13th Noble Lion Moon, 908 – Telo Martius

The early morning in Telo Martius was abuzz with excitement. Shop owners prepared and tidied up their stalls, residents tidied up the front of their homes, and the streets were swept clean. Soldiers marched out through the gates of Telo Martius and stood in formation with their weapons raised and postures straightened. Servant girls followed afterwards, standing in front of the soldiers and kneeling to the ground with their heads bowed.

Today was an exciting day. Today marked the arrival of a prominent ally to the New Chariot Empire: Emperor Orochi of the Great Gate Empire.

Standing in front of the gate was Lord Martius, who smoothed out his robes as he waited for the arriving emperor. As soon as he finished his meticulous cleaning, he looked toward the cobblestone path leading to the city and saw the Pyroar-drawn carriage rolling into view.

"Make way for Emperor Orochi!" Lord Martius exclaimed.

The soldiers slammed their spears down. "Welcome, Emperor of Great Gate!" they exclaimed.

The twin Pyroar came to a stop and bowed their heads to the former emperor. Lord Martius bowed back to them before making his way to the carriage, where the door popped open.

The first to step out was a Simisear dressed in armor. Crimson red armor plates that wrapped around the limbs and chest. He wore a horned helmet with a face guard resembling a toothy snarl. Curiously, he had a modified scabbard attached to both hips, each holding three traditional Johtonian blades. Attached to his back was a tank of some kind which had hoses connected to the scabbards.

Stepping out next was a creature unfamiliar to most regions of the world, only known by Lord Martius due to his connections with the allied empire. She was a Sneasel, but one from the ancient Hisuian era of Sinnoh. She dressed in a form-fitting, military-grade black tunic and pants. On the left side of her chest was an emblem of three gnarly, purple claw marks encased around a circle. Her arm and claws were covered in thick fabric halfway up to her upper arm with a series of buckles and straps keeping them on tight. Finally, most strikingly of all, her sclera were pitch black with her red eyes seemingly glowing in the two pitch black voids.

Both soldiers knelt before Lord Martius as the final occupant of the carriage slithered out. He was a Seviper dressed in extravagant purple robes fitted to his slender form. He wore a decorative cap atop his head, which Lord Martius believed was called a kanmuri in their land.

Lord Martius puffed out his chest before bowing to their guest. "Emperor Orochi. We are honored to have you with us today."

The Seviper hissed quietly before bowing back. "And I am honored to be welcomed into your lovely city, Lord Tiberius Martius."

Tiberius raised his head and snapped his fingers. "Servants! Retrieve the emperor's bags and have them brought to the palace guest room!"

The servant girls bowed their heads once more. "Yes, Lord Martius!" They rose off the ground and walked in formation to the carriage, grabbing and passing along the Seviper's luggage before taking through the gates.

Tiberius looked to the emperor's two guards. "I see you've promoted two new bodyguards for the occasion."

Orochi chuckled. "One can never be too careful. I usually have standard soldiers at my side, but we wouldn't want to take chances outside my territory. Introduce yourselves."

The Simisear knelt before Tiberius. "I am Himura Hanzo of the Himura Clan. I am honored to be here."

The Hisuian Sneasel, with an icy cold stare, remained standing with her arms folded behind her back. "[Takigawa Shizuka. Daughter and disciple of Lord Takigawa and the Takigawa Clan.]"

Tiberius glared. "Takigawa, she said? I thought she reminded me of someone. Well, to see her here, she must be quite strong."

Orochi laughed. "Oh, indeed. I dare say if she were to fight a hundred of your men, she'd kill them all without breaking a sweat. Not to brag or anything, of course."

Tiberius noted the brief, awkward glances shared between his soldiers before sighing. "I'll take your word for it. Does she speak any English?"

"She was trained in all dialects in Virdis, though she's incredibly traditional. She isn't much of a talker anyway, so don't mind her." Orochi hissed in amusement. "Also, I know my darling granddaughter was invited as well, but she opted to stay behind and watch over the empire in my stead. She's quite the ambitious mind, worthy of becoming my heir."

Tiberius nodded. "She will become a strong ally once she succeeds your reign as emperor. Give her my compliments after your trip is over." He snapped his fingers, and the soldiers marched back into the city. "Nero has planned out the day for your arrival, but how about I give you a tour of the city before we meet with him?"

"Ooooh! How delightful~!"

Boarding an open carriage, Tiberius and Orochi were carted through the streets of Telo Martius, passing through the residential district and marketplace, where eager shop owners showed off their wares to the visiting emperor. Hanzo and Shizuka sat opposite of the regal figures, their eyes scanning and ever alert.

Orochi laughed, waving his sharp tail at the passing civilians. "I may have to bring back some souvenirs. I know this is just a business trip, but one must've sacrifice leisure when going to new places. I see the city has been renovated since my last visit."

