September 19, 4021 09:00 [Matriarch 04- Residential District]

It was a brisk autumn morning. The leaves had started to change colors, covering the grassy hills with shades of orange and red as they fell. Their brittle forms made a satisfying crunch when stepped on. The candidates made their way to Sun Rock from their respective classrooms after checking in with their instructors one last time. It was a lively morning, the city abuzz with excitement. An eclectic gathering of citizens and Homunculi alike shuffled through the bustling town square. The streets were teeming with people swarming the already overwhelmed food stalls and local boutiques, the news of the Hyena succession seemingly a hot topic that morning. Enormous display screens had been installed at the tops of buildings lining the plaza the night before to give the crowd an ample view of the day’s events.

Tengri pushed through the crowd, followed by his candidates. Indra was bewildered as he was met with smiles of adoration rather than scowls of contempt. The sudden shift in attitude left him perturbed.

“I thought they hated us,” he remarked.

“Only the grunts. For whatever reason, Hyena are seen as local celebrities. I’m sure Kǔ Shén has something to do with that. Regardless, the fact that you’re contenders for the position puts you in good standing with the citizens. Make sure you keep that good faith with them, otherwise, it’ll reflect poorly on us. And that’s not a problem that I want to deal with. It’s too troublesome,” Tengri answered, sipping an iced coffee.

Indra looked over his shoulder, checking on the others. Kuvira rubbed her hands together nervously while Garou yawned lazily, picking at his teeth. Indra breathed deeply, taking in the crisp air and the pleasant waft of pumpkin spice as bakeries began to sell seasonal confectionaries. Today was the day. He had been training for only a few weeks, but it felt like a lifetime since he had arrived at Matriarch 04. He stared ahead, coolly, a slight frown in the crook of his mouth as they neared a massive colosseum.

He couldn’t say that he possessed fond memories of this place. In fact, his time here might have been some of the worst in his professional career. Even with the Vulture’s invasive procedures, the Hyenas in particular had made his stay a living nightmare. Jin had been the worst offender by far, each moment with him an excruciating trial of physical or emotional torture. Tengri was no better, though he seemed less interested in causing harm to him, he reveled in it whenever it did occur. And Grisha—well, she was alright, actually, her unhinged attitude the only variable that made Indra wary of her.

Despite the trials he faced thus far, he felt a strong connection to the Homunculi he had come to know throughout the ordeal. A sense of camaraderie in their shared suffering compelled him to see things through. He would be there when they needed him in the Sunken Forest. Though that choice had already been made for him, he still had the agency to choose whether to act in his own self-interests or to provide support where needed.

They passed under the archway of the colosseum entrance. The renovations were complete. The building was completely unrecognizable save for the intricate carving of a regal blue crane spreading its wings in front of a shining sun. They had reached Sun Rock.

“Like the new look? Seems like all the damage you caused turned out to be a good thing,” Tengri said to Indra. “Hurry up, Grisha’s team is already here, we better get inside before Jin’s team arrives. It’ll give you some time to warm up.”

He ushered them inside, leading them to the announcer’s booth. The shades were drawn, low lights illuminating the room. Grisha leaned back in a swivel chair grinning smugly as they entered. She sat in front of a microphone and various other recording equipment. A laptop with a screen displaying audio samples and buttons mapped to them sat on a desk in front of her.

“Well, well! Look who finally showed up!” she said exuberantly.

“We’re on time. If you need to chew someone out, do it to Jin when his team gets here,” Tengri replied exasperatedly.

“Ah, you’re no fun!” she pouted. She turned to the three standing behind him. “How are you guys feeling? Excited? Nervous? Hopefully not too worried! You’ve all proven yourselves more than capable by just getting this far. This is your chance to shine! Besides, I’m sure you’re itching to lay into someone after practicing for so long, right?”

“Just don’t go overboard with it. We had a candidate disembowel another the last time we held this tournament,” Tengri warned.

“I said I was sorry!” Grisha exclaimed.

