(The dozens upon dozens of robed spectators descended from the stands, encircling the four men until their numbers swelled to one hundred and five against four, an overwhelming phalanx of wavy-aura figures radiating calm menace on the coliseum's raised platform, dust still swirling faintly from the initial crash.)
"Man y'all ain't dark elves, we wil—" (Damien started, but was abruptly cut off as a robed woman burst forward in a blur, driving her fist precisely into his mid-section with unbelievable force, the impact launching him backward through the air. He nearly crashed into Soren, who simply sidestepped fluidly and caught Damien's collar to steady him.) "Looks like you two were fighting beginner's earlier," (Soren muttered coolly, releasing the fabric.) "Now we might fight masters."
"That is not my problem." (Renji muttered, crouching low before exploding forward toward one robed figure, cocking a punch only to feel four precise strikes hammer his vital areas simultaneously, blood vessels popping internally with a sharp, nauseating pain.)
(Soren stared for a split second before sprinting to assist, leaping over Renji and extending both legs in a dual dropkick toward two attackers. They blocked his attack effortlessly, yanking him mid-air and slamming him on his back onto the ground with bone-rattling force. Damien fared no better, as he charged forward just to be jumped relentlessly with pinpoint hits to his solar plexus, kidneys, and more, being completely overwhelmed. Jiwon tried shielding him but was driven repeatedly into the dirt, gasping.)
(After a grueling full ten minutes of this humiliating pummeling, their breaths were ragged as the four finally broke free, scrambling back-to-back in a defensive huddle. Renji tried muttering a guttural healing chant, but it fizzled uselessly, his power unresponsive.) "Well this is embarrassing...." (he admitted through gritted teeth. Jiwon chimed in,) "Maybe it's because we aren't in that world and probably healing needs one of the gods/goddesses power."
"Ugh," (Damien intoned, clearly annoyed, wiping sweat and blood from his lip.) "How the hell are we going to win if they see our every moves and why are the hell are they so strong?"
(Soren wiped blood from his mouth, running fingers through his ash-blond waves, his smile shaky but intact.) "Remember when I said they were meant to tire out people, well I lied. It was just that you and Renji were at the same level of those beginners."
"BEGINNERS?!" (Damien shouted, his ego bruised as even Renji clenched his jaw tightly. Soren nodded slowly, eyes still tracking the now standing figures.) "But that does not mean we can't win." (He whispered the last part, eyes gleaming.)
"Can't we just use the dust to our advantage? We don't know if Renji and Damien are stronger then them." (Jiwon suggested, eyeing the ground. Damien and Renji followed his gaze towards the ground and immediately Damien's feral grin resurfaced and Renji's golden eyes narrowed predatorily. They burst in opposite directions, leaping skyward. The man on the throne narrowed his eyes suspiciously; some robed members looked up, others were fixated on Soren and Jiwon.)
(Like two twin meteors, one crimson-shrouded and another one golden they plummeted with a whistling descent, cratering the ground violently and causing dust to erupt in a choking storm. They exploded through the haze like ghosts: Renji's two fingers spearing a robed man's eyes in a wet pop; Damien's hands clamping two women's heads, smashing them together with skull-cracking thud. Bodies dropped unseen in the murk.)
(Reisei, as Soren hinted, dilates perception to where the brain can decelerate time subjectively as well as calming neural chaos for hyper-clarity. But their reaction is form deeper evolution or in other words cellular adaptation. Normal humans create muscle memory via repetition; cells remember past pathogens to handle them with ease and Reisei does the same. It weaponizes survival in a way that no matter what fight they got in, if they have survived the results of that fight help them in the long run. If a powerful warlord fought a beginner of Reisei and left the beginner alive, the beginner's body will evolve for their next fight over and over until the beginner wins.)
(The dust blinded the Reisei users as Wi thrived in such a condition. Damien and Renji moved as ghosts, their glowing eyes moving like phantom flickers, they were now now here and there as the bodies piled silently. When the dust would thin, they would leap and launch it up again to continue their dirty fight which was currently winning this battle. Soren and Jiwon proved to be useless in the fight again.)
(Finally, the dust dissipated as Renji and Damien were panting like hounds, their hair plastered against their glistening skin. Dozens littered either groaning or still.) "Let's run," (Renji urged flatly.) "What?" (Damien blinked surprised as he looked over towards Renji.)
"We struggled to beat so called masters and we don't know how strong that man on the seat is, what if he is stronger?" (Renji eyed the man sitting on the throne who looked extremely calm. Damien clenched his jaw and glanced.) "Ugh fine let's get this moving then."
(As they pivoted toward Soren and Jiwon, reality froze as all were suspended mid-motion. A dark mist coalesced into a faceless humanoid, gliding toward Damien and Renji, invisible eyes boring soulless voids.) "You guys are still weak.... What have you been doing with what I gave you?" (Its voice was a monotone, genderless, soulless echo.)
(Damien snarled with his eyes narrowed.) "And who the fuck are you?" (Crimson eyes flaring.)
