The might of the 9th-floor! - Nexus vs Red Sun

AN: From here onwards, till the end of the Mini Arc, referring images and gifs on Discord channel is highly recommended. Rest can use google's help, as per your leisure.

Enjoy and a very happy new year!

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Just as Black Wasp, the 7th-floor Contestant, arrived on Interceptor, up in the air, Contestants Red Sun and Nexus were eying each other in silence.

The Supreme-Protector looked over his shoulder and eyed the Shadow Lord, who was still going through his transformation, his power rising, entering the realm of 9th-floor Contestants.

This was a C+ Difficulty Inheritance Land, to begin with. That meant Pirate Lord Henry Morgan was bound to become an existence higher than top-level 9th-floor Contestants, becoming the true nightmare for everyone.

By the look of every inch of the island getting taken over by Shadow Creatures, it didn't seem he would need much time; a few hours more, perhaps.

Time was running out for both of them.

But Contestants at their level didn't reach their heights by acting out on a whim. No matter how precious the time was, Nexus and Red Sun looked at each other, observing the proceedings on the island.

The Supreme-Protector narrowed his eyes behind the helmet's slits, and a touch of apprehension flashed in his heart. He had heard nothing good about the monster hovering in the air hundreds of meters away from him. Every bit of stories he had come across was filled with blood, treachery, shamelessness, and… power.

Regardless of the ridiculous tales, Red Sun was a monster, Nexus knew. Only a fool would think otherwise.

But he had confidence in taking him on as well.

The Helmet of Fate he had was an Item based on the true Helmet of Fate from the Prime Earth of the DC universe. It was nowhere as logic-defying as the original one, or the one from the New Earth, with the powers of Fate. Nonetheless, it was strong enough for him to not rely on any other Item, letting him tower over other top-level 9th-floor Contestants like an impenetrable wall. [GIF 1]

Moreover, only those favored by positive side of the Multiverse could equip it.

The Supreme-Protector swirled his hands, creating a gigantic hurricane around him and the Shadow Lord. Rain pelted, hammering at the living and the dead alike, and wild wind slashed at the survivors, eroding their hope. [GIF 2]

Fire came roaring, then, becoming a 12 ft spear in Nexus' hand, and a boulder exploded out of the earth, chiseling away as it approached its maker. By the time it reached the Supreme-Protector, it had already become a round shield, its surface shining almost metallic.

Elemental Control!

The Helmet of Fate granted Nexus the power to have superficial control over Air, Water, Earth, and Fire in a 500 meters radius around him. This superficial control, however, was enough to bring down 3rd Set's monsters; enough for him to get confiscated as a Supreme-Protector.

And Nexus was ready to protect, come hell or high water.

He was already old; old to the point that if he were to fail this Mission, then his chances to attempt Floor Ascension Mission and ascend to the 4th Set would almost become null. He could and dare not take chances, even if he would have to protect a nightmare.

On the other side, Contestant Red Sun eyed Nexus' preparations with an almost dead expression.

From Contestants getting killed to their commandeering Interceptor, Red Sun had seen it all. Nothing going on in the Port Royal town and docks could escape his Perception. Absolutely nothing. He had also noticed Jack Sparrow and William Turner, and Contestants' ridiculous attempt at taking the two major Characters out of the Inheritance Land.

Red Sun also knew the location of Commodore Norrington and Governor Weatherby Swann. With Captain Barbossa on Black Pearl, fighting it out with the puny 7th-floor Contestant, it already made them 5 out of the 6 major Characters marked by the System.

But where was Elizabeth Swann? Wasn't she supposed to be on Black Pearl by now?

The main plot line seemed to have diverged in this timeline, Red Sun concluded, crossing his arms over his chest. The key to obtaining the inheritance wasn't the Shadow Lord alone but finding the young Swann as well.

For him to see through the hidden details so early and easily, Nexus had thought true.

Red Sun was indeed a monster.

However, life hadn't gone easy for this ridiculously powerful 9th-floor Contestant in the past few months.

It had all started when he had met "them".

The moment Robin recalled those two existences, and the subsequent events that had followed the meeting, a shiver ran down his spine. There was fear on his face, turning his face dark and pale. Such a fear that it bordered on being called dread.

Red Sun gulped.

Many a night became day, lying awake, tossing and turning on the bed, ruing the day he had asked for the Code Name of that existence.

Purple Mist and his disciple!!!

Now, Robin wasn't a fool to just let this Code Name slip out to anyone, bringing unwanted attention to himself. This wasn't how he had become a 9th-floor Contestant. Yes, he had never got confiscated to become a Prime or Supreme-Protector. But that was because the only time the System had made him a Prime-Protector, he had caused severe and foolish changes to the timeline because of his personality.

Chaos wasn't known to give second chances, anyway.

So, no. Robin hadn't slipped out the Code Name. The horror hadn't begun because of that. It was what happened after the 1st Stage of the Tournament of Worth that stirred the pores of Red Sun, making them itch like never before.

Robin was the leader of the Sun and Moon Organization, one of the top organizations of the 3rd Set. So he naturally shared great relations with other organizations, too. Some of those organizations were only branches of even bigger powers from the 4th and even 5th Set. With his personality, Red Sun had taken little time to develop contacts with those particular powers.

It was through one of those powers that he had learned a piece of earth-shaking news. He was probably the first Contestant under 5th Set who had learned of those announcements, Robin believed.

Blood Demon is mine, the announcement had read, issued by none other but a King; The King of the Purple Castle.

