Slave of Fignters "Champion of the Black Star Part One

A narrow, filthy alleyway. Small bits of trash lay scattered in the corners, and damp stains streaked the walls. Alleys like these usually led to maintenance tunnels and sewer access points, so hardly anyone came here except workers.

But not today.

Edmond made his way through the cramped passageways toward a turn that, according to the sign ahead, led to a service entrance.

As he rounded the corner, he saw a familiar stone face.

Petrion stood before him, dressed in a long black coat, black trousers, and matching shoes.

"Well, look at that, pebble-head. So you're the one who wrote that note?" Edmond said as soon as he saw him. "How about you let my friend go, and I'll be nice enough not to beat you up."

"Listen here, bastard, you're not in any position to make demands!" Petrion shouted. "I'll never forgive what you did to me! The humiliation you put me through..."

"Alright, enough of that," Edmond cut him off. "Every time it's the same thing. 'Oh, you humiliated me. Oh, you beat me in one hit. Oh, you disgraced me.' The only disgrace you've brought upon yourself was beating up Toreki. Yeah, I beat you, but not instantly, and that proves you're not weak. But picking on and beating someone far weaker than you? That's what makes you truly pathetic."

"Don't you start lecturing me!" Petrion growled. "The strong take whatever they want from the weak. That's the law of life. And you're no better. That explosive power of yours... You're probably pumping yourself full of some kind of drugs."

Petrion reached inside his coat and pulled out a device shaped like a pistol.

"If you love fighting with performance enhancers so much, then this should calm you down."

A faint, barely audible shot rang out.

A spherical clump of energy burst from the long barrel and struck Edmond square in the chest.

He choked.

His entire body spasmed.

The energy spread through him like a web of tiny lightning bolts, covering him from head to toe. Groaning in pain, Edmond collapsed to the ground like a sack of sand and lost consciousness.

Satisfied with his work, Petrion turned toward the steel door at the dead end behind him.

"Hey, idiots! Bring her out!"

The door opened.

Two of Petrion's strongest henchmen stepped out-Arken and Lapron.

With them was Emali.

Her hands were bound with thick ropes, and a gag had been shoved into her mouth. Black streaks of smeared makeup ran down her cheeks where tears had washed it away.

Petrion glanced at them.

"Untie her. We don't need her anymore. Let her go."

Arken immediately spoke up.

"Or maybe we keep her? The girl's pretty hot."

Petrion slowly turned his head.

"Listen, you mutant chunk of meat, are you trying to make me look like a liar?" he said coldly. "I promised to let her go once that doped-up puppy was in our hands. And if I make a promise, I keep it. Untie her now before I pull your eyes down to your ass."

The henchmen shuddered and hurried to obey.

The moment Emali was free, she immediately lunged at Arken and Lapron.

Her sharp nails raked across their faces.

Caught completely off guard, both men grabbed at their wounds, leaving their lower bodies completely exposed.

Emali took advantage of it instantly.

Two quick kicks to the groin-

and both men doubled over in agony before collapsing to the ground.

But in the very next moment, Petrion grabbed her wrist and squeezed hard.

"You idiot, what are you doing? I told you I'd let you go in exchange for this bastard."

Emali winced in pain, yet still spat in his face.

"And who's the bastard here? You used a stun gun instead of fighting fair!"

Petrion slowly wiped the spit from his cheek.

"A fair fight with him? He uses some kind of insane power boosters, and you're talking to me about fairness?"

Trying to break free, Emali kicked him in the groin.

But Petrion managed to block it with his shin.

Emali froze in pain.

Kicking Petrion was like trying to break through a stone wall.

Petrion snorted.

"You ungrateful fool. Now get out of here!"

He was just about to turn and throw Emali toward the exit when someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder from behind.

It was Edmond.

Petrion froze in shock.

How had he even gotten back up? The charge had contained over a hundred thousand volts! A normal person could have died from a shock like that, yet this bastard was still standing.

The next second, Edmond kicked him behind the knee.

Petrion dropped onto one leg.

He tried to spring up and turn around to fire again, but Edmond seized his arm, yanked it straight out, and slammed his knee into the elbow, forcing the joint the wrong way.

Crying out in pain, Petrion released both Emali and the stun gun.

The moment she was free, the girl rolled toward the weapon, snatched it up, and fired at Petrion.

Just like Edmond moments earlier, he immediately began convulsing.

Emali fired two more times.

Petrion collapsed to the ground at once.

At that very moment, five more men rushed out of the doorway.

Emali aimed the stun gun at them and pulled the trigger.

Only one shot came out-the device needed to recharge.

