Ladies and gentlemen, the arena’s still sizzling from that last match, but we’re not done yet! It’s time for Round Three, and this one’s all about speed, skill, and deception! Three fighters, three distinct styles—who will reign supreme? Let’s meet our contenders!

  The announcer’s voice was louder and even more annoying in the stands than it was on the field, James felt. He mindlessly placed some popcorn in his mouth as a Frame painted all in black walked into the arena.

  Sleek, silent, and deadly—this midnight predator strikes before you even see it coming! Will its razor-sharp claws carve a path to victory? It’s Shadow Panther!

  The Frame struck a pose for the crowd, showing off its long claws. Then it stepped back as another Frame walked onto the field. This one was mostly red, with lots of gold highlights. It had—James blinked—eight swords attached to its back like a peacock’s tail.

  A newcomer to the arena, but don’t let that fool you! This crimson predator carries an arsenal on its back, but what secrets does it hold? Power? Precision? Or something we haven’t seen before? One thing’s for sure—tonight, we find out! Give it up for Red Raptor!

  “That’s the one to watch for this fight,” Elidor stated. “Not many know this, but the pilot is backed by the Longhu Bang Triad.”

  “Oh?” Harue said, “I’d heard that a Triad group was getting involved with the Raimēkai clan. Is Longhu Bang anything to be worried about?”

  “You haven’t heard of them? They’ve been making quite a name for themselves on the mainland.”

  Harue giggled. “I’m just a humble local fox, not as well-travelled as your august self.”

  “A likely story,” Elidor said, chuckling.

  A fighter you can’t trust your own eyes against! Is it real? Is it a trick? By the time you figure it out, it’s already too late! Give it up for The Crimson Mirage!

  Another mostly red Frame stepped out, but this one was… blurry? It shifted and shimmered under James’s eyes. As it posed for the crowd, it blinked out entirely, and suddenly three copies of the Frame were waving at the audience.

  “They call that an illusion?” Harue said scornfully. Elidor laughed again.

  “I suppose a fox would find it quite lacking, but it’s the best they can do with technology,” he said. “Have you grown tired of your roommate’s tricks and japes, yet, dear sister?”

  Kana returned her attention to the conversation. She’d been staring at the Frames, but James thought she was paying more attention to her own thoughts.

  “She… has not played any tricks, on me at least,” she said thoughtfully.

  “Well, I’m on my best behaviour, you know?” Harue said when Elidor looked at her with mock astonishment. “The Student Council asked me to… ease her into interacting with humans, and I can’t do that if she’s expecting me to trick her all the time.”

  “Yes, the humans do get so upset when we have one of those… incidents,” Elidor agreed. “It seems I must thank you for taking care of my sister.”

  “I didn’t need taking care of,” Kana huffed. “Harue explained a few things, is all.”

  A shout from the crowd interrupted them. The battle had started. Shadow Panther immediately started spewing black smoke from vents in its legs.

  “It won’t be much of a fight if we can’t see anything,” Harue commented.

  “It won’t get too bad, Shadow Panther is a regular at these games,” Elidor assured her. “The airflow is managed to keep it from getting out of control.”

  Sure enough, the smoke didn’t disperse evenly but drifted in a defined cloud towards the centre of the ring.

  “Stealth isn’t a strong choice in an arena fight,” Elidor commented. “I’ve never seen these two matched up before, but I suspect they’ll try teaming up against the Raptor.”

  The Raptor had drawn two of its swords and was standing ready, in a stance that James was unfamiliar with. He supposed your stance had to be different when you had two swords. Shadow Panther was staying in its cloud of smoke, but it was drawing closer to the Raptor.

  The Crimson Mirage had backed off a bit and was now circling around to put the Raptor between it and Shadow Panther. The Raptor allowed the move, simply rotating in place to keep both Frames in its front arc.

  Once it was in position, the Crimson Mirage charged in, blinking and flickering under a barrage of false images. The Raptor let it come. It pointed a sword at the incoming Frame, but James knew that rather than get impaled, the charging Frame would be able to twist aside and land a blow… if the sword remained where it was.

  At the last second before impact, Shadow Panther charged out of its smoke, long claws reaching for the Raptor.

  The Raptor finally moved. It took a step backwards, and spun, moving its swords in flat arcs. The sword that had been pointed at the Mirage swept over the incoming claws of Shadow Panther, cleaving into the attacker’s mechanical hand.

  Meanwhile, the Mirage was desperately trying to dodge the other sword that swept up from behind the Raptor. With all the flickering images, it must have been hard to tell exactly where the Mirage was, but the sword cut through the illusions and managed to hit… something.

  The two attacking Frames must have arranged some coordination because both of them went to their left as they followed through on their charge. Instead of crashing into each other, the Mirage ran past the back of the Raptor. Either because of the damage it had just sustained or the surprise of the Raptor’s spinning attack, it failed to capitalise on the opportunity.

