The train screeched into its final stop.
the end of the line.
Doors slid open.
Annie's group stepped out first, laughter echoing faintly as they adjusted their bags. Roy, Kieran, Tanaka, and Brock followed shortly after. No one said a word to the other group, but there was… acknowledgement.
A glance.
A nod.
Then they split.
Annie and her friends peeled off toward the shopping district, already debating which stall sold the best fried mochi. Meanwhile, the boys turned toward the one place their feet were meant to go:
The Colosseum.
The streets around it were already boiling with anticipation, with banners flying, vendors shouting, and performers juggling flaming batons for loose change. The further they walked, the louder the crowd became. It wasn't just noise. It was hunger.
The hunger to witness someone fall or rise.
They passed through the gated entrance and found their way toward the contenders' zone, a massive tent-lined courtyard where fighters lounged, stretched, or meditated before their matches.
Roy sat down on a crate, Kieran leaned against a pillar, Brock folded his arms silently…
Tanaka paced.
Then, the speakers crackled to life.
"ATTENTION, PEOPLE AND SPECTATORS OF THE TOURNAMENT OF RICHT!"
The announcer's voice boomed across the entire Colosseum, echoing through the corridors and tents.
"TODAY BEGINS THE FINAL TRIALS! FOR THE SEMIFINALS EIGHT MATCHES, SIXTEEN WARRIORS, ONE CHAMPION!"
The crowd roared.
"AND NOW, A SNEAK PREVIEW OF THOSE WHO WILL BE TAKING THE STAGE TODAY!"
A magical screen burst to life above the courtyard, each name appearing in bright golden letters.
"TANAKA EWU."
Tanaka exhaled slowly.
The boys clapped his shoulder.
…
…
"KIERAN NAZAROFF."
Kieran smirked faintly.
Roy rolled his eyes. "Show-off."
Kieran grinned. "Can't help being talented."
Then…
"BICKY BACKY."
Everything stopped.
Roy blinked. "... Bicky?"
Brock slowly turned. "Oh shit. Bicky Backy. Remember the last time we came here?"
Roy then proceeded to remember that day. "Apparently being more relevant than we thought," Roy muttered.
10 minutes till match time.
The Colosseum above them began to shake with cheers, people stomping their feet like thunder.
The announcer bellowed:
"CONTENDERS, PREPARE YOURSELVES. THE CROWD IS STARVING. DON'T DISAPPOINT!"
Tanaka inhaled once, deeply, then dropped to the ground and started doing push-ups like his life depended on it.
"Fifty before I enter," he muttered between breaths.
Roy raised an eyebrow. "You're gonna walk in sweating."
"Better sweating than stiff," Tanaka snapped.
Kieran cracked his neck. "Fair."
Roy leaned back, watching Tanaka go at it with a faint smirk.
This was it. The stage was calling for Tanaka.
And it was almost time to answer.