The spirit world is broken and in desperate need of a restoration. True heroes and ancient beasts that once walked are now a thing of the past. Between the empty spaces of forgotten treasure halls there are whispers of one who has returned. One lege...
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The monk absently chewed away at their thumbnail as they balanced in a squat on the back of a stadium seat. Their clear gray eyes watched the arena like a hawk, anticipating everything that could possibly go down in the next few minutes.
At the moment, every Sun was undergoing a holy peach screening to ensure that no one began the tournament with an unfair advantage. The contestants were divided into several single file lines. Volunteers equipped with litmus test kits took quick samples of each monkey's saliva. The results were instant. So far, no one's acidity levels had raised enough concerns to be disqualified.
Bodhi thought back on the things they had told Sun Ritsu on the way to the stadium that morning.
"The first trial will most likely be something swift and brutal. Borderline unfair if I had to guess."
The end of Sun Ritsu's unglamoured tail tossed back and forth behind him in what Bodhi assumed to be nervousness.
"Not that I don't believe you," the sun clone replied, "but what makes you think that?"
Bodhi shrugged and gestured vaguely to the overcrowded parking lot. "There are too many Suns at the moment. The matches will drag out and become redundant if they keep the majority of these challengers around. So I assume that they have a solution for that."
Ritsu's gaze shifted to the concrete. "So then, what should I do?"
His question made Bodhi's memory spark, taking them back to their first glimpse of Sun Ritsu in battle. Several trolls were coming at him all at once and he had dodged them all... while he was asleep.
Whatever was going on with Sun Ritsu's inner Immortal was no joke. That spirit was very strong.
"Bodhi?" Ritsu repeated, the uncertainty rising in his voice as they all drew closer to the stadium. "What should I do in order to survive the first round?"
Down by their ankles, a nervous Ham Song grunted his urgent feelings. While Sun Seven, who was quietly drinking his protein shake, glanced out of the corner of his eye at Bodhi with a mixture of curiosity and expectancy.
"Nothing," Bodhi said. "In your case, I think the best thing is to not think about anything too hard and do nothing."
Ham Song was already frothing at the mouth in protest. He didn't outright charge at Bodhi, but he muttered angrily to himself as he pulled ahead, his porky ass trembling with every utterance of: "Do nothing! Nothing they say! Tch!"
Needless to say, Ham Song had elected to sit far away from Bodhi once they took their seats inside the arena. The monk was fine with this. They needed to focus on the competition and analyze each potential player going forward. There was a lot you could tell about a spirit's ability levels in this sort of environment. All it took was the right eyes and sense of judgment. Bodhi had both in this case, even if they didn't speak on it often.
