The morning sun—or whatever passed for morning in Neo-Lumina's neon haze—shone on streets still littered with remnants of yesterday's noodle battle. Hovercars zipped by, pedestrians dodged digital debris, and holographic ads begged for attention like caffeinated pop stars.
Kael stretched his stiff arms. "So… the big scary monster from yesterday? Still there. Still glowing. Still apparently hungry."
Lira rolled her eyes, balancing perfectly on her hoverboard. "Yes, Kael, and unlike you, it doesn't stub its toe every two seconds. I suggest we handle it smartly this time."
Juno, rubbing his nose nervously, sneezed—unleashing a brief storm cloud above his head that sent a few confused pigeons flying. "Uh… maybe less sneezing would be smart. Just a thought."
The glowing red monster stomped through the streets, scanning for… well, probably dinner. It growled, and buildings nearby shimmered slightly as if reality itself was nervous.
Kael tightened his quantum glove. "Alright team, time to fight, not noodle-battle."
Lira grinned and flicked her fingers. Digital barriers sprang up like cubes of solid light around them. "Let's make it fun. Remember, teamwork first, chaos second. And only slightly more chaos than yesterday."
Juno sneezed again. A small lightning orb formed, zipping toward the monster. "I think it likes me? Or hates me? Not sure which."
The monster lunged. Kael jumped, slamming his quantum glove against the ground. A holographic dojo burst out, spinning around the monster and confusing it completely.
"Do you ever miss?" Lira called from her hoverboard, sending a digital spear into the monster's path.
"Define 'miss'!" Kael yelled. The dojo walls flickered, projected mini-fists punching in every direction. Somehow, it worked. The monster tripped over a stray noodle cart and rolled into a shallow puddle of glowing ramen broth.
"Victory?" Juno asked cautiously, still sneezing and generating random sparks.
"Temporary," Kael admitted, dusting himself off. "But at least Neo-Lumina still stands… mostly."
From a nearby rooftop, a shadowy figure watched the chaos, grinning. "They're… interesting. Very interesting."
And just like that, Chapter 3 ended with the promise of bigger battles, stranger powers, and way more laughs.