The First Battle

The sun never truly sets in the City of Ascension, casting a constant twilight glow over the metallic landscape. As Ryo and Hana make their way toward the Tower of Ascension, they find themselves in an open plaza surrounded by groups of Scrapers engaged in combat. Some fights are training bouts, while others look deadly serious.

"Look," Hana says, pointing to a large holographic sign above the plaza. It reads: Pre-Trial Qualification Arena — Prove Your Strength.

Ryo nods. "This must be where we qualify for the Guardian Trials."

They step into the plaza, and immediately, a figure approaches them. He's tall and broad, with dark, tattooed skin and a mechanical arm that hums with power. His eyes glow with a faint blue light, and his presence is intimidating.

"Newcomers?" the man asks, his voice low and gravelly.

"Yeah," Ryo replies, his guard up.

The man looks them over, sizing them up. "You want to qualify for the Guardian Trials, you'll need to win three rounds in the Qualification Arena. No mercy, no second chances."

Ryo glances at Hana. She looks nervous but resolute. They both know there's no other way forward.

"We're ready," Ryo says.

The man smirks. "We'll see about that."

He leads them to the center of the arena, where several other Scrapers are already fighting in pairs. The air is filled with the sound of clashing weapons, grunts of effort, and the occasional explosion of energy from augmented abilities.

Ryo feels his heart race as he watches the fights. These Scrapers are unlike anything they faced in the Crap Field. They're faster, stronger, and many of them have enhancements or weapons that give them a significant edge.

The man gestures to an open area in the arena. "You're up. Your first opponent will be here shortly. Survive, and you'll move on to the next round."

Ryo takes a deep breath, his body tense with anticipation. He's fought before — the Crap Field had forced him to, but this is different. This is real combat, against trained fighters who won't hesitate to kill him.

Hana stands beside him, her eyes scanning the arena nervously. "We need to stick together. Watch each other's backs."

Ryo nods. "Yeah. We can do this."

The crowd around the arena murmurs as their first opponent steps forward. It's a large, hulking man with metallic arms and glowing red eyes. He cracks his knuckles, the sound like metal grinding on metal, and smirks at them.

"Let's see if you've got what it takes, rookies," he growls.

Ryo squares his shoulders, his heart pounding in his chest. There's no turning back now. He and Hana exchange a glance, a silent agreement passing between them.

Together, they step into the arena, ready for whatever comes next.