The first round of God’s tournament has concluded; Drakthar, Kali, and Xander stand in the center of the arena, five other fighters having survived along with them. They eye them as they all remain among the stench of death they collectively created in these Pits.

Many of the others are familiar to them, Arua, the red-haired immortal and daughter of Sharn, unsurprisingly made it past this first round. There’s also Frederick, a man that in one year would die in a tunnel in the arctic at the hands of Drakthar if future events hadn’t been altered.

Drakthar musters a slight grin as he notices Radek, a man who caught his eye in his time within the arena, standing among them. Another man glares directly at Drakthar, this being Xenos, one who has claimed himself the strongest warrior who has ever been a part of the Iron Legion, a title he seeks to claim by defeating Drakthar.

The last is a man with bright blonde hair, his fine clothing, and shiny silver sword unfamiliar to the three.

“Splendid job all of you. I would say I’m impressed but that would be a lie. Still, I would like all of you to come with me, you won’t need to return to your shabby accommodations, the eight of you shall live in my very own mansion until the next round begins,” God extravagantly declares as he greets the eight of them.

They look around at each other, making eye contact as if to judge if the others were fine with this before following after the man who started this contest. The crowd cheers as they exit the arena, some of them having the wherewithal to quickly run out of the arena so they could get a closer look at the eight warriors as they make their way through the streets before reaching God’s mansion.

The walk doesn’t take long before they find themselves in front of the largest building on the island, a mansion with a large golden gate, matching the gaudy color of the bricks that make up the outside of this place.

As they all ponder whether all of it is solid gold or just coated in gold, God gives them the answer, having read their minds, “It is solid gold. I assure you I would not stoop to such a low as having it coated in gold just for appearances”.

Some of them don’t think much of his comment, not yet aware of God’s unique ability. As God welcomes them inside they see that the interior is also decorated ostentatiously, different sculptures and fine pottery can be found atop pedestals in the entryway, fine weapons lining the halls as they are led further inside.

“Now, I did not bring you all here and provide such accommodations just to show off my home to all of you,” God mentions as he guides them into a lounge with dark red couches, the color reminiscent of his eyes.

He gestures towards those couches as he urges them, “Take a seat everyone, I would like to get to know each and everyone one of the warriors that will be entertaining myself and the people who have come here to watch you all”.

The fighters take a seat some more begrudgingly than others, one way or another they all end up sitting down, watching a still standing God as he starts his musings, “Now, why don’t you all tell me why it is you chose to join my tournament?”

For a while, every one of them sits there silently, waiting for another to speak up as they quickly find their answers.

But before any of them can answer, God starts to speak for them, “It seems for most of you the reason for joining is merely to prove yourself the strongest”. He glances at Drakthar, Xenos, Frederick, and the blonde man when he mentions this.

He quickly turns his gaze towards Xander, looking him directly in the eyes as he continues, “It would seem the rest of you have a unique reason, this one seeks revenge against me. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Interesting, it would seem that we have already met. Your wife has been anything but cordial while she’s been in my tender care”.

Xander maintains eye contact with God, trying to convey through his expression alone the unbridled anger he harbors towards this man.

God ends the battle of a smirk as he moves on to the next person, “Radek, you merely wish to escape the Pits”.

“It would seem one of you has entered with no intention of winning this. Kali, why is it you have come this far with no intention to win? Wait, I already know, you seek to make sure Drakthar is the victor. An odd notion, but such a notion might lead to a lack of conviction,” God rambles, not letting Kali get a word in edgewise.

“I don’t think I’ll have a problem with that,” Kali reaffirms for herself and those around her, knowing that taking everyone she can out so Drakthar can win is conviction enough for fighting.

“So be it, lastly we have you. A fool who let a man manipulate you into becoming a mute. How is Solomon doing? Still collecting that useless brainwashed army of his?” God addresses Arua, casually mocking where she comes from and her way of life.

“Oh, he hasn’t even told you his name? That’s quite like Solomon, isn’t it? Always keeping things from his people. Anyway that charlatan you let rule you, that is his name. I will spare you of further embarrassment and move on,” God notes after he reads Arua’s mind for a response, her not able to give a verbal one even if she wanted to.

God gives her one last knowing look as he listens in on her thoughts once again, this time choosing to keep them for himself.

“Why are we even playing this guy’s game? We don’t need him to grandstand in front of us any longer. I say we just take him out now,” Xenos suggests as he stands, starting to draw his blade.

