The lights of the arena hit harder than thunder. The crowd was still buzzing from Clara's golden gown and from the chaos Kuina had left behind earlier. The announcer tried to calm them but his voice was swallowed by thousands of screams.
Piper froze mid-step. She had just entered the runway, hips swinging, black lipstick shining, her green hair bouncing like electric vines. She stopped cold. Her eyes went wide. She rubbed them once, twice, even slapped her cheek.
"What the fuck… am I seeing things?" she muttered.
High above the crowd, in the shadows behind Ortus's throne, a woman sat draped in flowers. She was glowing softly, a halo of petals around her shoulders, a smile so calm it felt like it had been waiting a thousand years.
Piper whispered to herself. "No way… Grandma? Lysia?"
She stood frozen and the audience started to murmur. The announcer leaned forward, sweating, not sure if this was part of the show.
From the stands, Mortis the unicorn bellowed. "Piper, you slut! Why are you stopping? Keep walking!"
The crowd roared with laughter but Piper did not move. Her gaze was locked on the figure above Ortus.
Ortus noticed. She leaned forward, her silver eyes narrowing. Her lips moved in a whisper only she could hear. "She is staring at Lysia?"
She turned her head upward slowly, her muscles tight. And there she was. Lysia, the Flower Goddess, sitting right behind her throne, smiling like she owned the air.
"Lysia, you idiot!" Ortus hissed under her breath. "You are not supposed to show yourself here!"
Lysia giggled softly. "Oh, baby, do not worry. Nobody knows who I am. I hide myself well. Only sweet Piper can see me clearly."
Ortus clenched her jaw. "Why Piper? Do you two have some kind of family connection?"
Lysia tilted her head. Her voice floated like petals in the wind. "It is complicated, baby. I am her grandmother, but we never kept in touch. Her sister died and after that we lost contact. It was about seventy years ago."
Ortus's eyes widened. "Seventy? How old is Piper supposed to be?"
Lysia chuckled. "About a hundred."
Ortus almost choked. "She looks like a twenty-year-old model!"
"Of course," Lysia teased. "Where do you think she got those genes? Her mother placed a water kingdom charm on her at birth. It keeps her young and extends her lifespan. That is why I am a thousand years old and still look twenty-five." She winked playfully.
For the first time Ortus smirked. "You are too sweet for this world, Lysia. But Piper as your granddaughter? There is no resemblance. Look at her. Green hair, blue eyes, black lipstick, about one sixty seven in height, not shy at all. Not even a virgin from what I see. She is deadly and very sexual."
They both turned to watch Piper who had finally snapped out of her freeze. She shook her head and began walking again, slower this time, hips swaying like waves. She blew kisses left and right, her voice carrying into the mic she did not know was live.
"Yes! Cheer for me, you miserable crowd! I know I am hot. Keep screaming, assholes!"
The crowd gasped, then screamed louder.
Lysia's jaw dropped. "Wow. So much has changed. That mouth… Piper, my sweet little Piper."
Ortus laughed under her breath. "And you claim she is your granddaughter? She swears like a sailor. This is hilarious."
Down on the runway, Mortis stomped his hooves. "Damn sexy, Pipers! Keep it going, you crazy bitch!"
Piper reached the end of the catwalk and gave one final dramatic spin, hair flying, lipstick shining. The crowd exploded again. She blew one last kiss, then stomped back through the curtain, muttering under her breath.
The announcer almost dropped his mic. "Ladies and gentlemen… that was… I do not even know what that was. She is insane. She is wild. Give it up for Piper!"
He barely caught his breath before raising his hand again. "Now, my friends, prepare yourselves. The red woman. The beauty of fire. The former queen of flame herself… Mira!"
The arena went silent. Even the air seemed to pause.
Behind the curtain, Mira stood still while a stylist fixed the strap of her scarlet gown. Her curls shimmered like burning copper, her lips coated in perfect red. She rolled her shoulders impatiently.
"Enough already," she said. "Let me go."
Molly clapped from the side. "Go get it, sexy!"
Lika shouted too, her timid voice somehow carrying. "Good luck, Mira!"
Piper, still sweaty from her walk, froze as she watched Mira step forward. Her jaw dropped. "What the fuck… she looks like a supermodel."
The curtain opened. Mira placed both hands on her hips and walked slowly, heels cracking against the floor like firecrackers. Her aura shimmered, tiny sparks of flame drifting around her body. The gown glittered as if it was alive. Her cleavage glowed in the spotlight.
Ortus leaned forward, her lips parting without control. She whispered, "Wow… wow… that is the girl who dared to call me out about my partial nudity? She is… breathtaking."
Even Lysia tilted her head and whispered, "A real bombshell."
The audience fell into dead silence for a moment, then the screams crashed down like a storm. Flowers flew from the seats, petals rained onto the stage.
Mira walked to the end, turned sharply, and locked eyes with Ortus above. She smirked, then winked.
The crowd screamed again. Mira blew a kiss. This time the flame shaped itself into a perfect pink heart floating in the air.
Ortus's entire body shivered. Her mind screamed at her to stay calm, but her heart betrayed her. "I want her," she whispered to herself. "I want to fuck her. I want to touch her. I want to spoil her. I want her to win."
Lysia raised her brows. "Already choosing a winner, baby? What about the others?"
Ortus ignored her. Mira spun, sending out a barrage of fiery hearts, each one a different color. Pink, purple, red, orange. The arena was chaos, fans crying and fainting in ecstasy.
