5th Day in the 1st Fire Cycle[1], 2000 g.c.
The Velvet Kennel was humming with more energy than it had known all night. Magitons clashed and ricocheted invisibly across the atmosphere like sparks snapping between wires. The arena, once a den of indulgence, had become something primal—its makeshift coliseum carved by spatial magick into a stage for violence and glory. The cages and furniture of satin and velvet were shoved back against the edges, and spectators pressed tight against the separation field. The moans and sultry laughter of moments before had turned to cheers, barks, and wild howls as the duel stole every set of eyes.
At its center, Alex twirled his newly summoned Spirit Weapon, the Dawn Goddess, with a flourish that screamed raw potential. Each swing cut streaks of golden light through the charged haze, the quarterstaff's glow smearing like brushstrokes across the contained space. He lunged forward, striking with power and speed, only to be turned aside each time. The Wolven—Ikari Joestar—moved with a simplicity that felt cruel. A parry here, a deflection there. From above, left, torso jab—it didn't matter. Every motion was anticipated, blocked, erased before it could land.
The smell of frustration grew thick, mixing with the sweet tang of incense and sweat that clung to the Velvet Kennel's musk. Alex's teeth gritted as his fury built. To the crowd, it was a spectacle. To him, it was humiliation. Ikari's face, calm as moonlight, made it sting all the more.
"I don't know what kind of weapon that is," Ikari said with an easy grin, tail flicking lazily behind him, "but it's got you turnt. Good shit."
"Whuu?" Alex puffed, staff spinning for another rush. "Appreciate it. It's only my second time using it."
"Then you're gonna be a force of nature when you master it. Right now, though?" Ikari slipped a paw-hand under Alex's next strike like it weighed nothing. "Strong swings, but sloppy after the third. Clean that up, Big Dawg—before I put you down."
On the sidelines, but still within the glowing cage of the coliseum, Dream Flower, Nicole, Ameera, and the Ophiran mercenary Jack Cobruh stood shoulder to shoulder. Their eyes reflected the lightshow of the duel, each carrying their own emotion.
"Is it me?" Dream whispered, "Or is he giving Alex pointers?"
"It does look like that," Nicole muttered, brows drawn tight. "Maybe we're overthinking it."
Jack's neutral face split into a grin. "No, you two are correct. Ikari loves the concept of fighting. When he finds someone with potential to give him a memorable bout, he'll nudge them along. He lives for that."
Nicole's lips pressed flat. "A memorable fight? Then he should wait 'til Lord Xiro rejoins us."
Jack cocked a brow. "Lord Xiro?"
"Yeah," Dream chimed in. "Plus, Xiro's a Divine Beast as well."
The name made Jack glance sideways. His thoughts were sharp, though his face gave nothing away. "I wonder if he's the one behind the Tengu's training."
Meanwhile, Ameera said nothing. She couldn't. Her eyes tracked Alex's every stumble, her ears twitching at each clash, tail bristling like a fuse sparking toward an explosion. The fight's tension was tearing her logic apart. She was weighing whether to respect Alex's warrior pride or throw herself into the fray.
Alex, inside the storm, was sweating hard. The Dawn Goddess spun and slammed, yet Ikari's body was always already there. The Wolven's discipline left no wasted motion—every step, every turn, a perfect countermelody to Alex's chaos.
"No matter where I aim, he's already there to block it. Maybe... maybe I should use one of Xiro's Blessings to make an opening."
That was when [Morning Star: Lucifer]'s voice, hot and heavy with judgment, pressed into his skull.
"Such little belief in your own strength," Lucifer rumbled. "Rely on your true power."
"You again?" Alex thought back, panting between strikes. "And what would that be?"
"Anger. Rage. Wrath."
A heavy kick slammed into Alex's chest, forcing him back and opening space between him and Ikari. His boots scraped across the floor, balance nearly breaking. That was the spark that snapped Ameera's restraint. Emotion overran thought.
She burst forward without hesitation, claws unsheathing as she chanted. Gem Mana surged through her veins, her fur lifting in waves of static. The room crackled as bolts of lightning skittered across her form, dancing like serpents coiling for a strike.
"Here's my chance. Enhanced Electric Gem Mana: Lightning Steps!"
Lightning ripped up her tails, crackling across her body until she was a living streak of thunder. Her claws carved sparks with every step. The Vulpin darted straight toward Ikari with intent sharp enough to choke the room.