  Shadow Panther, on the other hand, had twisted around to strike a blow on what it thought would be its opponent’s unprotected back. Instead, it found itself dodging Red Raptor’s ferocious counterattack.

  The crowd roared as Shadow Panther was struck, dodged and then was struck again.

  Shadow Panther tries to slip away, but Red Raptor is faster—oh! A brutal hit lands! The predator becomes the prey as Panther staggers—can it recover, or is this the beginning of the end?!

  None of the blows were fatal, and three were all that Red Raptor had time for as the Mirage corrected its trajectory and came in from behind, trying to take pressure off its momentary ally. Now that its weapon was out, James couldn’t even see it. It was only when Red Raptor struck at the air that James knew the Frame had been in danger from an incoming attack.

  Red Raptor’s sword stopped dead in midair as it struck something invisible, but its other sword swept in an arc right through the shifting images that covered the Crimson Mirage. Again, it struck something. This time, a section of images flickered out, revealing a section of the enemy Frame.

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  There it is! A clean strike shreds through the illusion, and now Crimson Mirage is exposed! No more tricks, no more hiding—time to see if it can fight as well as it deceives!

  Red Raptor couldn’t take advantage immediately as it had to deal with the attacks from Shadow Panther, but that was the beginning of the end. Red Raptor was faster, stronger and more skilled than the other Frames, and as they took more damage, it started to show more and more. James started to wonder if the pilot had been playing with her opponents from the start, drawing it out to make more of a spectacle.

  If so, she must have grown tired of the game. Stepping in between her stumbling, worn-out prey, she executed another one of those spinning double attacks.

  Double Decapitation! That’s not just victory, that’s a statement!

  “A powerful opponent,” Elidor said approvingly. “Do you think your friend can win?”

  A discrete cough came from behind them before any of them could answer. They looked around to see Anthony Galloway standing there.

  “Hmm? I thought our business was completed?” Elidor said mildly.

  Anthony bowed. “It was, Elidorious-sama. Our leader has an additional warning she wishes to pass on to Ikari-san. However, we’re unable to locate her in this facility. Unfortunately, the staff-only areas have far fewer cameras.”

  “Uh, yeah, she’s a little busy right now,” James said awkwardly. “Can I take a message?”

  Anthony bowed again, the Japanese motion looking a little odd on his lanky English frame.

  “I hope that you can, as the matter is of some urgency,” he said. “Of course, we’re passing this on to Elidorious-sama as well, as a courtesy.”

  He bowed again. James thought he might be bowing a little too much, but then again, you could never bow too much in front of a dragon.

  “As you might imagine, our Leader maintains a watch on all the Kotodama Heavy Industries sites in the region. About ten minutes ago, a KHI Heavy Lifter was seen taking off from Kotodama’s facility in Himeji. Its flight path takes it directly over this island.”

  Elidor grunted in understanding. James and his friends were not so enlightened.

  “What’s a Heavy Lifter?” James asked.

  “A cargo plane of advanced design, not available outside of KHI,” Galloway explained. “Its cargo—and this has been confirmed by our Leader—is ten heavy military Frames.”

  Elidor hummed. “And you believe that this payload is coming for Suki Ikari?” he asked.

  “It’s possible they’re coming for us,” Galloway admitted. “However, we took steps to keep them unaware of our presence here. Leader has already fended off an intrusion attempt on the security system at this location. We suspect that their surveillance picked up Ikari-san on her way here.”

  “Interesting!” Elidor exclaimed. “Your response?”

  “We’re not in a position to fight them here,” Galloway said quickly. “We have no equipment and our Leader isn’t here. We’re evacuating. We’re happy to take anyone who wants to come, but it has to be within five minutes.”

  “Can your transport carry a Frame?” Harue asked.

  “No,” Galloway said flatly. “To be honest, it will be cramped with just the four of you.”

  “We’ll have to make our own way out, then,” Harue said. “Thanks for the offer!”

  Galloway gave her a slight bow. “I assume, Elidorious-sama, that you don’t need our assistance in any way.”

  “Quite right!” Elidor said, chuckling. “But the thought is appreciated. You may go.”

  Galloway bowed again and took a step backwards. Before he left, though, he looked at James.

  “Please pass on our Leader's hope that Ikari-san survives. If they don’t manage to meet, Leader will find a way to contact Ikari-san.”

  Elidor snorted. “If your leader hasn’t lifted the number off her phone, then I will be very disappointed in her. Be off with you now, I wouldn’t want to see a promising investment get sunk.”

  With a final bow, Galloway left. James watched him go, a sense of panic slowly growing within him.

  “What are we going to do? We’ve got to warn Suki!”

  “I sent her a text,” Harue said, “But I’m not sure she can fit a phone in that jumpsuit of hers.”

  “We’ve got to get her out of here!” James insisted.

  “That… will be difficult,” Harue said, pointing at the arena. The announcer’s voice boomed out.

