Fight Arena

Sanjay arrived at the location, his eyes scanning the desolate outskirts of the city. Despite the isolation, a steady stream of cars flowed in from distant areas. Something about this place felt off. He activated his interface, running a full scan over a five-kilometer radius.

What he found sent a shiver down his spine.

Beneath the ground, hidden from the world above, lay an enormous underground stadium. The interface displayed a hazy red glow over hundreds of spectators, their bodies shifting like restless shadows. In the center of the arena, two fighters clashed, their bare fists meeting with brutal force. However, the interference from the red haze made it difficult to discern their features clearly.

Iris completed a secondary scan. Almost every person in the crowd was armed. Guns, knives—lethal weapons tucked away beneath their coats. A large number had criminal records, their profiles flashing with warning markers.

"A criminal fight club?" Sanjay thought, his pulse quickening. "Does the police not know about this place?"

He doubted it. Something this massive couldn't exist without turning a few heads. Either the authorities were looking the other way, or this place operated under its own set of laws.

A growing unease settled in his chest. Escaping from here wouldn't be easy.

He pushed down the anxiety and re-ran his scan for Maya. His frown deepened when the results came up empty.

"Then who called me here?"

As if in response, his interface rang.

"Come inside. Cabin 12."

The call ended abruptly.

Sanjay hesitated for a brief moment before stepping forward, blending into the crowd moving towards the entrance. The air was thick with anticipation, the buzz of hushed conversations filling the dimly lit corridors. He entered a lift crammed with bodies, the scent of sweat and adrenaline heavy in the enclosed space.

As the lift descended, the noise grew louder. Cheers, jeers, the raw energy of an underground colosseum seeped into his bones.

"Hey, bro. New here?"

A voice cut through the chaos. Sanjay turned to see a young man with neon-green mohawk hair, two swords strapped to his back, grinning at him.

Sanjay gave a curt nod.

The guy chuckled, leaning in as if sharing a great secret. "No need to be so tense, man. Just enjoy the show."

Then, in a hushed voice, he added, "I'll let you in on something interesting."

Sanjay arched a brow, waiting.

"Tonight, a Gatekeeper is here. That means this fight is gonna be legendary."

"Gatekeeper?" Sanjay repeated, unfamiliar with the term.

The mohawked stranger blinked, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief. "Wait… you don't know about the Gatekeepers?"

He shook his head, letting out a laugh. "Dude, they're the kings of the underworld. To people here, they're gods."

Sanjay stayed silent, absorbing the information.

"There are 180 nations in the world," the guy continued, "but only six Gatekeepers. That's how rare and powerful they are. Even governments struggle to deal with them. Suppressing them is the best they can do, but taking them down? Impossible."

Sanjay's mind raced. Could one of these Gatekeepers be the one who kidnapped Maya? If so, he was dealing with someone far beyond ordinary criminals.

And worse—had they somehow discovered his secret?

Did they know he was a Walker?

The lift finally came to a halt, and with a soft chime, the doors slid open. The moment they did, people surged forward, rushing out like a wave eager to crash into the chaos beyond. 

Sanjay stepped out and was immediately hit by the deafening roar of the crowd. His earlier scan hadn't done justice to the sheer scale of the underground arena before him. Thousands of spectators filled the stands, their cheers shaking the very air. In the center, under the bright, artificial lights, two fighters clashed in a brutal dance of violence.

Now that he could see them clearly, he realized they were far from ordinary. Their bodies bore extensive augmentations—metal arms gleaming under the harsh lights, intricate cybernetic enhancements woven into their flesh. One of them, a hulking figure with a single glowing red eye, looked like a cyborg ripped straight out of a nightmare. 

They fought like wild animals, their bare fists colliding with sickening force. Then, in a blink, everything changed.

A whirring sound cut through the air. One of the fighters extended both arms, and with a sharp click, twin swords emerged from his wrists, crackling with electric currents. Blue arcs of energy danced along the blades, illuminating his face with an eerie glow.

The other fighter barely had time to react.

With a swift, fluid motion, the sword-wielding fighter leaped forward, crossing his blades in an X shape. The moment they met his opponent's skull, there was a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed into the air as the lifeless body crumpled to the ground, the severed head rolling a few feet away.

The crowd erupted into frenzied cheers, their voices reaching a fever pitch. The victorious fighter raised his bloodstained hands, basking in the adoration of the spectators, his expression one of savage satisfaction.

Sanjay, however, felt only disgust.

He had taken lives before, but this? This wasn't a battle. It was a spectacle, a slaughter cheered on by people who had long since lost their humanity. The way they roared for more, eyes gleaming with sick excitement, made his stomach churn.

Pushing aside his revulsion, he focused on his objective.

Shaking his head, he activated his interface and searched for Cabin 12. A real-time feed displayed its interior—a single man seated on a sofa, surrounded by twelve guards standing in rigid formation. Their bodies were laden with augmentations, each one more advanced than the last. 

Iris provided a quick analysis. Every guard was a trained killer, their strength readings dangerously high. And the man in the center? His vitals were unnervingly calm, as if nothing in this world could shake him.