Before his sword can leave its sheath, he feels a small cut on his left cheek. His head turns to see a knife stuck into the wall, his eyes turn forward to see God’s outstretched arm, the source of it, the movement too fast for Xenos to even notice.

He sits back down, justifying it to the others as to save face, “I’m only sitting down because I’m not interested in getting more injured before my next fight”.

“A clear lie. Since you seem so eager this evening why don’t I start by directing my next question towards you? Who among those around you do you believe to be your biggest rival, who do you think will win this tournament if not yourself?” God takes control of the conversation again as if Xenos’s outburst never happened.

“No one,” Xenos lies, not wanting to admit whom he views as the strongest.

“Lying is useless in my company, you see Drakthar as the strongest, maybe thinking he might be stronger than yourself. That is the thing about all of you. You all have confidence that you are the strongest in this tournament. Well, all of you that are trying to win that is,” God nods towards Kali at that last part, knowing she thinks Drakthar is stronger than her as well.

“It would seem most of you agree with Xenos, that is on the fact that Drakthar is your biggest competition. Were you all so easily influenced by my words before this all started? Where I said I expected him to win. It was a ploy to make his road here more difficult but I guess overcoming that target is why he has gained all of your respect. Well, Drakthar, it would seem they are all fixated on you, so why don’t you enlighten them as to who among them you view as the strongest challenger?” God inquires, already knowing the answer but wanting the others to hear it from him.

“Arua,” Drakthar states plainly, leaving out the reason due to her being Sharn’s daughter and having potentially honed her skills for a much longer time than all of them due to her being immortal and having a teacher such as Sharn.

Kali frowns a little at his answer, wishing he viewed her as the strongest aside from himself.

God pivots off Drakthar, addressing the blonde man by his name for the first time, “Alistar, you think Xander is your greatest rival. It is curious that you have such a unique answer compared to the rest of those here”.

The others look around, unsure of whom this Xander is, most of them not knowing the names of the others off the top of their heads.

“I have my reasons,” Alistar calmly responds, coldly staring at Xander as he does so.

Xander knows he has never seen this man before but his physical features are familiar to him somehow. He can’t quite place it.

“Xander, you have the most intriguing answer to my latest question. Unlike the others, you truly believe that none of these people are a challenge to you at all. Such hubris for a dirty mongrel such as yourself. Would you like to inform the others of why you are so unstoppable?” God attempts to draw the animosity towards Xander instead of himself for a moment.

“We both know what I am capable of. If you expose it to the others it will change nothing. I am going to win this tournament and then kill you,” Xander confidently declares.

God’s eyes widen at his assertion, his lips spreading to reveal a wicked grin as he comments, “Such conviction. Let’s see if it remains when you watch your wife sitting at my side watching you fight? No… that would strengthen it wouldn’t it? Good, your expression is so exquisite now… I wonder how it will look when I crush you and everything you hold dear?”

Drakthar looks over at his best friend, seeing the blind rage in his eyes as he glares at the man who just threatened his friends and family.

“Enough,” Drakthar interrupts the two of them.

“This is all pointless, he shouldn’t be worried about you when it looks like he can't even beat any of us,” Frederick speaks up, giving his opinion as he notices how slender Xander appears to be as compared to the rest of them.

“I watched the others fight, he wouldn’t be here if not for his friends. I’ll wait to see how he does by himself before believing he can beat any of us,” Frederick adds, underestimating Xander as many others have in the past.

This causes God to smirk, Frederick’s reaction having been what he views as exceedingly human.

“I think I have gotten out of this what I wanted to. Why don’t all of you head to your rooms? You will find eight empty suites; with all the accommodations you could ever wish for right down this hall. I have some business to attend to but I will make myself available and come back to this lounge later in the night if any of you wish to meet with me. Rest up, your fights will be the day father tomorrow, enjoy my generous hospitality,” God remarks with a touch of grandeur before departing.

Outside he finds one of his men waiting for him, ready to update him about what they have discovered of this mysterious man whose thoughts God could not read who tried to free Gwendolyn earlier in the day.

“Sir, we haven’t gotten anything out of him… it seems like all he wants to do is make jokes,” God hears the man’s report. “I will take care of this. You are dismissed,” God waves off his useless subordinate.