She reached the announcer, leaned in, and kissed his cheek. "Enjoy, sweetheart."
Then she lifted her gaze straight at Ortus and shouted loud enough to shake the rafters. "Ortus! Take this, babe. You are bold, but remember who the real winner is! Mwah!"
She blew a massive purple fire-heart straight at Ortus.
Ortus reacted without thinking. She sent her own flaming heart back. They collided mid-air, exploding in a shower of sparks.
Mira winked, turned, and walked off stage like nothing happened.
The announcer staggered. "We… we are going to take a short break. Judges, good luck deciding after that!"
Backstage, Mira wiped sweat from her forehead. "Damn, that was intense. Did you girls like it?"
Molly was still stunned. "Holy shit."
Lika clapped like a child. "You were amazing!"
Clara and Yasmin joined, both speechless. Piper finally broke the silence. "That was insane. We killed it tonight. But wait… where the fuck is Kuina?"
The room went quiet. Piper's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me she skipped watching me. Where the hell is she?"
Mira sighed, a little hurt. "Shit. I thought she would watch. She has not come back since she went looking for Kylie."
Far away in the dungeon ruins, time moved slower.
The air was cold and sour. Kuina and Kylie sat on the broken stone, the cassette tape still fresh in their minds.
Kylie's voice cracked. "Ortus created the system, Kuina. With her own hands. She decided every punishment, every rule, every time you had sex, every fight, every mission. It was all her. I only knew about its existence."
Kuina blinked hard. "Wait. If that is true, then why do you all see and hear the system but never have one yourselves?"
Kylie looked down. "Because we do not need it. Ortus only gives it to the chosen. Those who need to walk a special path. And you are one of them."
Kuina's face tightened. "Why me? Why give me a system at all?"
Kylie sighed. "Because we watched you. I kept an eye on you. So did she. She forgot about you for ten years, but I never did. I followed you. I waited. When I finally came with the bottle, it was because I knew it was time."
Kuina clenched her fists. "I get that, Kylie. But what was her real interest? Why make me fight, fuck, and grow stronger like some lab rat?"
Kylie looked at her softly. "Because Ortus is bored. That is the truth. She is immortal. She conquered this world after leaving another. She has ruled for centuries. You are her entertainment. She saw potential in you. She wanted to see how far you would go. And she was right. Look at you now. You are unstoppable."
Kuina exhaled slowly. Her chest rose and fell. "This system is a curse. It gives me power, armor, rewards… but what is the final stage? When does it end?"
Kylie hesitated. "I think the final stage is one million. You are almost there, love. Four hundred thousand more. Then you finish. You will be a goddess for real."
Kuina spun toward her, anger flashing. "And you never thought to tell me this before?"
Kylie smirked nervously. "You never asked. I saw how you kept quiet. You never complained much. So I thought you were fine with it."
Kuina shook her head. "Of course it bothered me. But maybe deep down I accepted it. I wanted love. I wanted sex. I wanted battles. I enjoyed it, sometimes too much. And yes, I barely complained. Because it gave me all of you. My family. My girls."
Kylie's eyes welled up. "Kuina… you are so strong, so sexy, and now you are making me cry. I never thought I would hear this from you."
Kuina touched her cheek gently. "How old are you really, Kylie? Human or witch?"
Kylie chuckled. "Half human, half witch. I am about eighty. Ortus gave me a gift to stay young and beautiful for longer."
Kuina smiled faintly. "And why the constant gothic look? Show me your real face. No lipstick. No makeup. Just for me."
Kylie blushed. "Only for you. Use cloth control."
Kuina raised her hand. The makeup faded. Kylie's natural face appeared, bare and soft. Kuina's eyes widened and she blushed hard. "Kylie… you are beautiful. Sexy as hell. You do not need all that makeup."
Kylie bit her lip. "You really think so? I always thought I was ugly without it."
Kuina kissed her gently. "Does that prove it? I will kiss every version of you. Black lipstick, red, or none at all. You are mine."
Kylie giggled. "Damn, baby. You are killing me."
They held each other close. Kuina whispered, "Now I understand why the system rewards sex and violence. Because Ortus is the goddess of sex. That bitch."
Kylie pressed her head against Kuina's chest. "If she finds out I told you, she will kill me for real."
Kuina stroked her hair. "Not while I live. She will not touch you."
Back in the arena, Ortus rose from her throne. The break was over. The crowd stood ready.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she said, her voice loud and smooth. "It is time to declare our winner."
At that exact moment, Kuina and Kylie returned through the curtain.
"The winner of tonight's show," Ortus announced, "is Mira."
The crowd erupted. Mira's eyes went wide. All the girls gasped. Kuina froze in shock.
The system whispered in her mind. "You lost the mission. No punishment will be applied."
Mira walked forward in disbelief. She reached Ortus who smiled darkly. Then, in front of the entire arena, Ortus pulled Mira close and kissed her full on the mouth.
Mira's eyes went wide. She froze, then slowly melted into the kiss, her arms circling Ortus.
The arena went insane.
Ortus pulled back, her lips still inches from Mira's. "I wanted that for a long time," she whispered. Then she turned to the audience. "And now, my friends, let us welcome the four gods."
Lysia leapt down from the shadows, landing in a shower of petals. Three more bursts of energy crashed onto the stage, shaking the ground. The air filled with divine power.
The show was over. The real war was about to begin.
To be continued.