The next day, the air was thick with anticipation.
The great stone arena trembled beneath the footsteps of over a hundred young warriors, each standing beneath the gaze of a roaring crowd. The coliseum was alive—cheers echoing, banners waving, hearts pounding.
Ryju and the members of Team 1 stood near the edge of the arena, quietly watching the flood of competitors filing in.
Rei folded her arms, her crimson eyes scanning the competition."Most of them look strong... but that doesn't matter."
Goro cracked his knuckles with a grin."No matter what, we will win."
Kenshiro nodded calmly."We must stay strong."
Kuroyami said nothing aloud—but his thoughts were loud and desperate.I can't be weak. I can't. My dream... is to create peace in this world. I won't fail.
Shun, ever the optimist, smiled confidently."We're the strongest team. I believe in us."
Across the field, Uzuki and Team 8 stood silently—unshaken, focused.
Nearby, Misa's Team 17 readied themselves as well.
"Be prepared," Misa said, cool and sharp.
"Always am," Azar replied.
Zanden glanced around with suspicion."Don't consider anyone allies. Everyone's our enemy—don't go easy on a soul."
Taro simply nodded."I don't."
Jett grinned."We'll become ninjas today."
Team 50—led by Kenji—stood fired up.
Kenji twirled his dagger with a mad gleam in his eyes."Oh, I'm so ready."
Appolo adjusted his gloves, a dreamy look in his eye."Let's make a masterpiece."
"I'm ready to fight!" Hana shouted.
"I wanna crush someone!" Takeshi added with excitement.
"Yeah... with music," Akari smirked.
"Let's all be calm now," Mika reminded, trying to ground the chaos.
Then—he appeared.
The Spiritual King.
Hovering above the arena, his golden cloak flowing in the wind like a divine flame.
"Who's ready for the third challenge?"
The crowd exploded."YEAHHH!"
The King raised a hand and silence fell.
"The rules for this challenge are simple," he began, voice echoing through the coliseum."There will be two rounds — Day One and Day Two."
He paused, letting the gravity of the moment hang in the air.
"With 102 fighters split into seventeen groups, we'll have fifty fights today and fifty-two tomorrow. Each team must send out three fighters per day. Choose wisely."
He grinned slyly."And one more thing… this is not an elimination challenge. No one loses their place."
A mix of relief and confusion spread across the crowd.
"This challenge is about strength. Show me your spirit."
Ryju stepped forward, a fire behind his eyes."Don't hold back. Fight like your life depends on it!"
Team 1:"YEAH!"
Uzuki:"You better not lose."
Team 8:"Got it!"
Misa:"Let's win this."
Team 17:"Okay!"
Kenji:"Time to get ready. We're the best!"
Team 50:"YEAH!"
The King continued."And now, to ensure fairness, two S-rank ninjas will referee these matches: Renji Kojima and Kurosaki Kurata!"
Ryju and Kuroyami gasped at the same time."Brother!?"
Renji and Kurosaki gave a subtle nod from their platform.
Spiritual King:"Let the third challenge begin!"
Crowd:"YEAHHHH!!!"