Ikari's ears flicked, instincts snapping before his mind caught up. His body planted, fist winding back, coated in Spatial Mana and Dark Energy. His knuckles glowed with a black-and-purple density that warped the air itself.
On the edge of all this chaos, Alex's subconscious finally broke through. A Blessing copy of my [Accelerated Mind Plus] surged alive within him. Time itself slowed, every detail stretching thin like taffy. Ameera was frozen mid-sprint, sparks haloing her frame. Ikari's fist, a comet of destruction, hovered inches from release.
Alex's mind raced. His body, though, felt trapped in mud.
Then came the fear. Cold at first, then searing. Fear that Ameera, the girl he liked, would be crushed. Fear transmuted into anger. Anger that screamed through his Sonata Core. [Dominus Irae] ignited, flooding his body with violent mana. His eyes burned azure blue, smoke trailing off like fire from ice.
Ikari, even in his heightened instincts, realized too late what he was about to do.
"Oh shit. It's one of them. Pull it back, Sirius. Pull it back."
But the fist never landed. At the last instant, Alex was there, Dawn Goddess intercepting. The staff struck the Wolven's punch aside with a ringing boom, redirecting the blow as Alex's body blurred between them. With a spin, he caught Ameera in his free arm, twisting his staff in the same breath to slam it into Ikari's chest. The strike pushed the Wolven back a few feet, boots dragging a line across the floor.
The crowd gasped, electricity crackling off Alex's shoulders as he set Ameera down gently.
Ikari looked down at his chest, then up with a smirk like the hit never touched him. His eyes shifted to Ameera.
"Aw man, my bad, shorty. I almost went a little too hard against a girl. But if you wanna jump in to help him, you can."
Alex snapped at her, voice rougher now, fueled by the lingering wrath. "Ameera, what are you doing? He's way too strong for you."
Ikari's inner grin widened. "His battle power spiked with anger. If that's the case, I know how to make this even more fun."
Ameera's ears dropped as she stammered. "I-I don't know what came over me. But I can't sit by and do nothing. He's too much for you to handle alone. Let me help."
Alex locked eyes with her, the plea clear without words. His grip on the Dawn Goddess tightened. Finally, he sighed.
"Fine. But try not to get hurt. And pull out if it becomes too much."
"Right!" she said, determination sparking stronger than the electricity still crawling over her body.
The two of them turned back toward Ikari. The Wolven stood with his hands buried in his pockets, a smirk etched across his muzzle, tail wagging slowly. The predator's patience was unnerving. He wanted the fight to burn hotter. And he was ready to fuel it.
The Velvet Kennel erupted. Chains rattled in unison, catgirls shrieked, Pandarans stomped. Musk and perfume curdled with adrenaline, while even the magick shimmered like a vibrating note, feeding the frenzy.
Dream Flower clapped her hands together, eyes glittering. Nicole cheered too, her voice cracking slightly from the strain of screaming encouragement. Jack Cobruh, meanwhile, remained still, sword resting lazily against his hip, his red-orange eyes betraying nothing. His posture was too precise to be casual. It was difficult to tell if he was a man enjoying a show or just a man calculating.
But celebration could not shield them from reality. Before Alex and Ameera could plant their feet or even breathe in sync, Ikari blurred into motion. His speed left a violet shimmer in the air, as if space itself bent under his step. His hand stretched forward, and a ripple of force burst outward.
"Whaaa—ahhh!" Alex yelped as the invisible grip of [Telekinesis] latched onto his aura like a giant's hand. His body snapped upward helplessly, flung into the air like a toy.
"Lord Alex!" Ameera screamed, ears shooting back.
That brief glance toward him cost her. By the time her gaze darted back, Ikari's muzzle was already in front of her, his fist chambered low. His punch landed against her stomach with a crack that sounded louder than a thunderclap inside the barrier. The Vulpin's body folded instantly. The spark in her eyes died as she collapsed unconscious, all breath stolen in an instant.
"AMEERA!" Alex's voice broke as he was slammed into the ceiling, the impact jarring the breath from his lungs. He clawed his way upright mid-air, wings flaring, vision swimming. Below, Ikari crouched casually, almost gently laying Ameera down before lifting his gaze toward him.
The Wolven lifted one hand and crooked his clawed fingers in a lazy beckon, lips pulled into a grin.
[Lucifer's Wrath] activated as rage clawed up Alex's throat like wildfire. He could feel his pride shredding, his body burning, and his chest tightening under a fury he could not contain. His scarlet-colored wings bled into black flames, the insides glowing with a ghostly white core. Hellfire poured off his body, searing the space around him. His staff ignited with azure-blue fire that bled like oil against the air. His eyes blazed like molten orbs.
