Maraxis stretched his arms, the jagged spikes of bone cracking audibly as he rolled his shoulders, his grin widening like he’d just hit the jackpot. His hollow eyes gleamed as he looked at Nyx and Luminar.

  “A Chromati duo,” he said, his voice deep and resonant. “Haven’t fought one in a while. These are always fun.”

  Nyx and Luminar stayed composed, their expressions unreadable. The air was thick with anticipation, the crowd buzzing like they could smell the Coin shifting in their favor. their calm gazes fixed on their opponent. The crowd’s energy was palpable, the anticipation building as Prism made her way to the announcer’s booth. She hopped up onto the platform, her crystalline fur shimmering under the arena lights.

  “Hi there,” Prism said, flashing the announcer a toothy grin. “I’m the official unofficial manager for those two Thrillseekers. Their names are Nyx and Luminar, and you’re about to see something amazing.”

  The announcer raised an eyebrow but quickly adapted to the enthusiasm. “Well, folks, we’ve got a surprise entry in this impromptu challenge! Let me introduce Nyx and Luminar!”

  The crowd exploded, people slamming their drinks down, shouting bets across the arena. A few people in the front row already had their Lexicoms out, updating the underground Web threads with the sudden matchup. the betting tables lighting up as wagers were placed. The announcer’s voice boomed through the arena. “Get your bets in, because this match starts now!”

  The bell rang, and Maraxis pushed off the ground like a wrecking ball, his exoskeleton glinted under the harsh lights as he let out a roar.

  But before he could make his move, Nyx and Luminar shifted into position. Nyx stood tall in front of Luminar, his arms raised and curved like a tidal wave. Behind him, Luminar leapt into the air, her entire body bursting with radiant light that seemed to consume the arena. The intense glow turned Nyx into a towering silhouette, casting an ominous shadow across the pit.

  “Suminami,” Nyx called, his voice steady and powerful.

  The massive silhouette of Nyx’s shadow liquefied, crashing down toward Maraxis like a dark tidal wave. The sheer force of the attack pushed Maraxis back several feet, his heavy frame staggering under the weight. His knee buckled slightly, but the brute held firm, his grin wild, teeth gleaming like he lived for this.

  “Now this is a fight,” he growled, grinning like he’d been starved for it.

  Nyx and Luminar didn’t waste a moment. Together, they crouched down, their movements synchronized as though they shared a single thought. Luminar stretched her arm out straight, her finger pointing directly at Maraxis, while Nyx wrapped his arms around hers. A tube of liquid shadow formed from Nyx’s Affinity, encasing her extended arm and extending a foot beyond her fingertip.

  “Spring Flower Field,” Luminar said, her voice clear and precise.

  A searing bullet of solid light burst from her fingertip, the shadow tube accelerating it to incredible speeds. The projectile struck Maraxis square in the chest, shattering his bone armor and exploding into a radiant flower of light. The impact sent him sprawling, the crowd gasping at the display of power.

  As the dust settled, Maraxis pushed himself up, shaking off the shattered bone like it was just another warm-up set. He let out a booming laugh, his skeletal grin widening.

  “This is what I’ve been waiting for!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the arena.

  With a surge of energy, Maraxis flexed his body, and the remnants of his exoskeleton exploded outward in a blast of force. Shards of bone shot in all directions, embedding into the arena walls as the crowd roared in excitement. His now-bare form pulsed with raw power, his stance like he was just getting started.

  Maraxis charged, his movements fast and brutal. Nyx and Luminar fired two more hard-light shots, but Maraxis twisted his body, dodging each one with surprising agility. As he closed the distance, bone structures began forming over his fists, sharpening into massive gauntlets.

  With a roar, he exploded forward. Nyx and Luminar broke apart to avoid the strike, but Maraxis was faster. He caught Nyx mid-dodge, slamming his fist into Nyx’s chest. Nyx cloaked himself in liquid shadow, absorbing some of the impact, but Maraxis’s signature move was already in motion.

