Location: Stadium of the Sacred Flame, Natlan
Current Form: Human
Status: Carb-loading, trash-talking 8-bit dragons, intimidating the competition
The locker room of the Stadium smelled of sweat, leather, and burning oil.
"I can't do this," Kachina was hyperventilating, hugging her Turbo Twirly. "There are so many strong warriors! The Flower-Feather Clan sent their elites! The Collective of Plenty sent... very large people!"
"Relax, Drill-Bit," Raiden said, sitting on a bench and devouring a massive burrito filled with Volcano Tacos (spicy meat, chilies, and a hint of pyro slime condensate). "You have the best team. You have the Traveler, who has plot armor. You have Kinich, who is basically Spider-Man. And you have me."
"And you have the Almighty Dragon Lord K'uhul Ajaw!" Ajaw screamed, floating out of Kinich's backpack. "Though I am merely here to laugh when you inevitably fail and die!"
Raiden grabbed Ajaw out of the air and dipped him in a bowl of salsa.
"Hey! It burns! My pixelated eyes!" Ajaw shrieked.
"Spicy garnish," Raiden noted. "Kachina, listen. In the arena, don't think about winning. Think about how much the enemy looks like a piñata. And you are the stick."
Kachina blinked. "A... piñata?"
"Exactly. Smash them until the candy comes out."
Round 1: The Buffet Brawlers vs. The Obsidian Fists
The crowd roared as the teams entered the massive arena. The floor was heated stone, with vents of Phlogiston hissing at the edges.
Mavuika stood in the VIP box, arms crossed, grinning. Next to her, Capitano stood like a statue of doom.
"The first match!" the announcer shouted. "The newcomers, Team Buffet Brawlers, versus the veterans of the Children of Echoes, The Obsidian Fists!"
The opposing team consisted of three massive warriors wielding rock-hammers.
"We will crush you, little girl!" the leader taunted Kachina.
"Start!"
The leader charged, swinging a hammer coated in Geo energy.
Kachina flinched.
Raiden stepped forward. He didn't draw a weapon. He didn't assume a stance. He just opened his mouth.
[Unique Skill: Gluttony — Weapon Breaker].
As the hammer came down, Raiden bit the head of the hammer.
CRUNCH.
The crowd went silent. The announcer dropped his microphone.
Raiden chewed the solid rock and metal. "Mmm. Rich in minerals. A bit earthy."
He spat the handle out.
The warrior stared at his broken weapon handle. "You... you ate my hammer."
"And I'm still hungry," Raiden grinned.
He grabbed the warrior by the belt and tossed him out of the ring like a softball.
"Next!"
Kinich swung through the air, tying up the second opponent. Aether knocked the third one out with a wind blade.
"Winner: Team Buffet Brawlers!"
"That was fast," Mavuika laughed in the box. "He didn't even use Phlogiston. He just used... teeth."
Capitano nodded slowly. "His jaw strength exceeds that of a Vishap. Interesting."
During the break, Raiden wandered into the tunnel to find a vending machine.
He sensed the presence before he saw him. The air grew cold, despite the volcanic heat.
Il Capitano was leaning against the wall, blocking the path to the snacks.
Raiden stopped. "Excuse me, Captain. You're blocking the Grain Fruit juice."
Capitano turned his masked head. The pressure was immense - far greater than Signora, Childe, or Scaramouche. This was the First Harbinger. The apex of human strength.
"Raiden Ragnvaldr," Capitano's voice was deep, vibrating in Raiden's chest. "I watched your match. You hold back."
"It's a game," Raiden shrugged. "If I let loose, I'd melt the stadium. And Mavuika would make me pay for it."
"You possess the power of a Sovereign," Capitano stepped closer. "Yet you lack the ambition of a conqueror. You consume, but you do not rule. Why?"
"Ruling is boring," Raiden leaned against the opposite wall. "Paperwork. Taxes. Rebellions. I prefer freedom. I eat what I want, go where I want, and punch who I want."
"Freedom," Capitano scoffed softly. "A child's dream. This world is burning, Dragon. The Abyss encroaches. The Heavenly Principles are silent. True strength is required to reshape the order. To save Natlan... and Teyvat... sacrifice is necessary."
