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    28 Results in the "Stairs of Paradox" category


    • SOP CH18: Seeming Like an Old Acquaintance Cover
      by Aria — Quicksand's daily schedule was carved into neat, distinct blocks. Waking early in the morning to eat a meal of overcooked bacon and charcoal sausages, spending the afternoon tidying up liquor bottles and cigarette packs in the bar, wiping away the drool left on the glass by drunkards, and sweeping the second floor whenever free time permitted. He came and went through Heart's and Diamond's rooms as if nobody were there, yet Madam Spades's quarters resembled a sealed sanctuary he never dared visit, the tip…
    • SOP CH17: Asamkhyeya Kalpa Cover
      by Aria — A week had passed in the blink of an eye since the duel to the death concluded. Rusted iron bars jutted sideways into the fractured ground like gnawed bones. With cages shattered and pillars broken, Clepsydra rebel members moved up and down through the ruins of the Blood Arena, busy salvaging the legacy left behind by the Time Entropy Group. Holding a cup of coptis tea, Quicksand gnawed on a straw as he wandered aimlessly through the wreckage. The stands had once been packed with spectators roaring…
    • SOP CH16: Life Like Morning Dew Cover
      by Aria — Memories surfaced hazily like scenery veiled behind mist. The goateed old man recalled that day long ago: dusk had not yet fully settled as he sat with Diamond in the dilapidated clinic, the street outside chopped into disjointed fragments by the shadows of hurried passersby. Diamond's lips parted and closed, his words falling upon the doctor's ears in a blur, like echoes resonating underwater. The goateed elder heard him smile and say: "The Clepsydra rebels need a leader, and Boss Hearts will serve a…
    • SOP CH15: Forging a Sword from Broken Remnants Cover
      by Aria — When the iron portcullis opened, the slaves surged out in a frenzy, like a massive school of sardines swimming with all their might. With the security robots under rebel control, most had shut down and squatted meekly along the corners of the walls. Clepsydra fighters with bronze water-clock tattoos pinned the Time Entropy Group personnel to the floor. The spectators scattered like birds and beasts, leaving the entire arena in a state of roiling pandemonium. Right at that moment, footage of the 2030…
    • SOP CH14: Clashing Against the Raging Tide Cover
      by Aria — The lights were stark white, hanging heavy in the air like slabs of iron. The ring was in utter disarray as security robots dragged Monkey Face and Heart off the platform, clearing an open space for the two duelists. Quicksand stared at the uninvited "Heart" on stage, feeling as though a wad of cotton was lodged in his throat, neither swallowing down nor coughing up. He recognized that frivolous voice and the shimmering, cool platinum-blonde hair. That was no "Heart" at all, but a fraudster he knew all…
    • SOP CH13: The Showdown of Aces Cover
      by Aria — Scarlet laser lights flickered overhead, pulsing like a beating heart. "Rust Bone" Sally gazed up at the dome, his consciousness blurred. It took him a second or two to recover his senses, hurriedly scrambling up to dodge an incoming attack. The gray-eyed youth slammed a fist into the canvas right beside his head. Even after absorbing the shock, the canvas cover and rubber matting were still smashed into a gaping hole. Sally spat a mouthful of saliva, thinking to himself, "What a…
    • SOP CH12: Making a Grand Entrance Cover
      by Aria — Two days had passed since the Clepsydra rebels launched their sudden raid. Chromium-alloy maintenance droids crawled up and down within the Blood Arena, welding steel pillars with mechanical tentacles and clearing rubble, restoring the arena to a brand-new state in less than a day. Through the lounge glass, Monkey Face watched the robots scuttling about like octopuses, holding a glass of Scotch whisky as the smoky aroma of the liquor dispersed across his palate. Tomorrow, a duel to the death would…
    • SOP CH11: Falling Like a Meteor Cover
      by Aria — An unknown time ago, along a roadside in the lower tier of Spiral City. The afternoon heat was sweltering, the air shimmering with a faint distortion. Outside a derelict bar stood a nylon umbrella, its aluminum shaft bent like the hunched spine of an old man. Two hardwood chairs sat beneath the canopy. A young man was seated there, cradling a desktop radio recorder, murmuring in a low voice: "...Dear listeners, today's broadcast of 'Echoes of Time' has reached its conclusion." "Today, we traveled…
    • SOP CH10: Hearts’ Past Cover
      by Aria — The neon signs lit up, and an artificial red sun hung outside the window, casting a blood-red light. In the room at Poker Bar, the robust man lay collapsed within the plush puff quilt, his breathing heavy and ragged. Quicksand sat before the bed, watching the unconscious man. Heart's chest rose and fell beneath the covers like rolling ocean waves. Just a day ago, the Clepsydra rebels had attacked the Time Entropy Group's 2030 Branch. However, their leader, Heart, had his body shattered by the punch…
    • SOP CH9: Defeated at the Outset Cover
      by Aria — "The Time Entropy Group 2030 Branch Blood Arena's Apricot Moon Tournament is about to begin! The contenders participating in this tournament are: 'Rust Bone' Sally, a former military-tech soldier who borrowed 2,777 hours of lifespan to treat the skeletal corrosion caused by defective cybernetic implants, with a record of 25 victories!" "'Flesh-and-Blood Engine' Marion, former three-time champion whose metabolism surged wildly following a failed genetic modification experiment, burning through 48 hours…
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