“Hmm. I think it's more like infamous,” Nico explained.
Oliver waited for him to elaborate, but he seemed focused on something else.
“It's almost time for the fight. I'm going to the prep room,” Nico commented.
“Right. I still need to find a good spot in the stands,” Oliver said. “Hey, good luck.”
Nico gave a thumbs up. “Don't worry. It's going to be amazing.”
Oliver avoided going back to the entrance. Instead, he took a detour behind the reception desk and hurried to the stands.
'I don't want to face that herd of reporters,' the boy thought. 'He could've at least explained why.'
Calling it "stands" diminished the place's grandeur. Each person was seated comfortably in an armchair with space to recline. If they wished to consume something from the venue, they could quickly place an order. This was controlled by a small holographic panel that hovered near the bettor.
Oliver tried to find a seat close to the arena, but all the seats were occupied. Finally, he spotted an empty space in the fourth row.
As soon as Oliver sat down, he noticed how noisy it was. There were two massive holograms above the arena. They were the same commentators he'd seen during his match at the Colosseum.
“Mike, we have a classic on our hands today. This will be a fight for the history books,” the commentator explained.
“No doubt about it. John, when was the last time we saw the new generation facing a veteran of the Ninth Wave?” Mike asked.
“It's been a long time—two years ago, I believe. Wasn't it on the 55th floor?” John commented.
“Yes, especially since there aren't many Ninth Wave veterans still active, let alone in the Trial Tower,” Mike explained.
“And none of them are so famous or should I call so infamous,” John added.
“For sure. While he may be infamous, on the other hand, we have one of the most beloved members of the new generation,” Mike commented.
While the commentators chatted about how the match might unfold, Oliver received a new notification.
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| Hello, Bettor!
| How much would you like to wager?
----------------------------------------
The notification flashed before him, waiting for him to enter an amount.
'What are Nico's chances of winning? Is he a good fighter?' Oliver debated internally.
'He seems to be, and they said he's a veteran—at least he has more experience.' The boy sighed as he faced the tough decision.
'Ah, let's give it a shot.' Oliver gave up trying to analyze the odds and placed a thousand credits on Nico's victory.
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| Congratulations!
| 1,000 Credits wagered.
| Your odds are 3.16 to 1.27.
----------------------------------------
Seeing the betting odds made his heart feel like it had frozen. 'Even so, he was the one who helped me earn this money. It doesn't hurt to bet on him. Come on, Nico,' the boy hoped he hadn't wasted his credits.
“Mike! Mike, they're about to enter,” John called out.
From one side of the arena, a man who appeared to be in his twenties entered. He was just a bit taller than Oliver and had long black hair tied back in a ponytail. However, what caught the boy's attention most was his face.
“Entering now is Ken Takagi, one of the few remaining descendants of Japan. Currently, he's part of Lot's Great House, serving as a Red Ranger and Squad Leader,” Mike announced.
“He's one of the best. I remember when he joined the NEA as a Red Ranger; he had some of the highest scores at the Academy and later in Ranger training,” John explained.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“No doubt. He's also quite famous, both on the Net and his own channel,” Mike commented.
“The only issue I see with Ken is that he’s young and hasn't participated in any Waves yet. Although he's already completed over fifty assault missions against Ork fortifications,” John continued.
“To top it off, he's been one of the fastest to climb the Trial Tower. Most of his matches were in the Mars Tower. However, due to a lack of competitors at his level, he chose to come to Luna to continue his ascent,” Mike elaborated.
“What do you think of his chances?” John asked.
“Hmm. He's outstanding; if he were facing most of the new generation, he'd be an easy bet,” Mike explained.
Meanwhile, Ken was warming up in the arena.
“However, his opponent—though infamous—is a monster.” Just as Mike finished speaking, Nico entered the arena.
Some of the fans began to boo him, while others cheered his entrance.
