Wingal pranced impatiently through the bright corridors of Dimension Police HQ. He was bored, extremely bored. There was nothing to do other than wait for news of Llew and Flogal. He had attempted to make conversation with some of the denizens but they all seemed to be too preoccupied with their work to indulge in him.

Trotting around aimlessly, he found himself in the commander's office where he was surprised to see Goyusha.

Commander Laurel, the leader of the Dimension Police operatives, stood behind a well-organised table covered with books and sheets of paper. He was a tall, purple-skinned humanoid alien garbed in a marvelous ivory coat with a flowing cape. A multitude of badges befitting his rank adorned the front of his suit and covering his facial features was the violet visor of a specialized helmet which allowed him to breathe in Cray's atmosphere.

"-discovered that an outsider must have been behind the incident. Grader found several traces of magic remnants, which make the culprit unlikely to be a Nova Grappler." Wingal heard Goyusha say. The two were so intent on their discussion that they hadn't noticed his presence.

"Hmm," the Commander massaged his chin thoughtfully. "And there were no visual reports? None at all?"

"No, Sir."

"Quite a coincidence for Wingal and his band of Royal Paladins to arrive at the city at such a time."

"I doubt that those knights have anything to do with the case. But of course, I shall label them as suspects all the same, considering the circumstances."

Wingal twitched. Llew and Flogal were being suspected for a crime?

"Right. Do you have anything else to report?"

"Just this," Goyusha procured a black stone. "This is the only remaining piece of evidence from the scene."

Wingal recoiled. The object was giving off an extremely sinister aura.

Commander Laurel took it and observed it carefully. "Has this been put through the sensors?"

"Yes. But we were unable to pick up any form of signatures from it. Tracking will be impossible."

"Wait!" barked Wingal, interrupting their conference.

"Wingal!" Goyusha reacted in alarm. "Did you hear everything?"

The High Dog nodded.

"Allow me to explain. The fact is not that we believe that you or your friends are evildoers, but as a professional organization of justice-"

"You don't have to explain anything," Wingal cut him off. "I can trace the scent on that stone for you. I can find the real culprit and prove that we're innocent."

"You can find a scent on this? But our sensors couldn't even detect anything."

"Our sensors are electronic machines," Laurel mused. "They won't find anything that isn't substantial. Perhaps we're working with something that exists.. yet doesn't."

Goyusha's tone turned severe. "You mean-"

Commander Laurel shook his head. "I can't say for certain. But the possibility remains. And it cannot be ignored."

"So are you guys going to let me help or not?" growled Wingal.

"We shall," Goyusha replied. "But are you sure about this?"

"I was getting bored anyway," the High Beast replied.

The Commander nodded. "Very well, then. Move out!"

…

With Patrick shaking his head in exasperation, Lion Heat led them back into the underground network of the Arena until they arrived at a large hall.

It was tiny in comparison with the huge stadium above but big enough to accommodate four normal-sized square rings and a small grandstand for bystanders to sit. Only two of the stages were occupied and the meager audience seemed to be more interested in their own personal activities than the fights taking place.

"This is the training area," Patrick explained. "It's not for official matches and people are allowed to use them to spar."

Approaching one of the empty arenas, Heat pulled the elastic fencing apart to create an opening and gestured to Llew. "Get in."

"Teach that brute a lesson, Llew!" Flogal growled. "Show him just what us paladins are capable of!"

Nodding with a smile, the knight entered and the fearsome Warbeast followed.

Heat jabbed a clawed finger at Patrick. "You. Be the ref."

Shrugging his shoulders with a reluctant sigh, the mechanic walked along the outside of the arena and stopped between the pair.

Trotting along, Flogal whispered. "What's his problem?"

"He doesn't like humans all that much," Patrick replied softly. "He's actually quite a nice guy, but he thinks that humans are pathetic."

"REF!" Heat roared impatiently.

Patrick cringed. "Alright, alright. The rules are simple. The first to surrender or be rendered incapable of fighting loses. Ready?"

The lion nodded, a look of derision clouding his face.

Llew nodded as well.

"Then.." Patrick sliced the air with an action reminiscent of a karate chop. "..Fight!"

Lion Heat wasted no time in making his move, flinging forward one of his gargantuan fists with untamed bestiality.

Swinging the Blaster Blade through a long circle, Llew parried the blow, but the effect jarred him.

"I'll crush you to a pulp!"

Bringing his palms together, the Nova Grappler hammered downwards in one swift motion.

Llew rolled out of the way, then struck at his opponent's hip with a quick slash.

But the blade failed to penetrate the beast's thick iron hide.

Recalling King of Sword's failed attempt to butcher Asura Kaiser, Llew sighed. "Are all Nova Grapplers this tough?"

"You got that right!"

Spinning violently, Heat lashed out with an elbow thrust that caught Llew by surprise, blasting him a few meters away despite having raised his sword to defend himself.

Deciding to change tactics, the Royal Paladin swung his weapon behind him to charge it, then unleashed an azure bolt of energy at his foe.

Wide-eyed and stunned, Lion Heat crossed his fists in a guard.

BOOM!

Smoke trailed in waves as the Warbeast slammed into the arena fencing.

Llew grinned. It hadn't been as explosive or powerful as the one he had used to defeat the Reverse Aura Phoenix, but at least he could now use 'The Power' at will.

"Well, well. Looks like the little bug has some tricks up his sleeve."

