Following Logan and the sage Orias through the dense Midheimhor canopy felt like stepping through an invisible veil. The air shimmered, and the world shifted. One moment, they were in untamed wilderness; the next, they stood at the edge of a bustling, hidden settlement.
New Beastoria was not a kingdom of stone and spire. It was a vast, nomadic encampment, a sea of sturdy hide tents and pavilions arranged in a circular pattern around a central fire pit. It reminded Seiji of historical depictions of Mongol hordes—a mobile, practical civilization built for survival, not permanence. The air was thick with the scent of roasting meat, smoke, and the musky odor of diverse predator species living in close quarters.
Logan led them to the largest tent, a grand structure made from the hides of colossal beasts. As Seiji ducked inside, he felt the familiar twist of spatial magic. The interior was vast, more akin to a royal hall, with woven rugs covering the ground and trophies of great hunts adorning the walls. It must be Orias's magic, creating a space far larger than the exterior suggested.
To show his sincerity, Seiji willed the Vanguard armor to dissolve. The black and crimson plates retracted, flowing away like liquid shadow to reveal the young man beneath. Logan's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and even Orias's ancient eyes widened a fraction. The terrifying armored specter was just a youth, his face set with a determination that belied his years.
Once seated on thick furs, Seiji spoke. He told them of his summoning, his rejection by the king, and his journey. He spoke of discovering Ranga's tomb and the memory crystal that revealed their shared history of persecution by the empire. He carefully omitted the Vanguard system, speaking only of finding strength within himself. Finally, he presented his offer: a new home within the secured fortress of Grimgar, an alliance against a common enemy.
Logan, whose fierce appearance suggested a brash nature, listened with intense, serious focus. When Seiji finished, the Beastman king stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Your suggestion is excellent," Logan rumbled. "Especially given our current, precarious situation. But I cannot promise that all the Beastmen will listen." He gestured vaguely towards the sounds of the camp outside. "Beastmen are a race that uses strength as our language. The reason I am king is twofold: I am the only legitimate descendant of King Ranga, and I am strong enough to overwhelm those who aspire to the throne." He leaned forward, his golden eyes intent. "Even if Lord Orias and I support this, there are two clan leaders who will oppose it out of principle: Jormun of the serpent tribe and Taiga of the tiger tribe. To unite our people under your banner, you must convince them."
Seiji listened, his mind working through the political landscape. "If Beastmen use strength to decide," he asked, his voice calm, "then defeating them is sufficient, correct?"
Logan was taken aback for a moment, then a booming laugh escaped him. "Hahaha! Direct! I like it! Yes, if you wish to use force, then I will organize a Death Match!"
"Death Match?"
"An ancient form of combat. Two warriors—or in this case, you against the two of them—fight fairly. The loser must unconditionally obey the winner's request." Logan turned to Orias. "What do you think, teacher?"
The old sage simply nodded, his milky eyes seeming to see into the future. "You are the king. I will not interfere with your decision. Just do not come to regret it."
"Understood!" Logan stood, his energy infectious. "Come, boy! Let's see if your fangs are as sharp as your words!"
The announcement of the Death Match sent a ripple of excitement through New Beastoria. A great circle was cleared in the center of the encampment. When Seiji, once again clad in his Vanguard armor, issued his challenge to both Jormun and Taiga simultaneously, they agreed without hesitation, their pride bristling at the audacity.
On the sandy arena floor, Seiji faced his opponents. Jormun was lithe and sinuous, his eyes cold slits, a venomous aura clinging to him. Taiga was a mountain of muscle and fur, his roar shaking the very air. Just suppress, don't kill, Seiji reminded himself.
The match began. At first, Seiji's superior speed and power seemed to give him the upper hand. He dodged Taiga's thunderous charges and parried Jormun's swift, precise strikes. But he quickly learned the depth of their coordination. Taiga was the anvil, his overwhelming force and durability forcing Seiji to block and evade, consuming his energy. Jormun was the hammer, a blur of calculated motion, weaving between Taiga's attacks to strike at Seiji's blind spots with tail swipes that cracked against his armor and fangs that dripped with paralytic venom.
Seiji found himself on the defensive, struggling to find an opening against their perfectly synced assault. As a powerful blow from Taiga sent him skidding backward, his mind raced. He needed a combination, a synergy of power that could match their own.
Then, he remembered. A mental list he had compiled, theorizing the best power combinations from the 20 Riders. One pair stood out: Kuuga and OOO. Both primal, both drawing on ancient, foundational power sources. The ultimate warrior and the king of mediated desires. And fortunately, he had unlocked them both.
He punched the ground, not to attack, but to create distance. The impact sent a shockwave of sand and dust outwards, forcing Jormun and Taiga to recoil.
In that precious moment, he focused.
[Simultaneous Power Access: Kuuga. OOO.]
Invisibly to all but his mind's eye, the spectral forms of the two Riders materialized behind him and then slammed into his body. He felt Kuuga's pure, unadulterated physical might merge with OOO's bestial agility and combinatorial potential. His aura shifted, becoming both solid and fluid, overwhelmingly powerful yet unpredictably agile.
He launched his counterattack. His movements became a blur. He used Kuuga's devastating punches to meet Taiga's head-on, the impacts now shaking the tiger-man back. Simultaneously, he incorporated OOO's animalistic grace, moving with the bounding leaps of a grasshopper or the slithering evasion of a cobra to effortlessly dodge Jormun's venomous strikes. He was no longer fighting two opponents; he was a storm they could not weather, blending and pushing them back with a display of power that left the entire Beastman audience stunned.
"It's over!" Vanguard's voice declared.
He took Kuuga's signature stance, energy flaring around his right foot. But as he leapt into the air, three massive, glowing energy rings—the iconic circles of OOO's Tatoba Combo—materialized in his path. He shot through them, his kick now a composite beam of Kuuga's righteous might and OOO's trinity of power.
The attack struck the center of the two clan leaders' defensive stance. A colossal explosion of light and sound erupted, hurling sand into the air.
When the dust settled, Vanguard stood tall and unscathed. At his feet, Jormun and Taiga lay unconscious, their bodies smoking slightly but alive.
Logan strode into the arena, a wide, triumphant grin on his face. He grabbed Seiji's armored wrist and raised it high.
"We have the victor!" he roared to his people. "And by the law of the fangs, his will is order for us! Make ready! We march for Grimgar!"