It was time! Updates are released by 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑~𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖾~𝖓𝖊𝖙 Ace and Cherry, the intended targets, as well as Jim and Anya, were once again brought before Lord Grania, the ruler of the Granian Empire. The alien leader ordered the Humans to be presented to him once more, even though he had commanded Grim and Grand Master to do it after Grim’s mating ritual. Since his patience had grown thin, the Granian ruler quickly had them presented to him. The four Humans floated in the cylindrical tubes with green liquids encompassing their bodies. At the moment, none of them were awake as they were all rehabilitating from their last adventure. "What would be the best way to test their strength?" Lord Grania asked aloud, causing the Council of Elders and Advisors to murmur amongst themselves. For over two minutes, each one of them would whisper suggestions to Lord Grania, who would either nod his head in agreement or sneer in disgust. "My Lord," an older-looking Granian bowed as it stood from its seat. "Perhaps the best way to test these humans is through a simple match between them and a few Xof beasts." Murmurs of agreement echoed, and even Lord Grania seemed to admire the suggestion. A few seconds passed, and the Granian emperor waved his hand, signaling his approval. As soon as he did so, the Granian Castle began to shift and rumble vigorously as the ground beneath started to split apart. The walls withdrew into slits underneath, and the platforms on which Lord Grania, The Council, and Advisors were on rose even higher, creating a circular wall surrounding the four blood mutants. On each side of the circle were doors with thick, metallic bars, each coated with curved barbs. The Castle transformed into a colosseum and immediately drew attention from those who were close by. This sudden shift caused Grim and Grand Master to rush back, for they knew what their emperor was up to. "Has he?" Grim asked, finding Grand Master already inside the Colosseum. "He has!" Grand Master answered while looking down at the four Humans still kept inside their cylindrical tanks. "Do you think they are ready yet?" "The boy might be the only one who isn’t fully prepared yet," Grim scoffed as his eyes glared angrily at Ace’s tube. "He holds back too much of his raw strength. The rest, I have no fears with them." "SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GRANIA!" Lord Grania spoke loudly without the help of any microphone. The sheer magnitude and volume of his voice was so great that it caused the bodies of those listening to vibrate slightly. "YOU ARE ALL GATHERED HERE TODAY FOR ONE SPECIAL OCCASION. OUR VERY OWN, GRIM AND THE GRAND MASTER, HAVE RETURNED WITH OUR SAVIORS." The colosseum, quickly filling up with each passing second, erupted in cheers as the four cylindrical tubes were shattered open. The green liquids poured out quickly, letting the bodies fall hard onto the ground. As they took their first breath, their lungs were inflated and inflamed by the planet’s air. It stung and hurt incredibly, but for some reason, it felt as if they had done such a thing before. "BEHOLD..." Lord Grania continued while pointing at the confused and wet Humans. "THE NEW SAVIORS OF OUR RACE. A NEW ADDITION TO OUR EMPIRE’S GREAT WARRIORS. I PRESENT TO YOU ALL, THE BLOOD MUTANTS!!!" "LONG LIVE GRANIA!" The crowds cheered, and the four doors slowly opened. [All Stats are at their fullest.] [Symbiote Synchronization Activated.] [All vitals are in check.] While Ace’s system provided him with a simple diagnostic, he scanned his surroundings and tried to make sense of what was happening. His eyes painfully readjusted to the blinding light of the planet’s sun as his ears rang painfully due to the screams and cheers of the Granian crowds. "Where are we?" Anya asked, not fully recalling what had already been told to her concerning the Granian planet. "We’re here," Jim answered. "The Granian Planet." "Look at all of them!" Cherry grinned as she stood on her feet. Looking down, she found herself standing in a puddle of green liquids and broken glass. Her body, only having her privates covered by a short, black fabric, ached slightly as her mind tried to process the loud noises, distinct smells, and new sights for her sore eyes. "So many Granians all in one place." "What do you think they want?" Anya questioned once more as she moved over to Cherry. She too only had her privates covered, and her body was aching as much as Cherry’s was. "To test us," Ace answered, having figured out what he and the rest of his kind were doing in the middle of the Colosseum. "They want us to showcase our skills. This reminds me of those extremely ancient Roman Colosseums we studied once." "Come to think of it," the others realized and gasped in amazement. "You’re right. This does look like a colosseum..." "RELEASE THE XOF!" Lord Grania commanded, and immediately, the sound of chains dangling about echoed in the ears of the blood mutants. Without wasting time, they each stood in a defensive huddle, pressing their backs against each other. For a moment, the colosseum went silent as the Granians and Humans fearfully awaited the Xof. These were the same creatures Ace fought on Grim’s ship, and judging by how quiet the Granians were, he felt like they were about to fight the real Xof. "Anyone else get the feeling like they’ve fought these Xof creatures before?" Cherry asked as she too felt a sense of déjà vu. "We have," Ace answered. "Well, we fought the cloned versions. I think we’re about to face the real ones." Imagine the shrill of a horribly terrified little girl amplified and deepened to the point where it’s louder and deeper than a lion’s roar. Double that sound with a bone-chilling breeze that blows roughly against your body, sending shivers down your spine. Those were exactly what the four blood mutants heard, and out from the four doors came the creatures responsible for making them. "They’re horrifying." "BLOOD MUTANTS, SHOW US WHAT YOU CAN DO!"