Voltiana

In Raijin City…

Dachii and Grishna returned to their lodge, sitting on their beds as they took a minute to regroup and think.

"That was an eventful night, mate. You think they'll finally let us get some shut-eye?" Grishna asked.

Dachii was in his thoughts, still reflecting on what Venus said. "Hey Grishna, how much do you know about the Zharians?"

She lifted an eyebrow when she heard the question.

"They aren't a common sight, mate. Most the tales we hear about them are just pure legends, and even those are hard to come by."

Dachii remained quiet for a moment. "Well, they hate the Voltians a lot, but they don't seem to know them at all."

Grishna got up, grabbing a beer out of the fridge. "There's some things in this world that just can't be explained, mate."

Dachii looked at his hand. "Like my Gravity Powers. Everyone's so focused on Deity, I forgot how dangerous THIS was."

"Event Horizon?" he thought. "What kind of name is that?"

Grishna took a swig of her beer. "Maybe they'll finally let us call it a night. Wonder what happened to those girls, though."

"Right!" Dachii realized. "Aoki went to save Hikari after she fell below the arena! I forgot about them!"

Grinsha set the beer down. "I guess we should check on that then. I'm sure they're probably making their way—-"

"ATTENTION!" the speaker nearby rang. "Before the night is over, we've got one more event to bring you!"

Dachii recognized the voice. "Venus…?"

"Everyone head to the arena! Round Two will begin at once, and you aren't allowed to miss it!"

Dachii rubbed his eyes. "They won't let us sleep, and now we begin the second round with half a team? Yay."

Grishna tossed her beer aside. "That's life, mate."

She grabbed her warhammer and walked out the door, and Dachii followed her. As they headed up to the arena, Dachii had an uneasy feeling.

"I don't think this will be good. They've already bet against me, now what?"

Grishna gave him a pat on the back. "Just weather the storm. Whatever they pull next can't be too much of a surprise."

"Well, true."

They headed into the tunnel, walking through the dark corridors. Once they were halfway through, Dachii bumped into someone and fell down.

"Ow."

The figure turned around immediately, offering him a hand.

"Dachii! I'm sorry, are you okay?"

He took the hand and noticed who it was. "Ayana? Where's your team?"

She had an embarrassed look on her face. "Well…they told me they would catch up with me when I got here, but I think they lied."

"Oh."

Dachii looked her up and down and sighed. "We're going to check it out, you can follow us if you want."

Grishna patted her on the back. "Yeah, lad! Let's see what's up!"

Ayana hesitated before agreeing. "Alright…"

The three walked down the tunnel, and they heard a loud noise coming from the end. They also saw a bright yellow light, which blinded them.

"Damn, what are they having a party?" Dachii asked.

But as soon as he stepped out of the tunnel, a metal gate shut behind him, locking Grishna and Ayana out.

"Hey! The hell's this?" Grishna exclaimed.

As they banged on it to no avail, Dachii heard the cheer of the crowd, and Venus's voice. "The special guest has arrived! It's time for a SHOWDOWN!"

Dachii, confused, took in his surroundings. He saw the bright lights of the arena, the other competitors eagerly watching him, and then he saw who was in the middle.

"AKARI?"

She slowly got to her feet, looking around the area with a dazed expression. Right in front of her, he saw Aoki and Hikari walk out of a tunnel. Hikari immediately noticed Akari and gasped.

"Akari! Akari, is that you?"

She immediately ran to the middle of the arena and hugged her, as Akari looked around. "Hikari, you're okay! What the hell is all this? Where…are we?"

"A dangerous tournament!" Hikari replied. "How did you get here? Did you bring the others with you?"

She shook her head. "I think…I fell through a portal, but that's about it…"

Hikari deepened the hug. "I'm so glad you're here! This place is scary, and there's this girl, she's basically insane!"

As Akari hugged her back, she noticed the crowd watching them. "Hikari, where's Dachii?"