(The mist distanced itself back away from the two as it placed it's hands behind it's back.) "Oh I'm just a bored being that decided to give you four the ability to gain powers, so I'll ask again." (The air chilled oppressively as mist-blades materialized at their throats.) "What in the world were you doing with the abilities I gave you? You were going to run from a fight? That's not Wi." (What sounded to be a sigh rippled.) "I guess it should be expected since I never trained you or sent anyone to train you." (It brought it's misty hand to it's chin, holding it in thought.) "Alright I'll send you two to that world and I'll send you both," (It glanced towards Soren and Jiwon,) " and you two to that world as well, this should be fun."
"Fun? This shit is fun to you? Why the hell would we willingly go to where you want us to go," (Damien demanded as the mist figure pivoted to look towards Damien.) "I'm pretty sure I have you suspended in the air right now, do you really think I don't have the power to do whatever to you? I have hinted that I am the one sucking you into worlds, what are you babbling on like a fool for?"
(Renji muttered as he glanced towards Damien.) "It got your dumbass there." (Damien rolled his eyes as he clenched his. jaw.) "Shut up."
(The figure raised a hand and snapped it's fingers as suddenly four portals yawned opened and sucked all four spiraling into black-white dotted voids, they were lone as they looked around for each other.)
(Renji crash-landed into a churning ocean, as he was knocked out of Wi-state and surfaced gasping for air. He began coughing on a shore. The sun dipped in the background as a few meters ahead were a group survivors huddled around a campfire roasting skewered fish. A red-haired woman spotted him and shouted out.) "HEY! ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?"
"Victoria, if he was one of them he would have attacked by now," (A blonde woman countered coldly as her gaze rooted onto Renji.)
(Renji rose as water dripped from his body and his silvery hair plastered against his forehead. He advanced in a trance-like state towards the group causing both the men and women of the group to grow wary. Their suspicious brewing as Victoria stood up and grabbed her stone-head spear before throwing it towards a blank Renji. He snapped out his trance-like state and immediately ducked the spear as it flew past and landed near the coastline.)
"SHIT, I LOST MY FAVORITE SPEAR!" (Victoria wailed as she grabbed her head and dashed past to dive into shallow waves before grabbing the spear and cradling it.) "Shushh, my baby. Mama is not going to leave you. Don't cry, shush."
(The blonde haired woman whose name was Pearl pinched her nose exasperated, she looked down at ground as she narrowed her green eyes.) "I can't be bothered with that girl anymore."
(Renji whirled to face her with a shocked expression.) "Did you just throw a spear at my fucking head?"
(Victoria glared as her deep blue eyes rooted onto his eyes, she spoke.) "Well EXCUSE me for trying to use self-defense." (She rolled her eyes as she rose to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest and adjusted her weight on her leg.)
"Self-defense?" (Renji repeated as he rose to his feet as well.) " Self-defense my ass, you attacked me first," (Renji muttered. Victoria than extended her spear threateningly and spoke.) "And I won't miss my attack the second time."
(Pearl sighed as she rake fingers through her hair. Renji took a step closer.) "Is that a fucking threat?"
"Did I stutter?" (Victoria advanced as well.) "No, but I'll give you the brain damage to do so." (Renji immediately clapped back as gasps rippled at the fire.)
"Woah dude, you wouldn't hit a woman would you?" (A black-haired guy raised his eyebrow as he spoke, eyes narrowed.)
"The fuck do you me—" (Renji halted as he looked back towards the group and the realization dawned on him. Since when was he this aggressive to people and even women of all people? What is this primal override? He clutched his head trying to dig through the reasons. 'Was it Wi?', he thought as shame was starting to take hold of him.)
(Victoria rolled her eyes as she walked past him and spoke.) "Let him be, he is just some guy that probably likes beating up women to feel good about his little dick." (She sat by the campfire as she twisted a skewered-fish.)
(Snickers erupted as some also shook their heads in their disappointment. Renji bit his lip as he continued thinking,) "ow," (He whispered to himself as a crimson bead of blood dripped down his lip. Pearl heard the sound of pain and looked over to see blood flowing down his lip.) "Oh you fucking asshole." (She whipped her head towards the jungle as if expecting something to come.)
(Renji stared at the droplets and his tongue felt around to feel his teeth, he felt his canines were now elongated fangs.) "Since when did I have sharp canines?"
(As the group noticed Pearl's gaze they looked over towards the jungle as roar guttural and wrong erupted from within causing the earth to shake. Renji tensed instinctively as the word 'Danger,' passed through his mind, his gaze rooted on the jungle. His eyes ignited golden as usual and his pupils turned into vertical slits as he released an oppressive aura causing the group to look back to see whatever the hell was happening to Renji.)
"What the fu—" (Victoria was cut off by thundering stomps. A colossal black beast appeared that oozed a dark thick slime, it has the body of a great lion, the tail of a scorpion and the head of great wolf, it roared again as it bared its sharp teeth.)
"The fuck is that?" (Renji yelled in shock and immediately Victoria responded.) "Because of your dumbass blood, you attracted a hungry ass creature. FUCK we are cooked." (She held her head in fear as she stared at the creature.)
