Once again I found myself matched up against another worthless opponent who didn't even have a proper champion. It was frustrating, really. After the exhilarating battle against Pharmacist, I had expected at least one more fight that would force me to think, maybe even make my lizard bleed a little. Instead, all I got were pushovers single‑celled blobs, scraps of moss, or creatures so weak they crumbled before the battle even truly began.
I sighed to myself as another so‑called champion disintegrated under my lizard's claws. "What a waste of time," I muttered. "I should've just taken a nap instead."
Still, I kept reminding myself that the real matches would begin once the top ten were decided. This preliminary stage was nothing more than weeding out those who hadn't taken things seriously or simply hadn't had enough time to make progress. I pushed the irritation down. There was no point sulking when victory came so easily.
And like that, I glided through the rest of my matches. My champion didn't even have to fight seriously again, winning almost by default every single round. It left me wondering why this competition was even being held. What purpose did it serve when so many contenders hadn't even evolved basic creatures?
"Oh well," I said aloud, more to myself than anyone else, "it's not like I'm gonna get an answer. May as well stop thinking about it."
As my body once again began to disperse into golden light, I expected the same empty Colosseum as before. But this time was different. When the light faded, I wasn't sitting in the stands. I was standing in the very center of the arena. Around me, nine other figures stood in a loose circle, each one carrying themselves with an air that set them apart from the others I had seen before.
Even more shocking were the stands. They weren't empty anymore. Countless figures crowded them, stretching higher than I could count. It was like standing in the middle of a vast ocean of gods, all watching, all waiting. The sheer weight of their gazes pressed down on me, and I had to steady my breath. These were the ones who hadn't made it into the top ten, the losers of the preliminary rounds, and yet there were so many that the number was impossible to even estimate.
I glanced around at the nine who stood with me. Their presence alone made it obvious: these were the top ten, myself included. One by one, I took them in. Some were confident, others cold, and one or two looked nervous. And then, to my surprise, my eyes landed on a familiar face.
Pharmacist.
He stood a few spots down, his lab coat as crisp as ever, glasses glinting faintly under the ethereal light of the arena. His smile was polite, calm even, but I remembered the words he whispered after his loss. He hadn't expected to lose to me. So how had he managed to make it into the top ten anyway?
I walked over, curiosity tugging at me. "Didn't think I'd see you here," I said. My tone wasn't harsh, but it carried a hint of teasing. "Last time I checked, you were the one face‑down against my lizard's poison."
Pharmacist chuckled softly. "True enough. But the i believe that the rankings aren't based solely on wins and losses. They were measuring performance, that would explaij why im hear." His smile deepened, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Apparently the system saw something worthwhile in my champion, even if it lost."
I raised an eyebrow. "So, what you just impressed the system with your fancy bird, and now you're in the top ten?"
"Something like that." He adjusted his glasses. "Though I prefer to think of it as recognition of potential. You can kill a creature, Nexus, but that doesn't always mean you've outdone it in every respect."
I smirked. "Sounds like you're just making excuses for losing."
His calm expression didn't falter. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm planning for the long game. You'll see."
Before I could press him further, a massive system notification appeared in the air above us, large enough for every god in the arena to read.
[Congratulations to those of you who reached the top ten]
[Some of you may be wondering why you aren't in the top ten if you had a perfect record, or you may be wondering how you got into the top ten when you lost]
[But that's where you're wrong. The rankings weren't decided based on wins and losses. Instead, the rankings were determined by performance in the fights.]
[This was to ensure that no one unqualified ended up in the top ten simply because they got lucky.]
[With that being said, I will now announce the rankings for this competition.]
[1. Fission]
[2. Nova]
[3. Nexus]
[4. Cosmos]
[5. Stardust]
[6. Lust]
[7. Almighty]
[8. Pharmacist]
[9. All‑Seeing Eye]
[10. Science]
A ripple went through the crowd in the stands, a mixture of cheers, murmurs, and disappointed sighs. I glanced at my rank third place. Not bad at all. A grin tugged at my lips. "Third, huh? Guess they really liked my lizard tearing through moss and microbes."
Pharmacist's voice carried over to me again, quiet but deliberate. "Be careful. Ranks don't mean as much as you think. Number one today could be gone tomorrow."
[The first round will be ranks 1 vs 10, 2 vs 9, and so on]
[With that, we will now begin match one: Fission vs Science]
Suddenly I found myself standing in the stands alongside the other members of the top ten who weren't currently fighting. The atmosphere was heavier here, every one of us watching the upcoming matche with sharp eyes, knowing that soon we'd be the ones stepping into the arena.
Looking down into the arena, I saw two figures appear. On one side stood an extremely tall man with a scruffy beard, his wide grin showing no signs of worry, almost as if this was nothing more than a game to him. Across from him was a petite woman with dark, straight hair and round glasses perched neatly on her face. She looked calm and composed, the complete opposite of her opponent's wild energy.
These were the combatants for the first round: Fission and Science. Based on appearances alone, it wasn't hard to guess who was who. The towering man had to be Fission, and the smaller, scholarly-looking woman could only be Science.
The familiar golden particles of light began to fall from above, signaling the arrival of their champions. I leaned forward unconsciously, curiosity tugging at me.
When the light faded, the entire arena seemed to hold its breath. Astonishment rippled through the stands.
First, my gaze landed on the woman's champion. Standing before her was a strange frog-like creature, its skin mottled with patches of deep green and purple. Its legs were long and lean, built for sudden leaps, and its bright violet tongue flicked in and out with an almost menacing energy. Everything about it screamed poison, and I could already imagine how dangerous even the slightest touch from it might be.
But then my eyes shifted, and what I saw on Fission's side truly perplexed me. His champion was some bizarre fusion of creatures, as though stitched together from different worlds. Its body and face resembled that of a green-scaled lizard, yet its legs were long and springy like a frog's, practically exuding agility. To top it off, sprouting from its back was a wide set of bat wings massive, leathery, and clearly functional. (Image in comments)
I couldn't help but wonder if this guy had gotten his own name mixed up. Fission? It looked more like "Fusion" to me.
This was going to be an annoyingly interesting battle.