[09:01, 05/21/2040, Two Weeks Later]

Stewart- "Hello you are now watching The Catchup where I, Steven Stewart, am your host. Here we discuss some of the most controversial news topics the past couple of weeks. Ranging from celeb culture to geopolitics, anything to catch up the mainstream audience on the bizz in just an hour. For the first story of the day, The Untitled."

A picture appears in the background of a man with a white mask standing with a skeletal arm to his side. The host walks to the side of the green screen and gets out the camera's view of the Gladiator

Stewart- "The Untitled truly is an untitled character. His true name is not publicly known. Nor is his face publicly known either. Though several detailed accounts have allowed us to construct an image of his face, he's simply unknown. Therefore, whatever is drawn is simply unreliable. And this is still true after everything that has happened so far. He not only entered the Tournament For Paradise, he advanced to the final round, all without a single Paradise Fruit. He gets through using the human strength, speed, and… martial arts? Nonetheless stunning audiences. Including myself, again and again. There wasn't even an audience in the beginning until it kept growing and growing. Now he has created a titled narrative that has captured audiences attention across the globe: Man versus the will of God. He has also advanced through… coincidence? But firstly, the first mine of controversy is his installment into the tournament. It's not a coincidence that only three bets were put on him. One only needs at least twenty five wins in the Netherly Arenas or in the overseas districts. The Untitled had a perfect twenty five to zero record, just weeks before the tournament started. Not one person had noticed. The thing was, The Untitled did not exist back then, it was simply the Untitled."

A picture replaces The Untitled with a young man and an older man shaking hands in an interaction three years ago.

Stewart- "The Untitled's Master Chief is none other than Veno Vego. Such who is now being legally challenged by Roberto House for misconduct of tournament rules. This came coincidentally after House's greatest Gladiator, The Flaming Rare was defeated by The Untitled in a spectacular and unsettling match. Accusing Vego of bending the rules to allow the swift recruit of The Untitled into the tournament as a fighter, and having him go almost entirely unnoticed to the billions of people that partook in the Heavenly Gambit. The three people who betted fifty urodollars each, though their identities are yet to be released, Vego will most likely be one of them. Nonetheless, only three will walk away with over two trillion each if The Untitled wins the tournament. Vego's team of lawyers have responded pointing out it was a system glitch to why the Gladiator wasn't recognized to the public. Additionally, quick recruiting was a 'cheap method' that Roberto House used in the tournament three years ago and went unpunished costing Vego himself millions of urodollars."

The picture switches to the Coliseum Tower.

Stewart- "The second mine of controversy to The Untitled's sudden cruise to the final round of the tournament. After winning four straight rounds which constantly stunned all those that were watching, his past three rounds: fifth ,sixth, seventh, were all canceled. One was terribly sick enough to where they couldn't participate in the tournament. Another one had to go back to Southern Kurea in immediate. Another one was arrested on domestic charges. All three, the only three of two hundred and fifty six fighters to have conceded defeat. All three advanced past fourth round but then forced from their circumstances to concede defeat once they end up facing The Untitled. The general public, celebs, politicians, business persons, they've all decried foul play. Nonetheless, The Untitled will be facing the winner of the fight who'll most likely be the Auron Goose."

The picture turns back to The Untitled.

Stewart- "Now the key questions going forward. Win or lose, who is The Untitled? Who, where, and what is this person and his origin? Is his purpose to steal eight trillion urodollars from the world."

[12:03]

Nami- "And why are you dressed like this?"

Veno is sitting down wearing a suit, a fake gray mustache, a brown wig, and fake glasses.

Denarrow- "Who's this?"

Veno- "Can you sit down already, you're drawing unnecessary attention."

Denarrow- "Veg-"

Veno- "Shut up and sit down please?"

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

He whispered his irritation. The two sit down with Ace in the middle, Nami on his left, and Vego on his right.

Nami- "If you wanted to be incognito, you could've gotten a seat in the nosebleeds."