Tiberius nodded. "All in thanks to Emperor Nero's wisdom and cunning mind. Now that we're encroaching on the west, we've pillaged their resources and used them to expand our own. We've acquired an assortment of new crops that'll make for a bountiful harvest before the next winter, and the recent boon in our economy has allowed us to expand the aqueducts for new water sources across New Chariot."

"Wonderful~! Ooh, I would love to check out your hot springs and see how they compare to Great Gates. The water temperature is just right for these old scales."

Tiberius laughed. "They certainly loosen the muscles. At my age, I'll take anything to keep me feeling young." He pointed to his right. "Just outside the city walls, we're training new soldiers to increase our size. They should be prepped and trained for deployment in the coming months."

"Oho, I see you've been busy expanding your forces as well," Orochi said. "We may not have the sheer quantity compared to you, but I feel our individual soldiers serve just as well. Especially with the backing of prominent clans under our control. I'm sure you're familiar with the influence the Takigawa Clan has had on the empire."

Tiberius looked to Shizuka for a moment before nodding. "Indeed. And how is the clan thriving these days?"

"Still strong as ever. Takigawa actually bred another batch of children recently. Once they're of age in a few years or so, we may be seeing the next generation of Takigawa elites. Though, I doubt any of them can compare to Shizuka or Takigawa's eldest son." He glared. "Though, there is still the troubling disappearance of Takigawa Makiko."

At the mention of the name, Shizuka dug her covered claws into her arm. For a brief moment, a scowl formed over her face.

Tiberius nodded. "So, she's still missing?"

"No one has seen her since she disappeared seven years ago." A worried grimace passed over the emperor's face. "Every day she's gone, another year of my life feels like it's being sawed away." He pressed his tail to his neck. "Everything I did to take my rightful place as emperor…"

Tiberius glared. "What exactly makes you think she'll come after you?"

"Believe me, there are some things one must keep to themselves, and I rather not shed from stress." The Seviper emperor shook his head and smiled nervously. "Forget my woes. I'm glad to hear the war efforts are coming along nicely on your end. I hope to assist by extending the goods of my empire to you."

Tiberius, though still wary from the emperor's brief lapse of confidence, nodded. "We are happy to work alongside the Great Gate Empire as always. I'm just glad I convinced Nero to go along with this meeting."

Orochi scowled. "Not that I look forward to meeting the lad. Is still as rude and obnoxious as ever?"

"He's…as strong a leader as ever." Tiberius sighed. "I apologize for my son's behavior during your last visit—"

"I've told you countless times you were giving him the position too early. He's still a brat who thinks for only himself."

Tiberius shook his head. "I assure you Nero has stepped up tremendously as New Chariot's emperor, and he has made considerable strides during his reign. Give him a chance, Emperor Orochi. He put together today's tournament especially to impress you."

"…" The Seviper sighed. "Oh, very well. But I better not hear any smart comments from him, or there will be consequences!"

"Of course, of course." Tiberius immediately turned away and facepalmed himself. Please, please don't ruin this for us, Nero! This man is even more paranoid than before, and I don't need you accidentally starting a war with our allies!

Fort Gladius

"Put your backs into it, maggots! I better not see any slacking coming from you!"

With the Foresters now working under Fort Gladius for the time being, they were soon put to work on reconstruction efforts. Specifically, the male Foresters were placed in charge of repairing the barracks, the pathways, and anything else destroyed from the Subterra Kingdom's attack. In addition, they were assigned to renovate the existing barracks for the soldiers.

Emile and Ragger carried along wooden support beams to the construction site, dropping them off on top of the pile. Ragger wiped his brow, shooting a glare over his shoulder. "This is humiliating."

Emile stretched his arms. "We just need to put up with it for another month and half," he whispered. "Besides, I think the girls have you beat on whose assignment is more humiliating."

Klaus and Fabrice sat atop the framework of the barracks, hammering in nails. The Morgrem peered down and asked, "When's lunch? I'm getting woozy up here."

Fabrice pulled out a ration block and handed it to him. "Here, eat this. It'll keep your strength up."

Klaus took it with a grimace. "I was hoping for something with a bit more flavor, but no room for being picky." He gulped before eating the entire block and swallowing it as fast as he could. He shuddered at the taste. "I don't think I can survive another month of this—what the?!"

Upon turning his eyes to the other end of the construction site, a quarter of the barracks had been set up already, singlehandedly by Tank. The walls on his end had been raised and the framework of the roof was in its finishing stages. Sensing the Morgrem's staring, he wiped his brow and faced him. "What?"

"…Nothing."

On ground level, Shingo, Gold, and Lucient were tasked with fixing the cobblestone streets while Leon, Wyatt, Avel, and Kenny worked to remove the hardened lava from the ground.

Lucient psychically passed along the cobblestone to Shingo and Gold while aligning his own pieces into the ground. His whiskers were disheveled, and sweat dripped from his brow. "I…miss the luxury of having a forest to provide unending shade for us."

Shingo pressed the stones into the ground, sealing them together with adhesive. "We get a break in a few hours. Hold strong, De Solus."

