King Croc got to his feet, the dust from the shattered wall falling from his shoulders. There was no damage.
KING CROC: "Good punch, boy."
His body began to swell, muscles bulging and scales erupting across his skin as he shifted into the same monstrous manbeast form he'd used to defeat Raiji. He cracked his knuckles, the sound like grinding stones.
KING CROC: "Now... I'm serious."
A memory flashed in his mind from earlier that morning...
[FLASHBACK - MIDAS'S OFFICE]
MIDAS: "King Croc. Go teach those two a lesson Neo and the Mask, whatever his name is."
King Croc, in his human form, was sitting in a chair, lazily drinking a soda. He didn't even look up.
KING CROC: "No."
Midas slammed his palm on the desk, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "I don't have time for your nonsense! Remember who pays you the big bucks." He leaned forward, his eyes glinting with cruel possession. "And your sister... remember who keeps her out of a lab cage. Or would you prefer she end up in my quarters instead?"
King Croc froze. A wave of pure, murderous rage surged through him, his hands curling into fists so tight the scales on his knuckles strained. For a heartbeart, the urge to lunge across the desk and tear the man's throat out was overwhelming. But then he saw Veyra's face in his mind. The cost of that single moment of vengeance was too high. He forced his fists to unclench, turned, and walked out without a word, the doorframe cracking under the force of his exit.
[FLASHBACK - ARENA CORRIDORS]
King Croc, now in his 12-foot-tall beast form, loomed over Sosiego and Neo.
KING CROC: "You two. Midas sends a message."
He threw a devastating punch. Sosiego dodged it with effortless ease and countered with a sharp kick to the giant's leg. King Croc grunted, a cough of surprise.
NEO: (Calmly) "You don't want to fight us, pet. You've got a tougher fight. Kiro. That, we promise."
King Croc looked between the two of them, his massive chest heaving. The logic was sound. The challenge was greater.
KING CROC: "Fine."
[PRESENT]
...Back in the present, that same focused resolve burned in his beastial eyes. This fight with Kiro was his choice. His real challenge.
King Croc got ready to fight, his massive body coiled with power. Kiro fell into a martial arts stance, fists raised, ready to strike again.
KING CROC: "So... you're Kiro. That actually hurt. Not many can damage me. You have the honor of facing my Man-Beast form. Be honored." He grinned, a wide, predatory sight. "Come at me."
Kiro had to crane his neck back. The transformation was complete. King Croc now loomed at a full 10 feet tall, his massive frame blocking the arena lights and casting a deep shadow over Kiro.
KIRO: "Not this again. Let's see what's stronger: your shield or my punch. Maybe a kick."
Kiro dashed forward, feinting a punch before launching a sharp karate kick to King Croc's side. The beast didn't move. He responded with a hammer-like punch from above, forcing Kiro to block. The impact was tremendous, pushing Kiro back, his feet grinding long tracks into the sandy floor.
King Croc lunged for a grab. Kiro saw it coming he parried the massive arms and used the momentum for a flip, his heel connecting with a sharp crack against Croc's chin. As Croc's head snapped back, Kiro followed up with a kick, but the beast was already recovering, forcing Kiro to dodge again.
They broke apart, both breathing heavily. Huf... Huf...
KIRO: "First time... since I got that cube... I've found someone on my level. Not way above me, not way under. There's one other, but you... Torsten Crescent... you're the real deal."
From his booth, Midas snarled into the comms. MIDAS: "What is this trash? Finish him!"
The crowd roared in response, chanting, "DON'T LISTEN TO HIM! FIGHT! GO ALL OUT!"
Down in the lobby, Sosiego watched the screen intently. "He must mean me, Neo. But no... that's not true anymore. He surpassed me after our fight with Fullmen."
NEO: (Calmly) "Sure. Don't think he's that strong."
Back in the arena, Kiro took a punch to the face, shook it off, and countered with a devastating shot to Croc's ribs.
KIRO: "You're strong. Time to get serious." He looked at his gloves. "I hardly use these... shock." He tightened the straps on a unique pair of gloves. "Your sister sold them to me."