  “Osteoblast!” Maraxis bellowed, and the bone on his fist exploded into a shotgun-like blast of shrapnel. The force sent Nyx flying across the arena, his body rolling to a stop near the edge.

  Luminar darted toward him, catching Nyx before he could hit the ground again. Nyx groaned, his liquid shield having absorbed most of the damage, but his body was still cut and bruised from the shards.

  “A direct hit from that could end this,” Luminar said, her tone sharp as she helped steady him.

  Nyx nodded, his swirling eyes narrowing as he regained his footing. “Then let’s make sure it’s him hitting the dirt next,” Nyx muttered, cracking his knuckles, his grin returning.

  Together, they prepared for their next move, the intensity of the battle reaching its peak.

  The announcer stood frozen, his jaw slack as he watched the battle unfold below. “Folks, I don’t believe what I’m seeing!” he finally managed to say, his voice cracking with shock. “This is… this is unbelievable! What a fight!”

  The crowd roared, their cheers shaking the walls of the Eclipse Underground. The betting tables lit up with activity as spectators rushed to change their bets, many now backing Nyx and Luminar after witnessing their stunning display of skill. Amid the chaos, Prism sat by the announcer’s booth, her crystalline fur shimmering under the arena lights. She leaned back in her chair, her eyes alight with excitement and a confident smile playing on her lips.

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  “Nyx has taken harder hits than that,” Prism said with a casual shrug. “This is just a warm-up for them.”

  Not far from her, in the shadows of the crowd, Vitaros stood quietly, the tome he had retrieved earlier held securely under his arm. He raised his Lexicom to his ear, his glowing blue eyes fixed on the fight.

  “Well, this is a surprise,” he said, his tone dry but intrigued. “I think I’m seeing your investments in action as we speak. Looks like they were worth the wait.”

  A voice on the other end replied faintly, and Vitaros smirked. “Yeah, I’ll stick around and watch. This is getting interesting.”

  In the arena, Luminar steadied Nyx as he regained his footing, his swirling eyes narrowing in focus.

  “We need to take control of this,” Luminar said, her tone sharp. “We need to break his rhythm.”

  Nyx nodded, flexing his hands as liquid shadow rippled across his arms. “Let’s give him something to think about.”

  Maraxis stood in the center of the pit, his massive form looming over them as his exoskeleton began to regrow. The calcium armor formed rapidly, jagged spikes and plates solidifying over his body.

  “Come on, covas!” he bellowed, his voice booming. “Someone hurt me already!”

  Nyx and Luminar exchanged a glance before splitting off, each running in opposite directions around Maraxis. Luminar’s body erupted into a blinding glow, her radiance forcing Maraxis to shield his eyes. At the same time, Nyx’s dark aura warped the light around him, creating a mirrored effect that further disoriented their opponent.

  “You really think that’ll work on me?” Maraxis roared, shaking his head. “Plazz-tier tactics!” With a surge of energy, he detonated his armor, sending shards of bone shrapnel flying in all directions.

  But Nyx and Luminar were ready. They had anticipated his move and had already grabbed large plates of discarded bone armor from previous matches, using them as makeshift shields. The shrapnel clattered harmlessly against the plates, leaving them unscathed.

  As the dust cleared, Nyx moved quickly, slipping in behind Maraxis. The Ossari brute’s massive shadow loomed over him, and Nyx seized the opportunity, pulling the shadow upward and using its weight to hold Maraxis down.

  Luminar leapt into the air, her light flaring brilliantly as Nyx formed a rifle barrel of liquid shadow extending from Maraxis’s forehead.

  “Headshot,” Luminar called, her voice steady and sharp.

  She fired a condensed bullet of hard light, the projectile shooting down the inky cylinder with incredible speed. It struck Maraxis squarely on his unprotected head, bursting into a radiant flower of light. The impact sent shockwaves through the arena, a mixture of shadow and light scattering beautifully in the air like petals.

  Maraxis slammed to the ground, his massive frame shaking the arena floor. Silence fell over the crowd as the dust settled, revealing his motionless form.