Dream Flower's mouth fell open. "I didn't know he had this type of power in him. Are all the members of the Mikazuki full of surprises?"
Nicole hugged herself, trembling from the force of the aura. "It feels amazing… but will it be enough? The Wolven doesn't even look concerned."
Jack tilted his head slightly, his glasses catching stray light from the Hellfire sparks. "Who knows? We'll just have to watch and see." His thoughts, however, remained sharp. "That resonance effect... It's growing louder. If Sirius doesn't hold back, he might kill him by mistake. And I still need Alex alive to answer questions."
Hovering, Ikari barked out a laugh and pushed his aura outward, using [Gravity Control] to rise and meet Alex in the air. His tail flicked like a whip, betraying his excitement. "Now that's more like it."
Alex's voice came out like ground stone. "Hitting her like that was a big mistake."
Ikari smirked. "Then leash your little fox before she gets herself killed. Besides, I wasn't planning on letting her get in the way."
The gasoline words ignited Alex further. His quarterstaff spun in his hands, faster and faster, the motion creating a vortex of black and azure fire around him. Then, in a blur, he dove down.
The Dawn Goddess slammed toward Ikari's head with enough pressure that the walls of the coliseum cracked and bowed inward. Ikari snapped his hand up, [Telekinesis] flaring in an attempt to hold it back—but the Spirit Weapon tore through the psychic barrier as if it were glass. The blow connected against his shoulder shield, shattering it in an explosion of shards before driving the Wolven like a comet into the ground.
The Velvet Kennel gasped as one, the sound sharp before erupting into wild roars. Chains clattered like rain, voices howled, and moans turned into victory screams.
But Alex didn't bask in the moment. He dove into the dust cloud after Ikari, ready to press. The air was thick with powdered stone, Hellfire cinders, and glowing embers.
Then—whip!—Ikari's leg cut out of the haze like a blade. His roundhouse cracked across Alex's spine. The Tengu wheeled, grit clamping his jaw as he recovered, his wings pumping. He shot forward again, staff twirling in a cascade of burning light.
The exchange became a storm. Punch for punch, strike for strike, kicks and parries blending into a blur of violence. Sparks and fire trailed with every movement. Black Hellfire particles tore loose, spraying across the barrier like chunks of molten glass. Anything they touched withered and turned to ash instantly.
Two of the deadly cinders arced toward the sideline, spiraling toward Dream and Nicole. The girls gasped, instinctively jerking to move—but Jack Cobruh was already gone.
He reappeared between them in an instant, blade flashing faster than the eye could follow. Each Hellfire chunk was split into harmless fragments that hissed away before touching them.
Nicole's voice cracked. "Did you see that blade—"
Dream Flower grinned nervously, cutting Nicole's words short. "Hey, Mr. Cobruh, thanks for the assist."
Jack returned to his stance, unflinching. "Not a problem. We don't need anyone else getting harmed from their messy duel."
Meanwhile, Ikari's grin widened, his teeth flashing. He was enjoying himself now, his strikes growing sharper. Alex's eyes, however, were wild with fury. Every traded blow detonated like a bomb, rattling the walls of the Velvet Kennel. The entire floor quaked with each collision, the audience trembling but unwilling to look away.
For minutes, the chaos rolled on, the fighters moving too fast for the majority of onlookers to track. Still, the crowd screamed and moaned their support, throwing themselves into the storm.
Then Alex's flames began to falter. His Hellfire aura flickered, stuttering like a candle starved of air. Both Ikari and Alex noticed it at the same time.
The Wolven exhaled, stepping back with a nod. "Guess it's time to put this to an end. Good game, my brother. This shit was a lil' fun." His grin stretched wider, muzzle wrinkling. "Chaos in control—[Meteora]!"
His body erupted in light. Magitons gathered thick around him, crystallizing into clusters that popped and shimmered like champagne bubbles. His fur lengthened and shifted color into streaks of blonde and red. His eyes burned a sharp violet. Iridescent aura spilled off him in sheets of violet-gold flame that warped the air. His presence grew oppressive, a storm pressing down on every chest in the coliseum.
"You're not the only one who gets a power-up from emotions running wild." His voice was deeper now, vibrating with raw mana.
Even Jack's lips parted in awe. The spectators froze, whispers tumbling like dominoes as they tried to comprehend what they were witnessing.