"You want the Gnosis," Raiden stated.
"I require it," Capitano corrected. "To fuel the plan that will burn the Old World away. Mavuika understands this, in her own way. But she clings to hope. I offer certainty."
Capitano looked Raiden in the eye (or where his eyes would be).
"When the time comes, do not stand in my way. I do not wish to kill a being of your caliber. It would be a waste."
"Is that a threat, Cap?" Raiden's eyes narrowed, silver light flickering.
"It is professional courtesy," Capitano straightened up. "Enjoy your juice."
He walked away, his heavy cloak trailing behind him.
Raiden watched him go.
"He's strong," Raiden muttered. "Like... really strong. Maybe I should eat a few more hammers just in case."
The final round was about to begin.
Suddenly, the Phlogiston vents in the arena turned from orange to a sickly, dark purple.
The Wayob - the totem spirits of the tribes - screamed in psychic pain.
"The Night Kingdom!" Mavuika shouted, leaping from the box. "A breach! The Abyss is leaking!"
In the center of the arena, a tear in reality opened. Abyssal Rifthounds and Shadow Hussars poured out. But these weren't normal; they were coated in the "Void" of Natlan - an energy that prevented resurrection.
"Civilians, evacuate!" Mavuika ordered. "Warriors, to arms!"
Kinich grappled onto a pillar. "Ajaw! Blast them!"
"Finally! Violence!" Ajaw unleashed his breath attack.
Raiden stood in the center of the chaos.
"Abyss breach?" Raiden sniffed the air. "This smells different than the Narwhal. It smells... older."
A massive Abyss Lector (Void) emerged, chanting in a forbidden tongue. It pointed a staff at Kachina, who was frozen in fear.
"Consuuumeee..." the Lector hissed.
Raiden vanished.
BOOM.
He reappeared in front of Kachina, catching the Void spell with his bare hand.
The black magic sizzled against his skin, trying to corrode him.
[Abyssal Nullification: Active].
"You guys are like cockroaches," Raiden crushed the spell in his hand. "You just keep coming back."
He looked at the rift. It was widening.
"Mavuika!" Raiden shouted. "If I close this hole, do I win the tournament automatically?"
Mavuika, who was burning enemies with a massive claymore, laughed. "If you close that hole, I'll give you the trophy and a lifetime supply of Grain Fruit!"
"Deal."
Raiden walked toward the rift. The Abyssal monsters swarmed him.
He didn't fight them. He Expanded.
[Partial Transformation: Dragon's Torso].
Dark scales covered his upper body. Wings of pure void mana sprouted from his back.
"[Gluttony: Black Hole]."
He opened his mouth. A vortex formed.
It didn't just suck in the monsters. It sucked in the rift itself.
The purple energy of the Night Kingdom was dragged violently into Raiden's maw. The edges of the dimensional tear frayed and collapsed.
The Abyss Lector screamed as it was pulled in feet first. "No! The Darkness cannot be consumed! It is infinit - "
GULP.
Raiden swallowed the Lector and the Rift.
Burp.
The arena went silent. The purple light vanished. The Phlogiston returned to orange.
Raiden stood there, rubbing his stomach.
"A bit gassy," Raiden noted. "And... cold."
"System Report. Consumed: Fragment of the Night Kingdom. New Resistance: [Destined Death Nullification]. You can now enter the Night Kingdom without losing your soul."
Mavuika walked up to him. Her sunglasses were back on, but her smile was genuine.
"You ate the invasion," Mavuika said. "You literally ate the invasion."
"I was promised a trophy," Raiden held out his hand.
"You'll get your trophy," Mavuika shook his head. "But more importantly... you can handle the Void. That makes you the perfect candidate."
"Candidate for what?"
"To go in," Mavuika pointed at the ground. "Deep into the Night Kingdom. The Captain intends to invade it to seize the source of the corruption. I intend to cleanse it. But you..."
She leaned in.
"You could just eat the problem."
Raiden grinned. "I like the sound of that."
Capitano watched from the shadows of the tunnel.
"He consumed the Void," Capitano murmured. "He is not just a variable. He is the solution... or the end."