  For a moment, the entire arena froze, the weight of the final strike sinking in. Then, the crowd erupted, their cheers deafening as they celebrated the victory. The announcer’s voice boomed once more, filled with awe. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have our winners! Nyx and Luminar have done the impossible!”

  Prism jumped to her feet, her tail flicking with excitement. “That’s my duo!” she said, her tail swishing triumphantly.

  In the pit, Nyx and Luminar stood together, their breaths heavy but their resolve unshaken. As the crowd continued to roar, they exchanged a glance, their unspoken bond as strong as ever.

  The roar of the crowd had simmered into lively chatter as Nyx, Luminar, and Prism sat at a table near the arena. A cluster of people surrounded them, drinks in hand, their excitement palpable.

  “Cheers, covas!” Prism said, raising her glass high, her grin wide as ever. Nyx and Luminar followed suit, clinking their glasses together as the crowd leaned in, eager to hear from the night’s champions.

  “Where’d you two crawl out from?” one voice called out, excitement laced in their tone.

  “You got some secret dojo in the mountains or something?” another added.

  “Seriously, what’s the trick? Do you just wake up gold?” a third chimed in.

  Nyx exchanged a glance with Luminar, both smiling as they tried to answer the barrage of questions.

  Nyx said, his deep voice carrying just enough to calm the group momentarily. “After we met, we’d spar daily, pushing each other to get better.”

  Luminar nodded, adding, “Getting into the underground arena scene was a turning point. Fighting with Affinity isn’t just combat to us. It’s an art… something we’re destined to do together.”

  The crowd murmured in admiration, questions coming faster now. “How do you synchronize your moves?” “What’s next for you?” “Do you take on students?”

  Before Nyx and Luminar could respond, Prism stepped in, her crystalline fur shimmering under the overhead lights. “Alright, alright, you No Lives” she said, raising her hands to settle the crowd. “No more questions, loffs! Let ‘em breathe before they start charging Coin for tips.”

  The group backed off reluctantly, though the buzz of excitement lingered in the air. As the commotion died down, a towering figure approached their table. Maraxis, with a thick head bandage, loomed over the table. For a moment, the air grew tense, until he broke into a wide grin.

  “You Chromati are something else,” Maraxis said, shaking his head. “Must be nice having a destined partner. Mind if I crash the victory party?” Without waiting for an answer, he placed a large pitcher of ale on the table and began refilling their glasses before chugging directly from the pitcher himself.

  Nyx and Luminar laughed, raising their glasses again as Maraxis set the empty pitcher down with a satisfied sigh.

  “Thank you for the fight,” he said, his grin never fading. “Breaking my streak against experts of the art… now that’s how it should be done. You two were incredible.”

  “You weren’t bad yourself,” Luminar replied with a smirk. “We’re still feeling that last hit.”

  Maraxis let out a booming laugh, slamming the table hard enough to make their drinks jump. “I’m just glad to have met fighters like you. Are you staying around?”

  “Just for the night,” Nyx said. “We’re heading to the capital tomorrow.”

  Maraxis nodded thoughtfully. “Well, I hope we cross paths again soon. Fighters like you make this worth it.”

  Nyx and Luminar exchanged a glance before Luminar asked, “Are there any more fights tonight?”

  Maraxis chuckled, shaking his head. “I was supposed to have two more matches, but after you two, I’m tapping out for the night.”

  Nyx and Luminar turned to Prism, who raised an eyebrow. “What?” she said, giving them her best wide-eyed who, me? look. When they both kept staring, she sighed dramatically and stood up. “Alright, I’ll go tell the announcer.”

  As Prism walked off toward the announcer’s booth, Vitaros stood nearby, watching closely. His glowing blue eyes widened as he overheard the conversation. The Ossari held his drink in one hand, the tome tucked under his other arm. When Prism spoke with the announcer, his hand jerked slightly, spilling ale onto the floor.

  “More fighting?” Vitaros muttered, nearly choking on his drink. “After they just took down that brute!”

  He looked back toward Nyx and Luminar, his expression a mix of shock and intrigue, as the energy in the arena shifted once more.