A cloud of dust and dirt whipped around the space separating Echo and Kakai, both locked in a tense standoff, waiting for the other to make a move. The dry and gritty particles stung their eyes and coated their skin as they stood motionless, each assessing the other's next move.

Sivie chuckled as he watched the scene unfold before him, amused. “Oh wow, even Genisis is adding to the drama of Echo’s fight,”

“I doubt it is that simple… Char,” Nesha screamed.

Char's voice echoed as she stood next to a sturdy stone pillar. "He tried to touch my Little Hammy. He deserves to face the ultimate consequence," she declared with a crazy, almost deranged tone.

With a crazy expression on her face, she swung her colossal hammer, which was almost three times her size. Her swing reduced the stone pillar to dust. Her maniacal laughter echoed in the surroundings, and her eyes seemed to reflect her madness. As she waved the colossal hammer like a fan, the dust particles flew, heading straight toward Echo.

“Char! If Echo loses, your using your hammer as payment,” Nesha screamed at the rampaging little girl.

“NOOO!” Char screamed as she started to cry, “Little Echo, you are… best you can do it! Don’t let… take Little Hammy.”

Having heard Char and her crying, Echo could only click his tongue and wonder to the gods why she was the only adult in the group. How could someone that acts like a toddler be considered older and more mature than him, even though she was slightly older.

Just as he was starting to relax from Char’s outburst, a boom sounded from where Kakai was standing. Echo lightly jumped back, barely dodging the stone club that crashed into the ground where he once stood, sending dirt and grass flying everywhere.

“TCH, Lucky,” The man said, standing in the dust of his attack before pulling the club back to his shoulder.

“You’re kinda slow. I guess it’s all that weight,” Echo said, his voice already sounding bored by the fight.

“You are just jealous of my incredible physique,” Kakai said

“I don’t know what half of those words mean,” Echo said with a yawn.

“Of course not; you are a mere child of the Grey Metal Race while I, Kakai, am a full-grown adult of the Yellow Metal Race, the superior race of our Metal Races.”

Kakai’s arrogant voice grated on Echo’s ears as his lips twitched. Every time Echo met someone from another Metal Race, they acted like this, he knew it was just pride in their ancestors and heritage, but it still annoyed him.

“Echo looks upset.”

“Of course, someone kept him locked up for months, and then he was insulted as soon as he could stretch.”

“It will end up like the last time we went to one of the transmission sites.”

“Absolutely, but this time it will be his fault and not Char's, who caused all the chaos like usual.”

Just as Nesha and Sivie were talking, the battle moved again. This time Echo walked forward slowly, mumbling the whole time. Once he arrived in front of Kakai, he stretched his hand out and placed it in the center of Kakai's chest before grunting, sending a shockwave out, blasting Kakai into the group of bandits.

Kakai stood up hurriedly in rage as he screamed and thrashed at those around him.

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“Now that we know what the other is capable of, we should end this before the other gets hurt. Right?” Echo said

“NO! I refuse to lose to something from that Grey Metal Race! Today, I will crush your life seed and let everyone know that Golden Devourer Kakai is the strongest of the Metal Race, still on their journey.”

The emotions drained from Echo’s face as he slowly opened and closed his mouth, trying to find words to say.

Sivie stood up from inside the carriage, “I’ll go get my bow,” he said with a sad sigh.

“Might want to hurry; it does not look good,” Nesha said as she stood up.

Echo’s fingers twitched as Kakai ran at him at a blinding speed smashing his giant club that now had a golden color to it; as it crashed down, Echo reached one of his hands up, and his fingers pierced into the now yellow metal club with ease catching it before it even made contact with his palm.

“Four-star right, Kakai,” Echo said, his eyes stared at Kakai in front of him like a starved beast looking at its next meal.

Kakai tried to pull his club back, but no matter the strength he put into it, nothing happened. It was like he was trying to lift a mountain. Kakai felt cold sweat soak what little clothes he had on; a monster was the only thought that ran through his mind.

Stories of the Rosen Blades’ Echo ran through the Metal Race, a prodigy is what most elders called him, but a terrifying monster hid in his depths that should not be allowed free. The elders needed someone like Echo who could strike fear in other races and make them respect this common race.

They could tame him and his talent, use him for the race’s sake, that was what was best for him and the race, so when he was sent out for his trial, he was never told all the information on how to succeed. The plan was simply to put him in his place and show him how strong the Metal Race was by constantly having him battle, slowly breaking him. Metal Race Seedlings that seemed the same age were sent out, but they were, in fact, Metal Race Seedlings that were close to elders themselves, who were simply hiding their powers waiting to tame this feral beast Echo.

“This is nothing like what those foolish elders told me. We should be close in strength, but it seems like he is close to five-star if not already there,” Kakai mumbled in a panicked state, trying to wrap his head around what just happened.

Echo looked at Kakai, his eyes burning with crazy excitement, “Is this all you can do? Are the Yellow Metal Race not excellent with internal essence arts? All you showed me is a simple external change essence art that every race can do. Show me what you got four-star. I want to feel something!”

“At this rate, I will have to release one of the seals to fight him,” Kakai thought before he bellowed in rage, “What an insult… I, Kakai, forced into this situation by a child! I will not stand for this!”

Kakai screamed as yellow metal essence seeped out of his body. They rapidly formed into wisps of air before solidifying into yellow metal balls that chained themselves through the wisp of yellow metal essence to Kakai.

“Finally, but you lied to me, Kakai… you were never a four-star but a five-star. Not like it matters, though; it just means it will be more fun for me.” Echo said with a deranged smile.

“You arrogant child, I will show you the difference between us,” Screamed Kakai

Echo gave a snicker, but immediately his hair stood on end. He was sent flying through the air as the ball of yellow metal crashed into his chest and continued to push him through the air. After he landed a distance away, Echo lay on the ground, but no one moved, terrified of the laughter that radiated out of the cloud of dust that came up after he hit the ground.

“Well done,” Echo said, rising in the cloud of dust, but all the onlookers only saw a shadow with glowing silver eyes, “I knew this was going to be fun, but this is going to be really fun.”

Echo walked out of the cloud of dust; his clothes where the ball hit were gone, and all that could be seen was the sheen of the gray metal essence that Echo used to protect himself.

Kakai gave Echo little time as he hurled the ball again, but this time was different. Echo smashed his foot onto the ground, sending a pillar of gray metal upward, throwing the ball about to hit him into the air.

Nesha and Sivie stood on their carriage watching the duel, both with weapons in hand, waiting for even the slightest changes to the situation.

“Those stupid elders! They are just wasting their time with this,” Sivie said, readying his bow.

“The Metal Races are not known for their intelligence. They probably have no idea that everyone knows about what they are doing,” Nesha said

Echo shoved his hand into the pillar of gray metal and pulled the pillar from the ground, turning his arm into a makeshift hammer before twirling around in a circle faster and faster. His hand started to phase out of the block of gray metal, sending it hurling at Kakai.

“Get him, Echo! Don’t let him take Little Hammy!” Char Screamed

“Well, maybe Echo and Char have no idea what those elders are doing,” Nesha sighed.