They passed through various empty buildings that had some resemblance with architecture Mares knew from Earth, but with still clear differences. The most eye catching one was the fact that their bases started small in width but their higher floors were wider. For Mares they almost looked like upside-down pyramids with a cubic base.
He was curious about it, however decided against asking and simply followed the guards.
In his mind Esen watched everything around themwith great attention. She was memorizing and analyzing everything they passed through, even the simplest buildings.
'I wonder what's the purpose of the spatial formation. This place already seems big enough. Hmmm, maybe if they expanded too much it could destabilize something? So, the spatial formation is a better option?' She said both to distract the silver eyed and because she truly was curious about that. The white-haired had the feeling there was more to it, but in her and Mares' current position was impossible to know.
'I am sure they must be burning money with this.' Mares said whistling, looking to what was above him.
That place was too big. He was in the underground of a planet he didn't even know the name and couldn't even see the sky. His chances of getting out were unknow. If he slipped even once he could die, and even if he didn't slip but still did not manage to run away, his fate…
Shocking his head and ignoring those thoughts he looked at the building in front of him. It was just like the others before, and looking at the ones ahead he was sure that they also were the same.
"Your dorm is on the six hundredth floor, go inside. You can be called for battle at any time, so be prepared." The guard barely said anything on the way and now that they got to the final destination, he just said a few words and them went away with the robot.
Looking at their backs Mares felt a crushing sense of pressure.
'Es, what would be my chance against them?'
'You… wouldn't have much at the moment.' She said dejected. Her senses were various times ahead of Mares so she was sure about her words.
'I see…' And the dark haired also didn't doubt her. He seemed to be in thought for some time. 'Es, you shouldn't help me control my astral energy too much. It was safe last battle but I bet that I will soon start getting attention, and we might get exposed. Besides, if I grow too dependent on you when we finally reconstruct your body, I will get weaker.'
'I… alright.' Her first instinct was to retort, but sighing, she gave up. She knew Mares would not change his mind, and in the end his words were not wrong. Their goals were big, maybe as big as the universe, and they couldn't achieve them taking the easy path. Mares would suffer a little bit more this way, but it was better than not being able to reach what they wished.
'Thank you.' He knew he didn't need to say more words. Being sincere and smiling to her was enough.
He kept walking while they had this conversation and, in the moment, he passed through the entrance his badge shined and he disappeared from the first floor.
Looking around the new scenario Mares saw that he was in a hallway made with some type of polished black stone. The edges of the ground were dull but the path in the middle was made of that polished stone.
'This would be a fancy hotel in Earth.' He thought looking around, a little impressed with the place's appearance.
'You are surprised?' Esen asked. That place wasn't much in her eyes, and she didn't seem to expect that it would take Mares by surprise.
'This place is too… clean. And it seems too peaceful. I can't hear anyone at all. It doesn't match with the impression I got from them until now.' Mares explained, and in Esen's ears he seemed weirdly disappointed.
'Maybe the people here just like something clean.' She replied, but not even her seemed convinced of her words.
'I doubt it, little bunny.' When he said those words, he already saw her expression with blushed cheeks and a fake annoyed face.
'Shut up.'
His mood improved greatly.
"What are you smiling at rookie?"
Until an annoyed and hostile voice reached his ears. He had finally reached the end of the hallway to enter a big room. It was spacious, at least five hundred meters of width and thirty meters of height, with what seemed to be various cubes inside it. And also, a total of forty people.
The one who spoke was a humanoid similar to humans, but that had four eyes and was three meters tall. His skin was lightly pink, and just the size of his arm was equivalent to Mares' waist.
Behind him, there were countless others, some humanoids while some not, but Mares didn't pay attention to them. His attention went to a small group in the end of the room.
To be more specific he paid attention to three people. One was a lizard man; he was a little smaller than Mares and had dark orange scales covering his body. For Mares he truly looked like a walking lizard, but he also noticed he had six legs.
He was on the left side and on the right side was a woman. She was a bit taller and humanoid, actually really resembling a human. Her hair was dark and tied on a ponytail, each of the iris of her eyes had a different color, one being green and the other blue. It was her skin that gave of she could not be human, as it was as white as marble.