Hikari immediately stepped back, worried. "Right! We left him up here to finish the round by himself, but I haven't seen him since! He's…right there?"

Akari immediately turned around and saw Dachii, who was staring at her. "Dachii! There you are!"

Before she could take a step toward him, a clap from above was heard. "That's enough talking! Now that everyone is here, it's time we begin ROUND TWO!"

A portal immediately opened below Dachii's feet, and the next thing he knew, he was above Akari and Aoki, trapped in a small, floating cage.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

Hikari and Akari both stared up in shock as Dachii looked down at them.

"Dachii!" Akari said. "Give me a moment, I'll get you down—-"

But Venus interrupted her.

"Now, now! Dachii will spectate from his own personal seat! After all, we want to give the special guest a firsthand chance to watch two of his squadmates fight, don't we?"

Akari's eyes immediately widened. "Wait, Hikari? They don't mean us, do they?"

Before Hikari could respond, Venus began to laugh. "No, darling."

With a snap of her fingers, a portal opened below Hikari, and soon, she landed next to the other competitors who were in the crowd. "Hey!"

Akari's hand began to glow, and she stared at Venus. "Hey! What's your problem?"

Venus looked around at the packed crowd before looking back at Akari. "The rules are simple! The two of you will fight! The winner? They stay in the Games! The loser? You forfeit all rights to participate, and are therefore ELIMINATED!"

She pointed at Dachii. "Whoever wins stays on Dachii's team! Easy, right?"

Venus's face twisted into a grim smile. "Now, Princess of the Voltians, face your OPPONENT!"

Akari looked right in front of her and saw Aoki, who was standing there, not moving.

"Princess…"

Akari studied her, noticing her outfit. "Who the hell are you, and why are you wearing my squad's uniform?"

Aoki put a hand on her blade. "YOUR squad?"

The crowd began to cheer and laugh, and Zok nearly jumped out of his seat. "Yes! Let those bastards kill each other!"

Hikari immediately tried to jump down, but a yellow barrier blocked her, shocking her hands.

"Damn it! No, guys! Wait!"

Venus sat on a seat at the top booth and crossed her legs. "Round Two will commence now! AKARI VS. AOKI! BEGIN!"

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

"There's not a single Voltian in that crowd…" Akari noted to herself. "It's all dwarves, orcs, monsters, and…Zharians?"

Aoki drew her blade, looking from Dachii to Akari. "Princess…it's time for you to go."

A loud horn rang, and the crowd went silent. As soon as Akari blinked, she found a blade coming for her neck.

Without hesitation, she put her hand up and grabbed the blade, glaring at Aoki with a cold stare.

"Not now, girl. Now's not the time to fool around with you."

Aoki narrowed her eyes. "Is that right?"

Immediately, Akari felt blood running from her forehead, and she touched the left side and found it had been slashed.

As Aoki pulled her blade away, Akari spun around and kicked her, but Aoki managed to block most of the blow with her katana.

"Ooh! Akari counters Aoki's first strike with a powerful kick!" Venus announced. "Who's taking this one? The swordsman or the princess?"

Akari motioned toward Venus. "You idiot, don't you see this is a game to them? Go away."

Aoki summoned three yellow cards from her hand. "You don't understand, little girl."

And in the blink of an eye, she was behind Akari, preparing to throw the cards. "So I'll make you!"

She threw down all three cards at the same time, and a massive electromagnetic blast erupted.

"PULSE!"

It covered the entire arena, causing the lights to flicker on and off. In between those flickers, Dachii could see Akari and Aoki attacking each other faster than the eye could see.

"Dude, what the hell have I gotten dragged into? Are they fighting…over me?"

Akari sent Aoki flying with an energy-infused punch, but she backflipped and landed on her feet.

"Hmph. So sad. I don't know why they hype you up."

