(The explosion's smoke dissipates, revealing Raiji standing—sword raised in a defensive stance, his blade humming from the deflection.)
RAIJI (spitting blood, grinning):
"Neat trick. Cheap as hell, though dropping a bomb like a coward."
MARVIN (reloading his pistol, smirk fading):
"Lucky man, must be."
Flashback – Half a Second Ago
Marvin's Bomb Toss → A micro-grenade arcs through the air, timer blinking red.
Raiji's Instincts → His dragon-scale sword (courtesy of Veyra) flickers—not just metal, but alive with kinetic energy.
The Deflection → With a precision slash, he tips the bomb away, then spins his blade in a whirlwind motion containing the blast's shrapnel like a lethal fan.
Result: Only three cuts shoulder, arm, leg—but he's standing.
Gunfire Follow-Up → Marvin's bullets come next. Raiji's sword clicks, its edge auto-adjusting mid-swing to deflect every shot.
"Sleeping Gas & Dragon Slash"
KIRO says
This might be the first time I see Raiji go all out...
MARVIN (grinning, pistols raised): "Let's see if you're faster than bullets."
GUNFIRE ERUPTS
Raiji weaves through rounds like wind through reeds.
Marvin switches magazines: "Try these!"
SLEEPING GAS CLOUD
Purple mist explodes. Raiji's nostrils flare too late.
MIDAS (laughing): "Goodnight, rookie!"
KIRO (forcing his eyes open, heart pounding):
First time ever... I get to see him unleashed on somone else.
RAIJI'S MOMENT
Stance: Twin swords low, knees bent like coiled springs.
Marvin (sword shifting to defense): "Whatever you're planning"
"WIND DRAGON SLASH."
Raiji blurs forward, jumps
X-shaped slash cuts through gas and armor alike.
MARVIN COLLAPSES, chest plate split like a cracked egg.
RAIJI LANDS, eyelids fluttering barely conscious.
MIDAS (sighing): "Raiji the Wind Blade... wins."
GIN (delivering a final, contemptuous kick to his unconscious thugs): "Useless. Paid to lose… wasted the boss credits."
He spat on the sand near Kiro's boots. "You. Me. The pit. Now. I paid a special fee to teach you what happens when you mess with the Blue Dragons."
KIRO (cracking his neck with a sharp grin): "A free fight? I never say no to easy money."
As Ginn stormed toward the bloodstained pit, the crowd instinctively parted, the air cracking with his fury.
KIRO (side-eyeing the drowsy Raiji): "Who is this guy?"
RAIJI (slumping against the wall, fighting off the sleeping gas): "Blue Dragons. Bunch of Corporate scum. He's the lapdog for the company owner son of blue dragons." He let out a long, weary yawn. "The brat who bought his Top 10 rank. I hate 'em."
KIRO: "You and he got history?"
RAIJI's eyes fluttered shut. "Mm. He's strong. Wake me... if you live."
ANNOUNCER MIDAS's voice boomed, dripping with sarcasm. "He's back so fast! The slum-rat, Kiro, will now face corporate scum himself, Ginn the Copy! We all know I'm rooting for the broke losers." He flashed a gleaming, insincere smile as the crowd rained boos and empty cans down on his hover-pod.
"Okay, okay! Settle down! One rule because I got paid off. If Kiro falls even once, he loses! Now... FIGHT!"
KIRO's eyes went wide. "Wha..."
He didn't get to finish. Ginn was already on him, a fist rocketing toward his face. Kiro dodged, twisted, and parried a follow-up blow to his ribs. The shock on Ginn's face was brief but real.
Ginn jumped back, reassessing. "Nice move."
Emboldened, Kiro charged. He unleashed everything he had a flurry of jabs, kicks, and sweeps from the dojo. But every single one was blocked, parried, or sidestepped. It was like fighting a mirror that knew his next move before he did.
KIRO (leaping back, breath ragged): "How are you doing this?!"
A cruel smile spread across Ginn's face. He didn't answer with words. He answered with Kiro's own style. He charged, replicating Kiro's last combo perfectly, and every blow landed a brutal, precise echo. A kick to the stomach sent Kiro stumbling toward the edge of the pit. He windmilled his arms, fighting for balance, and barely stopped himself from falling.
Ginn didn't press the attack. He just stood there, smugness radiating off him.
KIRO (gasping, clutching his ribs): "How...?"
Ginn tapped the side of his head, his eyes glinting with an unnatural light. "I'm a Cube user, rookie. I took the Cube called 'Sense.' I don't guess what you'll do next... I already know."
Ginn charged forward with another furious flurry of martial arts.
Kiro held his body still, refusing to move. Don't fall. Just block. The only thing on his mind was the lesson Rose had hammered into him: have a strong body like iron.
FLASHBACK
A young Kiro winced as a stone mace hammered into his forearms. A woman with fiery red hair Rose circled him, her expression stern.
