Chapter Text
The bell tolled, and the crowd rose to their feet to cheer for the victorious fighter. The defeated beast was dragged out of the arena, a line of blood forming on the sand beneath it. Roses fell scattered on the arena floor as the winner bowed before he was taken away.
An announcer walked into the middle of the arena, smiling. He raised a blue hand and greeted the crowd, and they cheered again. When they fell silent, the announcer said, “The Battle Nexus has an important announcement to make.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Beginning next week, our Battle Nexus—run by Big Mama herself—will be transformed into a year-long tournament, where our competitors will fight to win gold, glory, and a two-week pre-paid stay at Big Mama’s Nexus Hotel!”
Big Mama sighed from where she watched in her office. Her Battle Nexus used to be the talk of the town—it would be sold out each and every night. But recently, fewer and fewer spectators have shown up. Even her hotel was losing customers, despite its constant five-star ratings on the Yok-Yelp. This tournament was her chance to revamp the Battle Nexus, make it as popular as it was before. But as she surveyed the empty seats in the stands, the few sections only half-filled, she scoffed. A tournament wouldn’t draw in the crowds like she used to—no, she needed something more. Something better.
Like Lou Jistu, a small voice in her head whispered. She ignored it, even as anger boiled in her chest. Lou Jitsu had been good enough to draw crowds, and he had done so up until he was stolen from her Battle Nexus by none other than Baron Draxum. She hadn’t seen or heard from the action star since, so she’d just assumed he was dead. It wasn’t a proven fact, of course, but she wouldn’t waste resources tracking down a deadbeat movie star she wasn’t even sure was still alive. Even if he would make a brilliant fighter, she thought yearningly.
Big Mama rubbed her eyes tiredly.
Suddenly, her head shot up, an idea striking her.
“I may have lost one action star,” she murmured. She turned in her chair, a slow grin spreading across her face. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t still get one to fight for me, does it?”
At once she headed down to the library, calling the Yokai librarian over.
“What do you need help with, Big Mama?” the librarian asked nervously.
“Please find me anything you can about the Netherworld,” she said. “Even if it’s only a slim-dillity little mention, I want it. Deliver the books to my office immediately.”
The librarian nodded, hurrying away. Five minutes later, Big Mama was surrounded by a large pile of books.
She spent all night searching through those books, flipping through pages at a time, absorbing all the information as she could. Sometimes she discarded a book completely, but sometimes she marked every little detail she thought important. Brilliant, Big Mama thought. This will be brilliant.
When the morning sun poked through the blinds in her window, there was a knock at the door. “Big Mama?” a voice called.
“Come in!” she said, beaming. She snapped the last book shut and looked up just as her fox-like bellhop eased the door open.
“What are my assignments for today?” he asked.
Big Mama rose from her desk and strode over to him, smiling. “I’m so glad you asked that,” she said, breezing past him. He followed after her, confused. “You see, I’m going on a little field trip today, so I’m going to need someone to oversee this hotel while I’m gone. Can you handle that?”
“If all goes well, I should be returning in two shilly-shakes of a wolf’s tail,” she said, getting in the elevator. “Oh, and if you don’t mind, please return the books in my office to the library.” Her eyes lit up as an idea came to her. “And please, secure perhaps three or four cloaking brooches by noon.”
As the bellhop stuttered, Big Mama said, “Don’t worry. I know you’ll do splindiforously well.”
The elevator doors closed in the very baffled-looking bellhop’s face.
Shuddering, Big Mama made her way through the desolate lands of the Crying Titan. This place had always given her the creeps, and now was no different. Gripping the bag strapped around her shoulder, she stepped over a lone bone, then surveyed the large titan and shuddered once more. Why must she have gone here, of all places?
She sighed. She knew she would have to be the one to do this; though she trusted her staff, she couldn’t risk the public being aware of this… adventure. If she wanted her Battle Nexus to be a success, it would have to be kept a surprise.
Though she supposed it wasn’t only the public that was to be kept in the dark. Big Mama chuckled, even as she neared the outstretched hand in the middle of the desolate field. Baron Draxum would have no idea what was coming his way.
Big Mama looked up at the giant outstretched hand, pursing her lips. She stepped around the back and climbed up the rocks, shivering at the cool breeze that flowed around her. Her eyes scanned the back of the hand, searching for an opening. Eventually she found it, and she couldn’t tell if it was relief or dread that flowed through her at the sight.
