That night, the atmosphere at Sunny's house was the usual: a mix of domestic tranquility and the residual tension that always accompanies Awakened. As they dined, Uriel set his utensils down and cleared his throat, drawing the curious gaze of his hosts.
"Well, guys," Uriel began, looking around the room. "I wanted to tell you that it's time. Tomorrow morning, I'll pick up my things and move to my own house."
Sunny paused mid-bite, blinking with evident confusion, while Effie raised an eyebrow, halting her drink in mid-air.
"Move?" Sunny asked, swallowing with difficulty. "What do you mean, 'your own house'? Since when do you have one?"
"And more importantly," Effie added with a sly smile, "with what money? I don't remember us going to loot any hidden treasures this week."
Uriel let out a small laugh and shrugged naturally.
"I remind you that my stay here was always temporary. I told you I'd only stay until I had enough credits and a suitable place. Well, recently I closed a deal," he said, thinking of Aiko's efficiency, "and I already signed the papers for a property. It's time for me to start living alone and fend for myself in this city. I can't be a guest forever."
Sunny silently processed the explanation. Although he valued his privacy, he had grown accustomed to Uriel's presence and Shade's constant interruptions. Meanwhile, Effie nodded with genuine respect for Uriel's determination to seek his own independence.
"I guess that makes sense," Sunny finally admitted.
"Alright, 'Mr. Independent,'" Effie exclaimed, giving him a friendly punch on the arm that would have knocked down an ordinary man.
"But don't think you'll get rid of us that easily. Give us the address because I plan to show up to see if your new bed is as comfortable as you say and, of course, to empty your refrigerator."
Uriel smiled, feeling that even though he was moving, the bonds he had formed wouldn't be cut so easily.
After dinner, and once the following morning arrived, Uriel stored all his things in his shadow storage and bid farewell to Sunny and Effie. Finally, after almost a month of living with that duo, he headed toward his new destination and his base of operations.
....
Uriel was inside the capsule that would take him to Dreamscape. On his face rested the Simple Mask, whose enchantments would give him some privacy and slightly change his appearance, such as his hair or skin.
Once the lid had sealed, a chain of letters appeared before him.
"Enter Dreamscape?"
"Yes" "No"
"Yes," Uriel responded. A moment later, his vision darkened.
Uriel observed his surroundings with curiosity. He was standing in the middle of a vast, immense black void. Around him were countless stars shining with an ethereal light—an inconceivably complex web of threads connecting them.
'Wow, a fake,' Shade's voice resonated in his mind.
'This is just a representation. It's like the lobby or something.'
'Yeah, although it's our first experience in virtual reality. This is much more advanced than any technology from our world.'
Uriel had to nod. Looking down, he noticed he was naked. The dreamlike landscape had recreated his body in detail. Letting out a sigh, a weave of black sparks enveloped his body, taking the form of the Lament of the Depths—a black and yellow cloak he had used in his fight against Nephis and Sunny at the Crimson Spire.
Once enveloped in the armor, a voice resonated throughout the space.
"Challenger! Welcome to the Dreamscape!"
"Now what?" asked Uriel.
"Before continuing, choose an alias."
Uriel thought for a few moments before smiling.
"Godzilla." Uriel had chosen the same name he used to mock Sunny's famous alter ego, this to start crushing all the furious challengers.
"Welcome, Godzilla. Please choose a dream you like!"
Uriel watched as several images appeared before him. All contained representative images of different environments, although most seemed like some kind of arena.
Uriel observed the different images until he focused on the coliseum.
"I choose that one."
"Challenger Godzilla has entered the coliseum."
...
Uriel blinked. He was standing on the floor of a huge oval arena, covered in red sand stained with blood spilled by fighters long ago. The sun was incandescent; the smell of blood, sweat, and death invaded his nose.
'Wow, this is really realistic,' said Shade.
Uriel observed the high stands of the arena where the public area was, filled with people cheering with fascination, cruelty, and joy. Both men and women wore archaic tunics that left their arms and shoulders exposed. On their faces were bloodthirsty smiles that distorted their features.
Among the crowd were real observers who were silent.
Uriel watched for a while, observing the different fights between the participants of this arena with some boredom. He waited a bit before the first one appeared. It was a young swordsman with striking blood-red armor who approached. On his shoulder was a huge sword, and on his face was a smile.
"I know you. You're Godzilla. You'll pay for what you said about Lord Mongrel," said the boy.
Uriel laughed softly, behind his mask struggling to contain his laughter.
"Son of Mongrel"
Victories: 204
Defeats: 36.
"Oh, of course I am, and I stand by my words. Do you want to challenge me, insect?" he asked with an arrogant voice.
The boy's face showed a furious expression.
At that moment, the voice of Dreamscape spoke immediately, announcing the start of a fight:
"Son of Mongrel has challenged Godzilla!"
After the announcement, the battle began immediately. Moving at high speed, Uriel thought about drawing his own sword but dismissed it. Instead, he simply summoned the Eclipse Claws to attack.