"Boy, I've told you a thousand times! Hold your arms right! Strong stance!" She struck his legs with a wooden hammer, but he held firm.
PRESENT DAY
Ginn (grunting in frustration): "You're built like a brick wall. Fine. Let's try my style."
His eyes glowed with an eerie, electric blue. He shifted into a boxing stance and unleashed multiple punches at Kiro's face. A sharp jab connected, slicing Kiro's forehead. Blood trickled down into his eye.
But in that moment of stinging pain, Kiro saw it—the pattern.
Kiro: "Ginn... your ability isn't just to predict... it's to copy! Those blue eyes... they don't just see, they steal!"
Ginn didn't even slow down, his fists a relentless storm. "Nice catch. Cybernetic Ocular Processors. The 'Copy Eyes.' But it's far too late for that, boy."
Kiro shifted his feet, kicking up a cloud of sand. He didn't advance; he jumped back, creating distance.
Then he turned and ran.
"Stop running, you coward!" Ginn roared. "Just take your loss like a man!" He yanked a wickedly sharp cyber-knife from his belt, its edge humming with energy, and gave chase.
Kiro skidded to a halt, pivoted, and kicked another wave of sand straight into Ginn's face.
Ginn threw up his arms, covering his eyes just in time. It was the moment Kiro needed. He snatched up a rock and hurled it with brutal accuracy between Ginn's legs.
ANNOUNCER MIDAS: "OOOOHH! Right in the future heirs! That's gotta hurt!"
"GAHH! You little !" Ginn's curse was cut short by a gasp of pain. He doubled over, his guard dropping for a single, vital second.
It was all Kiro needed. He lunged forward, not with a fancy technique, but with a savage kick to the side of Ginn's head. The blow landed with a thick crunch. Dazed, Ginn stumbled.
Blinded by sand and rage, Ginn made a wild, desperate lunge with the knife. Kiro didn't try to dodge the unpredictable strike. Instead, he slammed his palm forward and caught the blade, letting it punch straight through the meat of his hand.
The crowd fell silent at the gruesome sight. Kiro didn't scream. He just squeezed, locking the knife in place with his own bones.
With the knife trapped, he unleashed a vicious flurry: a kick to the chin, a knee to the stomach, and a final, concussive punch to the jaw.
Ginn's grip on the knife finally failed. He crumpled to the sand, out cold.
The announcer's voice broke the silence, a mix of disbelief and amusement.
ANNOUNCER MIDAS: "Unbelievable! The broke boy wins! By... well, by whatever that was! Victory to Kiro!"
Kiro exited the pit, the crowd's roar still buzzing in his ears. He walked over to Raiji and gave his foot a light kick. "Wake up. I won."
RAIJI (opening one eye, a faint smirk on his face): "Congrats. You beat a top fighter. Let's get paid. But first, get patched up. It's the cheap stuff."
A few minutes later, Kiro was sloppily bandaged, a stark white wrap around his bleeding hand and a patch over his eyebrow.
KIRO: "These bandages are cheap. I think they used sandpaper."
RAIJI: "I know."
They approached the payment counter, manned by the same glass-eyed old hag. She squinted at her screen, then at Kiro, a rare flicker of surprise in her eyes.
OLD HAG: "Well, well. Kiro. You hit the big money today."
The holoscreen flickered:
PAYMENT
KIRO: 4,000c (Fight Purse) + 2,000c (Rank-Up Bonus) = 6,000c
RAIJI: 1,500c (Fight Purse)
KIRO stared, his pain forgotten. "I got paid... a lot."
OLD HAG: "Two fights. Plus a bonus for cracking the Top 100. Don't get used to it."
RAIJI clapped him on his good shoulder. "Let's go. Time to sell this gun I won from Marvin." He held up the sleek, high-tech pistol. "Maybe Veyra will take it off our hands."
KIRO groaned, his triumphant mood evaporating. "That evil woman? Not again. She'll just find a way to take all my credits and my other hand."
The arena lights flickered violently, and Announcer Midas's voice cut through the usual chaos, but it was stripped of its usual sarcasm. It was sharp, urgent.
"LIVE BROADCAST! Listen up, you genetic rejects! We are closing early! Effective immediately! The city is on red alert police and army are swarming the sectors. There's a mandatory curfew. Anyone on the streets gets a plasma bolt to the face. Now get out! GET OUT!"
The crowd's roar of excitement instantly twisted into a panicked stampede towards the exits.
KIRO stared, the weight of his 6,000 credits suddenly feeling a lot less important. "You heard the man..."
RAIJI was already moving, grabbing Kiro by his jacket. "Then we go fast. Now. To Veyra's. It's the closest cover."
KIRO: "Come on, do we have to? I just got stabbed!"
RAIJI didn't bother answering. He just shoved him forward into the rushing tide of people. They had no choice. They went anyway, swallowed by the neon-drenched panic of a city locking down.
They slipped into Veyra's workshop just as the distant wail of enforcement sirens began to echo through the streets. The mechanic looked up from a sparking engine core, a smirk already on her face.