One of the thugs dropped unconscious.

The remaining four were about to take advantage of the now unarmed girl, but the sight of Petrion lying on the ground and Edmond standing beside him made them hesitate.

"And where do you think you're going?" Edmond asked, looking at them. "Don't tell me you planned to gang up on a weak and defenseless girl."

Just then, Lapron climbed to his feet.

"Yeah... weak..." he groaned. "While we were tying her up, she knocked out three guys with her legs."

He pulled a knife with a vibrating blade from inside his coat.

Arken rose next. On his hands were electrified knuckle-dusters.

Both men charged at Edmond.

Lapron slashed with his knife, trying to reach his opponent, while Arken advanced head-on with his arms outstretched, intending to shock him.

Edmond slowly retreated.

Eventually, they backed him against the wall.

But suddenly he jumped, pushed off the wall, sailed over both of them, and landed behind their backs.

A sweeping kick.

Arken and Lapron crashed to the ground.

Edmond pressed the attack.

He spun his leg in a half-circle and brought his heel down in a powerful overhead strike, smashing Arken's head into the ground.

The thug lost consciousness instantly.

Lapron quickly scrambled to his feet and attacked again, but this time no one was covering him.

Edmond sidestepped, seized his arm, and used a backward leg sweep to throw him to the ground.

Then he sharply stomped on the shoulder of the arm holding the knife and pulled that same arm upward.

A sickening crack rang out.

The arm holding the knife snapped.

Lapron screamed in pain, though not for long.

Edmond kicked him in the face and knocked him out cold.

The four remaining henchmen watched in horror as Edmond tore through their strongest fighters.

While they stood there staring, Emali quickly searched Petrion's pockets, found a recharge capsule for the stun gun, inserted it into the device, and spun around.

Several precise shots.

The last four men dropped to the ground.

Edmond stared at the girl in surprise.

"Wow... Where did you learn to shoot like that?"

Realizing she'd gotten a little carried away, Emali immediately put on a calm expression.

"Well... I used to go to shooting clubs. I've got some experience. Besides, in our line of work-illegal trading-a skill like this can come in handy."

Edmond nodded thoughtfully.

*She's got a point. Who knows what she did before selling clothes? After all, despite her cute appearance, she's still a criminal.*

Emali reloaded the stun gun again.

"That scumbag was going to let me go but keep my bag, my belongings, and my money for himself."

She stepped inside the room.

After looking around, she walked to a cabinet and opened its door.

Her bag was inside.

Emali immediately grabbed it.

After checking the contents, she let out a relieved sigh.

"Alright... Whew, everything's here. And most importantly..."

She pulled out a small steel folder.

"Here. Your invitation to the second qualifying round."

Edmond reached for it, but Emali quickly pulled her hand away.

"Hey! Keep your hands off."

"I just wanted to take a look."

"No. You'll end up doing something to it. I remember how you somehow manage to lose important things for absolutely no reason."

Edmond puffed out his cheeks in annoyance.

He really didn't like being seen as an unlucky scatterbrain who couldn't be trusted with anything except beating people up.

"Where are Squoid and Toreki?" Emali asked.

Edmond scratched the back of his head.

"Well... the note said I had to come alone. Otherwise, you'd get hurt. So I came to rescue you right away."

Emali froze in disbelief.

"Wait... You didn't even tell the others?"

She immediately began rummaging through her bag and pulled out a small makeup case.

Taking out a tiny mirror, she shoved it into Edmond's hands.

"Hold this."

"What are you doing?" he asked in confusion.

"You're such an idiot, Edmond," Emali sighed as she fixed her makeup. "Squoid is going to skin you alive if he finds out you came to save me by yourself and didn't tell anyone. Let me clean myself up, and we'll go back together. I'll think of something on the way."

A few minutes later, she was finished.

Then she used a special cloth to brush the dust off both herself and Edmond.

After that, they headed back to the shop.

On the way, Emali remembered her ring-shaped communication device.

She took it out of her bag and slipped it onto her finger.

A hologram emerged from the blue orb set into the ring.

Three missed calls from Squoid.

"Oh, crap..." Emali muttered nervously. "He's definitely furious right now. Not only was I gone for so long, I didn't answer any of his calls either... What am I supposed to do now?"

-------------------

Meanwhile, back at the Galaxy of Beauty store, Squoid and Tork were seeing off their last customer.

"Whew, finally," Tork sighed in relief as he locked the front door. "We've never had this many customers before."

"No kidding," Squoid agreed. "Although..."

He was about to add something, but suddenly changed his mind.

"Never mind. What's important right now is that Emali still hasn't come back."

