When they parted ways at the restaurant entrance, Athena looked at Cloud earnestly and asked: "Cloud... we're friends now, right?"
"Of course." Cloud nodded with a smile.
"Then, as a friend, can I ask you something?" Athena's purple eyes shimmered with curiosity. "Why do I sense an aura similar to mine coming from you?"
She couldn't help it anymore—she had to ask the most crucial question.
Mai and Yuri also looked over curiously.
Cloud met her clear gaze, knowing there was no avoiding this.
He thought for a moment, then flashed a mysterious smile and said slowly: "Perhaps it's because... exceptional people are naturally drawn to each other."
With that, he gave a casual wave and walked away with the still-confused Yuri and Mai in tow.
Athena was left standing there, pondering his words—so laden with ambiguity and deeper meaning.
A charming blush quietly crept across her pretty face.
...
South Town's night sky was like spilled ink—thick and fathomless.
But in a forgotten corner of the city, inside an abandoned shipyard, a different scene was unfolding.
This was the home of South Town's largest underground fighting ring—"The Iron Cage Arena."
The air reeked of sweat, blood, alcohol, and cheap cigarettes.
Thousands of spectators crowded around the massive octagonal cage made of rusted chain-link fencing like hungry beasts.
They waved fistfuls of cash, screaming, roaring, cursing—releasing their most primal, savage desires without restraint.
At the center of the ring, two muscle-bound hulks engaged in the bloodiest, most brutal no-holds-barred combat.
No rules. The only goal: beat your opponent down until they can't get back up.
Every meaty thud of flesh against flesh, every crisp crack of breaking bone, sent the crowd into ever-more-frenzied screaming.
This was a marketplace for power and money. Hell for the weak. Paradise for the strong.
Right now, in a quiet VIP booth behind the roaring stands, the atmosphere was tense.
"Absolutely not!"
Mai Shiranui stared at Cloud with a stern expression, worry written all over her beautiful face.
"Have you lost your mind? Do you know what this place is? It's an underground fighting pit that chews people up and spits them out! Look at those fighters down there—every single one is a hardened killer! If you go in there and something happens... what then?"
"Mai's right!" Even Yuri had set aside her usual cheerfulness, her young face taut with anxiety.
"Cloud, you're strong, but there are NO rules here! They use weapons, dirty tricks—everything! It's too dangerous!"
Two very different young women had united on the same front, firmly opposing Cloud's participation in this bloody competition.
Beside them, Terry and Ryo seemed far more relaxed.
"I don't see the problem." Terry chewed on a blade of grass lazily. "Greenhouse flowers don't grow into towering trees. Sure, it's dangerous—but this is the best place to hone real combat skills and willpower. That's exactly what this kid needs."
"Agreed." Ryo stated simply. "True martial arts are forged on the edge between life and death. Yuri, there's no word for 'fear' in the Kyokugenryu dictionary."
"Brother!" Yuri stomped her foot in frustration. "This has nothing to do with whether he's afraid or not! This is... this is..."
She couldn't find the words to argue back.
Ryo watched his little sister's obvious anxiety over Cloud and felt his "Sister Protection Alarm" blaring again.
His gaze toward Cloud instantly became scrutinizing and unfriendly once more.
What kind of spell has this punk cast on my sister?
It's only been a few days and she's already this worried about him?
Feeling the death glare from his future "brother-in-law," Cloud groaned internally.
His reasons for entering underground fighting were threefold.
First, he needed money—lots of it. Source Points were useful, but in the real world, cold hard cash was king.
Second, he couldn't live in that crappy apartment forever.
Third, he needed real combat experience. Sparring with Ryo and Mai improved his technique, but they always held back.
He needed truly bloody battles to solidify his rapidly growing abilities and make fighting instinct second nature.
Fourth—and most importantly—the system had dangled another carrot.
[Mission Issued: South Town Underground King!]
[Mission Objective: Achieve a ten-win streak in "The Iron Cage Arena" and earn a notorious title.]
[Mission Rewards: Source Points ×20,000, Skill "Presence Concealment (Basic)."]
Twenty thousand Source Points! Plus a special skill, "Presence Concealment"!
Either one alone would be worth fighting for—and here they were together.
Who could resist this temptation?!
So, faced with the two beauties' concern, Cloud could only give them a reassuring smile: "Relax, Mai, Yuri. I know what I'm doing. I'm not going to get myself killed—I'm going 'shopping.'"
He walked up to the two young women and, before they could react, reached out and ruffled both their heads.
"Trust me. A little underground fighting ring can't hold me."
His voice was soft, but it radiated unshakeable confidence.
Mai and Yuri were caught off guard by his sudden intimate gesture. Their cheeks flushed pink, and the protests on their lips died away.
In the corner of the booth, Andy watched this scene in silence, his eyes growing darker.