The announcer’s voice boomed through Eclipse Underground, reigniting the crowd’s fervor.

  “Thrillseekers and No Lives, it’s not over yet! That’s right, our new underdogs, Nyx and Luminar, will be taking over Maraxis’s next two matches! Get ready and place your bets, because the next bout starts now!”

  The arena exploded into cheers and shouts, the betting tables lighting up in a frenzy as the crowd scrambled to throw their Coin down. Nyx and Luminar stood, the energy in the room crackling around them like a live wire.

  Prism slid back to their table, her grin wide and mischievous. “Alright, looks like your next opponent is a Chimera named Tydros.” She leaned in, her emerald eyes gleaming. “Seabreed. So expect something slippery. They didn’t list his Affinity, so be ready for anything. Seabreed Chimeras? Resilient as frek, you’ll need to hit him hard.”

  Luminar arched a brow. “He wouldn’t happen to be one of your cousins, would he?”

  Prism gasped dramatically, clutching her chest like she’d been stabbed. “Yeah, fifth cousin twice removed. No! Now focus up and stop drinking!” She wagged a clawed finger at them. “I went all in again.”

  Nyx chuckled as he set his drink down. “Not much of a gambler if you always bet on us.”

  Prism winked. “It’s not gambling when I already know you’ll win.”

  Nyx and Luminar laughed, their nerves easing slightly at Prism’s antics.

  “Alright, alright,” Luminar said, rolling her shoulders. “Let’s do this.”

  They stepped away from the table, weaving through the crowd, the buzz of anticipation thick in the air. The noise swelled, the arena itself feeling alive as they made their way down to the pit.

  At the same time, Tydros emerged from the opposite end.

  He was an imposing figure, his appearance strikingly aquatic. His smooth, scaled skin shimmered with iridescent hues of blue and green, and his webbed hands and feet gave him an almost amphibious grace. Glistening fins extended from his arms and back, flexing slightly as if adjusting to the atmosphere. His eyes shimmered like still water, unreadable, but deep.

  Tydros came to a halt a few paces from Nyx and Luminar, then bowed his head slightly.

  “Your fighting was beautiful,” he said, his voice deep and resonant, like the pull of ocean tides. “Now, let me show you the beauty of the ocean.”

  The holographic betting screens flickered above them, Tydros’s name and image flashing alongside Nyx and Luminar’s. The updated odds shifted in real time as gamblers made their last-minute decisions.

  The announcer’s voice rang out again. “Introducing our next fighters! In one corner, we have the rising stars of the night, Nyx and Luminar, who shattered Maraxis’s win streak with style! And in the other corner, we have Tydros, the aquatic Chimera, whose resilience and finesse in battle are as fluid as the ocean itself!”

  The crowd roared in approval, a mix of cheers and shouted wagers filling the air. Nyx and Luminar moved in sync, their unspoken bond evident in every step. Across from them, Tydros swayed slightly, already moving as if caught in an unseen current, his stance effortless yet precise.

  “Place your bets,” the announcer called. “Because this match begins in three… two… one!”

  Nyx and Luminar stood poised, their eyes locked on Tydros as he began to move with an effortless, liquid grace. His webbed hands swirled through the air, pulling moisture straight from the atmosphere. With a fluidity that seemed almost hypnotic, he shaped the water into shimmering orbs, each one catching the arena lights like liquid gemstones.

  Then, he moved. Fast.

  His body darted and twisted, feet never quite touching the ground as he used the floating water orbs as his own personal stepping stones, weaving through the air like he was swimming through nothingness. His speed increased with every pass, a blur of iridescent scales and flickering motion.

  “Stay ready,” Nyx murmured, his swirling violet-and-midnight eyes narrowing. Luminar nodded, her stance steady, her focus sharp as the orbs around them began to drift closer.

  Tydros’s voice echoed through the arena, low and smooth, like waves lapping against the shore.

  Steam rising softly

  Hot springs cradle weary bones

  Stay too long, you burn.

  The final syllable had barely left his lips when he touched one of the floating orbs.

  It boiled instantly.

  What had been a calm, pristine bubble transformed into a hissing sphere of pure heat, steaming and bubbling violently before exploding outward in a scalding spray. The effect rippled through the arena, more orbs following suit, detonating in a cascading wave of pain and heat.

  “Move!” Luminar shouted.

  They barely managed to avoid the worst of it, but hot droplets still seared against their skin, the heat licking at them as they dodged.

  Luminar changed tactics fast. She formed solid rods of light, hurling them like lances toward Tydros. But he was too fast, his body twisted and flowed, slipping through the air like water itself, avoiding the attacks with practiced ease.

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  Tydros chuckled, his voice laced with admiration. “A beautiful light show. Truly magnificent.”

  Meanwhile, Nyx crouched low, letting the darkness curl around him, shielding him from the scalding rain. But he wasn’t just hiding, he was pulling something together, the shadows coiling and condensing in his hands, forming something dense, compact, lethal.

  The arena was now a chaotic battlefield, light rods floating midair, boiling water orbs drifting unpredictably, the entire space a delicate balance of destruction and precision.

  Tydros paused for just a moment, realizing the sheer number of rods scattered around him. His sharp gaze flicked toward Nyx, who was rising to his feet, a ball of pure shadow in his grasp.

  Nyx took his stance, his body tense with controlled power. Tydros prepared to dodge, assuming the attack was aimed at him directly.

  Instead, Nyx threw it at one of Luminar’s rods.

  “Speedballink!” Nyx shouted.

  Luminar was already moving. The moment the ball left Nyx’s hands, she dashed to his side, her golden-blue eyes locked onto him. Without hesitation, she extended her hands outward, forming a protective dome of solid light around them both. The barrier shimmered, stabilizing just as the ball ricocheted faster and faster.