Veno- "All the seats were already booked and I had these seats since the beginning of the tournament."

Sitting in the front row, they are exposed to the second of the greatest source of attention. Though in a couple of days, it probably won't matter.

Denarrow- "Why am I here again?"

Veno- "One of these two people, you're going to face in the finals. Considering da last opponent you fought was two weeks ago, it be smart if ya did yo homework beforehand to get you head back on mission."

There is a moment of pause between the two.

Denarrow- "Good point."

Veno- "I don't know why she's here though?"

Nami- "Small city."

Denarrow- "Do you two know each other?"

Nami- "For any woman out there, if you aren't twenty nine or under, don't tell your age."

Veno- "You're like a whole decade older than me."

Nami- "So am I supposed to decompose next year."

Veno- "It was too awkward."

Nami- "But with Royce it isn't. Ain't I supposed to be in her spot."

Veno- "What no, and that's only like five years and… Nevermind."

Ace gradually feels awkward sitting in between the two.

Denarrow- 'Ok.'

The stage, is only about ten feet away from them, starts forming the environment for the fight. It's a desert with many rock mountains around. Two fighters then appear, both women. The arena is bigger than any of the stages before, allowing the large audience to see the hologram Gladiators in larger form with a larger view of the environment surrounding them.

Geo- " I, Geo doing the blow-by-blow, and Theo here being the analyst are here to host the round seventhof the Tournament For Paradise. Today on this lovely Cinco De Mayo Saturday, Malala Hawk, The Woman Devil, faces off against Stacy James, Stone Stace, in the semi-finals. I would usually refer to this round as the final four, but that story is for later."

Theo- "Indeed it is."

Geo- "So what do we have us today?"

Theo- "We have an interesting matchup, but not a surprising one. We have the Auron Goose, predicted to win it all but the way fate of coincidence is going right now, who knows. Then we have the fourth most betted on Gladiator in the tournament, Stone Stace, which accurately describes her respective strength. With just over a trillion urodollars betted on her, not just individuals but entire companies are looking to win tonight and they also will be fine is she doesn't."

Both of the gladiators’ record screens appear in front of Ace, similar to how he was in a simulation. Despite interacting with holograms more than once already, still, he’s stunned to see one to say the least. He tries to touch them, and his fingers go through it, fascinating him once again. He then quickly reads them over.

Title: Woman Devil - Auron Goose

Paradise: Grade-3rd Musia — Grade-1st Aquai

Netherly Arenas Record: 79 - 15

Uropean Districts Record: 72 - 10

Amerigan of Latiun Districts Record: 80 - 12

Axian Districts: 101 - 33

Total: 332 - 60

—

Title: Stone Stace

Paradise: Grade-2nd Vali — Grade-2nd Celeria

Netherly Arenas Record: 45 - 23

Uropean Districts Record: 84 - 34

Amerigan of Latiun Districts Record: 154 - 36

Axian Districts: N/A

Total: 283 - 93

Denarrow- 'I didn't know that you could even fight that many times in a lifetime.'

He then looks around, seeing everyone having the same record in front of them.

Denarrow- "Why is this place so magical, it feels like I'm in the simulation."

Nami- "You don't know yet?"

Veno- "You're in a Ƶ-Display. Anything in the Ƶ-Simulation can be displayed in hologram. Similar to how a school projector is. This entire building, Netherly Arenas and Colesium is one big projector. Just like in a Ƶ-Simulation, you can make anything, this building and can display that."

Denarrow- "So this building is fake?"

Veno- "No, the floors, walls, ceilings, bathrooms, everything that you can touch is pretty much real. But the appearance, all the signs, and the fights, stuff we only see, is the Ƶ-Display. The actual building is just the projector, the reason why it's not so bright is because the Ƶ-Simulation can manipulate light, which the Ƶ-Display translates over."

Denarrow- "Understood."

Veno & Nami- 'He didn't understand a single line of that.'

Denarrow- 'What the fuck did he just say?'

The screen disappears and the fight begins.