The opening was just barely big enough for Big Mama to squeeze through in her human form, and once she did, she was cast into darkness. The only light came through the opening, but it seemed as if even daylight was scared to go too far into the hand. Despite the lack of light, her eyes quickly adjusted to the dark, and she kept her guard up as she moved forward through the shadows.
After a few moments of walking hesitantly forward, she reached a wall. She dragged a hand across the smooth surface and smiled slightly when she found a groove and pushed down gently. There was the distinct sound of the bottom of the hand shifting open to reveal a staircase leading down.
Big Mama began her descent, ignoring the cobwebs and occasional beetle. In the dark, it seemed as though the staircase stretched down forever, but five minutes later, she finally reached the bottom of the stairs. It was dark here, but there, in the center of the circular chamber, she saw it. It was rather unremarkable—just a scroll spread out across a stone table. But still, Big Mama approached it hesitantly, creeping over to it as she stuck her hand in the small bag around her shoulder.
She pulled a candle out and placed it on the table. She took out another candle, and then another, until the scroll was surrounded by a circle of flaming candles. Then she cautiously picked the scroll up and read, “Navasa, zaan, kanda, athrovaxa, noruto, zavasay.” A strong wind picked up around her, though she was far underground. Panting, she continued, “Mavakaa sekulaa.” Her hair whipped in her face; the flames flickered. When she reached the final lines, she said, “Mavakaa sekulaa nevada. Mavakaa sekulaa nevada.” And then, finally, she gasped, “Kavaxas!”
The circle within the candles glowed red, and Big Mama stumbled backward as a roar pierced the air. It got louder and louder, almost deafening, until it began to fade. The more it faded, the more an image flickered from the circle. Big Mama watched, eyes wide, as a figure came into view.
Its skin was made of blood-red scales. It towered over Big Mama, its powerful wings beating behind it as it snarled. She gulped, meeting her eyes with its lime-green ones.
For a terrible second, Big Mama thought that perhaps she’d made a terrible error when she’d read the scroll. Kavaxas’ gaze held her own, and his eyes turned to slits as he roared again. Big Mama’s heart thundered in her chest—had she messed up the summoning? Kavaxas was a powerful, powerful demodragon, able only to be controlled by a seal that hadn’t been seen in her world for millennia. She’d only meant to call him halfway here, but if he was free—
But then the demodragon’s image flickered.
“Why have you called me here, mortal?” he spat.
Big Mama almost smiled as relief coursed through her. She relaxed as she said, “I’ve come to make a deal with you, Kavaxas.”
Kavaxas sneered. “What could you possibly have that I would want? I am the ruler of the Netherworld—I no longer meddle in the trivial affairs of this world, or any other.”
Big Mama could practically smell the lie. Kavaxas’ nose flared and his eyes flickered as he spoke. He was angry—but at what (or who ), she didn’t know.
“I’ve heard of your peculiar… dietary habits,” Big Mama said with a shrug. “And I know that eating the souls of the evil after they’re dead can get old after a while.”
The demodragon paused. “What are you suggesting?”
She shrugged again. “My Battle Nexus just recently began hosting a tournament of sorts. The winner, of course, is set to receive fame, gold, glory, all that jazz. But the loser—well, a little deadly incentive never hurt anybody, right?”
“And what could you possibly want that you’d be willing to offer such a thing?”
“Well, that’s just it—my Battle Nexus is getting a little boring, you know. It’s still good, but the same fighters, same winners, never-changing… it can drive my audience out of their mintillity-minds.”
Kavaxas growled. “Get on with it.”
Big Mama looked him directly in the eyes. “I want the power to find my own champions—no matter what world they’re in—bring them here, and control them. They’re to be my champions, and mine alone.”
“That,” the demodragon said after a moment, “is a large ask.”
“And I’m willing to pay a large price.”
The chamber was silent as Kavaxas considered Big Mama’s proposition. “I want a new soul every week.”
She bit out a sharp laugh. “I don’t have that many fighters to spare, demodragon. You’ll get one every five years.”
“Every month.”
“Three years.”
“Every six months, then.”
“Two years.”
“Every year.”
The sides of her mouth rose in a smile.
“We have a deal, Kavaxas.”