She walked around Akari, dragging her blade across the ground. As soon as she got behind her, Aoki lunged, but Akari's forcefield emerged and blocked the strike.

"Hmph. Shroud."

She dropped a blue card to the floor, and a blue mist covered the entire arena. Akari remained in place, concentrating.

As soon as a blade came for her head from behind, she used her hand to deflect it without even glancing backward.

"This girl…" she thought, as Aoki immediately appeared in front of her and nearly slashed her neck. "What's she made of?"

Akari managed to jump out of the way, the blade barely grazing her neck. She tried to see through the mist, as a rapid barrage of strikes came at her.

The mist cleared up, and the crowd saw Akari with the blade clasped between her hands, as Aoki summoned more cards.

"Barely competent," Aoki muttered. "Now DIE."

She threw the three white cards down on the ground, causing a massive explosion of light. "PULSE!"

Akari quickly put her hands up to shield her eyes from the blast, but as she opened them, Aoki zipped past her and slashed off her arm.

"Akari!" Hikari called out. "Come on, you've got this!"

Grishna and Ayana watched from the tunnel, shifting between the two fighters.

"Woah, them females are on a different level…" Grishna noted.

Akari held her arm out and it immediately regenerated, and she fired an energy blast at Aoki. "Stop."

Aoki grinned and dodged the blast, drawing her red card. "Explode—-!"

But before she could toss it, Akari quickly approached and punched her, causing the red card to fly in the air and blow up.

"I said STOP."

The crowd began to roar and make noise, and Venus stood up. "This is even better than I expected! Place your bets now, spectators! Round Two is HEATING UP!"

Aoki got up, face bloodied and smiling. "Good…"

Dachii recognized the look in her eye. "That bloodlust! She's crazy!"

Aoki lunged at Akari, moving much faster than before. Akari put up her forcefield to block, but Aoki still managed to get a small slice in.

"Listen, I'm taking Dachii, Hikari, and Marachii back, and you're going to disappear. Got it?" Akari demanded.

Aoki used one hand to raise her katana in the air, and the other to summon a black card. "Try it!"

Before Akari could react, Aoki threw down the black card. "CORRUPT!"

A wave of black, inky tendrils popped out, and Aoki stabbed her blade into the middle of them, absorbing each one.

The inky substance covered her entire blade and her right arm, and Aoki delivered a slash to Akari, but she used her forcefield to deflect it.

"Who ARE you?" Akari asked.

The ink began to spread across her forcefield. She immediately dropped it and glared at Aoki, who began to smirk.

"Die."

Aoki brought her blade down, but Akari clapped her hands together and unleashed a powerful energy shockwave that knocked Aoki back.

She turned her attention to Dachii, who was still watching from in his cage.

"Hold on, Dachii! Get away from the wall!"

Dachii stepped back, and Akari raised her hand, preparing to fire an energy blast at the cage. As soon as she did, her hand fell off.

WOOSH.

Aoki knelt behind her, still holding her corrupted blade. Akari rounded on her, regenerating her arm.

"Fine, you wanna fight?"

Akari punched the ground, her entire body beginning to glow. "Then let's fight."

Venus began to laugh under her breath, watching the fight with a curious interest. "Yes…show her who's boss!"

Aoki stabbed her blade into the ground, and the tendrils emerged from it, turning into hands that tried to grab Akari.

"This stupid chick and her games," Akari muttered. "I'm over it."

She put her hands together and fired a powerful energy beam that split all the tendrils in two. Aoki slowly stood up, blade at the ready.

"Nothing personal. You're just not cut right."

She got into a low stance, as waves of inky hands emerged from her blade. "Now then…"

Akari straightened up, energy beginning to flow through her body. "If that's how it is…"

And the next moment, they both rushed at each other and used their moves.

"CORRUPTING SLASH!"

"KINETIC BURST!"

And as they collided, the resulting energy split the arena in half and knocked everyone over in the process.

——