Franky, after bright flashes of light, was teleported into what seems to be a post-apocalyptic world with collapsing buildings and nature starting to take over what was once hers. The fog made it hard to navigate through what seems to be the ruined countryside. The small wooden cavern behind him felt empty and forgotten. With the fog clearing and the sudden rise in temperature, he notices the blazing sun. It was then that a voice seemed to echo within his mind. "With 4800 participants, only 1000 of those may pass on to the next phase. Haven fun slaughtering each other and always, rack up some points with each kill!" It was the same child as before, the one that gave him instructions as to what he had to do to participate. With that announcement came a single pillar of the blaze that seemed to originate from the center of this world. Knowing that this is the signal Leo intended to send him, he felt varying degrees of intense emotion he couldn't quite identify one of which is very close by and within his path. The long road that led to Leo was blocked off by one lone individual until another happened to land in front of him. Emilia, the one and only Durandal, had come. "It's just you! I didn't expect to meet you this early," she said. "Are you heading for the center as well?", Franky asked. "The strongest fighters reside there, so I'll likely head right there, but you should stay behind. Nero, one who is known for capturing rookies like you and beating them just to look for something new and interesting and look a lot stronger than he is, is up ahead. Calypso also is behind you so you may want to dash past Nero to avoid being killed this early." She jumped again only to vanish within the skies, shattering the ground beneath her feet. While Franky is sure it's the same Calypso he met before, he doesn't want to be caught up in one of his battles. Nero may be a threat, but with his speed may have enough speed to evade his doom. "Maybe I should...", he thought. He was indecisive and unsure as to what would be the wisest move, but battling Nero may be his only way to properly identify where he lies.

As he ran towards Nero, a loud bang sent him flying into the air, inflicting burn wounds and damage to his eardrums within a fraction of a second. Nero himself had come to pay him a visit. What seems to resemble a martial arts uniform, Nero stepped closer with his blindfold covering his eyes. With his white uniform, he stepped closer. "You're the cocky Dream Catcher from before, aren't you?!", he shouted. Franky quickly recovered and stepped closer to Nero. "At least I'm not a coward, fighting a rookie at Z690!" Nero, stunned by his low level, is trying to process what he just heard. "That's all?! Guess you aren't as high and mighty as I thought. It would be a waste of time to battle you." He turns around and is ready to head towards the center, but Franky couldn't swallow his pride and decided to charge in only to be blasted away by a relatively small explosion. Burning his skin and popping his eardrums, he tried to stand on his feet only to be kicked in the stomach. As he rose into the air, Nero flew towards him with ferocious flames accelerating and rising above the few skyscrapers within this ruined world. Using a blast to propel himself back down, he slammed Franky into the ground. "You're all bark and no bite like an aggressive chihuahua." Smiling, he let go and returned to wandering off to his next target. With his crushed skull, Franky remained conscious with his wounds regenerating and charged in again. This time, he had a clean hit to the throat of the one that attempted to eliminate him. It was then that Nero had an epiphany. Franky's regeneration, his pride, and his willpower let him cling to his consciousness and quickly regenerate what was once a skull in pieces. While his attacks barely damage Nero, they seem to at least cut through his skin. "I guess I understand why Leo and Durandal had taken interest in you. I'll push you until you fully break, rat!" A gut punch that dislocated and crushed his organs but also dislocated his spine as he spat out blood ignoring the pain he received, he struck back with a deformed dagger. His lack of focus and the immense pain didn't allow for further concentration and the optimal usage of his abilities. "You use some kind of fairy dust to shape your weapons with a mix of magic and spiritual power? What a waste! You could create needles to throw at me!" Franky, perplexed by his advice, refused to listen and tried to cut through him again. The cut Nero received earlier was long gone. His speed is somewhat admirable, his strength seems to hold no limit and his body, like an iron block, seemed to know no weakness. Another blast, sent him flying once again, letting him lay waste to the wooden cabin. Disappointed Nero created several sparkling orbs, all of which hit his target setting him ablaze. It wasn't long until Franky had regenerated all of the flesh damaged by the orbs. Sick and tired of Franky's need to keep his pride and keep on being stubborn, he decided to end it as the dust settled. Something scratched his eye before he could deliver a finishing blow as Franky created a massive claymore to slice through his target. Nero, irritated that his blindfold had been removed, roared like a beast as his glowing crimson eyes were exposed. Propelling himself forward, he broke the blade Franky wielded and placed his right glowing palm onto the stomach of his target. With massive heat, he boiled Franky's insides and sent him flying once again. With insane speed and glowing hands, Nero punched Franky's, spine breaking it and sending him flying only to get above him and crushing his skull once again with explosive fists. It wasn't meant to kill him as he remained alive throughout this whole ordeal, but to torture, as Franky is starting to get on his nerves. His arrogance and his need to torture others as he looks down on them is exactly why Nero remains where he is. Just to sate his hunger for something new, something amazing that could catch his interest, he hopes to steer what their abilities may develop into. The same goo Franky uses to form the weapons he desires, seems to rain down on them in form of some kind of powder. It sparkled and targeted Nero as the first "Speck of Dreams" touched the ground. Violently slashing away at Nero's defense, they seemed to hold no effect on him. His skin had been hardened to a point where none of Franky's attacks could touch him. All of them just fulfilled one command, fly away from Franky to whatever lies behind