“Heh, imagine if he had died. The entire country would have been in uproar. We warned you to take it easy.”

“And let him coast through the ranks? I’d rather gouge my eyes out than let that nepo baby win.”

Indra scratched his head at the conversation. Who were they talking about? A tap on the shoulder diverted his attention. Kuvira and Garou looked at him expectantly.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Well, we were going to ask the same of you. These past two weeks, you’ve rarely spoken. You seem distant, just moving from one place to another. I’m sure Jin’s been running you ragged, but we have some time to talk, I was just wondering if you’d like to open up about it. We’re a team, right?”

Garou nodded in agreement.

Indra stared at them blankly. “There’s nothing to talk about. I’ve done what I can to get this far. I feel prepared. And if we meet in the finals, I won’t hesitate to put you in the ground.”

Kuvira blinked in surprise. She shook her head, snapping out of her stupor just as quickly. “Guess you’re alright then,” she grinned.

Garou mirrored her expression, clasping Indra’s hand. “May the best candidate win.”

Indra smiled, his eyes flickering for a moment. “I’m looking forward to it.” He furrowed his brows. Something was amiss. He turned to Grisha, still bickering with Tengri. “Hey, if you’re here, then where’s your team?”

The Hyena stopped mid-conversation and burst out laughing. She pointed behind her, an invisible wall sinking into the ground. The stern-looking Homunculus, Xiāoshī, struck a triumphant pose. Behind him stood Emil and Prasanna, struggling to stifle their laughter. Kuvira rolled her eyes at the theatrics, scowling at Garou’s starstruck expression. Indra’s face softened, a smile spreading across his face. He had rarely spoken to his roommates since the incident with Jin near the outer gates. They were so tired by the end of each day that the only thought on anyone’s mind was sleep.

Prasanna gave him a glowing look. “You look better than the last time I saw you. Healthier, calmer, and…” she trailed off tilting her head, looking him up and down.

“You look more confident,” Emil signed.

Indra attempted to appear humble, but he felt ready for anything. He had been worked to exhaustion in Tengri’s classroom, spending hours staring at spinning marbles, encumbered by waning concentration as more time passed. He woke in cold sweats, dreading the days he was to spend under Jin’s tutelage. The Hyena’s methods of training seemed to become crueler with each passing day. And yet, he survived. He had become sharp in mind and strong in body. His Shakti regulation had reached complete balance. No one would be able to stand in his way.

“That’s what it is!” Prasanna agreed, snapping her fingers. She glanced over at Kuvira, her gaze suddenly turning icy. “So, have you gotten any better since then?” she addressed her coldly.

Kuvira ground her teeth, returning the same cold stare. “I’ve been practicing. Don’t go and lose until you face me.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Prasanna laughed, mirthlessly.

The air was tense. The others exchanged uncomfortable glances, silently agreeing it was best to stay out of their way. Kuvira glared back at Prasanna defiantly, the nervousness from before replaced by determination. She turned around and walked away to the corner of the room, dragging an apologetic Garou with her.

“I-I think I should prepare myself as well,” Xiāoshī mumbled, excusing himself.

It was just the trio from room 222 again.

“Do you know the lineup for the first round?” Prasanna asked Indra as if nothing had happened.

“No, I wasn’t given any information on that.”

“Shoot, I thought you would have something, at least. The Hyenas seem to have taken an interest in you.”

“Trust me, that’s a problem you don’t want,” he reassured her. “Weren’t we supposed to be kept in the dark about who we were fighting, so we couldn’t prepare in advance for a particular Shakti or Trait?”

“Yes, but half an hour before the exam? That isn’t going to make a difference,” she complained.

“I guess you’re right, but then again, what difference does it make knowing now rather than waiting for thirty minutes?”

Prasanna sighed defeated. “Fair, the only thing we were told was that Emil was going to get a bye because of his performance in the sparring we did a couple of weeks back.”

Emil looked satisfied with himself, grinning indulgently.