(The beast locked onto Renji and fear spiked within, his hearts racing. He was scared at this mutt? He clenched his jaw and charged forward, his fist cocked mid air aimed to slam into the creatures head.)
"The hell is that idiot doing?" (Victoria muttered as Pearl narrowed her eyes and noticed something.) "Let him be, something about him is wrong."
(His fist neared the skull and the creature opened it's mouth as immediately Renji took hold of a fang to stop himself. His blood slicking flowing down his palm as he fought to keep it's mouth open while the creature fought to slam it down on him.)
('Damn, Damn, Damn.' Was repeated over and over in Renji's head as he clenched down on his jaw so hard it was a miracle nothing cracked. The beast stopped applying force and immediately something like instinct within Renji screamed at him to jump out and he did. As he jumped away a black goo erupted from the creature's mouth and narrowly missed Renji as he rolled away, the goo hissed as it melted the sand.)
"How the fu—" (A member was cut off as deafening roar erupted from the creature. Renji rose and narrowed his eyes, pure determination passed through his gaze before he just suddenly bolted. The beast watched him run away before it gave chase, catching up to him and almost biting on his head.)
(They ran across the forest-line as another set of roars within the jungled sounded from Renji's blood bait. Mid his run he leapped upwards causing the beast to brake as Renji mounted it's back and his fists rained down onto it's spine with little to no damage.) "What the hell are you made of?" (He whispered to himself angrily.)
(A twin beast with it's jaw wide pounced from within the forest as Renji stared at it wid eyed. Only a few seconds from death as his black-organs surged with Wi throughout his blood, his pupils dilated and contracted in a frenzy like state. As the creature was a mere second away the third key twisted into the lock. His golden eye's shut off into a white light as he was swallowed whole.)
(As he moved down it's esophagus, his hand pierced into the flesh wall and the beast immediately roared in agony. He tore through and climbed out like a parasite moving through muscle with ease as he reached the heart chamber. The colossal pump seized as he grabbed it and ripped it to halves as it were paper. He tore through the creature and erupted from it's back with a loud and primal triumphant shout all alone within the forest.)
(The beast swayed, as it vomitted it's acid, it bite all over before it collapsed dead. Renji panted as he fully climbed out drenched in purple blood. His stomach grumbked as he stared at the creature, he couched nears it's fatal would and devoured it raw. He wanted to vomit stomach but his body could not do that at all.)
"Why are we following that creature?" (Victoria grumbled alongside the other survivors as Pearl whispered back.) "I doubt a person like him could just die like that if he was able to do those abnormal feats."
(Victoria rolled her eyes and muttered as she kicked a rock.) "Why does a woman beater get cool powers?"
(Pearl narrowed her eyes and suddenly stopped.) "Look."
(They tracked the beast and saw it's carcass with chunk gone. They looked to see Renji slumped against a tree panting as he stared at the corpse before his gaze drifted towards them. His pupils were similar to that of a reptilian or cat while his irises now glowed a eerie white light.)
(Victoria gagged with her fist placed by her mouth as she pieced that Renji ate the creature while Pearl was fixated on him.) "What are you?"
(Renji met her gaze causing for chills to run down her spine.) "How should I know?"
(Victoria slowly swallowed her vomit, as she stared at him with a mix of disdain and awe at the same time.)
(His eyes dimmed back to normal as he ran his fingers through his hair, head reclined as he looked upwards towards the canopies.)
(Pearl took a step forward towards him.) "How did I gain that power?"
(Silence stretched before Renji looked towards her.) "You don't have the right conditions and plus you lack the necessary organs."
"Organs?" (Victoria repeated her face slightly scrunching.)
(Renji sighed before he explained.) "My internals organs have evolved beyond what is considered human. How to gain it would require the right world and its gods to give it to you or something like that."
(Pearl shrugged her shoulders.) "I tried."
"Are you an alien?" (The black-haired guy leaned forward and arched his brow.)
"Could be." (His eyes grew heavy before they shut and fatigue claimed him.)
"How are you guys comfortable with interrogating him?" (A woman queried and Pearl responded.) "We are still alive and he seems to think like a human, so he could lean onto human."
(Victoria raised an eyebrow and pointed at him.) "The bitch is asleep."
(The night came in to claim the island. He woke up fifteen hours later surrounded by a beach fire as they roasted fish. Renji suddenly snapped awake and sat up to scan his surroundings.)
(He sighed before cracking his neck.) That's better," (He muttered before Pearl spoke.) "You slept for too long, that's not healthy."
(Renji rose to his feet and began to walk towards the shoreline.) "For your survival, it's not healthy but my body demands more sleep for my survival."
(He stood by the waters and stared at the ocean, 'this is going to be an ass solo arc' He thought to himself as he took a deep breath. They stared at him as if he was a weirdo. The air blowed against Renji's face and slightly at his hair, his serene expression betrayed no thought as he stared out into wavy cool waters.)
('Who was this weirdo?' They thought. How powerful is Renji's third key? How is he going to survive?)
(Find out in the next chapter....)