Wasting no time, Sanjay made his way toward the cabin, taking the stairs rather than drawing attention with the lift. As he approached the door, two bodyguards blocked his path.

"I was told to come here," Sanjay stated evenly.

One of the guards began frisking him while the other disappeared inside. He felt a firm grip on his waist as they located his concealed firearm and swiftly confiscated it.

A moment later, the second guard returned. "Come in."

Sanjay stepped inside, his eyes immediately locking onto the man at the center of the room. The scene was exactly as his interface had shown—twelve guards flanking a man lounging on a plush sofa. He appeared to be in his early thirties, dressed in a sharp blue suit, dark glasses obscuring his eyes. Despite the presence of so many armed men, he radiated an aura of absolute control, as if everything in the room bent to his will.

The man finally turned his attention to Sanjay, a slow smirk forming on his lips.

"Sanjay Sharma, huh?" His voice was smooth, calculating.

"A mercenary."

There was a pause, a flicker of amusement in the man's expression. "Who do you work for?"

Sanjay didn't waste time on pleasantries. His voice was cold, unwavering.

"Where is Maya?"

The tension in the room spiked the moment Sanjay refused to back down. One of the bodyguards, a towering man with thick arms, stepped forward, his face twisted in irritation. Without warning, he swung his fist, aiming straight for Sanjay's stomach.

But before the punch could land, Sanjay's hand shot out. He caught the man's wrist mid-air, twisting it sharply. The bodyguard barely had time to react before he was flipped onto the ground with a loud thud. Sanjay pressed his foot firmly against the man's head, pinning him in place.

A sharp click echoed through the room.

Guns were raised. Every guard had their weapon trained on him, fingers hovering dangerously over their triggers. Even the man in the suit, who had remained composed until now, showed a flicker of surprise behind his dark glasses.

"My brother has found himself an interesting toy."

Sanjay narrowed his eyes. 'Brother?' Who was he talking about?

A soft chime rang in his ear as Iris processed the information.

[Host, based on facial recognition and genetic markers, there is an 85% probability that he is related to Raghav. Most likely, an elder brother.]

Sanjay's mind reeled. Was Raghav really behind all of this? Did this mean Maya's disappearance was somehow connected to him?

His voice came out firm. "Are you related to Raghav?"

The man smiled, unbothered by the guns still aimed at Sanjay. "Yes. But before we continue, would you be kind enough to let my man go? He looks like he's had enough."

Sanjay glanced at the guards. Their fingers were still tight on their triggers, but the man in glasses gave them a slight wave. One by one, they lowered their weapons.

Only then did Sanjay remove his foot from the bodyguard's head. The man scrambled to his feet, his face burning with humiliation. For a moment, it looked like he might lunge at Sanjay again, but with a sharp glance from his boss, he begrudgingly stepped aside.

The man in the blue suit adjusted his cuffs, then leaned forward slightly. "You're a skilled fighter. I'm impressed." His lips curled into an amused smirk. "Why not work for me instead? Whatever my brother is offering you, I'll pay you ten times more."

Sanjay didn't hesitate. He shook his head. "I don't work for Raghav. It's just business."

His jaw tightened as he pieced everything together. Someone had been selling a massive amount of gold to his brother, Raghav. At first, he hadn't thought much of it, but after a thorough investigation, he had found Maya and Sanjay tangled in the middle of it all. They were the ones who had interfered, the ones who had unknowingly disrupted his carefully laid trap meant to ensnare Raghav.

And now, because of them, his brother had used that gold to buy influence, securing allies and shifting the power balance in his favor. The battle for the family's head position had just become far more complicated.

A sharp glint flickered behind his dark glasses. Why negotiate when he could simply take what he wanted? Paying for gold was a fool's game when he had the power to seize everything at once.

With a smirk, he tapped his fingers against the armrest and activated a hologram. Maya's image flickered into view—a dimly lit room, cold and bare. She sat huddled in the corner, unharmed but clearly a prisoner.

Sanjay's eyes darkened as he stared at the screen. His voice was steady, but the weight behind it was unmistakable. "What do you want?"

The man's smirk widened. "It's simple. Win five matches in the arena, and she's yours."

Sanjay's expression didn't change. "I'm not your dog to fight at your command." His tone was sharp, laced with defiance.

The man chuckled. "Then, there's another option. Tell me where you're getting the gold."

Sanjay held his gaze for a few seconds, his mind racing. He had no intention of giving up the location. But he needed time.

"I'll fight," he finally said. "But if you don't return Maya after this, I'm coming for your head."

A tense silence filled the room before the man broke into a grin. His bodyguards stiffened, ready to move, but he raised a hand, stopping them.

"Fair enough," he said, amusement dancing in his voice. "But remember this—if you die in that arena, she dies with you."

Sanjay clenched his fists, his mind already working on a plan. Iris chimed in his ear.

[Host, I can decrypt her exact location from the video feed. Estimated time: three hours.]

Three hours. That was all he needed. Now, he just had to survive long enough to make sure Maya did too.