  The shadow sphere slammed into the first rod, ricocheting off at a blinding speed before hitting another. Each impact launched it faster, the arena flashing with streaks of black and gold as it bounced unpredictably.

  Tydros’s fluid movements suddenly became frantic, his eyes darting to track the chaotic motion of the ball. The sheer speed and randomness of its trajectory made dodging impossible.

  Realizing he couldn’t avoid it forever, Tydros made a bold move, his eyes flickering toward Nyx and Luminar, seeing them standing close, shielded inside the radiant dome. His hesitation cost him everything, He surged forward, water wrapping his fist like a tidal whip as he launched himself toward Nyx and Luminar.

  But then, he saw them smiling. Waving.

  Too late.

  The ball of shadow slammed into the light dome, rebounded at an angle, and rocketed straight into Tydros’s face.

  The impact sent him flying backwards, his body twisting midair before crashing to the ground. The moment he hit the floor, every remaining water orb collapsed, drenching the stone beneath him.

  For a brief second, the entire arena stood frozen in silence.

  Then, the crowd erupted into deafening cheers.

  The announcer’s voice boomed overhead.

  “And that’s it, folks! Nyx and Luminar have done it again! A stunning finish from the Chromati duo!”

  Nyx and Luminar dropped the light dome, exchanging a glance, their breath still steady despite the battle’s chaos. The roar of the crowd surged around them, an electrifying pulse of victory, as their names were etched further into the underground scene.

  Nyx and Luminar emerged from the arena floor to deafening cheers, the crowd’s energy washing over them like a tidal wave. Their breaths came heavy, their bodies aching from burns and exertion, but the roar of the spectators reminded them why they fought.

  “Nyx! Lumi!” Prism’s voice cut through the noise as she darted toward them, her crystalline fur glinting under the arena lights. She wrapped her arms around both of them, squeezing tight.

  “You guys are making me so much Coin!” she said, wiping a dramatic tear from her eye.

  Nyx and Luminar flinched slightly at the hug, their singed skin and burns protesting the contact. Prism pulled back, her grin fading as she noticed their discomfort.

  “Alright, alright. Let’s get those burns fixed up,” she said, ushering them toward the med room.

  The med room was quiet, the hum of medical equipment filling the space. A Sylvari doctor, her bark-like skin streaked with glowing green veins, gestured for Nyx and Luminar to sit as she prepared a cooling salve. The soothing scent of herbs filled the air as she began tending to their burns.

  “That Seabreed was incredible,” Luminar said, breaking the silence. “I’ve never seen anyone use their Affinity like that.”

  Nyx nodded. “The way he pulled water out of the air… and swam through it like that? That was something else.”

  As they spoke, the med room door swung open, and two staff members wheeled in a stretcher carrying Tydros’s unconscious form. Luminar sat up straighter, her brow furrowing.

  “Is he going to be okay?” she asked the doctor.

  The Sylvari glanced at the stretcher, then back at Luminar. “He’ll be fine. I’ve seen way worse here. Give him time to recover, and he’ll be back in the arena in no time.”

  Nyx and Luminar exchanged relieved glances as the doctor finished applying the salve to their burns.

  When they left the med room, they immediately noticed a tall, gaunt figure leaning casually against the hallway wall. Nyx and Luminar recognized him instantly.

  “Hey, you’re that guy who took the book from Ralveth,” Nyx said, his tone curious but cautious.

  The man raised the tome slightly, a faint smirk on his skeletal features. “Yeah, and I still got it. It’s not like it was his to begin with. He stole it.” His glowing blue eyes shifted to Prism. “You’re Prism, right?”

  Prism tilted her head, her tail flicking slightly. “Yes… do I know you?”

  “I’m Vitaros,” he said, straightening up. “I’m a merc who works for your cousin’s division. He’s told me about you, and I’m surprised to actually run into you and the two people they’re giving the chance to sponsor. You’ve made quite the impression tonight.”

  Nyx and Luminar’s eyes widened, their expressions brightening with excitement.

  “So this is real?” Luminar asked, her tone tinged with skepticism. “Prism wasn’t just making this up to drag us on a road trip?”

  Prism’s ears flicked, and she placed her hands on her hips. “Excuse me? Dragging you on a road trip? I’d never! I only make promises I can keep, Lumi.” She grinned. “See? I told you it’d all work out.”

  “Oh, it’s the real deal,” Vitaros replied with a chuckle. “You’ve got the sponsorship locked in. Tons of paperwork and all the fun administrative stuff are waiting for you when we get there. Speaking of which, I’ll join you on your travel tomorrow. It’ll make everything smoother.”

  Nyx smirked. “Smoother, huh? You mean you’ll babysit us to make sure we don’t screw it up.”

  Vitaros raised an eyebrow, his tone dry. “If babysitting means making sure you don’t miss your chance at something big, then sure.”

  Prism, Nyx, and Luminar exchanged glances. The trio didn’t see a problem with it, and Nyx shrugged. “Works for us.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by the announcer’s booming voice echoing through the arena.

  “The next match will begin soon! Place your bets, folks!”

  Prism and Vitaros bolted toward the betting tables, their shoulders bumping as they pulled their ingots out of their pockets and raced to place their wagers.

  Nyx and Luminar watched the chaos unfold for a moment before finding a table to sit at and catch their breath.

  When Prism and Vitaros returned, Prism’s usual grin had faded slightly. She leaned on the table, her emerald eyes tinged with worry.

  “Well,” she began, her voice uncharacteristically serious, “this is going to be interesting.”

  Nyx and Luminar straightened, their expressions mirroring her concern. “What do you mean?” Nyx asked.

  Prism sighed, rubbing her temple. “Your next opponent is a Fused Chromati.”