The underground arena buzzed with the murmur of anticipation as the next bout was announced. Through the dim, flickering lights and the smoky haze, two figures emerged from the shadows, each led by rough handlers. On one side, a towering anthro male stegosaurus shuffled forward reluctantly. His spiked tail dragged behind him, a testament to his power but his scales dull and eyes weary showed an unwilling spirit. Opposite him, an eager masculine wolf muscles taut and eyes alight with fierce determination, prowled into the ring. His sharp claws flexed and fangs bared letting out a howl, a stark contrast to the stegosaurus' hesitance. Both fighters, trafficked from their distant homes and forced into this brutal spectacle, faced each other as the crowd's roar grew louder, sealing their fates in the illegal arena.

Kuma, Amy, and the crowd were started by a puff of smoke appearing, the large being with a cape and a skull mask, hiding his identity from anyone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for the clash of titans, one from the present and the past!" The crowd erupted in cheers, their bloodlust palpable. The stegosaurus, named Jagger, glanced around nervously, his heart pounding in his chest. He had been ripped from his serene forest home, his peaceful days of grazing and basking in the sun replaced by this nightmare of violence and captivity.

On the other side, the wolf, called Fang, relished the energy of the crowd. He had always been a fighter, his life in the wild a constant battle for survival. Now, in this dark arena, he saw an opportunity to channel his aggression and perhaps earn a twisted form of respect. His eyes locked onto Jagger, sizing up his opponent with a predator's keen instinct.

“So this what they meant, Warrior of the Past! Since the Dinosaur clans were first to roam the world.” Kuma exclaimed. “But why… does that dinosaur not look as eager as his opponent?”

A harsh buzzer signaled the start of the fight. Fang wasted no time, lunging forward with a snarl, claws outstretched. Jagger hesitated, his massive form slow to react. He swung his spiked tail defensively, creating a barrier between himself and the oncoming wolf. Fang dodged nimbly, circling to find an opening. The crowd's cheers grew louder, egging on the reluctant dinosaur and the eager predator.

Jagger knew he had to defend himself, but every instinct in him screamed to avoid violence. He took a deep breath, bracing for the inevitable clash. Fang, sensing his opponent's hesitation, launched another attack, aiming for Jagger’s vulnerable side. The stegosaurus managed to deflect the blow with his tail, but the impact sent a jolt of pain.

As the fight goes on, the darkness looms over Amy, stronger with each second. “Hey, Kuma? I know I have been in Demon Cross for a short time but I’m feeling something is wrong with that dinosaur.” Amy whispered to Kuma.

“Yeah… something is very wrong here.” Kuma mumbled to himself as the brutal fight went on. “Something about this place is just puzzling me.”

As the fight dragged on, Jagger struggled to keep up with Fang's relentless onslaught. The wolf's speed and ferocity were overwhelming, and Jagger felt his strength waning. But in a moment of desperation, something shifted within him. He remembered the peaceful days in his forest home, the freedom he once had. A surge of determination coursed through him. He would not go down without a fight.

With a roar that shook the arena, Jagger charged forward, surprising Fang with his sudden burst of energy. The crowd gasped as the stegosaurus swung his tail with newfound force, catching the wolf off guard. Fang stumbled, momentarily thrown off balance. Jagger seized the opportunity, pressing his advantage as the wolf got knocked out.

The crowd went wild saying, “End it!” repeating repeatedly as the stegosaurus just stared down at Fang.

High above the arena, seated in a private box that overlooked the carnage, the male being with horns on the head sticking out watched with cold, calculating eyes. His skull mask remained expressionless, but his presence commanded attention. He leaned forward slightly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest of his chair. In his other hand, he held his black cane with the silver wolf’s head, the polished metal gleaming in the dim light.

As the crowd's roar reached his ears, the goat raised his hand, drawing everyone's gaze. Slowly, deliberately, he pressed his thumb down, a silent but unmistakable command. The message was clear: Jagger was ordered to finish off Fang.

Jagger, panting and exhausted, stood over the fallen wolf. Fang lay on the ground, his eyes wide with pain and fear, struggling to rise. The stegosaurus looked up, meeting the goat’s gaze across the arena. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

The goat's masked face betrayed nothing, but his thumb remained down, the finality of his gesture urging Jagger to deliver the killing blow. The crowd chanted in unison, their voices merging into a single, demanding entity: "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

But Jagger hesitated. His massive form shivered with a mix of exhaustion and defiance. He looked down at Fang, seeing not just an enemy, but a fellow creature forced into this horrific spectacle. The stegosaurus shook his head, his eyes filled with a resolve that transcended the arena’s brutal expectations. He refused to kill, to become the monster they wanted him to be.