Alex, however, gritted his teeth, determination flaring for one final push. His decision sealed it.
Ikari blurred. In less than a heartbeat, he appeared before Alex, palm extended. The jab to the chest cracked like a cannon. Then he seemed to fracture into dozens of afterimages, striking from sixty-four directions at once. Each blow slammed Alex with crushing speed. His body convulsed under the storm, Wrath Form burning out as consciousness slipped away.
The final strike sent him crashing into the floor like a meteor, stone splitting under his weight. The noise shook the entire Velvet Kennel, silencing even the most frenzied spectators.
Alex lay crumpled in the rubble, unmoving.
The Velvet Kennel coliseum exploded in a thunderous roar as the climactic dogfight reached its end. Chains rattled against walls and posts as the Catgirls shrieked and cried out in disbelief. When the dust finally settled, silence fell over the crowd like a dropped veil. Alex lay sprawled across the carpet, his transformation undone. Scratches traced jagged lines across his face, small trails of blood trickled from his mouth, and crimson speckles stained his once-pristine white dreadlocks. He was still breathing, chest rising faintly, but he was utterly defeated.
Jack crossed his arms, his expression cool, but the weight in his tone gave away some respect.
"I'm impressed that he got Ikari to use his Ultra Skill," he said flatly. "At least he didn't kill him this time."
Dream Flower exhaled loudly, lowering her face into her palm with a half-groan.
"Aww, man. I had a feeling this would be the outcome. Even after that cool ass transformation."
Nicole tilted her head, a thoughtful look crossing her features as she folded her arms.
"It seems they both had transformations tucked away as aces up their sleeves."
From above, Ikari floated lazily down to the ground, the glow of his golden transformation dimming as he dismissed the power. He touched down with an ease that spoke of practiced mastery, then strolled toward the group with his tail wagging slow arcs behind him.
"He wasn't bad at all," the Wolven admitted, rubbing his knuckles together idly. "Had me burning through mana reserves I don't usually touch. Sixteen percent—more than anyone's forced out of me in a long while."
Jack's brow lifted a fraction.
"Well-trained for someone so unknown," he replied, voice calm but edged with curiosity. "Although I did wish to ask him a few questions."
Dream Flower glanced between the unconscious pair on the floor and Nicole, her lips pursing.
"Now, he and Ameera are both down. What do you think we should do?"
Before Nicole could respond, a familiar feminine voice rang out from the background, light and teasing with a bounce of mischief.
"Leave it up to the Devil. Master Xiro can easily handle this."
Dream Flower's head snapped around so fast her ears twitched.
"Zawa? How the hell—when the hell did you get here?"
Nicole's eyes softened with a knowing smile.
"Lord Xiro? So he's finally made it."
Jack's sharp gaze narrowed slightly, though his face betrayed nothing.
"Someone new? And how did she enter the spatial divider?"
And then, another voice cut through the charged air, this one sudden, deep, and unmistakable. It came from right beside Alex's unconscious body.
"That was a good fight, my nigga. I'm proud of you. You repped the clan with an impressive showcase. Now, it's my time."
Ikari jerked his head up, ears perked, muzzle twisting with curiosity.
"Yo, who the hell is that?"
Nicole smiled like firelight. "The Devil King of Velonica—Lord Xiro Mikazuki."
Dream's grin was sharp. "He's the Divine Beast I was speaking about earlier."
Ikari's golden eyes blinked once before widening.
"That Majin's a Divine Beast? Word."
Jack's thoughts swirled dark and analytical as he studied me.
"I didn't feel his presence until the last moment. To add to that, the resonance feeling from before is stronger in him than in Alex. Just who are these people?"
Ikari grinned widely, teeth flashing like a predator about to pounce.
"Yo, dude! Xiro or whatever they call you—"
I raised a hand casually, my tone dismissive.
"Just a moment, big blue. I'll be with you after I handle this."
My eyes shifted toward Ameera. Activating [Heaven's Kaleidoscope], the world folded into layers of detail beneath my gaze. Her body lit with highlighted fractures—ribs cracked in two places, intestinal bruising—but nothing fatal. Alex was worse. Broken ribs, fractured bones, a splintered skull, and his mana circuits fried from the strain of that uncontrolled surge of Bio Mana. He had forced a body not yet prepared to wield that form, and the consequences carved themselves into him.