Kiro's fist slammed into the arena floor. A visible shockwave of force erupted outwards, kicking up a ring of dust and debris. He used the recoil to launch himself into the air as the concussive blast radiated toward King Croc. The giant crossed his massive arms, bracing against the impact. It staggered him, and in that moment of imbalance, Kiro descended. A blistering barrage of punches hammered into Croc's guard, the relentless assault finally, forcefully, pushing the titan back.
A low, guttural growl rumbled from King Croc's chest, cutting through the noise of the crowd.
KING CROC: "How... how do you know my sister?!"
Kiro landed lightly, circling, a faint, almost sad smile on his lips.
KIRO: "I ask her for advice. We're good friends... even if she's a witch sometimes."
The crowd erupted in a collective, scandalized "OOHHH!"
RANDOM GUY: "Drama! King Croc has a sister! Who is she?!"
NEWS REPORTER (V.O.): "A stunning revelation! While her identity remains a secret we still don't know who the man behind the 'Croc' mask truly is 'Crescent' is the first hint the public has ever gotten!"
RANDOM PERVERT: "Yeah, 'friends'! I bet they're sleeping together!"
MEANWHILE...
In Veyra's apartment, the TV screen flickered with the intense exchange. Raiji, his arms crossed, leaned forward.
RAIJI: "He's doing better than I did... I'm impressed. I knew he had talent from the first day. And to think, he only knows the baseline of martial arts. Look, Veyra! He's making your brother huff. He's losing stamina."
VEYRA: She was silent, her knuckles white as she gripped the edge of her worktable. Her expression was a tapestry of sadness, but in her eyes, a single, defiant spark of hope flickered to life. "But... his skin is the hardest thing I know. He shouldn't be..."
The on-screen banner for the fight now read: "CLASH OF TITANS: THE GREATEST FIGHT OF THE YEAR!"
Back in the arena, the screen showed Torsten's face contorted in a fresh, personal fury.
KING CROC: "HOW DARE YOU!"
He unleashed a wild, furious barrage of fists. Kiro weaved and dodged, the attacks whistling past his head.
KIRO: "It's not like that! Just friends! Maybe less!"
He punctuated the sentence with a swift kick to Torsten's knee, then dashed away, creating space.
KIRO: "So, Torsten... why? How did a warrior like you turn to trash like Midas?"
Torsten threw a furious uppercut. Kiro twisted his head aside, the massive fist whistling past his jaw.
KIRO: "Simple. It all started after Project White."
Kiro capitalized on the opening with a sharp jab to the chest, the gloves' shock function making Torsten's muscles seize.
13 YEARS AGO
The sun beat down on a dusty construction site. A younger Torsten, leaner but already built of solid muscle, strained as he stacked ten iron slabs onto a transport sled. Sweat plastered his simple tunic to his back.
CO-WORKER: (Whistling) "Man, I keep being amazed by your strength. You gotta have a Cube, right? Some kinda Strength-type?"
TORSTEN: (Grunting) "Nope. All natural."
The site manager marched over, clipboard in hand. "Listen up! More layoffs. Ten of you are gone by next week. And Torsten... you're getting another pay cut. We're bringing in auto-lifters. Take it or leave."
Torsten's shoulders slumped. "This is my second pay cut. How am I supposed to live like this? How do I buy food?"
"Not my problem," the manager said, turning away.
As the crowd of workers dispersed, the same co-worker clapped a hand on Torsten's shoulder. "Too bad... I'm one of the ones getting laid off this time. Hey, Torsten... you ever think about that fighting arena? The one that opened last year?"
Torsten looked at his calloused hands. "Yes," he said, his voice low with resolve. "I am."
He stood in the grimy, neon-lit entrance of the arena, handing over his last five credits for the entry fee.
In his opulent booth overlooking the pits, Midas sipped from a solid gold glass filled with cheap soda. His eyes, sharp and predatory, scanned the newcomers. They landed on the hulking teenager who looked like a grown man.