Gold wiped his brow. "I hope we get a break because I'm…"

"…You're what?"

"S-Sorry, I'm used to having my sister finish my sentences with me." He whined. "She's lucky. She doesn't have to be…"

"…" Lucient raised his brow. "In the sun all day?"

"Yes! That's it!"

Shingo shook his head. "You'll survive. Think of this as training for our minds. We need to stay sharp and alert at all times."

"How can you stay…" Gold looked to Lucient sheepishly.

Lucient rolled his eyes with a smile. "So calm over this?" Gold beamed and nodded.

Shingo closed his eyes sagely. "One of the lessons we learn as ninja is the art of infiltration. Either through covert access into a restricted location or to mask one's self within plain sight. By submitting ourselves to the role of New Chariot's prisoners and potential allies, we gain their trust. By playing up our roles, changing our very mannerisms to abide by those roles, we weaponize that trust."

"…That is quite insightful, Shingo," Lucient said.

Shingo nodded. "A good ninja must know how to change their persona when performing the art of overt infiltration. One of the many secrets I learned from my mother's line of work." He glared at the soldiers making their rounds through the fort. "Eventually, we will gain enough trust to move around the fort without the need of supervisors. Play up your role as if you are submitting yourselves as their allies. If you believe your own performance, they will, too."

"…" Gold groaned. "Sounds like too much work, but okay. I just wish I wasn't being cooked alive in the sun."

Lucient winced. "Speaking of, I wonder how the girls are doing."

"Of all the…!"

Much to the girls' chagrin, though as expected as it was, they were assigned to assist the servant girls working in Fort Gladius. Some took the position in stride, such as Sadie who had experience working as a maid, but the rest of them didn't take kindly to their new line of work. Some were put on cooking duty, while others had to handle cleaning after the soldiers. Among that included changing out their bedsheets and doing their laundry.

Adenine carefully held the basket of dirty clothes away from her face as she carried them outside. "These reek worse than Old Man McBucket's homemade casserole."

Hedwig growled as she peeled the bedsheets from the mattresses. "I am a warrior! I do not partake in housework!"

"And why did they make us wear these stupid uniforms?!" Ursula growled. She and the rest of the girls, during their stay, had to wear light blue stolas similar to the ones worn by the servant girls. She gripped and pulled down on her skirt. "They couldn't bother to give me one with a longer skirt, too?! I'm one stiff breeze away from being exposed! This is why I wear pants!"

Hedwig huffed. "I don't see what the big deal is. I sleep naked all the time."

"I'm clearly not talking about sleeping!"

Adenine sighed. "Ah'll see if Ah can modify it for ya later."

After gathering the bedsheets and clothes from the barracks, the girls stepped outside, where they caught sight of Luna and Enora being dragged by the collars by a struggling Jewel. Both girls were gnashing their teeth at a pair of guards who were leaving.

"I'm going to freeze them solid!" Enora snapped.

"I'm going to do something not nice to those jerks!" Luna growled.

Jewel panted heavily. "Why must I be the…" She blinked twice, then groaned. "Mature one. I miss Gold."

Ursula glared. "Do I even want to know what happened?"

Luna snarled. "We were delivering lunch, and we ended up arguing with those two jerks! They had the audacity to say our talents were better used as caretakers than warriors! I was a knight of the Verde Kingdom! I could slap those idiots silly if I wanted to!"

Enora growled. "They think I'm not tough?! I roughhoused with my four older brothers when I was five! I watched my father chokeslam a man to the ground! I can take you!"

Adenine sighed. "Girls, calm down. We all knew what we were signin' up for when Jason went over the plan. It's only for another month."

"Still, do we have to put up with these jerks?" Enora growled. "They're treating us like second class citizens!"

Ursula raised her brow. "To be fair, most of the servants working here are slaves. They've been working at this for so long that going along with whatever is better than nothing." She glared. "At the very least, the soldiers here aren't taking advantage of the servants and actually focus on their jobs. Just put up with the comments until the end of next month."

Enora smirked over her shoulder. "Oh, like you haven't been complaining lately? I heard you inside."

Ursula blushed. "Well, I don't need anyone seeing my rearend because these idiots couldn't bother to give me a larger uniform—"

Adenine slapped a hand over her mouth and sighed. "Girls, maybe keep yer voices down before ya say somethin' confidential." She glared. "Speaking of, when was Petra scheduled to arrive?"

Jewel counted off her digits. "I think about…" Frowning at her lack of a brother, she groaned. "Couple weeks."

Enora rubbed her paws together and smirked. "Gooood~! At least something good will come out of all of this once she brings the supplies."

Luna looked around for a bit before frowning. "Ursula, wasn't Marie supposed to be with your group?"

She shrugged. "Eh, she snuck off a while ago. Said she…" She groaned, slapping herself in the face. "She wanted to sample the New Chariot culture."

Luna shuddered. "Seriously? Even behind enemy lines, she can't control her?"

