The coliseum walls shook under the weight of the roaring training dragons. Dust drifted from the high stone pillars, and Danny, Swift, and Jake circled the arena floor, hearts pounding as Master Oro watched from above.
But just as the first of the stone-scaled beasts lunged forward—
A chime rang through the valley.
Time froze.
Literally.
The dragons hung mid-leap, jaws open. The grass stopped swaying. Even the echoes in the coliseum halted.
Jake blinked. "Uh… did we die?"
"No," Swift muttered. "This is… him."
A teal portal opened in the sky like a doorway into a bureaucratic nightmare.
And through it stepped Jimmy.
Not in a Hawaiian shirt this time.
In full Buddies Combat Suit.
It was sleek, metallic, with teal glowing circuits and a chest emblem shaped like a clasped handshake. He carried a silver briefcase that hummed ominously.
"Alright, kiddos," Jimmy said, popping his neck. "Progress report time."
Master Oro nodded respectfully. "Boss."
Jimmy waved him off. "Relax, Oro. If this was an inspection, I'd have shown up with seven clipboards, three auditors, and a bowl of angry waffles."
Jake whispered, "Why would waffles be angry?"
Swift whispered back, "Don't ask. Ever."
Jimmy snapped his fingers, releasing the time freeze. The dragons froze again mid-roar—contained by an invisible force.
Danny stepped forward. "Jimmy… we're training hard. Really hard. But… we need to know more. About Bones. And about Buddies. About everything."
Jimmy's eyes narrowed, not unkindly.
"Good. You're finally asking the right questions."
He dropped the briefcase. It hit the ground with a metallic thud.
"And you're finally ready for the right answers."
"First Lesson: Bones Can't Be Killed."Jimmy pointed to the arena wall. A shimmering cosmic diagram appeared—swirls of stars forming the outline of a tall skeleton radiating neon-green energy.
"Bones," Jimmy said flatly, "isn't a creature. He's a concept."
Danny frowned. "A… concept?"
Jimmy nodded. "A living embodiment of destruction. Made by the universe itself. Old as the stars. You can punch him. You can seal him. But kill him?"
Jimmy shook his head.
"Not happening."
Swift's jaw tightened. "Then what's the endgame? What do we do if he can't be killed?"
"Simple," Jimmy said.
He tapped the air, and a smaller diagram appeared: a glowing prison shaped like a star.
"You trap him. In something stronger than he is."
Jake scratched his chin. "Like what?"
Jimmy gave him a slow smile.
"That's what the tournament is for."
Danny's heart skipped. "The prize?"
"Not exactly," Jimmy said. "But the allies, techniques, and recognition you gain there will open doors to ancient tools powerful enough to cage an immortal."
His eyes grew serious.
"Bones has escaped every prison ever built.
But he's never faced three dragons working together."
"Second Lesson: Buddies Tech."Jimmy nudged the briefcase with his foot.
It sprang open.
Inside were items that glowed with such energy the air rippled around them. The first was a row of tiny capsules—smooth, silver, marked with glowing teal lines.
Danny stepped closer. "What are these?"
Jimmy lifted one between his fingers.
"Buddy Enhancers. Pills made from stabilized star energy and purified chi. They temporarily amplify strength, speed, aura output… everything."
Jake's eyes sparkled. "So… like power-ups?"
Jimmy smirked. "The strongest power-ups in any universe. The good news? Take one, and you'll feel like you could suplex a mountain."
Jake gasped. "YES."
Jimmy held up a hand.
"The bad news? Take two… and you might explode."
Jake froze. "Less yes."
Swift raised a brow. "How long do they last?"
Jimmy shrugged. "Depends on your body. A few minutes. Maybe an hour. Or ten seconds if used incorrectly."
Danny swallowed. "We should use them sparingly."
Jimmy nodded. "Correct. Save them for when death is imminent or when you need to impress someone extremely important."
Jake tilted his head. "What kind of someone?"
Jimmy whispered: "Tournament judges."
Jake nodded wisely.
Magic Water VialsJimmy lifted a shimmering crystalline vial filled with swirling blue liquid that glowed with the energy of a thousand healing spells.
"Vial number two," Jimmy said. "Magic Water. Pure, distilled life essence."
Danny's eyes widened. "It can heal anything?"
Jimmy nodded. "Any wound. Any curse. Any poison. Regrows limbs. Rebuilds chi channels. Resets a broken dragon core."
Swift narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?"
Jimmy snorted. "There's always a catch."
He held up four fingers.
"There are only seven vials in all active Buddy field kits."
"They are almost impossible to reproduce."
"Using one creates a ripple Bones can sense."
"And if you spill it…"
Danny leaned forward. "What happens if you spill it?"
Jimmy sighed.
"The water evaporates, forms a tiny sentient cloud spirit, gains emotions, and then runs away crying."
Jake whispered, "That's… oddly sad."
Jimmy nodded. "And extremely annoying."
He handed Danny the first vial.
"Congratulations. You're responsible now."
Danny handled it as if holding the universe's most fragile egg.
"Final Lesson: Why You Must Win the Tournament."Jimmy stepped back and crossed his arms.
"The tournament isn't just a competition. It's a cosmic scanning event. Every fighter's aura is analyzed. Every power is catalogued. The winner earns access to the Multiversal Nexus Archives."
Swift felt a chill. "Archives… of sealing techniques?"
Jimmy nodded sharply.
"And more."
He tapped the air again.
A new projection appeared: a giant circular seal glowing golden and silver.
"The Eternal Lock," Jimmy said. "The only seal ever recorded that held Bones for more than an hour."
Jake's eyes widened. "How long did it hold him?"
Jimmy said nothing for a moment.
Then quietly:
"Eight thousand years."
Danny exhaled. "We need that."
"You can only access its secrets," Jimmy said, "if your universe has representation in the Championship Tier of the tournament."
Swift frowned. "And us winning would place Earth in that tier."
Jimmy grinned. "Now you're thinking like a Buddy."
Sedge Hat twirled his cane. "Oh ho… this is getting interesting."
Danny stared at the Enhancers… then the Magic Water… then the Eternal Lock projection.
"Our training… the transformations… the fight with Bones… It's all connected."
Jimmy shut the briefcase.
"Correct. And you only have six months until the tournament."
He leaned closer.
"And one year until Bones returns."
Jake stepped forward, eyes burning bright. "Then we'll train harder."
Swift nodded. "Smarter."
Danny raised the Magic Water vial.
"And together."
Jimmy smiled—genuinely.
"That is the Buddy way."
He stepped through the portal but turned back.
"One more thing."
Danny looked up.
Jimmy pointed at the arena.
"You might want to dodge."
Danny blinked. "Why—?"
The dragons unfroze.
Jake screamed.
Swift drew his blade.
Danny's wings burst out in a half-transformation.
Jimmy saluted.
"Good luck!"
The portal snapped shut.
And the three dragons charged.