- Oliver -
“Hmm. I think it's more like infamous,” Nico expined.
Oliver waited for him to eborate, but he seemed focused on something else.
“It's almost time for the fight. I'm going to the prep room,” Niented.
“Right. I still o find a good spot iands,” Oliver said. “Hey, good luck.”
Nico gave a thumbs up. “Don't worry. It's going to be amazing.”
Oliver avoided going back to the entrance. Instead, he took a detour behind the reception desk and hurried to the stands.
'I don't want to face that herd of reporters,' the boy thought. 'He could've at least expined why.'
Calling it "stands" dimihe pce's grandeur. Each person was seated fortably in an armchair with space to ree. If they wished to e something from the vehey could quickly p order. This was trolled by a small holographiel that hovered he bettor.
Oliver tried to find a seat close to the arena, but all the seats were occupied. Finally, he spotted ay spa the fourth row.
As soon as Oliver sat dowiced how noisy it was. There were two massive holograms above the arena. They were the same entators he'd seen during his match at the Colosseum.
“Mike, we have a cssi our hands today. This will be a fight for the history books,” the entator expined.
“No doubt about it. John, when was the st time we saw the new geion fag a veteran of the Ninth Wave?” Mike asked.
“It's been a long time—two years ago, I believe. Wasn't it oh floor?” John ented.
“Yes, especially sihere aren't many Ninth Wave veterans still active, let alone irial Tower,” Mike expined.
“And none of them are so famous or should I call so infamous,” John added.
“For sure. While he may be infamous, oher hand, we have one of the most beloved members of the new geion,” Mike ented.
While the entators chatted about how the match might unfold, Oliver received a new notification.
--
| Hello, Bettor!
| How much would you like to wager?
--
The notification fshed before him, waiting for him to enter an amount.
'What are Nico's ces of winning? Is he a good fighter?' Oliver debated internally.
'He seems to be, and they said he's a veteran—at least he has more experiehe boy sighed as he faced the tough decision.
'Ah, let's give it a shot.' Oliver gave up trying to analyze the odds and pced a thousand credits on Nico's victory.
--
| gratutions!
| 1,000 Credits wagered.
| Your odds are 3.16 to 1.27.
--
Seeing the betting odds made his heart feel like it had frozen. 'Even so, he was the one who helped me earn this money. It doesn't hurt to bet on him. e on, Nico,' the boy hoped he hadn't wasted his credits.
“Mike! Mike, they're about to enter,” John called out.
From one side of the arena, a man eared to be in his twenties entered. He was just a bit taller than Oliver and had long bck hair tied ba a ponytail. However, what caught the boy's attention most was his face.
“Entering now is Ken Takagi, one of the few remaining desdants of Japan. Currently, he's part of Lot's Great House, serving as a Red Ranger and Squad Leader,” Mike announced.
“He's one of the best. I remember when he joihe NEA as a Red Ranger; he had some of the highest scores at the Academy and ter in Raraining,” John expined.
“No doubt. He's also quite famous, both o and his own el,” Mike ented.
“The only issue I see with Ken is that he’s young and hasn't participated in any Waves yet. Although he's already pleted over fifty assault missions against Ork fortifications,” John tinued.
“To top it off, he's been one of the fastest to climb the Trial Tower. Most of his matches were in the Mars Tower. However, due to a ck of petitors at his level, he chose to e to Luna to tinue his ast,” Mike eborated.
“What do you think of his ces?” John asked.
“Hmm. He's outstanding; if he were fag most of the new geion, he'd be an easy bet,” Mike expined.
Meanwhile, Ken was warming up in the arena.
“However, his oppohough infamous—is a monster.” Just as Mike finished speaking, Nitered the arena.
Some of the fans began to boo him, while others cheered his entrance.
As usual, he was dressed in a bck tie. However, it was clear his outfit oorly maintained and filled with wrinkles. Still, with his u beard and blond hair, he looked like a movie star after a night out.
Nico raised a hand and waved to the crowd. With his sincere smile, he was trying to quer some fans.
“Don't fet to bet on me,” he called out to the spectators.
“Boo!”
“Fuck You! Loser!”
“Finally, yoing to lose!”
“He's gonna finish you off!”
Oliver wao hide as the shouts and insults grew louder.
“Alright, let's talk about Nico. He still isn't part of any House, so teically, he's still Nameless,” John began.
“However, he's already a veteran Ranger. He participated in hundreds of missions during the Ninth Wave and was dishonorably discharged at the end of it,” Mike added.
“Even so, he served as a Sher during his time. He was one of the first to enter bat; his as were nothing short of impressive—if not god-like,” John tinued.
“However, i five years, he's been exclusively fighting irial Tower. So far, he hasn't beeed. But perhaps this will be the first time,” Mike cluded.
Bers stood face to fa the arena. The ary holographic judge appeared briefly before them.
"I will be the judge of this fight. Ranger rules: Any armor or on is allowed. You are not permitted to strike the arena's protective barriers iionally. If you faint or are severely injured, it's an automatic defeat. Fights to the death are prohibited. Uood?" the floating head asked.
Both batants nodded.
“3... 2... 1... Start!”
As soon as the judge finished speaking, both fighters advanced. Even before their armor had fully formed, they were already exging punches in the ter of the arena.
None of the punches seemed to nd ly, but the sheer force of eaent could be felt iands.
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
A small soni echoed each time oruck the uard.
As they traded blows, strands of energy spread around their arms until they solidified into their Ranger Armors. Then their legs, and finally, across their entire bodies.
Ken donned a menag red armor, while Nico wore a yellow armor that appeared to offer little defense except around his arms. His armor focused all its potential and prote on that small area.
“e on, Ken! You're better than this. Leave the brawling to me,” Nico shouted at his oppo.
“Niico. Don't act like you uand me, or worse, that you know me. I don't need your fame rubbing off on me,” Keed.
Ken lu Nico, delivering another powerful punch, which merely struck his guard.
BOOM
The entire arena trembled from the impact.
“If you keep this up, you'll just tire yourself out. e on, kid, show me your Boon. I don't want to win before you've given it your all,” Nico taunted.
“You think you ha? The's test that!” Ken replied.
He advanced again, but Nico chose to dodge this time—two swords formed in the Red Ranger's hands. However, what pelled the Yeller to evade wasn't just the Ranger ons.
Ken's swords were enveloped in his energy—so much so that it was hard to see the actual bdes. One could only see two vibrant energy bdes being wielded against Nico from the stands.
As the Yeller sidestepped, Ken's expression shifted.
“Let's see if this is what you wanted—[Red Wave]!” Ken shouted.
He swung both swords in a rapid vertical ssh. Even though the attack didn't hit or e close to Nico, he was still smiling. From the tips of both swords, red energy surged forward, cutting through everything in its path toward the oppo. The two energy waves tinued until they struck the side of the arena.
But that wasn't the Red Ranger's st move. He kept swinging, delivering numerous quick sshes, ealeashing another energy wave.
'Almost there,' Ken thought each time his energy waves missed Nico by mere timeters.
Finally, after several more attacks, the Yeller seemed ered at the arena's edge. He'd take a [Red Wave] straight to the face if he tried to advance.
“Very good! Very good. It's been a while since I fought someone who go toe-to-toe with me,” Nico appuded his oppo.
“You still have time to keep talking trash?” Ken snapped, not waiting for a reply.
He advanced with two final attacks, each slig off one of Nico's arms.
GCLopes
