Vel Draven stood on the stage, eyes narrowing.
"I need to go backstage," he muttered, stepping away.
Backstage, a group of chained prisoners sat slumped in the dim light.
"What's all that noise?"
"Are you here to save us?"
"So her friends did come..."
Vel Draven's voice was calm. "Yes. I'm here to save you from this misery."
Suddenly, sharp bone spikes burst from the ground, impaling every last prisoner.
Blood pooled. Silence followed.
Outside, Azar and his team landed, fire and energy crackling around them.
"We know what to do," Azar said, voice sharp.
Without hesitation, they launched into the audience, unleashing their attacks.
Ryju gently set Misa down outside the theater.
"Are you okay?"
"Not really... but I'm all right now."
Ryju nodded. "We're going to kill everyone and destroy this auction."
Misa clenched her fists. "Good. Every one of them is evil."
Inside the theater...
"They're here!" Hawk shouted.
Vel Draven reappeared from backstage.
A wave of black-suited ninjas followed him.
"Kill everyone," Vel Draven ordered coldly. "Even the audience."
Half the audience was already dead. Chaos erupted.
Azar pulled his hand from a man's chest.
"Vel Draven!" he growled.
He sprinted toward him, but a ninja kicked him aside.
Five black ninjas surrounded Kenshiro.
Kenshiro tightened his grip on his sword. "I'd rather you not waste my time."
Three others charged Rei.
"Looks like I'm adding you three to my dust collection," Rei smirked.
Five more surrounded Goro.
"Let's go," Goro muttered.
Shun hovered above on a wooden platform. "You might wanna come up. I'm not coming down."
Zanden, Azar, Taro, Kaien, and Jett were also surrounded.
"Damn it," Jett cursed.
Kaien remained silent, eyes cold.
Azar's fists ignited. "I've got business with Vel Draven. Get out of my way."
Zanden cracked his knuckles. "Make it quick."
Taro stretched his arms. "Hope you're ready for a beatdown."
Outside, Ryju turned back toward the theater. 'I'm going in.'
Misa stepped forward. 'Then I'm staying out here. I've got this.'"
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Just then, ten ninjas, along with Vel Draven and Hawk, stepped out.
"Looks like we've got company," Misa said.
Vel Draven smiled darkly. "This ends here. Either you all die, or I do."
Misa cracked her knuckles. "Then show me what you've got."
The ten ninjas charged.
Stone spikes erupted from the ground, impaling them all.
Misa turned to Ryju. "Told you."
Ryju smiled. "Nice to see you doing well."
Misa didn't wait. She lunged at Hawk, stone-covered fists slamming into him and sending him crashing back into the theater.
"That's for kidnapping me."
Vel Draven appeared beside her.
"Right where I want you," he whispered.
Bone spikes emerged from his palm, lunging at Misa—
—but Ryju intercepted with a powerful kick to Vel Draven's face.
"Not happening, buddy."
Inside the theater, five ninjas lunged at Kenshiro.
He spun, slicing the air and dragging them into swirling black holes.
"Who can beat a black hole?"
Rei kicked one attacker into the air and disintegrated the other two into dust. The third was shot mid-air by Jett.
Rei flushed, glancing at Jett. "That was... kinda cool."
Jett smiled back.
Shun crushed his enemies with wooden tendrils.
"Too easy."
Jett blasted five incoming ninjas with explosive bullets.
Kaien choked his enemies with tight chains.
Zanden caused the floor beneath his foes to collapse, swallowing them in sand.
Taro's gorilla-like arms knocked his attackers flying.
Azar launched flames from his mouth, clearing a path.
"Distractions... I don't need this. I need Vel Draven."
He burst out of the theater.
Hawk groaned. "That hurt..."
He looked around at the bodies.
"So many..."
Kenshiro appeared behind him.
"And you're next."
"No—!"
Outside, Vel Draven growled. "I'm going to kill you."
Ryju smirked. "Oh, I'm not fighting you. He is."
Azar walked slowly toward Vel Draven, his face shadowed and his fist lit with fire..
"Hey, Vel Draven."
"Who the hell are you?"
Azar's smiled. "The man who's going to put you to sleep. And I mean... a very long sleep."
To Be Continued...