The crowd’s cheers turned to boos, their bloodlust unsatisfied. The goat’s eyes narrowed behind his mask, his fingers tightening around his cane. He was not used to being defied, especially in his domain. Jagger’s refusal was a direct challenge to his authority, a spark of rebellion in a world he controlled with an iron fist in such an illegal place.

As the boos grew louder, the goat stood, his imposing figure casting a long shadow over the arena. He motioned to the guards, who began to move in on Jagger, their intentions clear. But Jagger remained still, his eyes locked on the goat, his silent defiance echoing louder than the crowd's demands.

At that moment, the stegosaurus, exhausted but unbroken, stood as a symbol of resistance against the dark forces that sought to consume him. And though the arena's fate still hung in the balance, Jagger had made his stand, showing the world—and the goat—that he was more than just a pawn in their cruel game.

The fight was declared over, and the wild crowd slowly began to disperse, their voices still echoing with the mingled sounds of disappointment and excitement. In the aftermath, the rough handlers descended into the arena, their expressions hard and unyielding. Two of them grabbed Jagger, their hands gripping his scales with practiced brutality, while another pair secured the barely conscious Fang.

Jagger, still defiant but drained from the fight, offered little resistance as he was led away. Fang, bruised and battered, limped along between his handlers, his previous eagerness now replaced with a dazed resignation. The handlers pushed and prodded the fighters through dimly lit corridors, the oppressive silence broken only by the occasional grunt or barked command.

The winding path led them to the holding cells, a grim series of cages hidden beneath the arena. Each cell was a crude metal structure, its bars cold and unforgiving, designed to contain the fighters when they were not being paraded before the bloodthirsty crowds. The handlers roughly shoved Jagger into one cell, the door clanging shut behind him, while Fang was pushed into the adjacent one.

As the handlers locked the doors and moved away, Jagger slumped to the floor, his massive body weary from the ordeal. His mind raced with the memories of the fight, the relentless crowd, and the goat’s unyielding command. He knew that his defiance had come at a cost, but he refused to let the darkness of the arena consume him.

In the cell next to him, Fang lay down gingerly, his breathing ragged. Despite their forced enmity in the ring, there was no hostility between the two fighters now. They were both prisoners of the same cruel system, their fates intertwined by the machinations of the arena's masters.

From the far end of the corridor, Kuma and Amy watched in silence. Hidden in the shadows, they had followed the handlers, their hearts heavy with the sight of Jagger and Fang’s suffering. Amy’s eyes were filled with determination as she turned to Kuma.

“We have to help them,” she whispered. “We can’t leave them here.”

Kuma nodded, his gaze never leaving the two prisoners. “We will. But we need a plan. We need to be smart about this.”

As Jagger and Fang settled into their cells, the oppressive silence of the holding area was broken only by the distant murmur of the arena above. In that silence, a resolve was forming, not just in the hearts of the prisoners, but also in those of their unlikely allies. The fight was over for now, but the battle for freedom had only just begun.

But even if they tried to hatch a plan. They still don’t know the layout of the place underground so they attempt to sneak into a locked door during the tournament as other prisoners are being sent out to start fighting.

“Damn it, this door is locked tight. Even if I used my magic to break it, others would hear it coming…I don’t even see any weak points. I guess we could try to sneak in after the matches are over. Hopefully, the door can be unlocked by then.” Kuma said after both he and Amy searched the place when a certain gorilla appeared behind them.

“Ya know… there are easier ways to get yourself captured you know.” Koi said as he placed his left arm against the stone wall. “I mean if that’s what you have in mind.”

“You again?” Amy growled at Koi.

“Easy sweet cheeks, I’m only here to offer some advice. Even for a rare species, you sure aren’t that smart, chimera. Entering Darkan’s colosseum, willy-nilly.” koi chuckled a bit as he made that comment.

“Ugh, what do you want, Koi? Another attempt to get me to join in?” Kuma gruffed as he crossed his arms.

“Why? I’m here to make sure you don’t make any mistakes. Which you are prone to do. How could you think so little of me?” Koi said as he rubbed his chin, giving off a smirk.

“Oh, don’t give me that, Koi. You’re just trying to make some runes, aren’t you?” Amy asked.