Empty of heavy wounds, Lion Heat quickly recovered and pounced at his prey.

A punch. Llew jumped. An uppercut. Llew slipped inside it and was rewarded with a clean chop on the creature's skill. Unflinching, the lion countered with a kick that knocked the breath out of his lungs. Llew swiped horizontally, but the beast leaned back to evade the attack. Another punch. Llew ducked to the side.

By then, their bout had attracted the attention of several onlookers. Even the other pairs in the adjacent rings had paused their training to focus on the intense fight that was taking place in their presence.

Llew twisted his head from side to side, narrowly escaping a volley of well-timed jabs. Then, gathering energy in a shell around the Blaster Blade, he struck at Heat's scarred chest. The beast recoiled.

Refusing to be upstaged, the lion bounced back immediately with a ferocious tackle. Too fatigued to dodge, Llew locked himself in a defensive stance and braced himself for the hit.

This time it was his turn to slam into the arena fencing.

Both parties were panting furiously. While Lion Heat boasted impressive size, strength and durability, Llew possessed the advantages of dexterity and speed. But neither side had the intention of giving in.

"You.. you worm!" snarled Heat as he thundered across the field.

"I won't lose to the likes of you!" countered Llew as he sped, the edge of Blaster Blade collecting lightning as he went.

And as the two met, there was a deafening whiplash as they exchanged blows. Sword met fist.

They fell.

Both fighters knelt on the arena floor, using their arms to support themselves lest they collapse. Both gasped desperately for air, willing their bodies to quickly convert the absorbed oxygen into energy. So that they could stand, and fight.

Despite his exhaustion, Llew unconsciously smiled to himself. All this time, he had only either fought for mere practice or for his very own survival. He had never fully exerted himself in a clash against someone in the name of sport or pride before. It was rather.. exhilarating, enjoyable in fact.

A clap. Then another. And another. And soon the confined space was filled with a cacophony of applause.

Patrick grinned to himself and Flogal couldn't help but offer a proud wink towards Llew.

"Bravo! Bravo!"

At that very moment, a man chose to invade the arena. He seemed human at first glance but further inspection caused Llew to deduce otherwise. The stranger's toned and muscular figure was a vivid shade of indigo and his bald head was oddly nut-shaped. A dark blue visor shielded his irises and his clothing consisted only of a pair of dark blue trunks, a matching set of baby blue gloves and boots, and crimson shoulder pads out of which flowed a dazzling red cape. A symbol of unknown meaning was splashed across his chest and abdominals.

"An excellent fight! Bravo!" he praised. "Shall we call it a draw for now?"

"A draw?!" Lion Heat whirled around, seething in offense. "It's not over yet."

"..It's a draw, Lion," a trickle of malice seeped into the newcomer's voice.

Obviously shaken, all Lion Heat managed was an obedient bow before he hurriedly departed from the scene.

"Well, now that that's taken care of," the stranger faced Llew. "May I know your name, warrior?"

"It's Llew. The Knight of the Future, Llew. Who are you?"

"They call me Mr. Invincible. You're a Royal Paladin, I presume? What brings you to Star Gate?"

Llew's eyes wandered suspiciously over the crowd. "I'm looking for something."

"Oh?" the man's gazed lingered over the Blaster Blade. "You wouldn't happen to be searching for a.. jewel of some sort?"

Llew's head snapped back. "You know?"

Invincible stared at him knowingly. "You're not the first person to come here wielding that blade."

Llew pondered his words for a few seconds. "Where can I find it?"

"The Supernova is a crystal that's only awarded to champions of the Commercial Wrestling Federation. To obtain one, you'll have to come in tops in one of their sanctioned tournaments."

He produced a silver crystal. It was shaped like a diamond but its very presence seemed to shatter the surrounding light into vibrant fragments.

Llew gasped as he laid his eyes upon it. A floating sensation, then he was gone.

Endless darkness, A spark brighter than anything else. And a presence. A presence so overwhelmingly powerful and ancient that he couldn't help but shudder.

And he was back.

"Alright," the knight managed to say as he caught his breath. "I'll take part in the next tournament, then. Are most Nova Grapplers as strong as Heat?"

"Most are stronger. Much stronger."

Llew grimaced. "Looks like this'll be a problem."

"Need me to give you mine? I could."

Llew shook his head. "No. That wouldn't be right."

A brief silence. Then, the Nova Grappler exploded into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"What's wrong?" Llew questioned.

"Nothing," he replied as he wiped his tears. "You're exactly the same as the last man who came for the Supernova. Said the exact same words, too. I like you kid. I like you kid. Your moves show that you have tons of potential. I could train you if you like."

"I appreciate it but one of my friends got lost around here and finding him is my top priority for now."

"Hold on," Invincible pressed a button on his visor, triggering a high-pitched beep. "Hello? Laurel? Yeah, it's me. Listen, I ran into some paladins and- What? Really? Great, I'll let him know. Thanks!"

Ending the transmission, he addressed Llew. "The friend you're looking for. His name is Wingal, right?"

Llew's eyes widened. "You know where he is?"

"Yeap. He's busy at the moment, though. He's suing his nose to help my old friends at the Dimension Police catch some criminals."

"Catching criminals? That's just like Wingal!" Flogal chuckled in delight at the news.

Llew grinned. "Guess I can focus on the tournament, then. I'll take you up on your offer."

"My pleasure," Invincible replied, catching Llew's hand in a firm shake.