The fire of rebellion was lit the moment L left this world. The flames spread around the world as if it were a map of papyrus. Protests took to the city streets of the three secular nations, as their leaders pressured the Tasdahan sultanate for change. The echoes and cries of the Rebellion soon reached the very heartland of Tasdaha, the ancestral lands of the Dineh.

If the Dineh Kazaàd were overthrown, what would it bring to the modern world?

Peace, Suruj thought. Utter tranquility.

Prior to the final match of the Major; Him versus Saya, he had already had his pieces placed in the game of sungka. Karam gave him a non-sahar powered handheld transceiver, which had been from her father when he still worked in Al-Fuhsya. Memorizing the routes from that map Tsuchiya had given him, Suruj informed Saya about them.

Everything was in place, with one exception. The rogue variable, the champion, Ayai Toya. Even if Kwazhak had tried to negotiate with her, there had been no change. Suruj entrusted everything in that matter to Saya.

The holograms beaming over the city broadcasted the sandstorm coming from the north. Suruj could see the dark clouds in the distance, while the sun still shone over the Tasdahan capital. In the month of Zurgaa, such haboobs plagued both continents.

“Any whereabouts of Tsuchiya?” Suruj asked, while he took off the bandages around his head. When he regained the sight of his two eyes again, the world seemed a little brighter than before. As they waited outside the pavilion near the stadium, Karam shrugged her shoulders.

“Nothing. When that muqatil Laoyuang left with him, we never saw him again. A few of us visited the Tsiishch'lli Estate, but it was sealed off.”

Suruj closed his fist. “Did they get him?...”

“Unlikely. Those soldiers aren’t looking for us, meaning not a single word was leaked from him. If anything, ‘he’ must’ve done something,” She picked up a tin can from the street.

“Speaking of which, how are you able to stand in broad daylight? Aren’t you wanted?”

“My papa is the only one that got arrested, not me. Luckily the Azu officers don’t press for collaborators.”

“About your father,” Suruj got down on his knees and prostrated, “On behalf of my friends, alive or dead, I’m sorry for the trouble we’ve caused. Maybe if we hadn’t failed the first time-”

His head reeled at the word ‘friend’. There was a hole in his memories, the image of someone he talked to at that time flashed into his mind. It hurt like a needle poking his forehead. Everytime he tried to piece those fragments together, his thoughts scattered. He didn’t know who that person was.

“That device opened our eyes, no need to grovel. Besides, he’ll probably think of something crazy to get out. Oh, look.”

Karam gestured at Saya coming towards them. It was the seventh of Zurgaa.

“Welcome, and congratulations to the final two that remain here in this stadium today!” The voice on the microphone roared, “This match will decide who will face Ayai Toya in the Kazaàd Terminus! Here we have the Fighter of the Favela, Suruj Zundui versus the Fighter from Azu, Izdaha Saya!”

Both of them walked into the arena at equal lengths, the same stadium where everyone had died in. Thousands upon thousands of people have died in this city, while the conglomerates were swimming in money. The other Kazaàd companies: Al-Wa, Zhü, Ksung-Pa and others, Suruj believed they needed to be taken down as well.

In the same arena of death, the city of greed had caught aflame.

“Al-tamarud no tamej asalaam! Al-tamarud hu alsalaam! Hu alsalaam!”

From some of the seats above, spectators held up signs and chanted. While they were the minority in the crowd, they were louder than ever. Hearing them gave Suruj hope that they could do it.

The same conditions of zero hyakume, no sahar. The KWKK’s lies exposed out in the open. The countdown began to tick on the hologram screen. The two met up in the middle.

“So you won’t die from it, right?” Saya asked, setting her sword on the ground.

“I’m sure of it,” He reassured her again, looking up at the barrier. From the previous round it could break Kwazhak’s sword, meaning that it had been reinforced. Even if Saya went up to it and hacked the dome a million times, only her scimitar would shatter into pieces. If it were so resistant to physical attacks, then a sahar spell powerful enough could break it. Leaving the saharic density at zero showed the shield’s weakness. But with the zero-hyakume environment Suruj was powerless. There existed none but one solution to conjure a spell charged with such monstrous amounts of particles.

“I’ll die someday whether tomorrow or a year from now…” He recited the words of someone, clenching his fists. “We have to wait for Karam to give the signal. When that happens, I will get myself nominated as the loser.”

“And you’ll receive a lethal dose of saharic particles, right,” Saya recalled the plan. Suruj nodded, knowing that ‘lethal dose’ would test his sahar level to the limit.

“Yeah. Using that, I’ll blast this load of crap sky high.”

“But… Can I just take off the limiter and conjure the spell? It sounds like you’ll be in a lot of pain.”

“Sorry Saya, we can’t risk that. Your sahar level is low, and it can be assumed that destroying the barrier will take a lot of firepower,” Suruj reasoned, dusting off his hat. “Plus we don’t know the consequences if they find out your bracelet is broken.”

Supporters of the Dineh Kazaàd began to show signs of aggression, standing up and yelling at the protesters in the stands. The commentator muffled his microphone over the confusion, as he tried to settle both sides down. Order started to fall apart. Soon the guards arrived, while some began to yell at the muqatil to fight.

Suruj’s handheld receiver vibrated in his pocket. He twisted the knob just like Karam had instructed, and put it up to his ear.

“Bad news, muqatil! They’ve stationed a part of the garrison at Al-Fuhsya!” He immediately moved it away. “The haboob in the north has caused concern for the turbine…”

Suruj’s eyes narrowed at the news. Just then acoustic feedback blared throughout the stadium. Frozen, Suruj lifted his head towards the podium. Standing behind the man at the microphone was the KWKK Chief Director.

“So uh…”

“The muqatil are disobeying the regulations as ascertained by the Yyvubia Oomikami,” Chiyo interrupted the man and spoke through the device. “All esteemed members of the audience, now is the time to make your vote. We will have no tolerance for muqatil that refuse to adhere to religious law.”

The countdown immediately ceased, as it skipped straight to a red zero. Everything around them pointed death at their faces. All of the sounds echoing across seemed to twist in Suruj’s mind.

However in the midst of it all, he had a grin on his face.