The car hummed softly as Shura drove, the cityscape stretching out before them.
Raven leaned against the window, his sharp eyes scanning the towering skyscrapers, the holographic advertisements flickering across buildings, and the sleek hover-trams zipping through the air.
The world had changed.
"This place is… different. It almost doesn't feel like the same city."
Raven muttered, his voice laced with an unfamiliar mix of nostalgia and alienation.
Much of what he saw around him was the same as he remembered it to be, but just as much had changed as well, making him feel as if he was in a new place altogether.
Shura chuckled, hands steady on the wheel as he turned into a sleek, automated highway.
"Of course, it's different. Ten years have passed since you stayed behind in that dungeon. The world had to move forward… even without you."
Raven scoffed.
"You make it sound like I died. I was just gone for a little while. There is no way the world can forget someone as awesome as me."
"Well, for all of us, you did die. After you sent us out of that final dungeon and chose to stay behind, the world believed you had sacrificed yourself. Your noble sacrifice touched everyone."
Shura sighed, tapping a few buttons on the car's control panel.
Raven clicked his tongue, shifting in his seat.
"That wasn't a noble sacrifice. It was just my whip at the time. I just did it because I knew none of you wimps would have survived. In fact, you all would have dragged me down."
Shura shot him a sidelong glance but didn't argue. Raven could tell that he didn't believe him. No one would.
Whim or not, Raven had ended in that dungeon for 10 years and done who-knows-what.
As they drove deeper into the city, Raven's attention was drawn to a massive digital billboard.
A live broadcast played across the screen, showcasing two combatants locked in an intense battle. They weren't fighting on a normal battlefield but in a place that unmistakably resembled a dungeon.
Raven narrowed his eyes, watching as one of the fighters dodged a flaming spear and retaliated with an electrified kick, sending his opponent crashing into the dungeon walls. The crowd in the background roared in excitement.
"What the hell is that?"
Raven asked, nodding toward the screen.
Shura followed his gaze and sighed.
"That? That's The Arena. It's a worldwide competitive league where people with powers fight. The biggest sport in the world now. Does it remind you of something?"
Raven raised a brow.
"Sport? So risking lives is a sport now? Humanity's stupidity never ceases to amaze me."
Shura nodded.
"Ever since you stayed behind and we left the final dungeon, dungeons stopped appearing across the world. Whatever you did there, it ended the cycle. No more dungeon breaks. No more new threats. But the system and powers remained."
Raven stayed silent, processing the implications.
"With no more dungeons, fight rates skyrocketed. Crime related to abilities became uncontrollable. Every country struggled to keep superpowered individuals in check. So, to keep people in line, all the world governments came together and formed the Competitive Battle System. A way for people with powers to let their aggression out in a controlled environment. The Arena is the grandest stage for it"
Shura continued.
Raven watched as the fight escalated on the screen.
One combatant activated a glowing shield around himself, while the other summoned chains of darkness to constrict his opponent.
The skill execution was sloppy—impressive by civilian standards, but compared to the hellish battles Raven had endured, it was amateurish at best.
He exhaled through his nose.
"So they turned combat into entertainment. Figures that the bureaucrats would like to do it. Weren't they the ones who wanted me to fight for money in underground rings before I got my name out in the world?"
It had been a hard time Raven did not like to remember. But since it was a part of his past, he did not want to forget it either.
Shura smirked, his face looked calm but also knowing.
"Yeah. I can see that look in your eyes. You're thinking this is some joke, right? Don't worry. Even though those old fools had lost their mind when I first saw this. But it turns out that they did have a plan."
Raven turned away from the screen, his gaze fixed ahead.
"Not a joke. Just… different. A lot has changed in the time I wasn't here."
The car slowed as they reached a gated residential district. Shura pulled up to a security checkpoint, swiping his ID before the barriers lifted, granting them entry.
As the car continued through the neighborhood, Raven remained lost in thought.
A world without dungeons. A world where war had turned into sport.
For years, his existence had been defined by survival, by endless battles in the depths of that hellish dungeon. But now? The battlefield had changed.
And he wasn't sure where he fit in anymore.
______
Shura pulled into the driveway of a sleek, modern home that was significantly larger than what Raven remembered.
The multi-story house had large glass windows, a meticulously maintained front garden, and even a separate garage to the side. It was the kind of place that practically screamed wealth and stability.
Raven raised a brow as he took in the sight.
"Did we take a wrong turn and end up in a billionaire's estate? Because the Shura I remember lived in a two-bedroom apartment that barely had space for a couch."
Shura chuckled as he parked the car.
"Yeah, well, things changed. The government gave us a large sum of money and other incentives when we came back from the final dungeon. After all, we were the 'Heroes Who Saved Humanity.'"
Raven smirked.
"We? I was the one who stayed behind to finish the job. You all did shit most of the time…well, not most of the time. You all were useful once every four battles. My share must be massive with all the interest that piled up over ten years."
Shura sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"About that… we donated it."
Raven blinked.
"You what?"
Shura shrugged before he quickly explained himself to the other male.
"That's what you told me to do in case you died. And since everyone thought you were dead, I followed your wishes."
For a second, Raven felt the urge to say something—maybe scold him, maybe call him an idiot.
But then again, he did remember making that request. It had been a long time ago, back when he thought there was no chance he'd survive the final dungeon.
'Fuck! Me and my big mouth. I did remember being all sentimental before the final battle and making that request. I should not have drunk that much and kept my thoughts to myself.'
If he could, Raven would definitely like to go back and change his words. But what was done was done and thinking of wanting to change things would not help.
So instead, he exhaled through his nose and let it go.
"Figures. You were always the best at doing unnecessary stuff…especially when it was not needed."
Shura smirked, feeling elated and relieved at the same time.
"You're taking that surprisingly well. I thought I was dead for sure…no, don't get angry."
"I've had ten years to get used to losing things. Looks like being in that dungeon fucked up with my head in some ways."
Raven replied dryly before stepping out of the car.
They walked up to the front door, and the moment Shura opened it, a voice called out from inside.
"Shura, did you forget the groceries again? I told you to bring them when you went to visit your friend's grave. I swear, if you—"
A woman appeared in the hallway, wiping her hands with a dish towel, but the moment she saw Raven standing there, she froze.