I lifted my hand, summoning motes of Yang Mana. Golden orbs and glimmering shards danced into existence, reshaping into radiant bubbles of light. One lowered gently onto Alex, while another settled over Ameera; each sphere expanded into a cocoon of soft, yellow brilliance. Their unconscious bodies were bathed in restorative warmth as the energy hummed like a thousand voices in a choir. Then, with a simple gesture and the pull of [Electromagnetic Control], both spheres floated upward, carried on invisible strings, and set gently down beside Dream Flower like a makeshift medibay.
With them secure, my focus returned to the Wolven. The three colors of my gankyril whirled in my eyes, galaxies turning within galaxies as I walked forward. Ikari sniffed the air twice, his grin stretching wider as his gaze locked with mine. His golden eyes flickered with something feral and exhilarated.
"Wheeeww booii!" he barked, voice rumbling with excitement. "I have never smelt an Oni this powerful before. Tell me, Xiro, you down for a quick freestyle battle? I just ran a... what was it? A fade with your clan member over there."
I chuckled, rolling my neck as my aura crackled faintly.
"And here I was ready to ask the same question. Great minds really do think alike."
Jack's voice broke in low, a warning wrapped in caution.
"Watch yourself with this one, Ikari. I fear he's more than meets the eye."
Ikari barked out a laugh.
"Duh, I know that. That's why I'm so excited."
"I like your attitude, my nigga," I said, a devilish smile tugging at my lips. "Now, let's fuck around and find out."
We floated back to the center of the arena, eyes never leaving each other. His aura crackled like a storm trapped in a cage, explosive and loud. Mine gave almost nothing away, most of it hidden in my [Midnight World], though the weight of me was impossible to ignore. He wasn't arrogant—he was seasoned. He read me correctly, even with all the cloaking tricks. That made him dangerous.
Ikari's pierced ears flicked. His eyes caught something. The lack of a collar around my neck. His grin sharpened.
"So, what happened to your collar?"
"Collar? Oh, that shit with the effect ailment?" I scoffed. "I destroyed it. I don't do that taming shit."
"Word? Guess I should take this off then."
He pinched the dog tag collar around his neck, Bio Mana surging through his frame. In one fluid motion, he ripped the construct free, crushed it, and scattered its particles like dust. My [Kaleidoscope Eyes] caught it—temporal ripples, subtle acceleration. He sped his chants until they were invisible. Clever bastard.
"There we go," Ikari said, rolling his shoulders. "Even grounds now."
I tilted my head, my smile slow and sharp.
"Wow. That's pretty genius of you—Temporal Mana to blur and speed up your chants? Most would think you were freestylin'."
He smirked, lips curling over his fangs.
"Saw that, did you? Not scared, are you?" His hand twitched, gesturing for me to come.
"Nahh. Never nervous," I replied, baring my fangs with a devil's grin.
Then I moved. A hypersonic dash, the floor cracking beneath me as my form blurred. I was before him in an instant, faster than thunder rolling after a lightning strike. He began a Temporal Art, lips whispering at a speed invisible to mortal eyes. Time froze, the air crystallizing. Everything halted. Everyone halted.
Except me.
My fist cocked back, reality bending around my knuckles as I drove a left straight toward his muzzle. Ikari didn't flinch. His barrier flared invisible, a dome of warped space curving around him. That smug look told me he thought I'd bounce off it. He didn't know who he was dealing with.
My [Absolute Spacetime Manipulation] bent his defense like glass in a furnace. My fist tore through the distortion and connected. The impact cracked the air itself, sending him sliding backward, paw clutching his jaw, sparks scattering from his teeth.
He staggered, then steadied. His muzzle bled faintly, but his eyes… his eyes were alive. Wild. Hungry. Violet fire burned brighter in them now. He grinned, wider than ever.
"Guess I forgot to mention," I said calmly, lowering into a stance as my waist-cape flared behind me. "You ain't the only nigga bending Time & Space to his whim."
Ikari's laughter was guttural and full of joy.
"A niggah, huh? Word, this just got fun."
The crowd erupted, chains rattling, cheers and screams filling the coliseum until the walls shook with it. Nicole's voice cracked with raw emotion as she screamed my name. Dream Flower joined her, her cry hoarse but sharp. Their support lit something in me, the same flame I hadn't felt since my first duel with Luda.
Gaia was vast. Its warriors were endless. But its future was mine to rule.
And now, they were all about to fuck around and find out just how unstoppable Xiro Mikazuki truly was.
[End of Chapter]
[1] April on Earth