156: Claim Chapter 155!

Silence fell over the van once again, but compared to the previous sheer oppression, there seemed to be a bit more of... a complex, bittersweet emotion. Jang Wonyoung was still covering her ears with her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly. It was unclear if she was still angry or silently digesting this cruel reality—she, the little princess of Starship and the visual of IZ*ONE, had truly become one of the official spokespersons for "orion pie Fanatics," and all of this was "thanks" to that devil Producer's "creativity."

The van continued to drive toward Myeong-dong. With every kilometer they approached, the atmospheric pressure inside the car seemed to drop a notch. The girls looked out their respective windows, some closing their eyes to rest, others staring blankly; no one spoke. However, an invisible, tragic bond named "sharing the same fate" and "going to the execution ground together" was quietly strengthening in the silence.

They didn't know specifically what was waiting for them, but based on their "understanding" of Producer Jiang Zhi Yu, it would definitely be more "exciting" than yesterday's ramen shop, market, park, and amusement park combined.

Kwon Eunbi looked at the increasingly familiar Myeong-dong district signs outside the window, took a deep breath, and silently clenched her fists.

If we're going to die, we'll die together.

These words had been said yesterday; today, they would likely have to be put into practice once more.

The van slowly stopped at a temporary parking spot near the Myeong-dong filming area. Through the dark car windows, the members of IZ*ONE could already clearly see the crowded, noisy area cordoned off by fences.

The first thing that caught their eyes was an LED sign hanging high up, flickering with rainbow lights, with crooked but exceptionally eye-catching font—

"Astral Colosseum: Mortal World Warm-up Version"

Below it was a line of small text: "twelve star envoys: Mortal World Special Training Final Chapter – Now Playing!"

"A... Colosseum?"

Kwon Eunbi's voice was a bit dry. She thought she had misread it, or perhaps it was some exaggerated title for a variety show.

But immediately after, they saw the scene inside the "Colosseum."

When they left this morning, there were only empty stalls and props. But now, around the ring area circled with colored tape, simple spectator railings had actually been set up! Even more ridiculous was that directly in front of the ring, there was a "betting station" made temporarily out of cardboard boxes and wooden boards, covered with red velvet (which looked like a tablecloth)!

A staff member wearing an exaggerated top hat and a stuck-on mustache (looking comical) was standing behind the betting station, holding a megaphone and shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Come one, come all! Place your bets! Place your bets now!!"

"On the left! The Hello Kitty Yarn-Rolling Warrior from Planet Meow! Odds are 1 to 2.5!"

"On the right! The Golden Retriever Bone-Gnawing Brave from Planet Woof! Odds are 1 to 2!"

"The ultimate showdown! Toy Fish Bone vs. Toy Big Bone! Who will dominate the Myeong-dong Street Fighting Arena?!"

"Support the warrior in your heart! Cast your sacred (entertainment) vote for it! There are small gifts!"

In front of the betting station, a few passersby and tourists who just wanted to see the spectacle were actually gathered, pointing and gesturing with great interest. A few even pulled out change (or prop coins provided by the production team) to "place bets," triggering bursts of laughter.

And on the ring, the so-called "ultimate showdown" was underway.

On the left was the familiar staff member in a clean pink and white Hello Kitty mascot suit, but its "weapons" were no longer balls of yarn. Instead, it was clutching a giant, plastic, silver-glittering fish bone in each hand! It was clumsily waving the fish bones, "attacking" the opponent with slow movements full of the childishness of kindergarteners fighting.

On the right was the Golden Retriever mascot. It held two giant plastic bone clubs painted the color of meat bones. Facing Kitty's "Dual Fish Bone Attack," it adopted a "defensive counterattack" strategy, using the bone clubs to block in a cross (the plastic hitting plastic made a "clang-clang" sound). Occasionally, it would seize an opportunity to suddenly poke a bone club at the Kitty mascot's round belly (also a light touch).

The two mascots went back and forth, their movements deliberately slowed down and full of choreographed humor. This was accompanied by "Heh! Hah!" sound effects similar to old-school arcade fighting games played through a speaker by a staff member near the ring, as well as the flamboyant live commentary from the announcer (the staff member in the top hat) at the betting station:

"Oh! Contestant Kitty has unleashed a move: 'Pisces Tail Flick'! The attack range is huge! Contestant Golden is in danger!"

"Beautiful! Contestant Golden dodged with a 'Lazy Donkey Roll' (actually a clumsy side-step)! And counters with a 'Vicious Dog Heart-Pluck' (poking the belly with a bone club)!"

"Did it hit? It seems to have grazed the edge! Contestant Kitty stumbled! But she stabilized! As expected of a warrior born from rolling yarn, her lower body is very stable!"

"Friends in the audience, the outcome is hard to predict! Come and place your bets! Supporters of the final winner will have a chance to get a special commemorative sticker from our 'Astral Colosseum'!"

Next to the ring, there were also several hand-drawn, crooked "Combat Analysis Boards" with childish drawings of Kitty and a dog's head, annotated with fictional stats like "Power: ★★☆," "Agility: ★★★," "Weapon Proficiency: ★★★," and so on.

The whole scene was chaotic, noisy, and looked incredibly cheap, yet it carried a jaw-dropping, forcedly serious sense of absurd humor.

Inside the van, there was dead silence.

Twelve pairs of eyes were wide open, staring fixedly at the surreal sight outside the window.

The air seemed to freeze; even the sound of breathing was clearly audible.

A few seconds later.

"This..."

An Yujin opened her mouth and let out a single syllable, but didn't know what to say. Her mind was a complete blank, and she could only point out the window with her finger, her face a mix of shock, absurdity, and a "Am I dreaming?" expression.

"Is this... really the script we saw before about saving the Sun God??"

Kang Hye-won muttered to herself, her voice ethereal. She remembered that in the script outline, it was clearly about the twelve star goddesses descending to the mortal world to undergo trials to save the sick Sun God, collecting fragments of dawn immortal grass to fight against the evil Star Demon... Although she knew Producer Jiang would drastically change it, this...

"What on earth is this?!!!!"

Choi Yena finally couldn't help it and was the first to shout out, her voice full of the collapse of her worldview being shattered. Where was her sausage stall? Where was her Pisces Sausage Saintess? Why had it turned into a street mascot fighting casino?!

“Hello Kitty... and a Golden Retriever... fighting with fish bones and real bones?” Honda Hitomi's facial expression management had completely failed. She looked dazed, repeating what she saw in stiff Korean, trying to understand the logic behind it.

Kim Chaewon held her forehead, feeling her temples throbbing: "And a betting station... odds... an announcer... Producer Jiang... what exactly does he think this show is? A warm-up performance for a street busking circus?"

Jo Yuri had already given up on thinking. She buried her face in Kim Chaewon's shoulder beside her, and her muffled voice came through: "I don't want to look anymore... let me out of the car... I want to go home..."

Yabuki Nako's small face was filled with great confusion. She tugged on Kwon Eunbi's sleeve next to her and asked in a low voice, "Unnie... are we... also going up there... to fight them later?" She pointed at the two comically moving mascots outside the window.

Kwon Eunbi: "..."

As the leader, she was also at a loss for words. Any comfort, encouragement, or rational analysis seemed pale and powerless in the face of this utterly absurd scene. She could only stiffly turn her head toward Manager Oppa in the passenger seat, her eyes full of silent accusation and a plea for help: Oppa! Look! Look at what Producer Jiang has prepared?!