“Maybe if he didn’t kill my fucking torturer, someone would have got something fucking out of him. I have to do everything my fucking self,” God mumbles to himself on his way back to the tower where he holds his more important prisoners.

He enters one of the doors on the second floor, a much lower floor than the women he is keeping on the top level. He sees the same plain-looking man, appearing no worse for wear despite a blade embedded in his leg.

God eyes the man, wondering why this is, not only does his leg show no sign of damage but his men must have certainly roughed him up even if they aren’t to the usual lengths Audra would have gone to.

The man is wearing regular clothing; the only thing of note on his person is a single ring on his left ring finger. God curses to himself, his men should have taken all of this man’s possessions by now, as is protocol, yet they let him keep this ring.

God wastes no time, approaching the man and ripping the ring off. Once it leaves the man’s finger his appearance changes, revealing the metal parts and devious smile of Kayde.

God doesn’t flinch at Kayde’s unnerving appearance, or by the fact that a man just seemingly transformed before his eyes. He instead inspects the ring, finding the tech on the inside that allows Kayde to don the guise of a villager from the Sacrosanct Empire.

“Interesting,” God notes as he pockets the ring, now turning his sights to the android in front of him, finding that his sword did leave a mark, Kayde’s left leg badly damaged, frayed ends of wires visible as they spill out between the cracked metal.

“A cyborg,” God incorrectly concludes, completely unfamiliar with the concept of an android as would be normal for someone who hasn’t theorized about them extensively such as Lunette or the Scientist.

“That doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t be able to read your mind,” God mutters to himself, wondering why it is this cyborg’s thoughts elude him.

“Hey,” Kayde waves his hand at him.

“You seem to be mumbling to yourself a lot over there. Look I apologize for killing your people but they were drowning this woman. I couldn’t just walk by and not help her,” Kayde lies to God, something nobody else in the world could even try and pull off.

“That woman is mine, she has found herself in a position similar to yours. You had no right to even enter this building let alone try and free her,” God argues, not buying his false story for a second.

“I don’t know dude, having her drowned like that is kind of messed up, like if that’s how you treat women then you might need to get with the times. I know it's not like equal rights or anything but at least where I’m from women aren’t just being drowned like that you know?” Kayde goes on a social justice rant just to play with God a little.

This display of wit is what causes God to have a realization, “You can drop the act. Now I know exactly who you are, Kayde. Did you think I would neglect researching Gwendolyn and Drakthar’s colorful pasts when they came into my care? Yes, I remember coming across a quote of yours written in a record of certain events in the Sacrosanct Empire. Your tendency to go off on a random tangent to avoid an actual conversation was well on display there as well”.

“Alright, God, you want an actual conversation? I killed those people because they tortured my friend. Want to discuss something else that’s real, you cannot read my mind and that scares you,” Kayde quickly counters, the joking tone usually in his voice completely gone.

“Not quite, scared is not the right term… I would say… intrigued. Now, it would seem your friends Drakthar, Kali, and Xander have advanced to the next round of my tournament and as you know Gwendolyn is still in my care. Why don’t you tell me why I cannot read your mind or do you want Kali to have to start suffering the same fate as Gwendolyn?” God threatens, knowing there are still methods he can use to get him to talk.

“You know, for a God, I would think you’d be better at this. Kali’s tough… that goes for Drakthar and Xander as well. But you should have figured that one out already since they advanced in your boring little tournament. So I trust they’ll be okay, I mean this is all I have over you, why would I give it up so easily?” Kayde holds firm, not giving God anything while affirming his faith in his friends.

God stands, turning his back towards Kayde as he tells him, “I’m sure my people will find a way to make you talk. Now I have to go run that boring little tournament of mine. There will be more than enough time after that for us to speak again”.

Back at God’s mansion, Kali goes over to Drakthar’s room across the way once she has put her things down within her own room. She knocks on the door and sees Drakthar standing there in only a towel, having just washed off the dirt from the Pits.

“What?” He responds in a way one would view as coldly but is normal for him.

“I just thought maybe you would want my company. I see you showered already, I thought maybe we could have done that together,” Kali explains, wanting to slowly push their relationship forward little by little.

“Not today, I am going to rest, I suggest you do the same,” Drakthar closes the door on her, ridding himself of the towel and goes over to lie down atop the posh red sheets. Just as he closes his eyes he hears another knock on the door.