Adenine shook her head. "Let her be. As long as it doesn't stir up any trouble, she can do whatever." She picked up the laundry basket and went on her way. "Come on, we've got chores to finish."

Ursula and Hedwig picked up the bedsheets and followed behind. Luna turned away and facepalmed. "Unbelievable."

Enora chuckled bitterly. "Leave it to Marie to sneak off and find someone to entertain herself. She's probably making out with a soldier behind a tree or something."

"Enjoy your nap, hon~." After leaving the dazed, Attract-induced Amoonguss on the floor of the fort watchtower, Marie closed the door behind her and sighed. "Alright Basil, he should be out for an hour. What was so important that we needed to talk in private?"

She glanced to her right and spotted the Salandit laying atop the watchtower's railing, gently kicking his leg over his knee. He smiled. "I thought I let you know of what's the what with Telo Martius today."

She rolled her eyes. "That's what you dragged me away for? Good grief, bother me when you have something useful to say." She turned toward the stairs.

"Seems Emperor Orochi is visiting."

"…" She pulled her foot off the first step and faced him. "…Is that so?"

"Apparently he was invited for business negotiations, and Nero will be treating him to a battle royale coming up soon." He chuckled. "You're from the Great Gate Empire, aren't you? What's your opinion of the snake?"

"…" She glared. "I'm not playing your games, Basil. Unless you have something important to discuss, I'm leaving."

"Well, that's all the answer I need. Glad we're on the same page." He tilted his head toward her. "You should know, I overheard from the guards they're having their newest prisoner fight in the battle royale."

"…" Marie crossed her arms gingerly, glaring in the direction of Telo Martius. She could barely see it over the trees. "You think she'll be okay?"

"She's a feisty bunny. I'm sure she can manage. Plus, sticking her in the colosseum may teach her some new tricks. I hear even a disciple of Harriet has been locked up with her. She doesn't know it, but she's been subconsciously improving her Bounce. Seeing a trained user may give her a sharp boost."

"…" Marie sighed. "Wish I could watch her. Feels like forever since I've last spoken to her. Haven't talked to her since that training session I gave her."

Basil chuckled. "Well, I did hear the soldiers on watch duty can see the colosseum from here if they focus the telescope just right."

"…" Marie glared. "You just love messing with me, don't you?"

"You're especially fun to play with." He flipped onto his feet and walked along the railing. "Do whatever you wish. Her match could be starting soon." With that, he hopped off the watchtower.

Marie glanced inside, spotting the aforementioned telescope sitting by the window. Checking her surroundings, she sighed and let herself back inside, stepping over the dazed Amoonguss. Any chance I get to see Melissa, I suppose. Please be careful, hon.

Martius Palace, Telo Martius

Nero stood still as his harem girls helped him place on his robes and jewelry. Jason stood nearby with his back turned, mindlessly tapping his foot as he watched the Medicham assistant, Gemini, pace back and forth with a checklist.

"…and after we've concluded with dinner, we will meet back at the colosseum to conduct your scheduled chariot race with the visiting noble." Gemini flipped his checklist. "Tomorrow morning, after we've finished breakfast, we shall begin the negotiations with Emperor Orochi. By your father's insistence, you are to negotiate the trade of rice for our supply of corn, fifty barrels of black powder for our handcrafted shields, ten crates of Great Gate's finest silk for—"

"Uuuuugh," Nero groaned. "Do we have to go over this again?"

"Emperor Nero, this is for the good of the empire, thus it is necessary to go over the schedule."

Nero rolled his eyes. "I have most of this crap memorized already. Just smile, talk up the old snake, then get him to leave as soon as possible—agh! Little tight around the waist, Salacia."

The Ampharos bowed her head. "Sorry, my liege." She loosened the cloth around his waist and smoothed out the robe.

Fortuna balanced atop Nero's arms and slid on his golden bracelets. "Save the business talk for tomorrow, Gemmy! I've got some killer bets to win in today's battle royale!" She snickered greedily. "Buckshot Vilde is competing, and he's going to make me rich!"

"But you're already rich," Concordia the Bayleef reminded as she took a feather duster to Nero's shoulders.

"Yes, but I get to brag about it when I win some fat stacks of gul!"

Jason glanced at Gemini wearily. "Is it always this exciting?"

Gemini groaned. "Somedays, I wish this level of the palace wasn't one large room and actually had walls. You walk in on some noisy scenes from time to time."

Nero smirked over his shoulder. "If you're jealous, I could always find some single ladies to fill up your late nights, Gemini."

"Being your personal assistant is enough excitement for one lifetime. I'll pass." Gemini glanced down at Jason. "Speaking of which, your little traitor will be competing in today's battle royale as well."

Jason glared. "Harlow, huh?"

Nero laughed. "If she has any thoughts of staying as an imprisoned fighter, this'll push her into reconsidering…assuming she survives."

