Chapter 12 - Prince Hydron

It's a bit more like my own headcanon here. If there are any points that you think are wrong or inaccurate, feel free to point them out in the comments. Sometimes I get back to the comments late, university preparation or something. But I see it, don't worry.

***

The vast and silent hall of the Vestal palace was dimly lit. Normally, the sunlight streaming through the large windows provided enough light, making any additional illumination unnecessary. Despite the hall's highly modern and luxurious design, there was almost nothing inside. Only a chair facing the windows, occupied by a haughty young man, stood out.

The young man, whose chair hovered in the air thanks to a quiet propulsion system, tapped his fingers on the armrest in boredom, a satisfied expression on his face. His pale green hair, which he toyed with for a moment, framed a face that shifted from a smile to an expression of boredom.

With a sigh, he muttered to himself, "Hmm? I wonder what Spectra is doing on Earth... He still hasn't managed to get my beloved Drago." The young man, Hydron, rose from his chair and started pacing the hall to once again admire his collection.

After taking a few steps, he pressed a button in the corner, and lights illuminated the darkened figures, revealing them. Towering beasts stood there, as if they were statues.

The first to catch the eye was a massive, three-headed dragon-like beast. Its heads pointed in different directions, claws raised, as if it had fought until the very end, its rage and desperate attempts to unleash terror evident at first glance.

Directly across from it, another imposing beast with wings spread wide commanded attention. It was another dragon, just as terrifying as the three-headed one. Even in its final moments, it had clearly been battling fiercely.

The other four beasts scattered around were no different. Each had fought in its own way, but in the end, none had managed to be more than statues. All of them had lost and now had become Prince Hydron's favorite toys.

As Hydron gazed at his collection with a sense of pride, as if he had hunted them himself, the empty space in the middle once again brought him discontent. Infinite—no, now known as Neo Dragonoid—was the last missing piece of his collection. The glorious warriors of the past had become rare and endangered creatures in the eyes of this young prince.

Until the Neo Dragonoid, Spectra Phantom, the leader of the Vexos, had always returned successfully. But when it came to Dragonoid, it always ended in failure, and with each passing day, Spectra Phantom lost more of his value in Hydron's eyes.

Now, with Spectra having vanished, Mylene had undoubtedly proven herself more successful. Her role in capturing half of the Resistance was significant. Perhaps Mylene should replace Spectra as the new leader of the Vexos.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, a new screen popped up. A small image window opened, revealing a young man with spiked hair, sharp features, and a menacing expression. Hydron furrowed his brow in irritation as he asked:

"Volt, for you to have the audacity to use this emergency line, it must be something truly important, right? I hope you're not wasting my time."

With measured respect and a firm tone, Volt responded, "Certainly, Prince Hydron. During my last mission, I encountered someone noteworthy. A girl named Siren. I would like to propose her inclusion into the Vexos."

Hydron paused. He glanced at Volt. Prince Hydron wasn't directly involved in deciding who could join the Vexos. Normally, Volt would have reported this to Spectra Phantom. But since Spectra was absent, Volt had informed Prince Hydron instead.

It struck him as odd that Volt would choose to speak with him rather than with Mylene, who was effectively serving as the interim leader, but he maintained his mocking smile. With mild curiosity, he straightened up in his chair and, after assessing Volt's expression, spoke:

"You want someone to join the Vexos, huh? Interesting. This is the first time you've made such a request."

If it were someone like Mylene, this request wouldn't have been surprising, but for Volt, an honorable warrior devoted to service, to make such a request was enough to catch Prince Hydron's interest.

"So, why is this Siren so special, Volt?"

Ignoring the insinuation in the question, Volt calmly explained:

"Her strategy and synchronization with her Bakugan are remarkable. I believe she is as skilled as the Resistance in knowing what to use and when. Moreover, her Bakugan can employ surprising abilities."