  The dust has barely settled, but the carnage never stops! Round Four is here, and we’ve got three new titans ready to tear each other apart! Who will dominate? Who will crumble? And who will prove they have what it takes to rise above the rest? LET’S MEET OUR COMBATANTS!”

  “Oh no, we’re too late?” James said in despair.

  “Look on the bright side, there’s no better place to be than in a Frame when the Frame fight starts!” Harue said brightly.

  Suki’s Frame stepped into the ring. She seemed to pilot it as well as most of the fighters that James had seen here today. James wanted to ask her how that could be, ask her why a corporation was willing to send military Frames to kidnap her. But he couldn’t because she was out there.

  Sleek, deadly, and faster than a venomous sting! This jet-black killer dances through the battlefield with razor-edged precision! Will its relentless strikes and pinpoint accuracy be enough to carve out victory tonight? Pilots, beware—one wrong move, and you’re already dead!

  Suki posed gracefully for the crowd. Next to some of the Frames James had seen, her Frame looked small and delicate. The frame that came out next only heightened the impression.

  Coiled and ready to strike, the Steel Serpent is a master of patience and power! With a reinforced frame and crushing grapples, once it gets its coils around you, there’s NO ESCAPE! Will its iron grip squeeze the fight into submission, or will it be the one to break?

  The monstrous Frame that stepped out looked like it would be able to break the Obisidian Wasp in two. It wasn’t much taller than the Wasp, but it looked more than twice as broad, with heavy armour and longer arms than a human should. James thought it looked more like a chimpanzee than a serpent.

  The name says it all—this isn’t just a fighter, it’s a RULER! Towering over its foes with an imposing frame and relentless offence, the Azure Tyrant fights with overwhelming force and ruthless efficiency! Will it reign supreme, or will it be dethroned in the chaos of battle?

  The third frame was the biggest that James had seen yet. It towered a full two feet over the other two and was painted in white and blue. Its head was shaped like the helm of a Japanese samurai, but it carried a massive sword and shield like a Western knight. It had stylised wings coming off its back that seemed to move of their own accord.

  The arena is set! The pilots are ready! FIGHT!

  “We’ve got to get out there,” James said, only half caring who heard him. She was so small down in the arena.

  Azure Tyrant surges forward, wings unfurling like a conquering warlord, its massive blade gleaming under the arena lights!

  “And do what?” Harue asked. “With the doors closed, you can’t get out there.”

  Steel Serpent coils low, those segmented limbs undulating with eerie fluidity—waiting to strike! But Obsidian Wasp is the first to move!

  “I don’t care, I’ve got to!” He couldn’t look at the field, but the announcer’s voice was relentless.

  It darts between its foes, a black blur of segmented armour and whirring stingers, testing the waters before committing to the kill!

  “It’ll drive you crazy not being able to see that she’s all right.”

  Azure Tyrant swings first—a thunderous overhead slash meant to end things in one blow!

  “Just stay up here until the fight finishes. Then we pick up Suki and find Matsuri. The attack should have started by then, so we’ll use that as a distraction.”

  Steel Serpent counters, its long limbs snapping out like iron whips, aiming to ensnare the warlord’s sword arm! And Wasp—oh-ho! Wasp slips past them both, a ghost in the melee, biding its time for the perfect strike!

  “Then it seems this is where we part, dear sister,” Elidor said sadly.

  “Yes. I must protect my… friends,” Kana said. She tasted the last word as if it were an unfamiliar food.

  Steel Serpent lunges, its coiling limbs snap tight around Azure Tyrant’s sword arm and lock it in place! Behemoth struggles against the crushing grip!

  “You’re not worried about your sister fighting Frames?” James asked incredulously.

  Elidor shrugged languidly. “My sister can handle a Frame or two,” he said with confidence.

  “Of course,” Kana stated. “It will not be a problem.”

  But Tyrant won’t be held for long—those massive wings slam forward, smashing into Serpent’s chassis like an imperial decree, forcing it back!

  “They’re just Frames, James,” Harue said mockingly. “Clumsy, random tools.”

  And through the chaos, Obsidian Wasp dances between the giants, its needle-thin blades flashing—testing, probing—waiting for the perfect opening to strike!

  James looked at her suspiciously, not sure if it was deliberate. “Yeah, well, I seem to have left my lightsaber at home.”

  From the way she grinned, he knew the reference had been deliberate. She pointed at the sword hanging around his neck.

  “That’s better than a lightsaber. An elegant weapon from a more civilised age.”

  Azure Tyrant pivots, its wings flaring wide as it shoves free—but Obsidian Wasp is already there, a blur of motion as it darts past, carving a razor-thin gash along the Tyrant’s gleaming armour before vanishing back out of reach!

  James searched for a comeback, but before he could construct one, Harue’s phone rang. She looked at it and frowned.

  “We’d better go,” she said. “Matsuri just got locked out of her own mechanical bay.”