His eyes open back up, he lazily puts the towel back around his waist thinking it is just Kali again. Instead, he sees Arua on the other side of the door, her wide frame and prominent muscles more on display now that Drakthar sees her in regular clothes, not armor.

She is holding up a notebook, Drakthar looks down at it and reads her purposefully cute writing, Hello again. I wanted to talk to you.

Drakthar looks up at her, giving her the same answer he gave Kali, “I need rest. We can talk later”.

As he slowly closes the door she pushes against it, frantically scribbling something on another page of the notebook she carries. She holds it up so he can see it, Please, it's about my father.

Drakthar’s eyes widen, learning more about Sharn being something he would very much like to do.

He opens the door wider and tells her, “Come in”. Drakthar takes a seat on the couch in his room, almost flinching as Arua nonchalantly sits down upon his lap as she starts to write again.

My father wanted to recruit you to join our order, I take it you know that? Drakthar scans her writing.

“Yes,” he plainly responds. Arua starts writing again, her face oddly focused as she does so, something another man would find cute if they were witnessing it.

I want you to join me and come back to the island of immortals. I think it’s where you belong. I know my father thought that too. Arua tries to appeal to him.

“Maybe, I could have belonged there. That’s not true anymore. You showed up too late,” Drakthar puts it bluntly, not sharing the sentiments of why that is. Not wishing to discuss his feelings towards his friends in front of this woman.

It’s never too late. If you come now you will stay in this peak form for the rest of your life. Your body will age otherwise. I know being strong is important to you. Arua shows him her next plea.

“I am not arguing that. But I would not be free to roam around and prove my strength. I’d have to follow the rules of your society and being shackled in that way doesn’t interest me,” Drakthar tells her the same thing he told the Speaker when he gave the offer.

I know. But I would be there. You already think I’m the strongest one here. If you come with me you can test your luck against me as much as you want. Arua holds up her notebook once again so he can read it.

“There could be others that aren’t at this tournament. I understand what you are trying to say but I will not agree to this if I have to live by the limitations of your society. There is just no way around that,” Drakthar makes this point for the final time, not willing to argue it again.

Arua for the first time takes a second to think before writing, her eyes travel downwards over his body before she finally starts to jot something down. I have a way you can be granted immortality but not having to live on the island. But I can’t tell you, just like the man here, the Speaker can read your mind as well. You can’t even think that you’ll be able to escape. If he knows he’ll be able to plan for it.

Drakthar looks from the notebook to the worried look of the woman sitting in his lap.

“We both know it wouldn’t work. You already told me, it would be impossible,” Drakthar points out the obvious.

I know. I’ll just have to make this time I do have with you worth it then. Arua briefly shows him before dropping her notebook, both of her hands finding themselves behind Drakthar’s back as she embraces him, lowering her head down towards his.

Drakthar feels her lips against his, much softer than he remembered them from when she stole a kiss from him before. This time Arua doesn’t back out, her tongue trying to find Drakthar’s as their mouths remain intertwined.

Drakthar loses himself in the sensation, returning the favor as he lifts her off of him and puts her down on the couch so he is over her. Arua grins as he does this, returning to making out as she starts to undo her top.

Once it is off, she forces his head back so he can view her exposed body. Drakthar lasciviously leers at her form, fully intending to take it as his. But before he can move in, he sees what to him seems like a flash, seeing Kali in the exact same position Arua is in. It causes him to hesitate, grabbing his head before getting off of her.

“Leave!” He demands as he turns his back to her. He feels her soft touch on his back, causing him to turn around.

“I’m serious, get out of here,” he growls at her, not wanting her to stay a second longer in fear he would change his mind.

Arua looks meekly up at him, frowning before going to collect her top off the couch. Drakthar watches as she walks out of the room, not bothering to put her shirt back on before she leaves. He slouches down back onto the bed, cursing to himself as he attempts to get some sleep, trying to forget that just happened.

Kali, who just finished showering herself, resolves to herself that even if Drakthar is tired that doesn’t mean that she couldn’t attempt to snuggle with him now that she is also cleaned up.

She finds herself grinning a little while she thinks about it, walking outside her room to go over to his. As she gets closer she spots his door open, through it she sees a half-naked Arua walk out.

She hides around the corner, making it so Arua doesn’t see her. Once the coast is clear, she retreats back to her room. She collapses to the ground breathing heavily as she assumes the worst, the state she saw Arua in all but confirming it for her.