VEYRA: "Well, well. My favorite customers. Cutting it a little close to curfew, aren't we?"
RAIJI shoved Kiro forward slightly. "Oh, the pleasure's all his, trust me."
VEYRA's eyes lit up. She reached out and pinched Kiro's cheek. "Oh, it's not my grumpy guard dog! It's the little stray that follows him! Did you bring me a present?"
KIRO (slapping her hand away): "Real funny. We're here to sell this gun Raiji won."
Raiji tossed the sleek pistol onto her workbench. It skidded to a stop next to a half-eaten protein bar. "Name a price."
Veyra picked it up, her eyes scanning it with professional speed. "Ooh. Navy issue. Nice. This is worth a cool... 8,000 credits on the black market." She set it down and grinned. "So for you, my favorite pet, I'll buy it for 2,500."
RAIJI: "Deal."
KIRO: "Come on! That's robbery!"
RAIJI: "She still has to sell it at a markdown. It's fair."
Veyra's eyes finally landed on Kiro's bandages, and her smirk widened. "Speaking of robbery... looks like you got robbed of a few pints of blood, pet. Rough night at the office?"
KIRO: "Some Blue Dragon guy. He was tough. But I won. Got a big payday and jumped to rank 50." He couldn't keep the pride out of his voice.
VEYRA: "Yea, yea, weakling stuff. Now sit." She pointed a grease-stained finger at a rickety stool.
KIRO: "I am not your pet" But he sat down anyway.
VEYRA (poking at the sloppy bandage on his hand): "Who did this? A blind man? It's already festering. This is going to hurt." She walked off and returned with a bottle of clear liquid and a terrifyingly clean pair of pliers. Her smile was all teeth. "A lot."
Veyra sat down next to him on the stool. "Here. Bite on this." She shoved a lump of clean, soft synth-rubber into his mouth before he could argue. He bit down hard.
"Okay, count to three," she said, grabbing the bottle of alcohol.
"Mmhph" One...
She instantly poured the clear liquid over the deep gash in his palm.
KIRO screamed, the sound muffled by the rubber, his whole body jolting. His eyes watered. Why did I trust her?!
VEYRA: "Raiji! Hold him down. This next part's tricky."
Raiji didn't hesitate. He put a firm hand on Kiro's good shoulder, pinning him to the stool. Veyra produced a mechanical stapler the kind used for sealing crates, not flesh. There was a series of sharp CH-CHUNK sounds.
CUT TO BLACK
A few painful moments later...
VEYRA: "Aaand all done. Just a few... stitches."
Kiro spat the rubber out, breathing heavily. "Finally... are you even licensed?!"
VEYRA (ignoring him, inspecting his new gloves): "So what happened to these? Did you even use them?"
KIRO: "I took 'em off before I got stabbed. They're fine."
VEYRA gave him a sharp slap on the back of the head. "You planned to get stabbed? You're dumber than you look, pet."
RAIJI (chuckling): "Funny. But a good idea. Better a hand than a heart."
VEYRA: "So, you've got a lot of credits now. Where are you blowing it first? New boots? A less-stabby apartment?"
KIRO: "First, my landlord, Shimo. Before he sells my liver."
Just then, the workshop door chimed open. A girl with grease-smudged cheeks and nervous eyes walked in, carrying a box of plasma coils. It was Lilly, the mechanic from the arena.
RAIJI straightened up. "Wait. Aren't you that girl from the pits?"
LILLY bowed her head slightly, a shy smile on her face. "Yes. Thank you again. Both of you. For what you did."
VEYRA looked between them, her eyes widening in understanding. "Ohhhh. So you're the two idiots who helped her. Now it makes sense." She threw an arm around Lilly's shoulders. "She's my assistant. Best I've ever had. And she helps a lot more than you two ever could."
VEYRA: "Alright, boys. You should head out. Curfew's already in effect. They shoot first and don't bother asking questions."
KIRO: "I'll take the alleyways. I know a route."
RAIJI: "I live close by. I'll be fine."
VEYRA (ruffling Kiro's hair): "My poor pet. Always has the worst luck."
KIRO (swatting her hand away): "I can handle myself. Why is the curfew so intense this time? Extra gang activity?"
VEYRA's playful expression vanished. She lowered her voice. "No. It's something different. My brother told me... it's a secret, but word is some rebels stole a Cube. They didn't make it out of the sector. Now the thing is lost somewhere here in the slums. The navy is turning over every rock to find it."
KIRO felt a cold knot form in his stomach. "Oh. Okay. Yeah, that... that makes life harder."
VEYRA nodded toward a rusted door barely visible behind stacks of junk. "Take the back way. It's more of a secret. Leads to the old maintenance tunnels."
As they moved to leave, she called out one last time, her voice uncharacteristically sincere.
"Hey. Good luck, boys."
The heavy door clanged shut behind them, plunging them into the dark, echoing silence of the tunnels.