"Maybe she's already here?" Tork suggested as he stepped into the break room, hoping to find the girl had just returned.

But Emali wasn't there.

Neither was Edmond.

"Squoid, Edmond's gone too."

"What do you mean?" Squoid asked in surprise. "He usually lets us know before going anywhere."

"Maybe he went out for a run?" Tork guessed.

"Maybe," Squoid agreed. "I'm not too worried about him. If something happens, he can take care of himself. I'm more concerned about where Emali is."

Squoid activated the ring with the blue sphere on his finger. A holographic display appeared before him.

He tried calling Emali three times, but every call went unanswered.

"That's not right..." Squoid frowned. "She should've either picked up or called back immediately. Something has definitely happened."

He began scrolling through the holographic menu.

A map appeared, marked with several glowing dots.

Tork immediately realized they were signals from their tracking beacons.

But Emali's marker was nowhere to be seen.

Squoid rewound the log and finally found the point where the signal had disappeared.

It was near the sewer maintenance tunnels.

The sensors weren't powerful enough, so thick walls-and especially underground structures-completely blocked the signal.

"Toreki, to the storage room, now!" Squoid ordered. "Find the green shoebox."

Tork dashed into the storage room and soon found the box on the bottom shelf.

He brought it back to Squoid.

Squoid opened the lid.

Inside were two compact pistols, model MPP-243sG.

Small firearms that fired narrow bolts of plasma. They were rather controversial weapons: despite their impressive penetrating power, they didn't always inflict fatal wounds. The plasma bolts were so thin that they could pass straight through a target without hitting any vital organs.

However, the pistol's greatest advantage was its nearly silent shots, which made it useful for quick and quiet firefights.

Beside the pistols lay five plasma cartridges for each weapon.

Tork and Squoid armed themselves and set off to help.

As they ran, Squoid said,

"I had a feeling something was wrong the moment those customers came in."

"What do you mean?" Tork asked.

"First of all, they all entered the shop at the same time. Second, they barely showed any interest in the merchandise. Whenever we tried to help them, they kept making excuses and asking for more time to think. Out of the six customers, only one was real. The others were just distracting us."

"I see..." Tork said.

Then it suddenly hit him.

"Petrion's henchmen?!"

Squoid glanced at him.

"Very possible. He's clearly got a grudge against us."

A few minutes later, they reached the alley leading to the place where Emali's signal had disappeared.

They didn't go in right away.

Hiding behind the corner of a neighboring alley, they spent some time watching to see if anyone was nearby.

Once they were sure the coast was clear, they were about to step out of hiding when Edmond and Emali suddenly emerged from the alley.

They were walking briskly back toward the shop.

Seeing them alive and unharmed, Squoid and Tork immediately relaxed.

Then Squoid turned to Tork and gave him an order.

"Run back to the store. Hurry. Get there before they do."

He wanted to be inside the shop before Edmond and Emali returned.

-------------------

Emali and Edmond returned to the shop. The front entrance was already locked, which immediately made the girl uneasy.

*Did Squoid figure everything out and go looking for us?*

As they approached the back door, Emali carefully checked the handle.

It wasn't locked.

She let out a relieved sigh. If the door was open, then Squoid and Toreki hadn't gone anywhere.

They stepped inside and headed into the lounge, where they found Squoid and Tork calmly drinking tea.

Emali felt even more relieved, though she tried not to show it. She was convinced she had gotten out of the situation without making Squoid worry.

At least, that's what she thought.

Now all she needed was an excuse for being gone so long.

"I'm back!" she said cheerfully.

Squoid looked at her. There was concern in his eyes.

"What took you so long?" he asked.

"Well... the clerk handing out the invitations was late. I don't know why, so I had to wait," Emali replied.

She lied so confidently that it was impossible to tell whether she was telling the truth or not.

"Alright then. The important thing is that you're back and safe," Squoid said.

Then he turned a stern gaze toward Edmond.

"And where did you disappear to? Why did you leave without asking?"

Edmond shrank back, whether from fear or nervousness.

"I... I went for a run!" he answered.

"That's fine. But why didn't you tell me you were leaving? Why couldn't you give us a warning?"

"Well, you were busy... There were so many customers..." Edmond tried to explain.

Squoid suddenly slammed his palm onto the table.

Even Edmond flinched.

"You idiot! What if those had been Petrion's men and they'd come to turn us into minced meat? And you weren't here! We had an agreement: before going anywhere, you tell me, and I decide whether you can leave or not. Starting now, I'm deducting fifty thousand tickets from the amount I promised you."

Edmond lowered his head sadly but said nothing.

