The arena lights dimmed at last, the dust from the collapsing battle platforms settling as an enormous chime echoed across the battleground. The floating screens above flickered, glitching once, then stabilized into crisp clarity.
A list scrolled down each holographic display, accompanied by a tremor of excitement from the crowd.
THE FINAL 16.
Danny.
Wolf King.
Wolf Queen.
Mira.
Swift.
Jake.
Jade Killington.
Shadeclaw.
Ember Claw.
Tundra Lynx.
Three battle-tested elites.
One wildcard fighter no one remembered entering.
Giga-Ronin, listed as "Awaiting Repair—Status Pending."
And—
"WOOHOO!! BUMBLE IN TOP 16!!"
Jake nearly fainted because yes, the last icon on the board was Bumble—the malfunctioning builder bot—whose graphic waved cheerfully and flashed sparkles.
Bumble spun in circles, bumping into Jake twice.
"BUMBLE IS CHAMPION!! FIGHTER NUMBER SIXTEEN!!"
Jake fell backward clutching his face. "HE SHOULDN'T BE HERE—HE SHOULDN'T BE HERE—WHY IS HE HERE—"
Swift sighed. "Jake… he won fair and square."
"No he DIDN'T!" Jake screamed. "HE HIT A GUY BY ACCIDENT AND THE TELEPORTER TOOK THE GUY AWAY!"
Shadeclaw nodded approvingly. "A kill is a kill."
Bumble puffed out his metal chest.
"BUMBLE STRONGEST WARRIOR."
Danny smiled despite himself. Somehow it felt right. Bumble had survived everything so far. That counted for something.
Wolf King lifted his head toward the giant screens, eyes glimmering with anticipation. Wolf Queen cracked her knuckles, the sound echoing through the arena like thunder. Mira exhaled softly but didn't take her eyes off her opponents. Jade shouted to no one in particular, "BRING IT ON, YEAH?! ROUND TWO, FOLKS!"
Before anyone could get too loud, Jimmy's voice boomed through the speakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen—PLEASE. We need to give these fighters a BREAK before they die on stage!"
Julian added calmly, "Per tournament regulations, a recovery intermission is indeed required."
Danny realized Swift had barely remained upright since the end of the last round. Mira was swaying silently. Jake looked like he'd burned half his calories screaming. Even Wolf Queen was limping.
The arena lights softened. The floating platforms rearranged, forming a spiraling walkway toward an open bay on the far side.
"Medical phase activated," Julian announced. "All remaining combatants, please proceed to the recovery sector."
The walkway shimmered beneath the fighters' feet.
Jake wobbled.
Bumble steadied him.
Jake immediately sobbed.
They followed the path.
The recovery bay was a gleaming chamber of crystal tanks and soft blue light. Tubes lined the ceilings, pumping shimmering fluid into each medical pod. The tanks opened with a soft hiss.
Swift stared at the glowing blue water inside his assigned chamber. "Magic Water… good. I need about six gallons of that…"
Jake reached into his tank and recoiled instantly. "It's—warm. Why is it warm? Why does it feel like something just touched me—WAIT."
Inside the transparent walls of the bay, on the other side of the crystal partition, dozens of round, gel-like blue creatures… bobbed gently. Their large, innocent eyes peered at the fighters. Tubes ran from the slimes through distillation columns, feeding directly into the tanks.
Danny blinked. "…Is that where Magic Water comes from?"
Swift squinted. "I thought it was enchanted spring water…"
Jake looked horrified. "We're marinating in slime juice?!"
Shadeclaw sniffed his tank. "Smells… nourishing."
Jade took a deep breath. "Right then, bottoms up!" and he dipped his whole head into the tank, drinking some of the water directly.
Three B.U.D.D.I.E.S medics screamed at him from across the room.
"NO NO NO—YOU CAN'T DRINK THAT—IT'S NOT—IT NEEDS AGING—STOP HIM—"
Jade wiped his mouth. "Tastes like blueberry soda."
Swift sighed.
Jake gagged.
Mira ignored everyone and slipped gracefully into her pod, exhausted.
Wolf Queen's tank creaked when she stepped in—it strained under her strength. Wolf King submerged with a grumble and muttered, "Too sweet," when the water bubbled.
Bumble was lowered into a tank of his own.
He immediately short-circuited from happiness.
The slimes pressed their gelatinous bodies to the glass walls, staring directly at Danny's tank. Their bubbling noises grew more excited.
Jimmy's voice crackled over the speaker. "Uh—Julian, why are the slimes paying attention to only one tank?"
Julian didn't answer. He simply observed.
The slimes didn't just look at Danny.
They bowed.
Danny blinked inside the golden-lit pod. "What… did I do now?"
The Magic Water around him glowed, brighter than any other tank. Energy pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat, turning the water almost radiant gold. The slimes began bouncing excitedly, like worshippers greeting a long-lost deity.
The moment Danny stepped out, fully healed, they all bobbed in unison.
"Julian!" Jimmy shouted through the mic. "THE SLIMES KNOW! THEY KNOW HE'S THE CHOSEN ONE! I SAID IT FIRST!"
Julian rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Jimmy, please stop consuming interdimensional breakfast items."
Jimmy burped cosmic gold smoke.
"Too late."
In the arena stands, spectators buzzed as holographic betting boards lit up everywhere:
BETTING OPEN — WHO WILL TAKE THE CROWN?
A storm of opinions erupted.
"Wolf King's the strongest! Look at that physique!"
"No way the Queen doesn't take it—she's basically death in fur!"
"That assassin woman survived the chamber?! She's terrifying!"
"I'm putting a thousand credits on the Silver Dragon kid!"
"I'm betting on the chaos gremlin!"
"Which one?"
"THE ONE THAT SCREAMS!"
"You mean Jake?"
"No, I meant Bumble."
The Bumble betting line spiked dramatically.
Jake saw it.
He screamed again.
Swift sighed. "They really think Bumble can win…"
Jake grabbed Swift by both shoulders. "HE BEAT TWO PEOPLE BY ACCIDENT AND NOW THERE'S GAMBLING ON HIM."
Jade leaned against the wall, already stretching. "I'd put money on the bot too, honestly."
Shadeclaw growled. "Ridiculous."
Bumble raised his hand.
"I WILL FIGHT FOR HONOR."
Danny shook his head with a small smile. Somehow he wasn't surprised anymore.
The fighters—healed, restored, and staring toward the future—felt the air shift as the arena began its next transformation. Lights dimmed. Machinery whirred. A massive screen descended overhead.
BRACKET REVEAL INCOMING.
Sixteen fighters stood ready.
Danny felt the golden pulse in his chest again.
Another fight was coming.
A more focused one.
A more personal one.
Jimmy wheeled in a waffle banquet for the fighters.
Julian sighed for the fifteenth time in ten minutes.
And the world leaned forward, waiting.