Fortuna tilted her head. "So, the Buneary's competing, too? Well, that adds an extra wrinkle into my predictions."

Nero smirked. "Does this mean you're finally going to lose a bet?"

She smirked back before kissing his cheek. "Naaah. Just give me five minutes and I'll have another Fortuna-guaranteed prediction prepared."

Juno the Blaziken finished off the emperor's ensemble with jewel-encrusted, golden necklaces, clasping them around his neck. "And done. You look as stunning as always, Emperor Nero~."

Nero pulled her down to his level and swiftly claimed a kiss from her. "Thank you, my dear. So, who'll be joining me at the colosseum besides Fortuna?"

Ceres yawned. "I'll pass for today. I drank too much last night."

"I'd be happy to tag along, my liege!" Invidia the Greedent exclaimed, immediately hugging his arm and nuzzling his cheek.

Concordia yawned. "Eh, why not? I'm in the mood for colosseum snacks, anyway."

Nero wrapped his arms around the two while Fortuna rested atop his shoulder. "Sounds like a plan." He planted a kiss on both their cheeks before leading them to the stairs. "Stormbreaker, let's get going."

Jason sighed, but saluted. "Right behind you, my liege—" His ears twitched. "Someone's coming up the stairs. And…" He twitched his ears again, getting a read on the sounds. "One of them sounds like they're…slithering?"

Nero's eyes widened, then he groaned. "Dammit." He let go of his girls and straightened out his robe again. "Get yourselves dressed, girls. My father's going to throw a conniption if no one's looking remotely presentable." His harem bowed and dashed off to get themselves properly dressed.

Curious, Jason took his place beside Gemini and stood at attention as Tiberius ascended the stairs. Following afterwards was Emperor Orochi and his two bodyguards. As soon as he saw the old snake, Jason narrowed his eyes, hiding the bitter aura quelling inside him.

Emperor Orochi. That's a face I haven't seen in some time.

Nero seemed equally annoyed, though kept his composure. With a tired sigh, he bowed to the Seviper. "Emperor Orochi, welcome to my humble palace…or something, whatever."

Orochi hissed before bowing back. "Emperor Nero. Just as undignified as ever. I'm glad not to have found you in a drunken stupor this time. Oh, and you remembered to wear clothes this time."

Nero smirked. "I live as I please. Get used to it."

"Perhaps undignified wasn't the right word…"

Tiberius shot a glare at his son. "Nero, Emperor Orochi came all this way to conduct business with us. Perhaps act with a bit more decorum."

Nero rolled his eyes. "Of course, Father." He cleared his throat and grinned charmingly. "What I meant to say was, we are ever so honored to have the illustrious backstabber of his own empire enter our domain. Please kindly keep all sharp objects away from me, for I may very well kill you if you try and take my throne like you did with your last emperor."

"…" Tiberius facepalmed.

Jason snorted. I really shouldn't be siding with this guy, but damn, he's got guts.

Hanzo and Shizuka tensed up at the New Chariot emperor, but settled from a single wave of Orochi's tail. He shook his head and tutted. "You're as brash as ever. Don't act like you haven't committed cruelty to obtain power yourself, Nero."

Nero chuckled. "Of course. I'm the humblest person I know. But let's not waste our time with pointless bickering. I promised to show you a grand time here in Telo Martius, and I see no better way than introducing you to an old-fashioned battle royale. Twenty-five of our brightest fighters, with a few surprises here and there."

Orochi nodded. "Well, I can't deny entertainment. Very well, I look forward to experiencing…this?" His eyes finally wandered over to Gemini. More importantly, they wandered over to Jason, who stared back with an equally intense stare. "…" Blinking twice, Orochi turned to Nero and asked, "Who is this?"

Nero smirked. "Oh, you mean my new bodyguard? Why, that's just the second most wanted creature in Virdis. Nothing special."

The Seviper's eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock. "W-W-W-W-WHAT?!" He pointed at Jason and exclaimed, "That's the Fairy Knight?!"

"Oh yeah, and I have the Foresters under my control, too."

"W-W-WHAAAAAT?! How?! When?! What?! Why?!"

Nero waved his baffled shrieks off. "Honestly, why are you so surprised? They were losing a hopeless battle and decided the most logical conclusion was to join the superior empire. Come on, keep up, you old snake."

Orochi blinked twice, still struggling to process this sudden wave of information. "I…um, I…huh." He scratched behind his head. "That's, uh…wow, that's something."

"Problem?" Nero asked.

"Well, I've had my fair share of trouble with these imps before they became public knowledge, so you'll have to forgive if I'm a bit hesitant about…all of this." Orochi winced as he looked down at Jason, who remained still and resolute as always. "Are you absolutely sure about this?"

Nero sighed. "If you're worried they'll pull some trick over me, I've pretty much put them into a deadlock. If they try and betray me, half the Foresters will be wiped out before they get a chance to act. They've been placed under special restrictions until they've earned their keep."

