"Okay. Its about to begin. The battle between the Green and Indigo teams! Let the battlefield be made!" Magenta Voice said as the two fortresses merged into a large battlefield. "And let the battle...begin!" she said as fireworks went off.
"Before we start…Khan, right? There's something that I've been wanting to ask you." Sectonia said.
"You wish to know why I seek your friend Fransica, the vile one who has forced my sibling into slavery?" Khan said.
"Yes. Exactly." Sectonia said. "Though, slavery seems like a bit of a stretch."
"Then what do you call it? You heroes have my brother imprisoned like an animal! I will free him from your evil grasps and slaughter the lot of you once this tournament is over." Khan said.
"See, that's the thing. Francisca and David are both on teams that have won their matches. If we somehow manage to outsmart Kokichi, and it will take a miracle to do so, chances are we'll be facing either one of them." Sectonia said. "Should that happen, what do you intend to do to them?"
"I still stand by what I have said." Khan said.
"And if we're pitted against Tigre? Do you intend to get the truth out of him? He never mentioned anything about you before." Sectonia said.
"Clearly he has memory loss. I will have to beat the memories back into him." Khan said.
"Oh, Mr. Khan!" Kokichi's voice said on a megaphone. "I know you're in the middle of the whole brother avenging sort of thing but if you want him...he's waiting." he said as Tigre stood outside the fortress.
"Kokichi, you crafty devil… Don't fall for it, Khan. He's clearly up to something." Sectonia said.
"I will free you brother!" Khan said rushing into enemy territory.
"Well...I gave you exactly what you wanted, Tigre. Just don't say I never gave you anything." Kokichi said smiling evilly.
"Brother...I have found you!" Khan said arriving.
"Tell me...who are you exactly?" Tigre demanded.
"It is I, your brother! I am Khan, we are of the same tiger beastman species! You do not remember me?" Khan asked.
"So...that's the lie you've settled on." Tigre said.
"What...but we are the…" Khan said.
"If you were a real beastman...even you'd know it's almost impossible for beastmen of the same animal to be born in the same family." Tigre said.
"But…how can I be wrong? I was told you were my brother." Khan said before being slashed from behind by Lady Mantis. "What? But...why would…"
"Well...this is just sad. He really was a good pawn." Lady Mantis said.
"Cursed Apex…why would you betray your own ally?!" Khan asked.
"You can stop with all of that. Everything I told you was a lie." Lady Mantis said. "I just needed someone to help me get close to him." she said pointing to Tigre. "There's a very handsome reward for the head of one of Harlequin's former inner circle."
"You're a bounty hunter." Tigre said.
"Yes...indeed I am. And now...you get to die." Lady Mantis said charging at Tigre who grew his claws in a quick effort to defend against her. "After all, this is the rule of the wild! The strong go and devour the weak!"
"You really think that rule applies in a tournament? He was your teammate! You went and stabbed him in the back!" Tigre said.
"So? Who cares about some tournament? Even you used to play wild and loose while being a smuggler." Lady Mantis said.
"True, I was like that once. All because of this cursed mark…" Tigre said. "But then...I met others who saw me for more than some lost royal. I am Tigre, a Dimensional Hero. And you...you're nothing but a rotten bug."
"Just shut up and…." Lady Mantis said before Tigre jumped above her.
"Beastman Martial Arts: Tiger's Frenzy!" he said slashing right at her before she collapsed on the ground.
As soon as she fell, a buzzer went off.
"Pardon the interruption ladies and gentlemen, but we need to postpone this match for ten minutes while we sort this thing out." Magenta Voice said. "I must sincerely apologize for letting this happen. This was a total oversight of our participation committee."
"So, Mantis…You mind telling us what that was all about?" Sectonia asked alongside Poison Ivy.
"Simple. I wanted two things: money...and revenge." Lady Mantis said.
"Revenge?" Poison Ivy asked.
"I wasn't always like this. I was only driven to this point because of what he did." she said glaring at Tigre. "My village was attacked, you smuggled us to the Beast Universe...and had us sold as slaves! Why wouldn't I want a chance to cut you down?"
"That wasn't Tigre. That was one of his former cohorts. One that has already been dealt with. Do you understand now? Your revenge was nothing but a complete waste." Sectonia said.
"Khan...just who was he really?" Tigre demanded.
"That one? He was some fool slave I found in the black market. He was the perfect piece to get close to you." Lady Mantis said. "So I bought him, told him you were family and was enslaved and then entered this tournament."
"I see. While it is true...there are some things I cannot take back, I have learned to overcome them while travelling with these good people. But you...you did much worse than I ever did." Tigre said.
"Not only that, but what you did was completely out of line. One that out of the goodness of heart I cannot allow to happen again." Sectonia said.
"What do you intend to do about it then? As I have heard...you and I were the same not too long ago, being insects and all." Lady Mantis said.