MIDAS: (To himself) "Hmph. A new rookie. Big guy. Looks underage, but I don't judge... as long as he pays me." He smirked. "Now, for my best fighter in the low ranks. Top 10, Nick. He's fast, packs a punch... too bad for the rookie. This'll be a fast match. We don't have many fighters, but we have enough to weed out the weak."
"NOW... FIGHT!"
Across from Torsten stood Nick, a tall, fit man at 6'1". The tell-tale signs of a cyber user were etched on his face black lines running from his temples, converging around his eyes, black tocology lines.
NICK: He removed his coat, sneering. "Time to fight, kid."
Then, he moved. To the crowd, it was just a blur. He punched Torsten hard in the chest, forcing the big man back a step. Torsten countered with a wild swing, but Nick parried it effortlessly and landed a sharp blow to his face. Torsten barely flinched. Nick was impressed for a split second, then drove a brutal kick into Torsten's ribs.
Torsten coughed, a spray of blood misting the air. Enraged, he lunged. Nick tried to dodge, but Torsten's hand clamped onto his arm like a vice. He swung the lighter man around and threw him across the arena. Nick hit the wall with a sickening crunch and slid to the floor, out cold.
Silence, then an explosion of sound.
The crowd roared, "NEW FIGHTER! NEW FIGHTER! FINALLY!"
Midas leaned forward, a slow, evil smile spreading across his face. "Wait... the rookie won? Nice. Real nice."
PAST - The Slums
Torsten returned home long after dark. The sky was a deep void, the air cold, carrying the familiar scent of garbage that haunted the slums. He slipped into their small, cramped apartment.
Veyra was waiting. She was young, but taller than he remembered, always growing. "Hi, sis."
"Bro... did you get into a fight? You know it's bad." Her voice was laced with worry. She already had bandages ready, moving to patch up the cut on his lip and clean the blood stains from his knuckles and face.
"It's nothing, Vey." He tried to brush it off, but a spark of pride broke through his weary expression. "I earned big. Like, 2k. That'll keep us fed for two whole weeks, sis."
PRESENT - The Arena
Kiro blocked a heavy blow, the shock vibrating up his arm. "Why, Torsten? Why did you change? It was all going so well for you!"
They traded punches again, a brutal contest of strength shaking the arena floor.
From the sidelines, Midas's voice cut through the noise, cold and commanding. "Torsten. White V5. Do it."
Kiro's eyes widened. "White V5? What's that?!"
Before he could react, Torsten jammed an injector into his own neck. His body swelled, muscles coiling and expanding. His scales sharpened, becoming like polished obsidian, and a pained, furious roar tore from his throat that was no longer entirely human.
PAST - The Construction Site & The Arena
Torsten stood before his foreman, his posture rigid. "Boss. I quit. I want my last paycheck."
The boss didn't even look up from his desk. "Your last paycheck? No. Because you're fired."
"Fired? After all the hours I did for you?!"
"You're underage. I don't have to pay you. Now get lost."
Something in Torsten snapped. His fist flew, connecting with a sickening crunch. The boss screamed, clutching his broken nose. Without another word, Torsten turned and walked away, his path leading irrevocably back to the arena.
Midas was waiting, a vulture sensing a dying animal. "Hi, kid. I've got a deal for you. I want this arena. I'm a shareholder now, and I place my bets on you. I will give you this." He held up a glowing Cube. "Transformation type. Crocodile. It's an A-Rank. Pretty high for a slum rat like you."
Torsten's eyes narrowed. "I don't trust you. No."
Midas leaned in, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "Torsten. Torsten. How could you not? You need money. For your sister, Veyra. Come on... 'Crescent.' Your family name is on the line." He was inside Torsten's head now, whispering directly into his ear.
Torsten froze, a cold dread washing over him. "How... how do you know that? You greedy snake."
"I have connections, let's say. And those agents... the ones from your past? They're onto you. I can keep you safe. Take the Cube. And I can give you White V5. It will make you unstoppable."
"I don't trust that stuff!" Rage burned in Torsten's eyes, but it was mixed with the terror of a cornered animal. He was trapped. He saw no other path. His shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine. You're the devil, you know that?"
Midas's smile was a predator's grin. "Deal, my good man."