"Go upstairs," Squoid continued. "You're grounded. No training outside the shop until the second qualifying round begins."

"What about my runs?" Edmond tried to protest.

"There are plenty of exercises besides running," Squoid replied. "Besides, you're preparing for a fight in the arena, not a marathon. So practice your strikes and do strength training."

Edmond frowned.

"Actually, running is important for building endurance."

"Keep acting smart, and I'll deduct another fifty thousand."

Edmond immediately fell silent and slowly trudged up to the second floor.

"Emali, have a seat," Squoid said, pointing to the spot across from him.

The girl sat down.

She already knew what this conversation was going to be about.

And it seemed that Squoid had figured everything out.

"Emali, dear," he began, "you're a respectable young lady. So would you kindly tell me what you were doing in the sewers?"

The girl realized there was no point in hiding the truth.

She let out a heavy sigh.

"It was Petrion. He and his buddies ambushed me in an alley, jumped out, and grabbed me."

Squoid held his head in his hands.

"So he really decided to get revenge... He wanted some kind of ransom, am I right?"

"Yes," Emali answered. "He wanted to trade me for Edmond."

"So Edmond saved you?" Squoid said. "Then here's my question: how did he even find you?"

"I asked him the same thing," Emali replied. "While you were busy with the customers, someone knocked on the door. He opened it but didn't see anyone. Instead, he found a note saying he had to come alone or I'd be finished. So he didn't tell you anything and went to rescue me. Petrion wanted a rematch, but he lost just like the first time."

Emali deliberately left out the part about Petrion shooting Edmond with the stun gun. She didn't want Squoid to worry even more.

Squoid leaned onto the table and covered his face with his hands.

"This is my fault... I should've seen it coming. Letting Emali go alone, knowing that every other person around here would want to take advantage of her... I should've sent Edmond with you..."

He whispered so quietly it was barely audible.

"I'm a terrible leader..."

Tork immediately stepped in.

"Don't blame yourself. Everyone makes mistakes, and you're no exception. You're doing the best you can. In our line of work, it's impossible to predict everything."

Emali tried to comfort him as well.

"It's my fault too. I got careless and forgot where I was. If I'd been more attentive, nobody would've captured me."

Squoid lifted his head.

"Alright, enough. I don't need your comforting speeches. We got lucky a second time. From now on, we'll stick together and be more careful."

He rose from the couch.

"Now eat your dinner and get some rest. Starting tomorrow, nobody goes anywhere without my permission. We move around in pairs at the very least, so this never happens again."

He looked at Emali.

"And yes, good job for telling the truth. But you'll still be punished for your carelessness. Until the second qualifying round begins, you're in charge of sorting the merchandise."

With those words, Squoid headed upstairs.

Emali and Tork remained in the lounge.

"He's really upset," Tork said quietly.

"No kidding," Emali replied, crossing her arms and puffing out her cheeks. "I think we only made things worse by trying to comfort him. Now he feels pathetic."

"Well, the only thing we can do now is stick to his plan and try not to mess up again before the second qualifying tournament."

Suddenly, Tork smirked.

"But there is one upside."

Emali looked at him.

"And what would that be?"

Tork replied,

"I won't have to sort merchandise anymore. Good grief, that's such a boring job. Now you'll be the one doing it."

Emali immediately put on a pitiful expression.

"You're not going to help a girl in need? Toreki, sweetie, maybe we can make a deal?"

"That's up to Squoid," Tork replied. "What if he needs me while I'm busy sorting boxes in the storage room? Then I'll get in trouble too."

He shrugged.

"So, sorry. You're on your own."

Emali puffed out her cheeks even more.

"You're such a jerk, Toreki."

After their conversation, they had dinner and then went to their rooms to rest.

-------------------

Meanwhile, deep within the asteroid's sewer shafts, where filth and waste floated everywhere and the air reeked of decay, there wasn't a single living soul... or so it seemed at first glance.

Soft drumbeats echoed throughout the sewers. The closer one came to their source, the clearer the rhythm became, leading toward the entrance of a very strange chamber.

Two columns in the form of statues stood at the entrance. Both figures wore robes. One held a set of scales and a scroll, while the other carried a sickle and a torch. Five more statues stood along the walls around the room. Their hands were hidden within their sleeves, and their heads were slightly bowed.

Several people occupied the chamber. Those standing by the walls wore dark robes. Opposite them sat three drummers, beating out their rhythm. Above them, at a lectern, stood another figure clad in a crimson robe.

At the center of the room, an intricate pattern of grooves and channels had been carved into the floor, all converging into a circle.

Suspended by chains above the pattern hung a dark steel dome, and beneath it was a man.