As usual, he was dressed in a black tie. However, it was clear his outfit was poorly maintained and filled with wrinkles. Still, with his unkempt beard and blond hair, he looked like a movie star after a night out.
Nico raised a hand and waved to the crowd. With his sincere smile, he was trying to conquer some fans.
“Don't forget to bet on me,” he called out to the spectators.
“Boo!”
“Fuck You! Loser!”
“Finally, you're going to lose!”
“He's gonna finish you off!”
Oliver wanted to hide as the shouts and insults grew louder.
“Alright, let's talk about Nico. He still isn't part of any House, so technically, he's still Nameless,” John began.
“However, he's already a veteran Ranger. He participated in hundreds of missions during the Ninth Wave and was dishonorably discharged at the end of it,” Mike added.
“Even so, he served as a Shock Ranger during his time. He was one of the first to enter combat; his actions were nothing short of impressive—if not god-like,” John continued.
“However, in the last five years, he's been exclusively fighting in the Trial Tower. So far, he hasn't been defeated. But perhaps this will be the first time,” Mike concluded.
Both Rangers stood face to face in the arena. The customary holographic judge appeared briefly before them.
"I will be the judge of this fight. Ranger rules: Any armor or weapon is allowed. You are not permitted to strike the arena's protective barriers intentionally. If you faint or are severely injured, it's an automatic defeat. Fights to the death are prohibited. Understood?" the floating head asked.
Both combatants nodded.
“3... 2... 1... Start!”
As soon as the judge finished speaking, both fighters advanced. Even before their armor had fully formed, they were already exchanging punches in the center of the arena.
None of the punches seemed to land cleanly, but the sheer force of each movement could be felt in the stands.
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
A small sonic boom echoed each time one struck the other's guard.
As they traded blows, strands of energy spread around their arms until they solidified into their Ranger Armors. Then their legs, and finally, across their entire bodies.
Ken donned a menacing red armor, while Nico wore a yellow armor that appeared to offer little defense except around his arms. His armor focused all its potential and protection on that small area.
“Come on, Ken! You're better than this. Leave the brawling to me,” Nico shouted at his opponent.
“Nico, Nico. Don't act like you understand me, or worse, that you know me. I don't need your fame rubbing off on me,” Ken retorted.
Ken lunged at Nico, delivering another powerful punch, which merely struck his guard.
BOOM
The entire arena trembled from the impact.
“If you keep this up, you'll just tire yourself out. Come on, kid, show me your Boon. I don't want to win before you've given it your all,” Nico taunted.
“You think you can handle it? Then let's test that!” Ken replied.
He advanced again, but Nico chose to dodge this time—two swords formed in the Red Ranger's hands. However, what compelled the Yellow Ranger to evade wasn't just the Ranger Weapons.
Ken's swords were enveloped in his energy—so much so that it was hard to see the actual blades. One could only see two vibrant energy blades being wielded against Nico from the stands.
As the Yellow Ranger sidestepped, Ken's expression shifted.
“Let's see if this is what you wanted—[Red Wave]!” Ken shouted.
He swung both swords in a rapid vertical slash. Even though the attack didn't hit or come close to Nico, he was still smiling. From the tips of both swords, red energy surged forward, cutting through everything in its path toward the opponent. The two energy waves continued until they struck the side of the arena.
But that wasn't the Red Ranger's last move. He kept swinging, delivering numerous quick slashes, each unleashing another energy wave.
'Almost there,' Ken thought each time his energy waves missed Nico by mere centimeters.
Finally, after several more attacks, the Yellow Ranger seemed cornered at the arena's edge. He'd take a [Red Wave] straight to the face if he tried to advance.
“Very good! Very good. It's been a while since I fought someone who can go toe-to-toe with me,” Nico applauded his opponent.
“You still have time to keep talking trash?” Ken snapped, not waiting for a reply.
He advanced with two final attacks, each slicing off one of Nico's arms.