Two hours later, Lucian and the others were once again teleported before Slix Vigma.
Around them stood fifty warrior robots. Their bodies were entirely crimson, laser blades gripped tightly in their hands, feet planted atop hovering spheres. They remained perfectly still as they guarded the control room.
"What did you summon us for this time?" Lucian asked calmly.
Slix Vigma stood with his hands clasped behind his back, shrouded in a hazy red glow that made his figure hard to discern. His hoarse voice echoed through the room. "I've decided to let you enter the finals ahead of schedule."
"Wait, what?" Ben frowned. "Didn't you say each of us had to fight three individual matches? We still have one left."
Kevin let out a cold snort and stared straight at Slix Vigma. "You sneaky coward. You'd better send me back right now, or I'll tear this junk heap of a ship apart."
At his words, a nearby robot immediately pressed a button on its blade handle.
Zzzzz...
A powerful electric current burst from the control device on Kevin's back, crackling around his body.
"Ahhh!" Kevin screamed as his momentum collapsed. He dropped to the ground, twitching.
Slix Vigma chuckled softly and turned his gaze to Ben. "Originally, there were three matches. But your performance has been excellent, so I changed my mind."
"Fine," Ben said. "Then who are we up against?"
"You'll know soon enough." Slix Vigma's smile turned eerie. "But before that, I have a little gift for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, two robots stepped forward, each holding silver shackles. They fastened them around the left ankles of the three, linking them together.
Three silver restraints were connected by a blue laser chain, as if binding their fates into one.
"What the hell is this thing?" Kevin snarled, his face twisted with rage.
Lucian lowered his gaze to the laser chain at his feet and said nothing.
"These are Death Shackles," Slix Vigma said slowly, his voice hollow and distant. "If any one of you dies, the others will die as well. So behave, and cooperate."
His eyes could see everything aboard the ship. The conflict between Ben Tennyson and Kevin was obvious to him.
To force the two to work together, Slix Vigma had deliberately resorted to this method, using the Death Shackles to eliminate any chance of betrayal.
Of course, the shackles also made the matches far more entertaining. More excitement meant happier audiences and greater profits.
"Enough talk. The battle is about to begin. Prepare yourselves."
With a casual wave of his hand, several streaks of crimson light ignited beneath their feet, instantly transporting them away.
...
The golden arena stretched endlessly before them. Every spectator aboard the ship had gathered here, their deafening shouts crashing together without pause.
The arena's walls and floor were entirely cast from gold, an extravagantly expensive structure built solely for the finals.
Over the years, countless champions had been born here. Each one was a monster among monsters, soaked in blood, survivors who had clawed their way out of mountains of corpses.
A blood-red glow flared as Lucian and the other two were delivered onto the arena floor.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the annual Soul-Snatcher Finals are finally here! This match will determine the MVP and crown our new champion!"
This time, the announcer was no longer a robot. Instead, a tall female rabbit-eared alien stepped forward, her pleasant voice instantly igniting the crowd's excitement.
Thunderous cheers rolled through the arena, echoing across the entire Soul-Snatcher cruiser.
The rabbit-eared woman smiled, her fluffy ears twitching lightly as she continued, "First, let's give a warm welcome to our three challengers from Earth! Today, they will face the previous three champions!"
The crowd exploded.
Cheers erupted like a pot boiling over, countless arms waving in the air as they shouted for Lucian and his team.
"To ensure fairness, this match will use a 3v3 format."
"Opposing the Earth challengers are the top three former champions of the Soul-Snatching Arena. Let's give them a warm welcome as they take the stage!"
The rabbit-eared woman raised her voice enthusiastically. Her tall, slender legs were wrapped in white stockings, showing off an unmistakable allure.
Of course, Lucian had no interest in any of that.
"The top three former champions?" Lucian frowned.
He knew the current champion was Technorg, but who were the other two?
Anyone who could reach the level of champion was no ordinary opponent. Their strength couldn't be underestimated, and caution was necessary.
