“Celadon!” Bruce said quietly. “Celadon? Do you have beef with them? Do you need my help?” Boxer said, chuckling quietly. Celadon was a strong city, but Lake Taiho did not lag far behind. Boxer would not be so gracious with them if he had to get down on it too. “No need, we’re about to begin. We don’t need to care about them!” Bruce said calmly as the Celadon men approached. The man that approached them so hurriedly carried an air of defiance. He had a slender build, and had attractive features. His eyes were sharp and they carried an intense look. He looked to be in his twenties, but the energy he emitted was telling of his power. The middle-aged man next to him, glared at Zephyr and Bruce with a fake smile. “I am Samson Leed, the prodigal son of the Leeds of Celadon. The older brother to Noah! Zephyr Khan, I’ve been looking for you! How dare you cripple my brother!” he scolded.

Samson looked to be not much older than Noah, yet it was obvious his battle prowess far surpassed his brother’s. “Starlight? You’re just a tiny village, what gave you the right to attack one of the Celadons? You fool!” the older man that stood next to Samson laughed. He was the mayor of Celadon, an Agile, and also Samson’s master. “‘A small village? You Celadon aren’t that great yourselves either!” Boxer teased. “Boxer! Are you thinking of making an enemy of the Celadon as well? Be warned, my prodigy would no doubt be enrolled into the Boundless Academy. I wish you all nothing but the best!” the Celadon mayor chided, being obvious with his tone of sarcasm that came with his wishes.

“Is that so? Come talk to me if he makes it out!” Boxer chuckled, unfazed by his threat. “I will kill you Zephyr!” Samson hissed as he glared at Zephyr. As the Celadon representatives left, Boxer’s expression changed into a sterner look, “You mustn't underestimate that brat!” Bruce nodded in agreement, “Indeed, he is but a step away from becoming an Agile. I have heard of this Samson Leed, he was supposedly the best fighter in all of Celadon. From what I hear, he could even contend with Agiles!” Boxer turned to Yang, “If you can, please watch over each other!” However, Boxer was more implying that Yang protect Zephyr, more so than a mutual benefiting agreement.

Boxer could tell that Zephyr was a Strength of level eight, a weakling amongst the other fighters. Bruce could also tell what his friend implied, yet only smiled and nodded, elaborating no further. He knew never to underestimate Zephyr’s power. “Enter!” urged one of the Masters, obviously impatient. “Go,” Bruce said, as he patted Zephyr’s shoulder. “Watch yourself, you brat!” Boxer called out to Yang, his voice coarse and loud, with it came hints of concern too.

“What the!”

Before Zephyr and Yang could enter, another person quickly rushed past them into the Land of Despair. However, before that person could even set foot into the grounds, a whirlwind of yellowish gas came upon him, and wrapped him in their tempest. He was crushed right then and there, his blood splattered everywhere, mixing in with the yellow tones. The fighter was reduced to nothing but bone in just a second. The gas dissipated soon after, reverting to a low hanging cloud, yet it carried with it a certain sharpness within. “No!” someone cried out in agony, their voice full of sorrow, anger, and despair. They quickly ran forth to hold the deceased’s bones.

“A Golden Devil. Once one gets caught in their gaseous grip, they’re done for! If you can withstand its attack, you will be sent to the Land of Despair, though your placement will be at random!” a Master said, “Of course, the Devil doesn’t always appear!”

A muscular young man huffed, giving rise to his muscles. He brazenly walked over, unflinching. With a loud boom, the man successfully entered. With a roar, many started rushing towards the entrance, bolstered by the sight of a successful entrance. Zephyr observed the event closely, the Golden Devil was but a type of energy tempest. Although it killed some players brutally, it might not always appear. It would seem this test was a test of luck.

Yang quickly entered, a whooshing sound followed behind him. The Golden Devil was slightly shaken, but let him enter nonetheless. “Well, time to see how lucky I am!” Zephyr shook his head, laughing lightly, before he plunged right in. A great force enveloped him, followed by the tingling of a cutting motion, ready to rip apart at him. Zephyr’s eyes glowed, quickly channeled his Might, and resisted the Devil’s attack. “Damn I sure am lucky!” Zephyr thought sarcastically, he had not expected to come in contact with the Devil.

“It’s gonna take more than that to take me down…”