Zhen took Saya and Toya atop the spectator stand. The Chief Director of the KWKK stood a couple strides away, where the podium drew an imaginary line between the two sides. As the sandstorm above swelled, the entire power to the stadium had left the building blanketed in darkness. While they stared into a deadlock, Zhen assessed Toya and Saya first. Her vision was just as black.

“Please stabilize her,” The Crown Prince asked politely, “If it weren’t for Hou Yizi, then I wouldn’t have the happenstance to make my presence here.”

Saya could see Toya’s face clear as day while the champion held her in arms, her dazzling silver-blonde hair drooping over Saya’s head. The blade lodged so deep that it stuck out from the other side. In one go, Toya ripped her sword out from Saya’s torso. Saya clenched her teeth with such force. She began to choke on air. But as quick as it was, Toya conjured a healing spell. By the time Saya felt like closing her eyes, her consciousness slipped back into her. The intense sound of wind hit her ears like a horn.

Chiyo pointed a finger at Zhen, “You Z̆ongren have no place to meddle in our affairs.”

“Mr. Khaylshad!” An armed soldier came running, along with other guards, “Tengerleg Stadium has completely lost all power- The regulators tried to reboot it but…”

“Guards! Take aim!” The Chief Director ordered with a shout. Hesitantly all of them raised their rifles. More of them flanked the three and drew their weapons. The Crown Prince faced Chiyo, while Toya faced the latter. Saya was sandwiched between the two.

“Gong Dongye, I only heard a mere soupçon. I am a Laoyuang. Dost thou trust me this once to save the muqatil?” Zhen said clearly, without turning his head. A brief silence overtook her.

“Tch.”

He reached for something in his pocket, “I shall take that as a yes, although I ask not to kill anybody. Now…”

Zhen revealed a folder filled with papyrus papers. Chiyo immediately reacted to them.

“Those are…”

“Indeed. KWKK Official Currency Transaction Report. I must say, having this blood money would not do well on thy repertoire, à propos of the current standing of the tournament.”

In a matter of seconds those documents took to the air. As the folder flew, thousands upon thousands of papyrus parchment rained down from above. Chiyo gave the signal.

“Fire! Don’t hit your own!”

Zhen held his hand outward. A guandao polearm materialized into his hands. He smiled as he brandished it.

“Dihu Huoyan: Phoenix Negation!” The spear spun as Zhen twirled it around himself. Fire ignited, turning it into a flaming wheel. The bullets flew into the conflagration. They melted the minute they touched the searing flames. As if they were absorbed into the weapon. Panicked, some guards on the other flank were shot. They fell incapacitated.

Saya noticed Chiyo speaking to another guard. They held some sort of device, in which they cranked a knob. Toya began to stumble as the collar around her neck glowed red.

“Toya!” Saya jumped to catch her. Toya had her hands clasped around her neck, writhing on her knees. Saya glanced around.

“Ayai Toya should be under our control,” The soldier with the device reassured Chiyo.

“Hey Pasekur, mind handing me that?” A man called from behind him, wearing a white-checkered haori.

“Sure. Wait…”

“Thank you,” The man snatched it from his hands and smashed it on the ground.

“Tsuchiya!” Saya saw him destroy the device. Soon the red glow shimmered and deactivated. Toya tore the collar off.

The champion stretched her shoulders, taking her sword, “I haven’t felt that in years… Now I’ll show you.”

She stomped on the floor. Cracks widened beneath them. Toya reversed her blade and impacted one of the soldiers. She retracted and drove the pommel into a chin. Two guards lifted their guns at her. Saya tackled them at full speed. More of them got into formation. Zhen swooped their feet with the swing of the guandao. They all fell like houses on stilts.

“Mahou Nettou!” Chiyo directed, and a blast of boiling water launched towards the four. Tsuchiya stepped forward.

“Mahou Hitei,” He held his fingers forward. The blast deflected away as if there was an invisible wall. Zhen and Toya rushed to block more attacks coming from Chiyo. They were closing in. He was running out of men to summon. Saya moved in front of the three. She locked eyes, bearing a tightened fist.

“This is a life’s work! Everything now has been built on Dineh culture, and you all seek to destroy it!” The KWKK Chief Director began to retreat further down the stage, “Since 785 we’ve had thousands of Dineh Kazaàds before then without a problem!”

“It’s a relic of the past,” Saya walked placidly. A paper flew into her hand. “1915, the Dineh Kazaàd became commercialized. You’ve paid the media to twist this sickening event into something enticing, and I got fooled by it.”

She ripped the paper. Saya had him on the ground while snatching his neck. She raised her fist, her face full of regret. She pummeled him. Punch after punch. Blow after blow. Every punch she thought about her friends. Her friends that were forced to go through this torture, who died in this arena. She didn’t stop. She didn’t care that her hands stained blood. She remembered the good times. Kwazhak. Jose. Mouka. Jun. The Dineh Kazaàd stole their futures. Qiemi ‘Chiyo’ Khaylshad, Thiệu Addja, Al-Wa… She couldn't find herself to forgive them.

“Stop, stop!” Tsuchiya pulled her away, as snot mixed with tears came down her chin. She resisted, but he didn’t let go of her.

“Let me go! I’m not done!”

The Crown Prince flipped Chiyo over on his stomach, “Enough, Hou Yizi. Thou hast subdued him alright.”

Toya sheathed her sword. Zhen tied the leader up with special cuffs, and brought him on his knees. Chiyo’s bloody nose, black eye, and bruises appeared all over his face. Eventually Saya stopped struggling in Tsuchiya’s grasp, and he let go of her arms.

“It’s over. Khaylshad ain’t gonna hurt anyone anymore,” He patted Saya’s shoulder. She looked up at him from the floor, ignoring the pain in her hands.

“I thought you were gone… What happened?”

“Oh, my family was caught up in this mess, so Laoyuang Kwazhak helped them flee the city a couple of nights ago. But I’ve decided to return,” Tsuchiya explained while standing firmly. “From the looks of it Kwazhak isn’t here now…”

“... ‘Tis truly saddening to hear,” Zhen’s polearm dissipated into the air. As he examined the area around them, all of the KWKK guards were moderately injured and immobilized. Chiyo was in shackles. “However, we are not out of the storm yet. The Tasdahan battalion will soon arrive.”

“Where will we go next?”

At Zhen’s direction, the four of them exited Tengerleg Stadium. The haboob left the streets of the city with a sandy haze. No one could barely see the next block. The citizens were nowhere to be seen. The winds blew sand in every direction. Saya pulled up the shemagh and bandana to cover her entire head, and the others improvised. Suddenly the neon lights of the district went dark. Startled, they urgently looked around blindly. Then the streetlamps illuminated the street one by one. Before Saya knew it, the street lights arranged in a one way route to Kapori-ku.

“The light should lead us out!” She yelled over the storm. It was time.

“Understood. We shall follow the light! Royal Guard!” Zhen commanded outward. To his response, a group of people in armor began to exit from the adjacent buildings. With diligent speed, they came to surround them.