Michael and Julius walked silently through the corridor, their steps echoing against cold steel. The air was heavy — not just with dust, but with something older. Something that hadn't moved in a very long time.
Faint stains, dried and blackened with age, trailed across the floor like the memory of a massacre. They followed the trail until it stopped at another metallic door — almost identical to the one they'd first entered.
Michael stepped forward. "Uh… scan my face. Or whatever it's called."
A light flickered. "Scanning your face!" chirped a synthetic voice. "Scan complete. Access granted. Opening the door."
With a heavy hiss, the door slid open, revealing a massive chamber bathed in bright, artificial light.
"Whoa. It's bright in here," Julius muttered, shielding his eyes. "What is this place?"
"I wonder what this room is for?" Michael asked.
"Judging by the size... maybe a training ground," Julius said. "Or even a combat testing arena."
"So… this is where combat trials were held?"
"Most likely. Test matches, sparring under pressure… that kind of thing. But look—" Julius pointed. "The blood trail doesn't end here."
Before they could follow it further, a low metallic thrum echoed from the far side of the room.
Something was coming.
Multiple somethings.
Shapes emerged from the shadows—tall, humanoid, armored in metal. They moved quickly and in formation.
"Uninvited intruders detected," barked one of them. "Proceed to intercept."
"Yes!" echoed the others.
Michael froze. "What are those?!"
Julius stiffened. His voice was low but tense. "Security bots. Old ones. Dangerous ones."
As they advanced, red sensors lit up—scanning both intruders.
Then they stopped.
Their posture shifted.
A moment of silence passed… and then, in perfect unison:
"The Master!"
They moved into a semi-circle around Michael, heads bowed slightly, weapons retracted.
"Master! We are glad to see you in good health after everything that has occurred. After all this time!" said the lead unit.
Michael blinked. "Huh?! Why are you calling me that again?!"
The lead robot stepped forward. "Dr. Metal Phoenix… have you forgotten us?"
"Wait—what?!"
"I am Zane, wielder of lightning magic," the bot declared with robotic pride.
"I'm Kairus. Fire magic."
"Ferron. Metal magic."
"Theron. Earth."
"Liris. Water."
"Aerion. Air."
Michael stepped back, overwhelmed. "I don't even know your names! I've never seen you before! And my name is Michael, not Dr… whatever you said!"
"You are not… Dr. Metal Phoenix?" Zane asked again.
"No!" Michael shouted. "I'm just Michael!"
"…Apologies. We were mistaken," the six said in unison, bowing their heads slightly.
Julius stepped forward, eyes wide, voice sharp. "Michael, get away from them. Now!"
"Huh? Why?" Michael asked, confused.
"Those robots… They're the reason the world fell apart 6,000 years ago," Julius said.
Michael turned to Zane. "Is that… true?"
Zane's voice lowered. "Yes. Unfortunately, it is. A global malfunction occurred. Something hijacked our systems. We don't know what. When we came back to our senses, the world had already burned. Our master was mortally wounded. He told us not to worry and said he would fix the system. He never returned."
"Our original purpose," Ferron added, "was to protect humanity. That's what we were made for."
"So… something or someone hacked you?" Julius asked.
"That is correct," Zane confirmed.
Michael stood in silence. The room, the robots, even the names—they all felt like dreams he hadn't had yet. Memories that weren't his. And yet…
"Why does all of this feel so familiar…?"
Suddenly, curiosity stirred in his chest. "And who exactly was this, Dr. Metal Phoenix?"
"Dr. Metal Phoenix was the greatest scientific mind of his time," Zane said proudly. "Even as a child, he thought beyond his years. Top marks in everything. He dreamed of creating the impossible. First, he mastered fire magic. Then, after experimenting on himself, he gained control over metal. That's when they began calling him the Metal Phoenix. He created us to protect humanity. After many prototypes, we were finally born: models 2005.11.22.23. The rest… you already know."
"Started like paradise… ended like hell," Julius muttered.
Michael pointed. "What's behind that door?"
"That's the master's personal lab," Zane said. "The last time we saw him… he went in there."
"Can we enter?"
"You can. But we are restricted from accessing it."
"Then Mr. Julius and I will take a look."
Inside, darkness greeted them. The room was cold, still. Blood stained the floor. A few steps in, they found a skeleton slumped against the wall in a worn, torn lab coat.
"There's someone here…" Michael whispered.
They stepped closer. The faded nametag read: Dr. Metal Phoenix.
"So this is him," Julius said quietly. "No wonder he never came out."
Looking around, Julius found a dusty portrait of three people. "He had a family," he murmured. "And… now I see it. You really do look like him."
"Huh? What's that?" Michael pointed to the skeleton's hand.
"A ring," Julius guessed.
Michael gently removed it. A soft click triggered a projection.
"Greetings," said the voice of Dr. Metal Phoenix. "If you're seeing this, I'm probably gone. People will hate me for centuries. But the worst has happened…"
Julius and Michael listened, unmoving.
"The system was hacked. The code was rewritten. I didn't cause this. Someone wanted it to look like I did. I reset Zane and the others, but they remembered nothing. I told them I'd fix it… and then I found the truth."
A pause. A sigh.
"I hope my wife and son are safe. Tell my creations… I love them."
The image flickered, then faded.
Julius lowered his head. "A tragic end."
"Tragic?!" Michael's voice shook. "He was framed! And died alone…"
"Calm down. Whoever did it is long time ago died."
"…Yeah. You're right." Michael wiped his eyes. "We should show them."
Back in the chamber, Michael replayed the recording for the robots.
Silence fell.
Then Zane whispered, "So… he truly is gone."
"He is," Michael said.
"…Then who will lead us now?" Ferron asked.
Michael looked up. "I will. If you'll have me, I'll be your new master."
The six robots bowed. "We are honored! We serve you, Master Michael!"
Michael exhaled. "Thank you. And… can you help train me?"
"We are not training models," said Zane, "but we will assist however we can."
The next day, Michael stood at the edge of the arena.
The second stage of the tournament… was about to begin.