The Maya district's sewer pipes were wide enough for two steam wagons to drive side by side. They were filled with heavy grease, excrement and discarded etheric remains, and the air reeked of a musty, despairing stench.
Aaryan leaned against the mottled pipe wall, listening to the rhythm of his 'wind-up heart'. Julius's restoration methods were nothing short of miraculous. The harsh impact had vanished, replaced by a warm yet powerful pumping motion. Each beat felt like a tiny electric current coursing through his body.
However, this tranquillity didn't last long.
'So, my friend, you must understand a supreme truth.'
Paul squatted by the drain, tenderly wiping his steam arm, which was almost like scrap metal, with a tattered rag he had found somewhere. Despite his recent brush with death and his face being covered in soot and grime, a strange, almost fanatical light shone in his eyes. 'What truth?' Aaryan closed her eyes, trying to suppress the fragmented memories of Vane that filled her mind.
"The essence of this world isn't ether, nor is it gears or those high-and-mighty councilors." Pau suddenly stood up, arms outstretched like a down-on-his-luck bard. 'The essence of this world is a farce called "absurdity", and I, Pau, am the greatest tragic clown in this play.'
Aaryan opened her eyes and looked at the short, rambling thug. 'You mean that moment when you were almost smashed flat by the executioner's punch?'
'That's called "tactical decoy"!' Pau angrily waved his rag. 'Think about it. If I hadn't bravely distracted that "iron lump" with my punch, how would you have had a chance to complete the final core coupling? I used my 'noble' body to buy 0.3 seconds of precious time for the awakening of 'royal blood'!"
He became increasingly excited, pacing in place and making a 'pat-pat' sound with his worn boots in the mud.
'This is my philosophy: when fate is about to hit you, not only do you catch it, but you also steal the gold watch from its wrist — that's called "the interest of the suffering".' Aaryan, you're too decent a person to understand. If we, those of us who wallow in the mire, didn't know how to laugh at ourselves, we would have jumped into the ether furnace and turned to water a long time ago." The two of them navigated their way through the labyrinthine underground sewage system and finally climbed back up to the edge of the Maya district, also known as 'Rust Street', from an abandoned ventilation shaft. This was the boundary between the slums and the black market, an area filled with dilapidated stilt houses and makeshift workshops belching black smoke.
The moment Pau stepped onto solid ground, he was like a fish back in water, instantly regaining his slick, energetic spirit.
'Look, this is my territory.' He pointed to a row of low shacks and boasted, 'Although I'm currently in a "restructuring period", just six months ago, everyone around here knew the name "Thousand-Handed Pau". I once infiltrated the Maya District Administrative Office and replaced the Chief Financial Officer's dentures with clockwork rodents. I also stealthily dismantled the energy drain valves of the Holy Blood Council's patrol ships."
Aaryan didn't call him out. He knew that Pau needed this kind of boasting to mask his inner fear; the encounter in the laboratory had terrified the hoodlum.
"Let's go; we need to find Balthazar." Aaryan lowered his hat brim and cautiously observed their surroundings.
'Don't rush. You need a 'key' to get to Balthazar. That old guy only cares about money and rare demonic artefacts." Pau eyed a pawnshop on the corner slyly. 'First, I need to retrieve one of my "treasures". With it, even a demonic lord would have to show me some respect."
Just as Pau was about to describe this fictitious 'treasure', a hoarse, murderous voice came from the dark alley behind him:
"Hey, isn't that Thousand-Handed Pao?" Have you finished restructuring? Are you planning to come back and pay off that 3,000 ether debt?"
Pau froze instantly. His mouth, which had been brimming with words, seemed welded shut; he was unable to utter a single word. Three burly men emerged from the shadows.
The leader, nicknamed 'Iron Hammer', had one side of his face covered in a crude mechanical implant and his right arm was a massive, bloodstained industrial hydraulic hammer. Behind him, two henchmen wielded stun batons covered in thorns, the blue sparks of electricity glaring brightly against the dim streetlights.
