Chapter 49: Invitation to the Underworld
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The Weight of the Message
Axel stared at the message glowing on his holo-band.
<blockquote>
"Your real trial begins soon. Be ready."
</blockquote>
The sender’s name was just a symbol.
A black insignia—a spiraling mark, almost hypnotic in design.
Something about it felt wrong.
Like it was watching him.
Iris leaned over his shoulder, frowning. "That doesn’t sound like a friendly invitation."
Valeria smirked. "It’s not."
Axel exhaled. "So, do we just… wait?"
Valeria tilted her head. "Not exactly. If they sent you a message, they’re already watching your next move."
Tempo flicked his tail. "So, what? We just act normal?"
Valeria chuckled. "Depends on your definition of ‘normal.’"
Axel clenched his fists.
No.
He wasn’t going to sit around and wait for them to decide his fate.
If they were watching?
Then he was going to send a message back.
And he had a feeling exactly where to start.
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The Underground Circuit
Later that night, Axel walked through the lower district of Helix City, his hands in his pockets.
This wasn’t the clean, futuristic academy zone.
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This was the underbelly.
Dim neon lights flickered above alleyways filled with black-market traders, mercenary recruiters, and fighters who didn’t play by the academy’s rules.
Axel had never been here before.
But he knew someone who had.
Valeria walked beside him, her steps casual. Relaxed.
Like she owned the place.
Iris followed a little less comfortably. "You sure about this?"
Axel nodded. "If someone knows about this ‘real trial,’ they’ll be here."
Tempo perched on his shoulder, his guitar-axe strapped tight.
"Alright," Tempo muttered. "But if someone tries to sell you illegal cybernetics, at least consider it."
Axel rolled his eyes. "Not helping."
Valeria smirked. "You do have the face of a guy who’d make a great underground fighter."
Axel sighed. "What does that even mean?"
Before Valeria could answer, they reached their destination.
A massive steel door, covered in strange symbols.
A single bouncer stood outside.
Not a human.
But a Cipher Beast.
A massive, four-armed mechanical golem, its glowing eyes scanning them like a predator sizing up prey.
"State your business," it rumbled.
Axel took a breath.
"We’re here for the underground circuit."
The golem paused.
Then—its eyes flashed green.
The door slid open.
And the world inside was nothing like the academy.
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The Real Arena
The underground fight club wasn’t just a single room.
It was a city beneath a city.
Multiple arenas—some in pits, some on raised platforms, some floating mid-air with zero gravity fields.
Fighters everywhere.
Some human, some augmented, others with Cipher Beasts fused into their own bodies.
The energy here was wild.
Unfiltered.
Nothing like the controlled, calculated fights of the tournament.
Here—anything went.
Valeria crossed her arms. "Welcome to the real proving grounds."
Axel scanned the fighters.
"Someone here knows about my invitation," he muttered.
Tempo plucked a single ominous note on his strings. "And something tells me we’re gonna have to beat it out of them."
Axel smirked. "Wouldn’t be the first time."
Then—a voice called out.
"You looking for information, Mercer?"
Axel turned.
A figure stood at the edge of the nearest arena.
Lean, tall, dressed in an old military coat.
A pair of cybernetic gauntlets hummed with energy as they flexed their fingers.
And beside them—a Cipher Beast unlike anything Axel had seen before.
A bipedal dragon-like entity, its body covered in glowing runes, its eyes pure white.
The fighter grinned.
"Then you’ll have to earn it."
The crowd turned, sensing the tension.
Another fight was about to start.
And this time?
There were no rules.