“Oh, you hurt my feelings. Perhaps we do have the same goal don’t we?” Koi asked.

“And what is the goal you might think we have in common?” Kuma asked.

“To sneak into Darkan’s palace undetected, no?” Kai said as he looked at the gold rings on his fingers and looked back at Kuma.

“Mmm… well… I suppose but we think we should wait until the tournament ends and then we can slip dow-“ Kuma said as he was stopped right there.

“And then what? It’s a dungeon. There will be guards everywhere. You won’t even get out that easily. It’s easy to get in but harder to get out, even for a chimera and a small human.” Koi explained before looking back towards the arena. “Oh dear, looks like another match will start soon.”

The trios saw the crowd cheering loudly over the bloody fight between the lizard and the snake, biting and scratching each other.

“Tch… ok fine. What are you saying? Who is this Darkan?” Kuma asked.

“No one here knows who he is. Basically what you see here is the secret to Darkan’s power. His rule of this place. Everything here revolves around him. He keeps his crowds passive and gathers around the most dangerous and rare warriors around the Demon Cross. To all who defy him are condemned here… all while who seek his favor compete to show their skills.”

“How come other places with authorities didn’t get the wind of this? I mean this is got to be very illegal.” Amy asked.

“You should know the reason, human. Because these 4 nations are busy fighting against each other, even people like Darkan can do things like these undetected. Even the famous Dragon King and other royals don’t even know about this. Pfff some kings they are.” Koi chuckled.

Kuma growled a bit as Koi just mocked his father but Amy pulled him away by holding his arm, calming him down.

“Calm down, Kuma. What are you saying, Koi?” Amy asked.

“I’m saying I know the better spot to sneak in undetected. Follow me and keep your head down.” Koi said as he raised his hand to chest level, his palm facing her. He extended her index finger, beckoning Kuma and Koi with a swift curl and uncurl of her finger, repeating the motion a few times.

“Ok fine but if this is a trap…” Kuma snarled as he walked with Koi.”

“You two are probably walking into it already. So why not just do what you’re about to do? This way” Koi said.

“Mmm… not much choice we have at the moment.” Kuma said as Amy and Kuma went and followed Koi underground.

They went through the narrow alleyway way where they saw the labyrinth of brick tunnels, mixed of moss and mildew of years of growling in there. The sound of running water echoed through the main channel, for the arena above.

Navigating the tunnels, they eventually came upon a heavy, reinforced door set into the brickwork. Its surface was covered in rust and grime. There are no guards but as Kuma places his head against the door, he can hear some chattering, signaling Kuma that there are only a few guards, as if this is the most unsecured entrance, compared to other guarded doorways they found.

“I heard some guards in there. But this door is locked. If I try to break in, everyone will hear us.” Kuma said. “We need a plan, plus it’s locked from inside.”

“You are smarter than you look. Sweet. Fortunately, I have a plan for you. It involves this door. Tonight at Moonrise, this door will be unlocked and unguarded, for a few minutes. But should give you a few minutes to get in and easily get out once you complete your task.” Koi explained.

“And how do you know that?” Amy shrugged as she asked.

“My dear, when you have friends and ears from all over the place, you pretty much get influence over the place if you have the information.” Koi said as he tapped his head. “Knowledge is power, no?”

“Mmm… good information but first I need to ask. What’s your price? Judging from your attitude from earlier, you don’t do things for free?” Kuma asked.

“Let’s just say I want something that’s in Darkan’s palace. Tonight at moonrise, I’ll make sure the door is unlocked for you. And after this part, anything else is up to you.” Koi said as he played with his hands.

“And if we get caught?” Kuma asked.

“Hehe well… let’s say it’ll be fun to watch such a rare species fight in the arena, especially one known to have a high amount of mana. Not sure about your girlfriend though. Ya sure you want such a lady to be in a place like this?” Koi said as he chuckled.

“I’m not his girlfriend and I can handle myself thank you very much! Geez, you’re definitely far from being a ladies man with a shit attitude like that. I bet you live alone as well, don’t you?”” Amy pouts as she crosses her arms.

“Free advice from this world, sweetie. Even if we have laws. Out here, it doesn’t matter since the royalties don’t even know about Darkan. It’s basically kill or be killed world.” Koi explained.

“Ok Amy, let's calm down and think of the plan. We’ll be back tonight” Kuma said as he grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her away.

“Hmmm… at least one of them has common sense.” Koi said as he chuckled to himself.



Chapter 7 ended.