"Don't go saying stuff like that. The same? Hardly. Khan and I are Beastmen but that does not make us the same. Least he only dipped into the dark instead of taking a straight on dive like I did." Tigre said. "Just cause you meet someone who is like you in a way...THAT DOES NOT MAKE THEM THE SAME!"
"Er…I think she was talking about me and her, Tigre." Sectonia said.
"I know she was." Tigre said as he looked down at her as she cowered. "If you ever come near any of my friends again...Game Over."
"That goes double for me as well. I won't allow a stunt like that to happen again. Is that understood?" Sectonia asked.
"It won't be allowed by any of the tournament staff." Magenta Voice said as a few guards arrived and captured Mantis.
"Are you okay? Let me heal you." Elize said as she performed a healing arte on Khan.
"No...just...leave me here to rot." Khan said.
"You know we can't do that." Sectonia said.
"It's what I deserve. I was stuck there...for as long as I can remember. I knew somewhere in my heart she was lying but...part of me just wanted to believe I was part of something bigger." Khan said.
"You still can be, you know that." Sectonia said.
"She's right. Take it from me. I was tricked by Grodd back when Brainiac attacked my dimension." Poison Ivy said. "And look where I ended up now."
"What she's trying to say is that now that you know you've been tricked, you can atone for it. Forge the path you want to take with your own hands." Sectonia said.
"Maybe but…" Khan said.
"But nothing, you dumb cat." Lance said. "You think I joined you just because you had the same color as me? No, not in the slightest! You have the qualities of a true knight, Sir Khan. I would be honored to call you my friend."
"Lance…" Khan said. "Fine...so maybe I'm not some descendant of the Beast Kingdom. But I am Khan. And this...is my own path!"
"Thanks what we need to hear." Sectonia smiled. "So, you ready to go again? Sure, Mantis' antics left us a man down, but with you back on your feet, I think we can make up for this."
"So...does that mean you all are ready to resume?" Magenta Voice asked.
"Yes." Khan said.
"Then let the game start again!" Magenta Voice said as the fireworks went off.
"Well...that was certainly entertaining." Kokichi said. "But least now that the other liar is out of the way...the only winner left is the king of lies!" he said laughing.
"Don't be so sure about that, Kokichi. It's because Mantis is gone that we've got our second wind!" Sectonia said.
"Well...I'm gonna enjoy knocking you down a few pegs. Okay, my human meat shields! Go and guard!" Kokichi said.
"Why the heck are we letting him talk to us like that?" Ross muttered.
"At this point, I'm as lost as you." Tokoyami said.
"Okay...it's obvious Kokichi is the flag. We just need to get close." Starlight said.
"And with how uncoordinated and thin his forces are, it shouldn't be too much of a problem." Shiozaki said. "After all...we've already won." she said as the ground around Kokichi's fortress shook as vines rose up all around it and pulling it out of the foundation.
"What? Shiozaki's Vines. She's tearing the fortress apart!" Kokichi said in shock.
"And that is how...you pull off a quick win." Gallantmon said rocketing through the air as he grabbed Kokichi and landed on their side.
"Well...guess we lose." Kokichi said laughing.
"How are you taking this so lightly?!" most of the Indigo team shouted.
"He does not make a good team leader, does he?" Perfuma asked.
"I don't think he even cared about winning." Usopp said.
"Nope. Just wanted to create some interesting fun." Kokichi said.
"Well, at least we learn something from this battle. It doesn't matter what the size of the army is if they can't coordinate." Sectonia said. "Are you feeling better now, Khan?"
"Uh...yes." Khan said.
"And that concludes the round. And as an added bonus, to make up for the...unexpected attack earlier, we're allowing Green Team to pick any player from the defeated teams to replace Mantis." Magenta Voice said.
"Really? Hmm… Tough choice." Sectonia said. "Tigre. Get over here."
"Fine." Tigre said joining their side.
"Now then...we move onto the semifinal round! Our first match will be Violet vs Blue and then Green vs White!" Magenta Voice said.
"Sectonia…I…I don't know what to say." Khan said.
"To be honest, we were all pretty convinced that the two of you were really brothers. So, even though the two of you aren't really brothers...you can still live as such." Sectonia said.
"Are you sure? Now that Mantis spilled the beans, his grudge against Franny isn't going to have as much weight now." Kokichi said. "Not much fun in that."
"I am aware of that, but…I am still curious to see how far Khan is willing to take this will of his." Sectonia said. "Even if was all a lie, I want to see how it happens for myself."
"Sectonia…Thank you." Khan said. "How can I ever repay your kindness?"
"Perhaps you can journey alongside us. Colette and Elize seem to have taken a liking to you." Sectonia said. "Though, I can understand if you don't want to take us up on our offer. Take some time to think about it, okay?"
"I will. Thank you for the offer." Khan said.