The third person was on the center. He also was very human like, with brown short hair and beard that still need to be made and tanned skin. Contrary to the woman on his side, he genuinely looked like a human, though Mares knew he was probably just really close to looking like one. He was muscular and in human standards seemed to be in his early thirties. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and he was the only person in the whole room to give a smile to Mares. The silver eyed could tell it was a welcoming smile but also an apologetic one.
"What?"
After moving his gaze around the whole room Mares' eyes returned to the original person that talked to him.
"Don't act dumb! We heard you were some amazing big shot that defeat a technique user, but don't ge-"
Before the man could finish Mares' knee already was on his face. How could the long haired not tell the other group intention? If this was some kind of ritual of initiation or if they heard what he did and wanted to make sure he wouldn't be some conceited brat, it didn't matter. He wasn't exactly patient and he really wanted to end the day.
"What ar-"
Another tried to scream out in shock; actually, all of them were in shock. However, before he could Mares put his feet on the one, he first attacked, chest and used him as a platform to jump, going to that second one that tried to speak.
This person got surprised and not reacted on time. Using the boost Mares pushed his arms, punching that one in the middle of his face, making him fall with a broken nose.
"GET HIM!"
What succeeded was a failed attempt to get Mares down. Surrounded by them the boy throwed his sword on the floor and simply used his fists and feet.
One of them tried to punch him, in response he got hold of the arm and used that person as a shield. When the others tried to punch or kick him Mares simply put him in the front and in a few seconds his "shield" was full of contusions, and maybe some broken limbs.
'Hihihi, you are evil.' Esen watched with amusement. She was just having fun with the situation.
'I sure am, little bunny.' He retorted at the same time that used his forehead to stop a punch, followed by his own punch that send the unlucky one to the wall of the room.
"The boy is good." The lizard man said with some praise. His voice sounded dry.
"And they are also bad." The marble looking woman said, she seemed unimpressed.
The man on the middle said nothing, however in his eyes there was some surprise.
"GET HIM DOWN!"
"DON'T LET HIM THINK SO HIGH OF HIMS- OUCH!"
"BE CAR-"
They all screamed only to be punched, kicked or headbutted. The two things that annoyed them the most was that, it didn't seem that Mares was trying, and even worst, since he started, he didn't say a single word. It was frustrating, they didn't feel like they were fighting a live being, but instead an emotionless robot. They couldn't even try to talk to settle down some of their frustrations, as the boy clearly wasn't minding their words.
If someone tried to attack him by behind, he would simply kick that person without looking, or grab their hands, resulting in them either being throw or used as a shield. It was a miserable scene for all the involved, except Mares.
"Ok, I think that's good enough."
In the moment Mares was about to punch one more face, one hand stopped him. When his fist collided with that hand, instead of a hard blown, he felt like he had hit something soft, the hand seemed almost made of rubber was it was stretched by his punch.
Mares eyes widened and he instantly activated his ability. His pupils dilatated and the one that stopped him, the muscular man that was on the other side of the room, felt his body numb for a second.
'Two in one day? Our luck is getting a turn for the best!'
Esen celebrated in his mind.
'Yeah, yeah. Don't get used to it.'
He replied rolling his eyes, mostly to annoy her, and moving some steps back. He glanced at the man, that different from the others, seemed much more friendly. What Mares didn't notice is that when his fist connected the older gladiator had also widened his eyes, surprised with the strength behind his punches.
"The rumors were right; the kid is a monster!" The lizard man said approaching them, looking at Mares with surprise.
"Yeah, he is not bad. But he doesn't seem to speak." The marble like woman also added.
"I do. Why did you guys attack me?"
Mares finally spoke, actually taking the three by surprise. What made them even more surprised was that he had his arms crossed and his expression seemed of someone that suffered an injustice. The bunch on the floor, moaning on pain, some even crying, made quite a contrast with the silver eyed.
"Well, it's a tradition." The man that stopped his last punch explained with an apologetic smile.
Mares looked to one side to the other. He looked to the three again nodding his head.
"And I just beat your tradition. Do you guys wanna come too?"
His question made everyone, even those on the floor, dumbfounded.