"…" Orochi sighed. "If you say so…"

Jason glanced at Hanzo and Shizuka, noticing their intense stares on him. He maintained his focus, not showing a shred of weakness or doubt. Those two don't look so convinced. He glared at Shizuka. Especially her.

As the Great Gate emperor finally calmed down, Fortuna returned with a more appropriate green stola, smoothing out the wrinkles. "Okay, I admit this one I just picked off the floor, but it's still pretty cleeeeeaaaaa—AAAHHH!"

Everyone jumped as Fortuna suddenly darted behind Nero, shaking like a leaf. Jason followed her line of sight and noticed she was staring directly at Shizuka, who seemed to scowl in the Pachirisu's presence.

"W-W-What's she doing here?" Fortuna asked.

Nero, sensing her discomfort, placed a hand on her head and gently petted her. "I…believe these are Emperor Orochi's bodyguards."

She gulped. "Oh. Right. Of course." She smiled nervously and waved at the Hisuian Sneasel. "H-Hey, sis. Long time no see."

Nero and Jason's eyes widened. Sis?

Shizuka narrowed her eyes. "[Fuku.]"

"Hehe. [It's, uh…actually Fortuna now.] Heh."

"[…Pathetic.]"

"Eh?"

Shizuka scoffed. "[You're a disgrace to the Takigawa Clan. Acting like a shivering brat. Your time here has poisoned your resolve.]"

Fortuna gulped. "[C-C-Come on, y-you know why Father sent me here. I'm just…you know, holding up my end of the bargain and stuff.]"

"[I always knew you were the weakest link in the family. It's a miracle you survived the final exam.]"

"…" Fortuna looked away, gripping to Nero's robes.

Sensing the awkwardness, Orochi coughed into his tail and said, "Uh, perhaps we should continue on to the colosseum."

"…" Nero sighed. "Right. Gemini, go on ahead with my father and Emperor Orochi. I'll catch up."

The Medicham nodded in understanding and gestured the two older men to follow him down. Shizuka shot Fortuna one last glare before descending the stairs. Hanzo lingered a bit, giving the Pachirisu a more pitiful look before following after.

Fortuna finally released the breath she was holding and crumpled onto the floor. "Good grief, of all the Takigawas that could've been assigned as Emperor Amano's bodyguard…"

Nero knelt beside her and stroked her back. "So, that was one of your sisters."

"…Yep."

"Maybe you should stay in the palace for today. If she makes you uncomfortable—"

Fortuna straightened up. "N-No! Um, no, uh…I-I'm fine, really. Besides, I've got big money planned for this battle royale, and y-you know I can't say no to a good bit of betting."

Nero glared. "Fortuna…"

She frowned. "Nero, I'll be fine, I promise. If I need some space, I'll just…find a seat closer to the arena or something."

"…" He groaned. "Fine." He pushed her aside. "Go get Concordia and Invidia. We leave in five minutes."

She bowed. "Of course, my liege." She scampered off.

Jason frowned at the fleeing Pachirisu. "So, she's from the Takigawa Clan?"

Nero nodded. "It's a long story. Something of a trade I did with her father. Cute, small, nice body. I'd say I got the better half of the deal. She was a lot colder and distant when she first arrived, though."

"…Sounds about right."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. Just talking out loud."

New Chariot Colosseum – Prison Level

A buzz of excitement swept through the prison level. Twenty-five lucky fighters were getting set for the match of their lives, though one could say that was all matches. Many different fighters, each with a win streak to uphold, but only one would be declared the victor.

The master of ceremonies that ran the colosseum was also put in charge of who would compete in each designated battle. Matches were determined based off win percentages, spectator feedback, personal choice, and (most especially) the emperor's own amusement. Because of these factors, a great number of prisoners were lined up by the elevator that will deposit them into the arena.

Among them—

"Galus scared!" the Dragapult yelped, hiding behind Melissa and trembling like a wet Growlithe. "No fight! Bad fighter! Galus die!"

Melissa hushed and petted his head. "It's okay, Galus. You're going to be fine. I'll keep you safe." She winced. What psychopath decided to put this sweet, innocent boy in the battle royale? Poor Galus. He's going to be an easy target for everyone. Then again…

She glared at the other competitors, noting that some of them were leering in her direction with malicious intent. The air felt stiff from their bloodthirsty fervor.

Everyone will probably shoot straight for me because I look like an easy mark. It's so cowardly, but I can't really blame them. These people are fighting under the slim chance they'll be freed. They'll fight tooth and nail for those one hundred consecutive victories.

She sighed before swiftly slapping her cheeks. It's not going to be easy, but I need to earn their trust. If I can rally the prisoners to my side, we stand a chance of overthrowing Nero and forcing him into that treaty.

"Hey. New girl."

"Huh?" She turned to her left and saw the familiar Armorouge approaching her. "Vilde? Is something wrong?"

He glared down at her. "Consider yourself lucky I don't plan of squealing about your little plan. I have my own plan to escape: winning my next thirty matches. This is your first battle in the colosseum, so let me make myself clear: I will destroy you."

