"C-Can you tell me what this place is?" Neptune asked nervously.
Astariel took a few steps back and leaned against the cold metal bars.
"You don't even know where you are? Do you even know how you got here?"
Her strange smile didn't leave her face.
Neptune scratched his head. He couldn't remember anything beyond being knocked out after the fight.
"No, not really. My village was burned down, and I fought some Corrupted Demons… then I lost consciousness. I don't remember what happened after that."
Astariel scratched her hair and murmured something Neptune couldn't hear from that distance.
"So can you finally tell me where we are? And why we're trapped in this prison or cage?! Are you some kind of criminal?"
Astariel stayed silent for a moment. Even though Neptune couldn't see her expression in the shadows, he still felt her mood darken.
"We're in a place called the Colosseum of Madness."
He blinked a few times, his eyes widening in confusion. "A… Colosseum of what the hell?"
Neptune stood frozen for a few moments, then stammered, "A-A Colosseum?! What the hell is that even supposed to mean?"
Before Astariel could answer, the metal door shot open. A tall, muscular figure stepped in, staring directly at Neptune.
They wore a white mask that completely covered their face. The mask resembled a sad expression, though it was filthy—smeared with blood and other unidentifiable substances.
Neptune instinctively dashed back, but the figure reached out with one arm, and a magical chain suddenly shot towards him and wrapped around his neck.
"What-"
He couldn't finish his sentence. The chain around his throat tightened painfully, cutting off his air supply. A charm... . Neptune clawed at it desperately, but he was too weak.
The masked figure dragged him out of the cell with little effort, pulling him through the darkness. Neptune glanced back at Astariel. She was still leaning against the bars of her cell, but her expression—though hidden—felt ice-cold to him.
Neptune was hauled through the darkness in front of another cell, though this one had a massive wooden door instead of a small metal one. As the figure released the chain around his neck, Neptune collapsed, gasping for air. But before he could recover, the giant wooden door creaked open, and blinding light spilled in.
Cheers and shouts thundered from outside.
"So bright…"
He shielded his eyes until they adjusted, then staggered through the doorway.
And froze.
His feet touched sand. As he looked around, he realized he was standing in a massive colosseum. The arena was circular, its ground made of rough sand and small stones. A towering black metal wall separated the fighters from the spectators.
Neptune swallowed hard, his body frozen in shock.
The stands were filled with masked spectators—at least, he thought they were human. They screamed and cheered, thousands upon thousands of voices.
Neptune looked up at the sky with a grim expression. It was gray, with a harsh yellow sun glaring down.
Does a place like this even exist on Earth?
No. He wasn't on Earth anymore.
Probably the Oblivion Realm. It was where the Corrupted Creatures initiate came from. As Well as other unholy creatures like Vampires, Ghosts and Spirits. It was a world full of hatred and death.
But how did he get here? Did he get kidnapped and brought here?
Right now that was the only possible solution Neptune could think of at least. But who did that? The same that destroyed the Village? There were way too many questions right now...
His thoughts were shattered as a massive gate across the arena opened. He forced himself forward, only to stop when a figure emerged.
It was humanoid and as tall as Neptune, though skeletal. A human skeleton clad in black steel armor, clutching a long spear forged of the same material.
It turned its head slowly until it locked eyes on him. His enemy.
Neptune swallowed hard and tried to summon Crownbreaker again. This time, it worked.
"What in the name of Corruption?!"
Why could he summon his weapon here but not in the cell? Was something suppressing his Soul Vessel before?
But which Creature could do something like that? Neptune had heard that so called Archdemons and Soul Tyrants with four or five Soul Vessels were able to Control and manipulate Souls.
He shook his head.
"Don't think about that right now. Focus on your enemy."
The skeleton was a Corrupted Creature with a single Soul Vessel—like him. It shouldn't be too difficult.
Still, Neptune hadn't figured out the system of this Colosseum. Until now, it seemed his enemies were matched to his level. But what exactly was this place?
Fighting for his life in a Colosseum was horrifying enough, but what made it worse was that the crowd enjoyed it. Every spectator wore a mask to hide their face.
Why?
The skeleton closed in, now only five meters away.
Neptune raised his sword, bracing for battle. The cheers grew louder, echoing through the arena.
He gritted his teeth.
The skeleton hurled its spear at his head. Thanks to the distance, Neptune dodged easily with a swift sidestep. Without hesitation, he dashed forward. The skeleton was unarmed now.
"Idiot," Neptune muttered with a grin.
But before he could strike, the skeleton conjured a black steel sword from thin air.
"What the—"
Since when could Corrupted Creature summon weapons?
Their blades clashed. The skeleton blocked his strike, then thrust forward. Neptune had already leapt back , narrowly avoiding the attack. Making the skeleton stumbled forward and lost his balance.
A crucial mistake.
In fights like this, one mistake was enough to decide the victor. And right now, the skeleton had made one.
Neptune stepped in, raised his blade, and brought it down.
The skeleton was far too slow. Its skull cracked open like a nutshell. The armored corpse collapsed into the sand, motionless.
The crowd fell silent—then erupted into deafening cheers and applause.
But Neptune felt sick.
"Which corrupted bastard cheers for someone fighting for their life?! What the hell is wrong with these people?!"
He glared up at the stands, his expression a mix of anger and disgust.
But had he really won?
The gate across the arena slammed shut. The dark figure appeared again, this time at the gate behind him. It gestured for Neptune to return.
"Oh really? You bastard want me to go back in there? Then come get me!!"
Neptune shouted, his rage boiling over. He wouldn't play by their rules.
He didn't care if it killed him—he refused to act like a pawn in their twisted game.
He raised his sword as the masked figure entered the arena. Finally, Neptune saw it clearly.
It was enormous—two and a half meters tall, its body rippling with muscle. Its pale white skin was marred by red scars. It wore only a short robe around its waist. The mask was soaked in fresh blood, the sad face carved into it glowing eerily under the blazing sun.
And then Neptune felt it.
Three Soul Vessels.
An Abomination.