: "Obviously."
The fight had already begun.
Rodrigue lunged at Alphonse, throwing a powerful punch. Alphonse blocked the attack, his skin releasing a thick mucus that instantly glued itself to Rodrigue's fist.
Alphonse: "Heh heh," he chuckled, his voice slick and malevolent.