"…" Melissa frowned. "Vilde, we don't have to be enemies. We want the same thing. I want to help you break free from this place. I want to help everyone."

He scoffed. "Sorry kid, but that kind of thinking only destroys hopes. Believe me, I'm no different from you. I used to think escape was possible, but New Chariot…" He shook his head. "They're not people you want to cross. Especially Nero. He may seem like a vain pretty boy, but he's the reason New Chariot has been succeeding so much in the war. His time as emperor has spearheaded their operations to a new future. It's a losing battle for us."

Melissa glared. "I don't plan on losing. I may not look like much, but I've come too far along to turn back."

He sighed. "That idealistic nature of yours really pisses me off. I've been getting by on raw determination and instinct. I'm warning you for the last time: if you have any hopes of getting out of here yourself, you'll take a dive in the match and worry about yourself."

"…" Melissa sighed through her nose. "I'm sorry, Vilde, but that's just not who I am. I'll never stop fighting for others."

He scoffed. "Pathetic. Don't say I didn't warn you." He turned and walked away from her.

Melissa clenched her fist. "Tch. I'll show him. If I have to break his precious winning streak to get him to see reason, so be it."

Galus gulped. "Galus scared. Vilde strong. Vilde destroy. Big boom!"

She patted his head. "You let me worry about Vilde. Just try to stay out of trouble, tough guy."

He smiled and wagged his tail. "Friend Harlow." His eyes wandered a bit, then noticed someone by the elevator. "That Lothar?"

"Huh?" She followed his gaze and spotted the Exploud from before standing by the closed elevator. He seemed to be keeping his head down, nervously tapping his foot. "Huh, fighting that jerk, too? Well, lucky me."

"Very strange."

"What do you mean?"

"No compete."

"No…compete? You mean Lothar isn't competing?"

"Not compete. Heard guards. Big list. Not Lothar."

"…" Melissa frowned. "Lothar isn't supposed to be competing?" Galus nodded. She scanned the prisoners quickly, silently counting them off. "But, between us and Vilde, that still adds up to twenty-five. If he's not supposed to be competing, where's the other—"

"E-Excuse me?" Melissa turned, startling the Scrafty behind her. "AH! Don't do that!"

She smiled. "Oh, you're the guy I met on my first day. Hello!" She held her hand out, but he recoiled.

"H-Hi. P-Please don't flip me again." He shuddered. "Listen, Corin asked me to get you. Said he wanted to talk to you about something."

Melissa and Galus shared a look with each other, unsure what the Typhlosion wanted. Still, she curtsied to the Scrafty. "Thank you kindly." She grabbed Galus' hand and walked over to where the chained Typhlosion sat.

Corin sensed their arrival, waking him from what appeared to be a light slumber. He smirked. "I'm impressed, kid. You've stirred up a lot of trouble, and you already got a top tier match ahead of you. The emperor must have it out for you or something."

Melissa laughed nervously. "That doesn't surprise me."

He bowed his head, laughing quietly. "I saw you trying to befriend Vilde earlier. He's a stubborn guy, but he's got a good heart. He acts ruthless in the arena, but he's something of a peacekeeper behind bars. You saw that when he tackled Lothar's little welcome for you. I guess even he has his limits in this place, but at least that didn't erode his nature."

"Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

"…" Corin closed his eyes and sighed. "Good people are so hard to come by, you know. I was a drifter most of my life. Never had a home. Never had much going for me. Few people I call my friends, though they do make life interesting." He smirked. "They kind of remind me of you."

"Me?"

"The kind of folks who want to see the light in this bleak region. That belief that, one day, the true ruler of this land will unite the ten kingdoms. Never believed in fairy tales, but…heh, stranger things have happened."

Galus tilted his head. "Galus confused. What about?"

Corin glared at Melissa. "Kid, this isn't a game with rules and honor systems. You understand what you're getting involved with, right? War isn't pretty. It's ugly and bloody. Are you prepared to fight for your dreams? Are you prepared to kill for them?"

"…" She sighed. "If I can help it, I refuse to take a single life. I want to win this war with as little bloodshed as possible. I want to create a world brought up on happiness and love. That is my vision."

"It's a fool's vision."

"Then I guess I'm the biggest fool of them all."

"…" He cracked a toothy grin. "I love idiots like you. So stupidly optimistic, it makes me giddy to see what chaos you'll bring." He chuckled and shook his head. "You know, I used to have a young protégé. Picked him off the road and taught him everything I knew about the world. I…think I taught him my bad drinking habits, but I digress. Haven't seen him for about…four years, I'm guessing. Poor kid. You couldn't help feeling bad for him."

Melissa frowned. "What do you mean?"

"…" He sighed. "Well, let's just say I'm not chained up here for no reason. My drifting days are pretty much over, but I'm still aiming to cause some trouble for the proud royals who call themselves our superiors. I suppose what I'm trying to say, kid, is that I'll place my faith in you."