“Right, Garou told me about it; you took out two people at once. Watch your back, everyone’s going to be aiming for a shot at you now, including me,” Indra chuckled.

“Are you guys going to say something to us? Or are you going to keep jerking each other off?” a loud voice interrupted.

Kaluza stepped into the room with an arrogant smirk. Móhú and Chōuyān stood behind, apologizing silently. Jin rolled his eyes, stepping past them.

“So, both of our protégés could potentially fight one another. How do you feel about that? I’m conflicted on who to root for,” he addressed Tengri.

“Protégés? I could care less. Whoever has more potential will win. Hard work and training efficiently are important, but they can only get you so far.”

“Right.” Jin looked annoyed.

“You want to place bets? We aren’t stopping the fights if they go too far this time.” A hideous grin crawled up Tengri’s face.

“Of course,” Jin replied, an equally hideous grin replacing his frown.

Kaluza’s ears pricked up at the mention of laissez-faire safety standards. He turned to Indra, calling out to him.

“Hey, you! Our match was cut short last time—”

“Yeah, because I would have killed you.”

Kaluza shook with rage, turning red. “This time it’ll be different! They won’t stop the matches unless someone forfeits or they’re incapacitated. Unconscious or dead, it doesn’t matter. I’ll crush you this time!”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Indra replied apathetically.

He checked his Nerve Cord, ignoring Kaluza’s screams of frustration: 09:20. Just ten minutes until they would present the culmination of weeks' worth of training.

“Aren’t you concerned about Shakti clashes between people with the same affinities?” he asked the Hyenas.

Tengri shook his head. “Not at this time. That’s only a concern when you’re trying to improve or grow your affinity with Shakti. We aren’t focused on growth anymore so much as we are on seeing how much improvement you’ve made.”

“I’ve been thinking, when are we ever going to fight another Shakti user if Homunculi are the only people who can use it, excluding Devas and Sirens? Doesn’t it seem kind of irrelevant to pit us against one another?”

“As we’ve said before, most beings can’t use Shakti. That doesn’t mean all beings. If we can find a way to circumvent the stress load of bending nature to our will, so can others. We don’t know of any groups outside of Yuèliàng that have managed, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. And who knows? If you ever encounter a Deva or a Siren” —he lingered on the word— “it’ll come in handy. Get your inquiries out of your system now because I’m not answering any more questions later.”

Indra thought for a moment, realizing someone else was missing from their troupe. “Where’s the Crow?”

Tengri grinned. “He’s on security detail, directing all the other Crows to ensure the safety of the audience.”

“Audience?”

Grisha pulled back the curtains as if on cue, turning off the noise dampeners. Indra clasped his hands to his ears, as the deafening roar of one-hundred thousand spectators erupted all at once. The stands were packed with people sitting shoulder to shoulder, cheering as the Homunculi appeared on a giant screen at the back of the arena, displaying their statistics. Indra couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“H-hey! Wait a minute!” Prasanna protested. “Why is my bust size on there? How is that relevant?” She scrambled over to Indra, covering his eyes with one hand before he could read the measurement.

“Hey! How come I’m the only one that doesn’t get to see?!”

“If you look, I’ll break your legs,” she stated through clenched teeth. When she finally lifted her hand off of his eyes, her complexion was beet red and she had crossed her arms.

“I don’t mind if they’re sm—”

“Shut up.”

Indra kept his mouth shut.

Grisha grabbed the microphone, flipping switches on the dashboard next to her laptop.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Hyena succession exam!!!!”

The crowd erupted in feverish excitement.

“Our talented prospects have been training tirelessly to test their mettle and show you what they’re capable of! We thank you for your presence as we witness the next generation of Hyenas, three of which will be promoted from this batch of Homunculi! The rules are simple: any fighting style, Trait, or Shakti is permitted. The criteria to win is if either opponent forfeits or if a candidate is incapacitated! The candidates that place in the top three of the tournament bracket will be promoted to the rank of Hyena! They’ll be sorted into division leaders by their placement in the top three! Without further ado, let’s get this party started!!!”