"Ben, be careful out there. Don't take them lightly," Lucian said calmly.
"Relax, Cuz. I won't underestimate them," Ben replied.
Even as he said that, he was already thinking to himself: The hero's about to make his entrance. Time to beat up some weirdos!
Kevin let out a cold laugh. "Hmph. Just a bunch of losers. I'm not scared of them."
Lucian felt a vein throb at his temple. He shook his head and sighed. He knew this was exactly how it would go.
As expected, when it really mattered, he'd have to carry things himself.
"First to enter the arena is our reigning champion, Technorg!"
The rabbit-eared alien held the microphone, her voice clear and melodious, as sweet as a nightingale's song.
Thud. Thud.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the iron gate on the opposite side, growing closer and closer, shaking the ground with every step.
Technorg emerged, massive and imposing. His golden eyes gleamed with a savage, violent light.
His left arm was fitted with a terrifying flail, its surface stained with dark, dried blood. No one knew how many aliens had fallen beneath it.
The instant Technorg appeared, the crowd erupted, excitement detonating like a lit powder keg.
"Next up, please welcome the previous champion, Blood Shadow Tiger!"
As the rabbit-eared beauty finished speaking, a towering humanoid tiger beast slowly walked out and stopped beside Technorg.
Lucian narrowed his eyes and studied him closely.
Blood Shadow Tiger had a kingly marking on his forehead. His entire body was covered in blood-red fur, his build extremely robust. His chest bulged powerfully, his muscles sharply defined, standing nearly as tall as Rath.
Unlike Rath, however, he wore no knuckle weapons on his hands.
His silver pupils were calm and emotionless, like an ancient well. Yet the dense aura of bloodshed surrounding him was unmistakable. Lucian could tell at once that this one had killed more than his share of aliens.
Kevin's expression changed instantly. His face darkened as he clenched his fists.
"Damn it… another freak," he thought.
He had assumed Technorg was already the strongest there was. He hadn't expected former champions to still be this intimidating.
The rabbit-eared alien's eyes sparkled as she continued her explanation. "Some newcomers might think that former champions can't compare to the current one, that each generation grows weaker. That isn't true."
"According to the rules set by Lord Slix Vigma, once someone becomes the arena champion, they no longer need to fight. They can remain aboard the ship and enjoy wealth, luxury, and the company of beautiful women!"
Lucian's gaze shifted slightly.
In other words, once you became champion, you were set for life. No worries about food or shelter, endless riches, and different beautiful alien companions every day. Second only to Slix Vigma himself.
Past champions weren't necessarily weaker than the current champion. After all, once they won the title, they no longer had to participate in future tournaments unless they chose to.
So why were all these former champions being dragged out now?
"Some of you may be wondering why, for today's match, three former champions have been deployed," the rabbit-eared beauty said with a smile. "That's because the outstanding performance of the three Earth challengers has drawn Lord Slix Vigma's special attention. To enhance the spectacle and entertainment value, and to fully satisfy our audience, the three champions have been specially invited to compete!"
The crowd exploded.
Wild howls and deafening cheers surged through the arena, voices overlapping into a chaotic roar.
"I didn't volunteer for this," Blood Shadow Tiger said coldly.
He had been happily "playing" with a tigress when Slix Vigma issued the order. Participate in this match, or be eliminated.
Lucian caught the look on his face. He clearly wasn't pleased.
So even champions were still nothing more than Slix Vigma's prisoners. No wonder there was resentment simmering beneath the surface.
"Next, please welcome the champion from two generations ago. He is the embodiment of death and poisonous miasma, the nightmare of countless challengers, the living legend of the Battle Arena… the powerful and mysterious~~ Shadow Death Guard!"
The rabbit-eared alien exaggerated her tone, deliberately dragging out the final words to whip the atmosphere into a frenzy.
Every pair of eyes in the arena widened, all of them locked onto the iron gate, desperate to catch a glimpse of Shadow Death Guard's true form…
...
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