"Iron Hammer, bro." Pau forced a smile that looked more like a grimace; his legs were trembling uncontrollably. 'What a coincidence. I was just about to pay you a visit.'
"A visit? And with this cloaked pretty boy?' Hammer sneered, his massive hydraulic hammer hissing as steam leaked from it. 'Last time, Pau, you said you were going to resell steam arms, but you ended up selling a bunch of painted wood. That caused me to lose everything in this arena. If I don't rip off your real arm to pay off my debt today, I might as well change my name from 'Iron Hammer' to 'Cotton Candy'."
"Misunderstanding! It's an artefact! A collectible bionic replica!" Pau continued, slowly moving behind Aaryan.
Aaryan sighed. He didn't want to attract attention before reaching the underground arena, but it was clear that trouble had come knocking.
'How much does he owe you?' Aaryan asked calmly, his hand already on the hilt of his sword.
"Oh, trying to get ahead?" Hammer sized Aaryan up and down, sneering contemptuously. 'Three thousand without interest, and with interest… leaving you your cloak and everything you're carrying might barely cover it.'
.
"Run!" Pau screamed, having no intention of fighting. She grabbed Aaryan's sleeve and darted into the intricate streets of Rust.
And so, on this perpetually sunless street, an absurd chase ensued.
Pau made full use of his 'tragic comedian' talent, weaving like an eel between washing lines, discarded oil drums and mobile stalls.
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way! This is a secret mission for the Council!' Pau shouted, overturning vegetable baskets along the roadside as he ran.
"Stop right there!" Hammer charged wildly from behind. Wherever his hydraulic hammer struck, walls crumbled and shacks collapsed.
Caught in the middle, Aaryan dodged electric shocks while avoiding being dragged into dead ends by Pau's erratic movements. He tried to draw his knife several times to retaliate, but each time he prepared to stop, Pau would slam into him at a tricky angle and carry him along with him.
'Don't stop! That's 'Hammer'! His mechanical arm has gravity sensors. If you stand still for more than two seconds, he'll smash you to pieces," Pau shouted breathlessly. He grabbed a handful of pepper from a roadside stall and threw it behind him without looking back.
"Achoo!"
A deafening sneeze echoed from behind, followed by the sound of something heavy crashing through planks.
'See? That's tactics!' Pau had even had time to turn around and wink at Aaryan.
However, the very next second, his philosophy was met with a harsh blow from reality.
'Stop! You foul-mouthed liar!'
The roar of 'Iron Hammer' echoed through the narrow, rusty street, accompanied by the hiss of the steam-powered hydraulic pump. Pau dragged Aaryan frantically through alleyways littered with discarded gear and oil drums reeking of petrol.
'Hey, Aaryan, don't look at me like that!' Pau shouted, panting as he leapt over burning electronic waste like a startled kangaroo. 'In the Maya district, being hunted is a survival philosophy! It means you still have creditors; people still care about you. You haven't become one of those nameless, rotting corpses on the roadside!'
'Is your philosophy to turn me into a corpse too?' Aaryan stopped abruptly, sliding a short distance on the slippery ground due to his momentum. He grabbed Pau by the collar, lifted him up and darted into the shadow of a collapsed building.
Almost simultaneously, a massive black shadow swept past their hiding place. 'Iron Hammer's' enormous hydraulic hammer had slammed into a rusty load-bearing column, and the deafening roar of shattering metal rang in their ears.
'Hiding? Useless Rotten Tooth Pau!" Iron Hammer roared furiously. His cyborg face contorted with rage. 'That white-haired girl in that brat's arms is worth a fortune. I'll dismantle you into parts, then go to the Blood Council for my reward!'
Aaryan's gaze instantly darkened. He looked down at Dahlia, who was clutching his cloak tightly. The white witch's blind yet deep, starlike eyes trembled uneasily. From the strenuous running, her originally pale face was flushed red.