His hands were bound behind his back and wrapped tightly in chains along with his torso. His legs were spread apart by a special wooden restraint with a large opening in its center. The prisoner was secured so tightly that he couldn't even move.

That man was Petrion.

To the rhythm of the drums, he slowly began to regain consciousness. The figure in the crimson robe noticed and gave a signal. The drummers immediately stopped playing.

Petrion finally awoke and, after looking around, froze in horror.

"W-What the hell?! Let me out of here, you freaks! Why am I hanging like this?!"

The figure in the crimson robe raised its head.

"We did this so that you may become a blessed sacrifice for our primordial Gabal. Have you forgotten your promise to bring us a strong man? Such sacrifices are exactly what Gabal desires."

Petrion tried to move, but the chains held him too tightly.

"Why are you doing this?! Do you actually believe this nonsense? There's no such thing as Gabal! Untie me right now, you lunatic fanatics! This wasn't our deal!"

The figure answered calmly.

"Do not speak of Gabal in such a manner. Do not defile your soul. Yes, we agreed that you would bring us a strong man. Instead, we found only you, lying unconscious alongside your men. It seems the one you intended to deliver was far stronger than you."

After saying this, the figure reached toward the lectern and activated a mechanism with a click.

From the center of the pattern beneath Petrion, a rotating metal spike emerged, making the horrifying sound of an enormous drill.

Petrion screamed.

"No... No! NOOO! Please, let me go! I don't want to die! Not like this!"

"Yes... just like that, my friend," the figure in the crimson robe said. "Gabal loves it when his sacrifices let out desperate screams before death. It is the symphony of his perfection."

He paused briefly.

"And one more thing. We injected you with a special serum. It will not allow you to die immediately. You will feel everything-from beginning to end-as the spike pierces your body. Your suffering will last longer and bring even greater pleasure to Gabal."

Petrion slowly began to descend. The dome above him also started moving.

As the prisoner stared in horror at his inevitable fate, the figure in the crimson robe turned dramatically toward the others.

"Brothers! Today we gather here to honor Gabal and offer him this sacrifice. May he grant us strength so that we may bring him even more sacrifices and free him from the Prison of Light!"

The voice grew louder.

"Once, Gabal existed in emptiness and tranquility, where true harmony reigned. But then came the Light, and it shattered that balance. Now our lord languishes within his prison, whose entrance lies beyond the Void Passages that mortals call black holes."

The figure raised both hands toward the ceiling.

"When we become the rulers of this place, we shall offer mass sacrifices. The energy of pain and despair will surge toward the nearest Void Passage, free Gabal, and he will devour this world!"

He spread his arms wide.

"O great Gabal! Hear our design! Grant us the strength to fulfill your will!"

As the speech continued, the drill passed through the opening in the restraint and slowly began boring into Petrion's stone flesh.

He let out a howl of unbearable pain.

The drill dug deeper and deeper, spraying blood onto the nearby cultists. His screams seemed to wrap around the spinning metal as it tore through his insides.

Petrion felt every second of the agony.

Time stretched into eternity. He should have died long ago, yet death never came. And for the first time in his life, he began to pray for it.

The dome finally descended completely, concealing him inside.

The screams became muffled, but they could still be heard from within.

As Petrion slowly faded in agony, the cultists raised their hands and began chanting a prayer in an unknown language.

Some time later, the screaming stopped.

Silence fell.

Blood began seeping from beneath the dome. It slowly spread through the grooves in the pattern, filling one channel after another until it reached a small separate circle beneath the lectern.

When the circle was filled, a faint red glow appeared along its edges, and the blood inside suddenly hardened like ice.

The figure in the crimson robe gestured for the drummers to rise.

They picked up metal rods, lifted the newly formed blood capsule, and carried it to the lectern.

The figure raised the capsule above his head.

"May Gabal bless me."

With those words, he brought it to his mouth.

The capsule began to melt and flow down his throat.

After swallowing it, the leader raised his hands and froze.

One second passed.

Then another.

Nothing happened.

Nervous coughing spread among the cultists.

The figure in the crimson robe spoke.

"Hm... for some reason, it didn't work..."

But he never finished his sentence.

The leader suddenly clutched his chest, screamed in pain, and collapsed behind the lectern.

Some of the cultists flinched.

Others began whispering among themselves, doubting the power of their god.

Then one of them pointed at the wall.

"Look over there..."

Behind the lectern, the shadow of the cult leader was moving.

Groans and the sickening crack of breaking bones echoed from behind the podium.

The shadow slowly grew larger.

And from the figure's head, two long horns began to emerge...