That momentary and eternal feeling of drowning had passed. Light faded and twisted back to an intensity less than blinding. Coughing, collapsing, my false body is wrecked from the scrambling sensation of having been teleported across the airwaves. As my senses returned to baseline, a quick headcount showed we were all present. Physically, Councilor Kvasir, Luna, Midnight, Kazuna, Karma, and Marth had all made the journey. Mentally? That remained who was still on our side.

Still bound to the same glass platform we'd been strapped into within the Superior Court, I took a moment to gather my bearings. We were inside what could only be described as a massive stadium. From what I could gather, we were on the furthest end of an oval field covered in white sand more than a hundred meters long, and fifty meters in length. Beneath us, the black glass platform with neon blue rings began to fade away underneath the sand. Above us was a dome ceiling crafted of steel and concrete.

Surrounding us, the borders of the white sand field were bordered by a slick black wall about four meter high that sloped forward slightly at the top. For added assurance that none could escape, the top of the wall was lined with one hundred centimeter long blades. Not spikes. Blades. There was no mistaking the intention of those painful deterrents as decorative.

Beyond the wall, was another layer of thick glass warding off a series of tiered bleachers. Three tiers in total, there must have easily been close to 50,000 seats. Up in the nosebleed section, there was a row of decorative murals and stone arches that crowned the space between the highest seats and the ceiling. Upon closer viewing, the murals depicted a glimpse into what awaited us in our immediate future. Stylized drawings of prisoners entering the stadium, begging for mercy, falling before a creature too terrifying to properly describe, and being subsequently devoured.

My survey of the battlefield was interrupted by the screams of our legal counselor; "You unrelenting mornon! Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Marth was still laughing, but softer, more subdued; "I've given us the opportunity to embrace an honorable death."

Karma was the first to object, "This was an unnecessary risk, Marth. "

Without looking up to address Karma, Marth held his ground, "You've not lived long enough, nor gathered the experience to know that a slow death via bureaucracy is unavoidable, but combat against an opponent of equal strength yields fair results."

It was at this moment that I remembered Kvasir had not been bound and chained like the rest of us. In fact, he had already limped almost halfway down the field.

Yelling after our cowardly councillor, I ordered, "Kvasir, come back here and unbind us!"

He spun around and removed his blindfold. It was difficult to make out, but where there should have been yes, only two hollow sockets remained. He screamed back at us, "I've served Fryga for decades. I am a citizen of the law. Because of you, and your band of hollowing idiots, I've lost everything--"

"Not quite everything," a voice echoed out over the speaker system above us, "Although it hasn't been invoked in decades, you and those six foreigners will experience a longstanding tradition in Norn World Law." Our announcer for this afternoon's events were none other than Director Stephen Jenkins. He continued in his dispassionate robotic voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my esteemed honour to welcome you to BiFrost Stadium of the Fryga Supreme Judicial System. Standing on the accused side of the field; our failed public defender, a demon lord, an assassin, a monk, a drakon, a hybrid humanoid, and unfortunately one of BiFrost Comms own malfunctioning RAN model android."

Midnight screamed up at the ceiling, "We all have names you gargantuan ass hole!"

With genuinely unnerving laughter, Jenkins continued his introductions, "Speaking of gargantuan; weighing in at ninety metric tons, standing at an impressive 108.2 meters tall, I present to you..." At the farthest end of the stadium, as a series of bolts uncoupling and gears churning preceded the last twenty yard section of the floor opening up. "She is the ancient anvil of justice upon which you shall be battered. She is the Screaming Siren of Law and Order. Behold, her excellency and tremble before... the Grand Judicator!"

Before Kvaisr had a chance to run any further, he was paralized by a primal roar below the floor. If there had been a choir of panthers screaming in harmony with a bear the size of a skyscraper, one might have a general idea of the sound produced from under the stadium. Of course, its physical appearance was significantly more horrifying.

Having already run nearly to the edge of the stadium, Kvasir stood an arms length away from the open doorway beneath the white sand field. I wanted to call out to him. Warn him. But it was too late. A massive ivory hand, covered in jet black veins shot out from under the field and gripped the minute legal councilor in its palm. Kvasir couldn't even scream as he was lifted into the air only to be swiftly slammed back down into the sand. He was merely human paste with a single strike, but the Grand Judicator repeatedly beat its victim into the now flesh and blood coated field again, and again until there was nothing left.

Jenkins voice chastised us one final time, "This is the last you six will interfere with my attempt to save this world. May your meddlesome souls be swiftly sent to Hel."

That same massive hand was accompanied by a second, a third, and a fourth. Each massive paw adorned with razor sharp talons gripped the sides of the field and lifted the rest of the infernal beast out of its pit to meet us. What I had considered to be a featureless head without eyes or mouth was unfortunately not the case. Like a massive clamshell covered in rows upon rows of teeth opened up and released an ear splitting scream. Within the venus flytrap like face, was another open maw that was more beak like in nature. Eight pairs of eyes disproportionately smaller than expected ran up vertically from above the top of the beak to its forehead.

Four arms, two powerfully thick legs like a dozen trees bound together, a well armored head and body made for a challenging opponent. In addition to its grizzly body towering over us, two massive horns fixed behind its clam shell head were also preceded by a row of smaller horns that ran down the length of its back to its considerably long tail. Although my mind was busy calculating strategy to counter the Judicator's tail should it come into play, I was fixated on the horns.

Those horns reminded me of Marth.

Whatever was happening within his mind, that crazy bastard was actually right. Had we stayed within arms reach of their bureaucratic nightmare, we would have suffered a slow death. This harrowing beast however? This was a nightmare we were more than equipped to handle. In this space, especially without a crowd or any other collateral damage to consider, was inadvertently our best case scenario for survival.

Without any reservations about displaying my strength, I easily broke free from my steel restraints. The shattered bits of metal flew through the air. Having freed myself, I quickly broke my hearts desire out of captivity.

"Are you okay?" I asked Luna fully aware of the obvious calamity before us.

She nodded and embraced me tightly, "Gene," Luna whispered, "just because there's a building sized monster about to devour us, doesn't let you off the hook. You will finish your sentence after we've beaten that thin."

I stroked the top of her head between Luna's ears, and promised, "As you wish."

Breaking free of their own restraints, Midnight had begun to shift into her dragon form; scales already protruding along her arms. Kazuna simply flexed and the steel chains disengaged, falling to the floor. Standing at the ready, it may have been possible that Karma had never been restrained at all. Marth released a deeply disturbing battle cry and snapped free of his bonds.

They all looked at me now. This time however, my deepest fears had already been realized. No longer was I afraid of what had become of my body. There would be time later to question my humanity. My greatest fear, failing to confess myself to Luna had already been realized. Despite lacking the words, she knew. I could see it in those ruby red eyes staring back at me.

Now, colossal monster or not, I had a blood oath to keep.

Clenching my fists and directing my attention to the foe before us I commanded, "Misfits, ready yourselves for war."