The tournament continued its relentless pace. The excitement in the air was electric, but it was about to escalate as the spotlight shifted.
"Up next, another thrilling battle! Give it up for the Starlight crew captain herself—The legendary S-Ranked star traveler—Elara the Destroyer!"
The holo-screens lit up with Elara's name and the arena exploded with roars. Unlike Kaito who had entered the tournament as an unknown fighter, Elara had a reputation that preceded her. She was known for being one of the strongest swordsmen in this section of the known universe graduating from a special star traveler academy along with Talon, being from one of the core elf races, and being one of the youngest star travelers captains in history.
She strode in with calm confidence. Her long, silver hair tied into a ponytail flowed behind her. She walked with purpose while her hand rested lightly on the hilt of her sheathed sword, her red eyes analyzing her opponent.
Across from her stood a massive warrior from the Karnak species. He towered over her with his hulking rock-like frame. The Karnak warriors were feared throughout the southern part of the Viridion galaxy for their raw strength and resilience, their bodies as tough as the mountains they came from.
"You? You think a tiny thing like you can take me on? I'll crush you—"
Before he could finish, Elara moved.
The crowd barely had time to react as she seemed to vanish out of thin air, a blur of speed that left a gust of wind in her wake. For a moment her opponent looked confused, his eyes darting around the arena trying to find her.
Suddenly, she reappeared directly in front of him, her sword still sheathed but drawn overhead. She swung down in a single devastating swing using her essence to amplify the impact.
The sound of the impact was deafening and the entire arena floor was obliterated instantly.
After the dust began to settle and the spectators in the crowd came back up after ducking for cover, they saw it. The towering Karnak man who had been so confident just moments before now laid face down in the dirt. His rocky body cracked from the pressure and stone fragments breaking off, falling to the ground. Everyone in the arena was silent as they caught sight of the aftermath.
"And just like that... Elara wins!" The announcer shouts through the speakers.
A beat passed before the crowd erupted into deafening cheers, their disbelief turning into awe and admiration. Elara turned and walked away from the battlefield as if the fight had been nothing more than a mere formality.
Talon scoffed in the stands.
"Hmph. You damn showoff."
Rorik bursts out laughing.
"That's our captain for you."
Jinx, who was surprisingly calm for once, smiled and shook her head.
"Talk about an easy payday!"
As Elara rejoined the crew, Kaito stood by still recovering from his own match. His eyes were full of admiration as he watched her walk over. But the day's matches were far from over.
The holo-screens flashed with new names and faces, each more unique than the last. Fighters from every corner of the galaxy stepped forward—star travelers, mercenaries, ex-military elites, bounty hunters, and many more. Each one battled with their own distinct style, abilities flashing across the arena in a dazzling fashion. Jinx and Finn sat watching the tournament unfold, their eyes glued to each battle. Jinx spat out her food at the sight of one of the contestants' abilities.
"That's wild! Look at that Pyronian—he's practically shooting lava from… wait, what is that thing he's shooting it out of actually?"No one was able to answer her question… thankfully.
The very next match, a lithe alien figure from the mistwalker race used illusions and stealth to disorient their opponent, delivering a swift, unseen strike that ended the fight before anyone realized it. Finn watched in awe.
"There are so many powerful fighters here… It's hard to believe we're in the same tournament."
Talon smirked at Finn's nervousness as she walked over.
"Nervous, Finn? Don't worry, you'll do fine… if you don't get fried by one of those fire users."
Finn gulped but forced a grin.
"I-I-I'm not scared! Just... maybe a little worried about being vaporized."
As the tournament wore on, Kaito became more familiar with the other competitors. Each fighter that entered the arena brought something new. The diversity of techniques and the raw power on display was both exhilarating and daunting.
During a brief intermission, He sat with the crew in a VIP viewing area. As he caught his breath and tried to wrap his head around the scale of the tournament, two figures approached from behind.
The first was a tall alien woman with yellow-golden eyes and grey tattoos on her arms that seemed to pulse faintly. Her dark grayish-blue skin and white hair made her stand out even in a crowd of alien species.
The second was a tall robot with sleek silver and gray plating and glowing blue circuitry running across his limbs. His faceplate displayed a wide smile, and his glowing blue optics radiated enthusiasm.
"Greetings! I have observed your battle, and I must say, that was quite an impressive display of cosmic essence usage! It reminded me of the time I almost vaporized a moon, but that's a long story!" The robot said with a surprising exuberance.
Kaito blinked, caught slightly off guard.
"Uhhh.. thank…Wait… did you just say you almost vaporized a moon?"
"Affirmative! But don't worry, I fixed it! Mostly. Anyway, I'm Viro! I handle the piloting and navigating for the crew, and if you need a ride in the sky, I'm your guy!"
Before Kaito could respond the woman stepped forward, her golden eyes locked onto him with a calm calculating gaze. She remained quiet, her expression unreadable. Kaito felt the intensity of her gaze.
"You must be Kaeline right? Elysia mentioned you when she was healing me from Jinx's mines. What do you do on the crew?" He asked.
"Yes. I specialize in gathering information, protecting her, and… other things." She said calmly.
She began to analyze every bit of Kaito as she thought to herself.
"So this is the boy Elysia mentioned… huh?"
Kaito couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for her. Despite her cold demeanor, there was something about her that made him want to earn her approval. Jinx jumped in the conversation after seeing Kaeline and Viro standing there.
"Don't worry, Kaito. Kaeline's always like that, mysterious and all. You'll get used to it. And Viro? Well, let's just say you'll never get used to him."
As the next matches unfolded the tournament showed no signs of slowing down. Fighters from all corners of the galaxy stepped into the arena, showcasing abilities and techniques that left the audience in awe.
"These fighters are insane… I've never seen anything like this." Kaito said,watching in awe.
Elara nodded.
"This is just the beginning. The tournament will only get tougher from here. We've all got to be ready together, okay?"
As the day wore on the final match of the afternoon was announced and Finn's name flashed on the screen. The crowd buzzed with excitement.
All eyes were on the arena as the announcer's voice boomed throughout the massive stadium.
"And now, for the final match of the day! In one corner, representing the crew of Elara... give it up for Finn!"
Finn jogged into the arena wiping his sweaty palms against his pants. His heart pounded in his chest due to the excitement and nervousness of stepping into the spotlight.
"Woah, it's a kid elf." One spectator said.
"Ha! Like it matters. That kid looks like he definitely still pisses the bed…" Another spectator responded.
Finn's fingers instinctively curled around the hilt of his weapon, but he kept his grin. He was used to being underestimated… it had happened his entire life.
"Yeah, laugh at me all you want. Just wait…" He thought to himself.
He glanced up at the stands. Kaito gave him a thumbs-up, and Elara nodded.
That was all he needed.
The crowd's murmurs shifted as a figure roughly the same height as him approached from the opposite side of the arena.
"And his opponent, the tactical prodigy from the Jexter crew... Kael!" The announcer yelled out.
Kael strolled into the arena with a casual, lazy-like swagger, both hands in his pockets. He had pale blue skin and short white hair. He had twin short blades strapped to his back. He looked Finn up and down with a cocky smile.
"An elf huh? What's the plan, little guy? Run around until we all get bored?" He said half jokingly.
"Nah, I'm gonna win. Somehow." Finn replied dryly.
Kael blinked at the unexpected response, then chuckled.
"Well, I admire your optimism brat. Too bad I'm still going to crush you."