She smiled. "Thanks, Corin. That means a lot."

"Well, when in a strange place, you need someone to rely on."

She giggled. "Yeah. I have a friend like that. He's…pretty much the reason I never ran away. First person to really give me a chance." She grabbed Galus' hand. "I'll keep what you said in mind, Corin! Thanks!" She ran off back to the prison elevator.

Corin leaned his head back against the wall and sighed. "Still, ambition…can be a dangerous thing. Hope you know how to balance it."

He glanced to his right, peering into the darkness and spotting a lone prisoner. The mysterious and original twenty-fifth fighter of the battle royale, a poor Grotle that was pummeled unconscious.

"Because people like Lothar aren't looking for a bloodless war."

The colosseum buzzed with excitement, people from all over Telo Martius gathering to partake in their favorite pastime. Among the spectators, taking their places high above the stands, Nero and his guests arrived on the royal balcony. A chair had been set up in advance for Emperor Orochi, who took his seat beside Nero while Shizuka and Hanzo stood guard.

Tiberius sat himself on his son's right. "Quite the turnout today."

Nero smirked. "Well, today is a special event. Can't you hear their excitement? This marks the first time in New Chariot's history that a woman will be fighting in the arena."

Invidia, sitting squished in Nero's throne, hugged his arm and nuzzled him. "The poor thing's going to get absolutely clobbered."

Concordia sat in front of the throne and shrugged. "Well, that's what she gets for being arrogant."

Jason glared at them for a moment before gazing down at the arena. Please be careful, Melissa.

Fortuna scampered up to the balcony, tiptoeing around Shizuka, and climbed up onto Nero's lap. "Back from placing my bets!"

Nero patted her head. "So, what's the lucky prediction for today? Another win for Buckshot Vilde?"

She smirked. "We'll just wait and see. My lucky senses never fail me, so I decided to play a little wild this time."

"Heh. That's my girl."

A horn sounded over the arena, drawing the audience's attention to the arena. On the far wall, a gate retracted as the prison elevator rose from deep underground. Once it reached the surface, twenty-five prisoners emerged into the arena, spreading themselves out across the vast space.

"Soldiers!" a voice boomed over the colosseum. "Cast the barrier!"

Standing at the edge of the arena wall, Saturn and several other soldiers raised their hands and cast a Wide Guard that wrapped over the arena like a prismatic bubble.

Melissa glared. I see. An entire battle royale's worth of prisoners would be harder to control than just two prisoners. How would they be fair against a prison riot, though?

She felt the ground shaking. She looked around and saw pillars rising out from below. Each of them carried a different type of weapon or equipment, such as swords, shields, slings, etc. She didn't see the prisoners making an immediate move for the weapons, so she kept still for now.

"Today is a special event, ladies and gentlemen! A twenty-five-man battle royale! Gladiatorial combat! The prisoners will be granted access to whatever weapons they can get their hands or claws on! Last man standing wins!"

The audience erupted with cheers and excitement, their cries rumbling off the Wide Guard bubble.

"Today's event was personally scheduled by our beloved Emperor Nero in honor of our guest, Emperor Orochi Amano of the Great Gate Empire! Please show your love and support to our neighbors up north! We have quite the event for all of you today! As I'm sure you're aware from the rumors, we have a special prisoner in our battle royale today! The infamous, tenth most wanted creature in Virdis and the first ever female combatant of the Centum Death Ring! Skill. Hunter. HARLOW!"

A mix of cheers and boos erupted from the stands.

"Seriously? They're letting some puny girl fight?"

"Good grief, she's going to get brutalized!"

"Wait, tenth most wanted? Since when?"

"Man, how can anyone put a cutie like her through this?"

"Show those men who's boss, bunny girl!"

"I heard she killed a man with just her finger!"

"I think this wanted poster I have of her is outdated. Where are her sharp, demon teeth?"

Melissa's eye twitched. Well, at least not everyone wants me to get pummeled. She sighed and slapped herself again. Focus, Melissa. If you're going to play the role of a prisoner, might as well put a little show on for these people.

"At the signal of Emperor Nero, the battle royale shall begin! Remember to place your bets at the betting booth, people! Will we see unstoppable champions like Buckshot Vilde, Demon Furnace Fintan, or Air Strike Decebal continue their winning streaks, or will a new champion be born today? Get ready, folks! On the emperor's mark!"

The prisoners held their breath, keeping their eyes locked on each other as they waited for Nero's signal. Sweat dripped from their brows in anticipation. The air was stiff with tension, their collective nerves shaking the atmosphere with a palpable aura. No matter how many times someone went into the arena, that vigilant sense for combat never dulled.

After purposefully waiting half a minute to draw out suspense, Nero rose from his seat and raised his hand. The prisoners, even without looking up at his balcony, could sense the emperor's movement.

"…" He smirked and swung his arm down. "BEGIN!"