Nero. With his lack of expertise, there was little Franky could do, but he could never give up and submit to Nero. The damage he had taken already vanished within a second which is why he had to use this chance to strike. Coating his longswords within another layer of his magic, he sped up using his Blitz Attack. "Take that!", he shouted as his swords shattered. Even with his massive increase in speed, he could only watch in horror as his body is starting to be affected by his use of magic. Grabbed by the neck, there was an attempt to crush his throat. Subconsciously, but with no fear of death, he hardened his skin and parts of his flesh. Unaware of the fact, He targets Nero's eyes as both of what is left of his swords is reduced to nothing under the sheer might of Nero's defense. With fire, several sizzling holes were burnt into his limbs. Not long after, he recovered. His Blitz Attack still seemed to be in effect as his wounds seemed to regenerate a lot faster. Already tired and at his limit, he created another longsword to attack. His attempts seemed futile and at most created a few small wounds. The more he tried to prove his worth, the more agitated Nero grew, the more frequent, faster, and heavier the blows. By then a lot of his organs had been dislocated or completely destroyed including his heart. Alpha, for example, lacks the regeneration speed, willpower, and durability to survive any of Nero's attacks. "I'm going to enjoy myself!", Nero stated as Franky was on his fours, vomiting blood and heaving. "I need to stall him somehow. With Calypso behind me and Leo way too far away, I have to survive long enough for this explosive guerilla to take a break," Franky thought as he recovered only to be kicked in the chin back into the air and be blasted back down to the ground. "His reserves likely are higher than mine, but he's been praising my regeneration. Maybe I also regenerate magic a lot faster. He also had the need to use spiritual-" "I'm bored... Come on. Show me something new and exciting!" Nero was at his limit. His patience, the thing that kept Franky from being killed in an instant, is reaching its end while only half of his magic had been depleted. Digging his arms into the ground, several swords with varying grades of deformation and different lengths, sprouted attempting to scratch Nero's skin. Jumping out of its path, Franky created a wall of blades shielding him from the monster that is Nero. It allowed him to run at least far enough to be out of what seems to be Nero's reach. "My ability is to create explosions and fire. Don't run away coward," Nero's voice echoed within his mind. Beams of fire burned a hole into his chest from what seems to be a kilometer away. His insides were burning, but even that attack isn't enough to make him give up. He was fully prepared to face Nero again. His right leg is removed by what seems to be another beam of fire. "I miscalculated! The gap is a lot bigger than I expected, but there's a reason as to why he depends on magic so often!" Already back up and with Nero being in hearing distance, he gave up on running and with a smirk announced, "You're weak! This is the only reason why you use magic so often while I mostly depend on slashing away at your skin! You're using spiritual power to constantly coat anything beneath your skin to seem stronger! The only reason why I can't fully cut through you is that you keep your flesh hardened!" With fierce fury and a blazing body, Nero accelerated punching Franky in the chest. "I don't need magic to do anything!" Enraged, a barrage of fists and flames kept breaking Franky. Instead of using his Blitz Attack like he normally would, he used it for accelerated regeneration until a blow to the head nearly took him out of the tournament. "It's a matter of time before I run out of magic, but he may be low as well! IF only I had a barrier to use to my advantage! I have! I can fight him! I can do it! I can grow stronger and protect Alpha from people like him!" Something felt out of place with Franky's behavior. His aggression seems to grow whenever he is a Dream Catcher. His need to protect Alpha, even if it's completely irrelevant to whatever he's doing, is obsessive and his pride seems to hold no limit. With no need to wail or go into shock when fatally and painfully injured was incomparable to even Elena, one who had endured a lot of pain. The conditions necessary for him to get stronger have finally been met. Intense pain, love for another, and willpower allowed him to break his current limit or whatever is holding him back. Slamming him into the ground, Nero snapped him back into reality. Ready to deliver a finishing blow, time seemed to slow down as his fists turned into dazzling white flames. There was no need to go as far as he is, but within him lies no reason. A shiver went down his spine as the flames ceased to exist. Franky's mouth opened further than what was possible to human. His eyes were devoid of color as his eyeballs had been replaced by a void that filled his entire body. Swords emerged and covered the entire area as both he and Nero became lost within the void he had created. Within the darkness, swords clashed and were sharpened as eight gave off a neon blue glow perfectly placing themself behind King. They pointed outwards and attained a symmetric formation. His eyes held the same glow as his swords as blaring stage lights lit up presenting an arena within the void that once slumbered within him. The ceiling seems to be covered within his longswords while some gave off light acting as stage lights. The appearance of the forte hairpin within his hair signed the end of Nero as it symbolized his awakening. With no end to the swords above him, Nero aggressively summoned flames that held no power. Quickly, they were absorbed by the swords. "What did you do?! What is this place?! Answer me!", he demanded. "A place that holds the great power only one could surpass. My barrier, The Iron Maiden... This is what you get for holding back and torturing me." Franky seemed far more arrogant even though he's going to be out cold after this attack. Simply by pointing at Nero, his target was blown to shreds with nothing left behind. Not even blood splattered on the ground as the barrier instantaneously vanished. Tired, he fell and was unable to move. The pain from before finally kicked in, but even while in pain, he could not scream or cry for help as his pride didn't allow so. No one was within sight, at least until a shadow approached him dropping what was left of Nero's blindfold on his eyes.