Robin had even learned of the other Kings, including the strongest known among them, the Red King, issuing similar statements. Even then, he just couldn't take the words, Purple Castle, out of his mind.

Purple Castle… Purple Mist… Purple Castle… Purple Mist… Red Sun had chanted these words like a spell for days to come.

At last, he ended up with a horrifying guess. A guess that became his most serendipitous event, as well as the most hideous curse.

'Purple Mist is the Code Name of the King of Purple Castle,' Robin had guessed, sweating over it. 'So, that kid from back then is his disciple, Blood Demon. Doesn't it mean… Doesn't it mean that those two are just playing with other Kings?'

If this was true, then it would cause the entire Primordial Tower to tremble, Robin knew. For none could make the slight of a King's honor; not even the other Kings.

Now, Robin had a habit of taking advantage of opportunities, and because of personal circumstances, this habit had taken deep root in his heart. Most didn't like the way he dressed, and some even called him a lickspittle, he knew. But he didn't mind.

'Let them call me whatever they want,' Red Sun used to think. 'When they die or fall, losing their Worth, I will still be here, moving up one floor at a time.'

With this mentality, he created the Sun and Moon Organization. To achieve his dreams, and… for him.

Alas! This habit brought doom on Red Sun, and he didn't even see it coming.

Robin had held his thoughts and guesses to himself till the end of the 2nd Stage of ToW. But when he heard even the Contestants of 4th Set calling the lead Contestant of ToW, the Five-Crowned Prince, he knew he couldn't keep it any longer.

Otherwise, once everyone got to know, Robin wouldn't gain anything out of it.

Thus, he did the very thing he had been preparing to do, but couldn't because of his lack of courage.

Robin let the information slip out, in the very gentle and hidden manner possible.

Sigh!

One day he was still feeling good, hoping to gain immense benefits because of the info. At the next moment, he had already lost consciousness.

When Red Sun came to himself, he was surrounded by many figures.

And an existence was looking down at his kneeling figure with shadowy eyes; so dead and profound that not for once Robin believed he could resist that Contestant.

That existence had called himself... Shadow Origin!

Shame, fear, terror, and anger all flashed across Robin's eyes as he remembered what had happened next.

The remembrance of those emotions brought out his rage, making his face crumple as he looked at the Nexus' hurricane and this mummer's farce called an Inheritance Land.

'Fuck it!' Robin fumed. 'First, I will obliterate this Shadow Lord.'

"Go home, Nexus," Red Sun said after a long time, taking out a Pokeball, and lying through his teeth. "Go home and let me handle the Shadow Lord. You could still ascend to the 4th Set, if you tried enough."

However, this Pokeball was quite different, and extraordinary, to say the least. It was so different that it didn't even look like a Pokeball at the first glance.

Robin's Pokeball was dark blue with light blue rings running from one end to another like earth's latitude. Two more light blue rings acted as the dark blue Pokeball's longitude. The entire Pokeball was covered in a casing of yellow spikes as if a yellow-clawed beast was holding it in its grasp. [Image 1]

A Beast Ball!

A Pokeball especially designed to catch Ultra Beasts; a group of extra-dimensional Pokemon originating from Ultra Space.

Nexus eyed the Pokemon in Red Sun's hand, and a grave expression fell on his face. "Never!"

Robin's eyes were already bloodshot. "A fight it is, then!" he shouted and hurled the Pokeball. "Come out…"

With a blinding flash, as if a sun had materialized in the sky, a magical creature took shape in midair.

With a height of over 30 ft tall, it was a gargantuan orange-colored cyborg dinosaur, standing on its hind legs. It had amber eyes, spikes on its right shoulder and jaw, and orange fur on its head. The tip of its tail was gray, and it had blue stripes on its legs, neck, and mouth. It wore a red chest plate, a metallic helmet with three horns on it, and also had red mechanical wings with three cannons on each.

And, in place of a left arm, it had a massive revolver. [Image 2]

The moment it came out, superb bursts of Mana exploded from its wings, making it fly. [Image 3]

It was then that both the magical creature and its trainer threw back their heads and shouted, "… RizeGreymon!"

It was a Digimon!

"What are you trying to do?!" Nexus shouted. "RED SUN! Have you lost your mind?!"

RizeGreymon was no ordinary magical creature. The offensive power fired from the gigantic revolver on its left arm was said to rival that of a single nuclear warhead.

Robin snorted. "RizeGreymon! Trident Revolver!!!"

"Roar!" RizeGreymon roared, and the entire world seemed to shake along with it. It spun the revolver's barrel and smacked it back into the revolver before aiming it at the Shadow Lord. "Trident… Revolver!"

"You fucking lunatic!" Nexus screamed out of his lungs, bringing the entire power of the Helmet of Fate.

From the revolver, RizeGreymon fired three successive blasts, and all Contestants coughed out a mouthful of blood, their knees buckling under the magical might. [GIF 3]

The three blasts spun around each other as they headed for the Supreme-Protector, burning everything around them. [Image 4]

And when they landed at the target, an enormous mushroom cloud tore through the sky, lightning and fire cracking and thundering everywhere. [Image 5]

BOOM!!!

Not everyone were like Kai, giving a Code Name to themselves at the start of the Initiation Mission based on their experiences.

Many were like Robin, too, earning one in the Primordial Tower.

From afar, this mushroom cloud looked like a giant red sun to the blurry and teary eyes of everyone who were lucky enough to have survived its shockwaves. [GIF 4]

This… was the origin of Robin's Code Name.