Hydron leaned back in his chair, rhythmically tapping his fingers on the armrest. Out of habit, he wrapped a strand of hair around his finger and released it again. After a brief moment of thought, an intrigued smile appeared on his face as he replied:

"You'll need to try a little harder to impress me, Volt. After all, it's rare to hear of someone who could best someone like you. But does that mean she's worthy of being accepted into the Vexos? After all, the Vexos isn't a place where we can take in just anyone with talent."

Volt furrowed his brow but calmly waited for Prince Hydron to continue. Hydron, enjoying the prospect of something interesting to relieve his boredom, continued:

"Arrange an open duel with one of the Vexos to prove Siren to me and the rest of the team. Based on her performance in the match, I'll make my decision. But remember, if you waste my time, you won't be the only one to suffer the consequences."

Without waiting for a response, he cut off the communication with Volt, stretched in his chair, and, after spinning a bit in the air, smiled sadistically. The intrigue in his eyes was more apparent than ever.

"Siren, huh? Let's see what you're made of..."

***

Meanwhile, Siren was lying down in her room. Although the room spared no luxury, it somehow managed to feel unsettling. At least, it did for James. Even though he was only standing by the round table next to Siren, he felt uneasy.

Siren, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered by the opulent surroundings. With her visor covering her eyes, it was hard to tell what she was thinking, but her lips were curled upward. There was a clear gleam of amusement visible.

This caused James to forget his discomfort and ask with curiosity:

"You've been grinning ever since we got here. Is something on your mind?"

Siren giggled and responded with a question of her own:

"Haven't you noticed?"

He paused for a moment before understanding what she meant. Then he, too, burst into laughter, though his was a bit nervous compared to Siren's.

"You're not seriously expecting Mylene to challenge us, are you?"

Siren, raising her arms in an exaggerated manner, defended herself with feigned innocence, "How could I know someone known as the Kiss of Death would be so predictable?"

James was even more confused by this. Mylene could be many things, but as far as he remembered, she wasn't one to display the arrogance Siren was indirectly accusing her of. But right at that moment, Siren added to her previous words to clear up his confusion:

"If she's as cold, calculating, and strategic as you say, she'll probably want to evaluate me a bit more. So… Even if I don't face her directly, I'm sure I'll end up facing another Vexos."

James nodded in understanding. He hadn't thought of it from this angle. Normally, he should have realized this before Siren. Maybe he was just feeling too tense lately?

James wasn't sure, but knowing that thinking about it wouldn't lead anywhere, he exhaled softly.

"Alright… That makes perfect sense."

He blinked for a moment, then checked the system once more to see if there had been any changes.

<James >

<Bakugan Human Hybrid>

<Bakugan T?#½: White O?e: Hydranoid Variant>

<L?vel: ?#&{\ERROR ]+>

<G-Powe&: 300>

<Abilities: World Eater, Argentinum, Light Eater (Darkus), Umbra Unfair (Haos)>

<Capacity: 6 8>

<Equipped Modules:< p>

<Scent of Blood (6)>

<In Moment of Combat: All stats increase by 200.>

<1 5>

At the moment, this was the only module he could slot in. He was quite satisfied with it since nothing better had appeared in the market. However, the fact that even the status screen had started to malfunction was beginning to worry James.

This was clearly not normal. He had realized there was something wrong when the system gave him three absurd main quest rotations, but now that it had come to this, he wasn't sure what to do.

Honestly, if things continued like this, the system's dubious existence could become entirely useless. He thought with a sigh:

'It just needs to hold on until I get my human form.'

Just as he was thinking that, a sound came from behind Siren's door:

"Miss Siren, Miss Farrow is requesting your presence."

Siren stood up, stretched, and grinned at James. Though he couldn't see her eyes behind the visor, he could have sworn her gaze was saying, 'I told you so.' James perched on her shoulder as Siren got to her feet:

"I'm coming right away!"

And with that, they set off toward their second big challenge.