The challenger had to admit he was good, but not good or fast enough. The battle only lasted about a minute until he smashed his head with a punch in a shower of blood, and then he disappeared in a torrent of sparks.
The voice of Dreamscape resonated: "Godzilla has won."
Uriel adjusted his gloves, watching as several challengers approached. Shaking his hand, he removed the blood from his Memory.
"Well, who's next?"
Another challenger stepped forward.
"Mongrel Follower 1 has challenged Godzilla."
Uriel raised his hand, making a mocking gesture.
"Come."
The Mongrel follower lunged forward with his sword, launching an ultra-fast slash at Uriel, who simply grabbed the sword with his hand, leaving the challenger wide-eyed.
Lifting his leg, he delivered a kick that sent the challenger flying like a projectile toward the coliseum wall. The challenger's shattered body disappeared in sparks.
"Godzilla has won."
"Are you even human?" asked a challenger.
"Human? I am not a human."
"Then what are you?"
"The darkness," he said, shrugging. Then he attacked, destroying his opponent.
Uriel continued like that, crushing each new challenger who faced him using nothing but his martial arts. Over the last three hours, he had defeated about thirty-two different people.
Even when challengers used their Aspect abilities, he could eliminate them simply by moving at a greater speed than them or using their own Aspects against them.
After his fourth hour, his victory counter increased to fifty.
Uriel defeated his last challenger and was about to leave. However, something caught his attention. It was a new challenger; from what he could see, he seemed to be someone famous. Those in the stands and in the coliseum seemed to whisper among themselves about the figure.
'Isn't that Striker?' asked Shade.
'I think so. If I remember correctly, Sunny simply eliminated him in a few minutes of combat,' Uriel responded mentally. 'Oh, and it seems he was streaming.'
Uriel waited, watching as Striker approached with a smile.
"Hello, friend. Do you only fight with your fists? Don't you know how to use a sword?"
"I do, but it's not necessary to use a weapon against weaklings like you," Uriel responded coldly.
Leo Striker's face frowned before an arrogant smile appeared on his face.
"Leo Striker has challenged Godzilla."
Uriel took a step forward. His opponent unsheathed his sword with a smile.
"...you're arrogant, kid. Let me give you some advice: use a helmet, idiot."
Leo Striker lunged forward, launching a strike with his sword.
Uriel simply watched as Leo Striker ran toward him.
"Pathetic," he murmured.
Uriel took a step, disappearing from sight. The next instant, he was about three meters from Leo Striker, a pulsating heart in his hand, which he crushed.
"Let me give you some advice. You talk too much for someone so weak," said Uriel, watching as the figure of the famous streamer, with a hole in his chest, disappeared in a sea of sparks.
Uriel observed this with total indifference behind his mask. It had only taken him two seconds to finish off his challenger.
...
Uriel yawned. He was bored. Since he defeated Leo Striker, the other Awakened seemed to look at him with some confusion... even shock.
The same happened with the observers in the amphitheater; many changed seats to get closer.
"Does anyone else want to try?" Uriel asked, looking at the group of motionless Awakened.
A few moments passed before someone finally walked in his direction, unsheathing a formidable-looking sword.
He wore intricate plate armor with engravings of a castle and four dragons decorating its polished surface.
"Daoist Saifer has challenged Godzilla!"
Uriel lunged forward in a blur of speed. His opponent raised his sword to use it as a shield, but it was useless. The weapon was shattered in two by his punch, and his body was sent flying like a projectile dozens of meters away, stopping on the ground before exploding into sparks.
"Godzilla has won."
Then another immediately challenged him.
"The Madman has challenged Godzilla!"
Uriel simply took a step, appearing face-to-face with the Madman. His fist sank into his opponent's stomach, causing his body to bend. A moment later, he grabbed his head and slammed it into the ground with devastating force, leaving a large hole in the red sand.
"Godzilla has won."
Uriel sighed, watching as the two he had eliminated less than a minute ago appeared before him. At the same time, a third appeared.
"Leo Striker, Daoist Saifer, and The Madman have challenged Godzilla!"
Uriel wanted to curse now.
"Insects. Aren't you tired of getting your asses kicked?"
The three didn't respond.
Uriel extended his hand, forming a completely black double-edged sword that ended in a point, with a black guard and pommel.
"Godzilla, I have a question for you... Are you an Awakened, and was that your Aspect ability?" asked Leo Striker.
Uriel blinked.
"No... that was just speed," he said boredly.
Leo Striker and everyone else seemed perplexed by the answer. That way he simply disappeared and appeared elsewhere was just pure speed without any Aspect.
"I see... you beat me last time because I was careless. But this time, what will you do when the three of us atta—"
He didn't finish when the heads of the three challengers flew off their necks not a second later.
"They'll simply lose," Uriel responded, ordering Dreamscape to expel him from the arena. Then he disappeared in a sea of white sparks.
Uriel emerged from the Dreamscape capsule with a bored look.
Leaving the capsule, he moved through the darkness, heading to his bathroom. Although he hadn't sweated, the smell of the coliseum still lingered in his nose.