The cosmic arena buzzed with conversations in dozens of different languages. The 64 combatants sized each other up, some with curiosity, others with barely concealed hostility.
Naruto approached the nearest group - a young man with orange hair carrying a massive sword, a boy in a hero costume who was muttering to himself, and what looked like... a blue slime?
"Hey! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage! Well, I already am..." He scratched his head. "It's complicated. What about you guys?"
"Ichigo Kurosaki," the swordsman replied. "And you?" He looked at the slime with confusion.
"Rimuru Tempest," the slime answered with a surprisingly warm voice. "Nice to meet you all!"
"A talking slime..." Saitama muttered. "Well, I've seen worse. I'm Saitama, hero for fun."
---
On the other side of the arena...
Goku was already chatting with a group of particularly imposing fighters. A man with silver hair and red eyes looked at him with a mixture of amusement and interest.
"So you're a Saiyan?" asked Anos Voldigoad. "Interesting. I'm Anos, Demon King of Destruction."
"Demon King?" Goku tilted his head. "You look super strong! I can't wait to fight you!"
"Hmph," Vegeta grunted as he approached. "Another pretender to the title of strongest? We'll see about that."
A crystalline laugh echoed near them. A young girl with pink hair and a magical aura was watching them.
"How cute," Madoka said with a smile that seemed to contain entire galaxies. "You still measure your strength in such... linear ways."
Something in her voice made even Vegeta shiver.
---
In a quieter corner...
Mob silently observed the assembly, his psychic powers allowing him to sense the ambient emotions. So much aggression, so much excitement... and something else. A presence that worried him.
"You feel it too?" A soft voice resonated near him.
He turned toward a young man with blonde hair and green eyes, accompanied by a golden Stand floating behind him.
"Giorno Giovanna," the stranger introduced himself. "And you?"
"Shigeo Kageyama. Most people call me Mob." He looked around. "There's something wrong here. This energy... it shouldn't exist."
Giorno nodded gravely. "Gold Experience Requiem senses the same thing. As if reality itself were... unstable."
---
At the center of the arena...
The mysterious organizer watched the interactions with satisfaction. Everything was proceeding as planned. 64 of the most powerful multiversal warriors, all gathered in one place.
"My champions," his voice resonated again, interrupting all conversations. "It is time to discover your opponents."
The giant board in the sky lit up, names appearing one by one:
FIRST ROUND - SOME REVEALED MATCHUPS:
Naruto Uzumaki vs Monkey D. Luffy
Goku vs Saitama
Ichigo Kurosaki vs Sung Jin-Woo
Rimuru Tempest vs Accelerator
Anos Voldigoad vs Mob
Giorno Giovanna vs Yhwach
A deadly silence fell over the arena.
"Eh?!" Naruto and Luffy looked at each other, surprised.
"Shishishi! We're gonna have to fight!" Luffy burst into laughter. "This is gonna be fun!"
"Yeah!" Naruto smiled back. "May the best man win!"
Goku was practically jumping in place as he looked at Saitama.
"Awesome! I've always wanted to fight someone who looked as strong as you!"
"Ah..." Saitama sighed. "I hope you'll give me a good fight. It's been a while since I had a real battle."
---
But in the shadows...
Some combatants weren't as enthusiastic. Yhwach observed Giorno with his omniscient eyes, already seeing thousands of possible futures.
"Interesting," he murmured. "A power that defies even my ability to see the future."
Accelerator studied the blue slime with scientific fascination.
"A being that defies the laws of physics... Perfect. I'll have the opportunity to test my limits."
Rimuru, meanwhile, sensed something familiar about several fighters. Auras that reminded him of Veldora, Guy Crimson... but more intense.
"Raphael," he thought. "Analyze the power levels around us."
Response: Impossible. Several entities present exceed known measurement parameters. Recommendation: Maximum caution.
---
The organizer spoke one final time:
"You have 24 hours to prepare. Use this time wisely. Tomorrow, the first battles will begin. May the one who truly deserves the title of Absolute Champion reveal themselves!"
He disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the 64 warriors alone in the cosmic arena.
The atmosphere was electric. Tomorrow, the debates that had raged for decades would finally find their answer.
Naruto vs Luffy. Goku vs Saitama. The titans were about to clash.
To be continued...
In the next chapter: Preparations intensify, alliances form, and the first secrets of the mysterious organizer begin to reveal themselves...