'Dahlia, close your eyes.' Aaryan's voice was soft yet carried an undeniable chill.
'Aaryan... I can feel it, that nauseating etheric reaction,' Dahlia said, her voice barely audible. 'That big guy's heart… it's artificial and overloaded.'
'That's his problem. My problem is your safety."
Aaryan slowly drew the longsword from his waist. Despite its simple appearance, the blade was sharp enough to cut through etheric currents. In the dimly lit alleyway, the sword reflected no light, appearing as if it were a black hole that swallowed light itself.
"Wait! Aaryan!" Terrified, Pau quickly lowered his voice to stop him. 'Are you crazy? 'Iron Hammer' is from the arena! If you cripple him here, all the gangs in the Maya district will pounce like sharks smelling blood. We won't even make it to the gates of the district before the Holy Blood Council obliterates us!"
"What 'philosophy' do you have to get us out of here then?" Aaryan pressed his knife against Pau's throat.
Pau swallowed hard, his small eyes darting around before a grimace appeared on his face. "Yes! We're going to a place they won't dare touch: Three blocks to the left is the abandoned church near the 1969 Singularity — the entrance to the underground arena. Once we're inside, everything will be settled according to the arena's rules.'
'Rules?'
'The winner takes all; the loser doesn't even own their own life.' Pau pointed to the massive underground pit surrounded by dark red lights on the distant horizon. 'Once we get there, I can help you get a fake identity and shut these debt collectors up for now.'
'If you lie to me again, I'll put a hole in your heart first.' Aaryan sheathed his knife, picked Dahlia up again and dashed out of the alleyway in a blur.
'Hey! Wait for me! My 'tragic life' isn't over yet!' Pau screamed and gave chase.
The chase continued through the labyrinthine slums of the Maya district, with Hammer's henchmen pursuing him relentlessly like vicious dogs. Relying on his astonishing physical abilities and Dahlia's keen perception of etheric fluctuations, Aaryan darted and dodged through the complex metallic ruins.
Whenever Aaryan passed through areas of high etheric concentration, he could feel a burning sensation in the places where Dahlia had once healed the whip marks on his back. These places now seemed to be greedily devouring the dissipated, chaotic energy in the air.
This power would course through his body, filling every muscle with an almost explosive burst of strength.
Finally, they stopped at the edge of a deep pit shaped like the gaping maw of a colossal beast.
Below, a blazing, dark purple light driven by inferior ether illuminated countless massive gears, the stench of rust and blood filling the air.
"Welcome to the heart of the Maya district." Pau burst into laughter, clutching his knees. His half-steamed arm was smoking from the strain. 'The 1969 Underground Arena. Here, even the gods must place their bets.'
Aaryan stood at the edge, looking down. In the iron, cage-like arena at the centre of the pit, two figures were clashing violently.
One of them was tall and was enveloped in a dark red aura of malevolence. His fighting style was suicidal; he traded blows for blows, and each powerful punch seemed to carry a roar from hell.
"Who is that?" Aaryan stared at the red figure, sensing a faint resonance from his royal aura.
'That madman?' Pau followed his gaze, a rare hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes. 'That's Balthazar, a remnant of the Demon Clan. In the arena, he's known as 'The Unquenchable Ashes'." "
Just then, a deafening cheer erupted from the centre of the arena.
Hidden behind the noise, Aaryan sensed a pair of sinister, cold and malicious eyes piercing through the mist, staring intently at them.
Those were the eyes of the arena's master.At Pau's invitation, Aryan and Dahlia entered the blood-soaked, frenzied arena beneath the ground. A massive conspiracy targeting the 'White Witch' was already in place there. Was Balthazar, the burly demon warrior fighting wildly in the arena, friend or foe? Aaryan's hidden royal aura seemed to have attracted the attention of something best left undisturbed.