Operation: Chimera Part 8 (Yang Xiao Long TF)

This is an agent’s logbook from the organization Hiro-Shima. Contents are highly classified. Should you find this document and not be part of the secret organization Hiro-Shima, we ask you to return it to the nearest agent as quickly as possible. 

Agent Logbook 8

Case Codename: Cage Fight Throwdown

Agent in Charge: Yang Xiao Long

Mission Summary:
There have been whispers lately about an underground fight club named Iron Arena operating in the depths beneath the old industrial district of Zugavior. A brutal place where strength rules, secrets are traded like currency, and fortunes are won or lost in blood.

Ordinarily, we wouldn’t pay much attention to it. Street-level brawlers punching each other senseless isn't exactly high on our list of concerns.

But recent intelligence suggests that Aza-Gisa has somehow taken an interest in the fights. We don't know what they're planning, only that several known operatives have been seen entering and leaving the arena disguised as fighters, staff, and even spectators, and whenever Aza-Gisa gets involved in something this shady, it’s never just for sport.

Thus we call for Operation "Cage Fight Throwdown". Your mission is to infiltrate the underground fight club as a competitor. You'll need to earn your way into the tournament, climb the ranks, and get close enough to figure out what the enemy agency is after, and stop them before they pull it off.

Keep in mind: in the Iron Arena, failure isn’t just a loss. It's a knockout, a broken bone, or worse. Fight smart, fight hard, and stay alert. We expect the enemy to play dirty, and they won't be the only ones.

Good luck, agent.

Agent Preparation: 

Audio log start.

Alright, I just want to throw something down on protocol right now before we all start. Coming to me when you need someone to throw down in a cage fight? Hell yeah you made the right choice. 

That said, I am pretty confident in my strength already. I mean, If you've heard the name, you already know what I am all about, you know what I mean? So why did you do all… this?

Yeah, yeah, I get it. Power boosts are fair game. Still weird, though. Whatever, moving on. 

You said you had things you needed me to say? I'm ready. Shoot away~

You got it, captain! The name’s Yang Xiao Long, punchmaster and apparently now also snake empress extraordinaire. Long story short: I’m a huntress, Ember Cecilia’s my team and partner, and breaking stuff is what I do best. Stick with me and you’ll see.

Huh? You mean that freaky room you shoved me into — the “Chimera Maker,” or whatever it was called?

Yeah, that thing was wild. I’ve seen some weird tech in my time, but I’ve never seen something that could just… Safely mash humans together with monsters. No pain, no screaming, no "Oops, guess you’re a puddle now." Just walk in normal and walk out... Well, this.

Alright, you wanted details, right? Let’s start with the obvious one. My hair. Or, uh… snakes.

Yeah, my hair’s a bunch of little snakes now. Tons of them. They’re basically alive and moving around on their own — and honestly? They’ve got the same kind of attitude I do. Little spitfires. I don’t know if they’re, like, thinking on their own or just vibing off me, but either way, they’re kind of awesome.

Also a little distracting. I caught one trying to bite my drink straw earlier. Gotta keep an eye on that.

Next up, the fox ears. Yeah, yeah, I know — weird combo, snake and fox stuff, but honestly? They’re kinda cute, and practical! Pretty sure my hearing’s better now. I can hear people whispering two rooms over. Not that I’m nosy or anything. (Okay, maybe a little.)

Oh, right, and then there’s this thing.

–faint flicking sound–

Snake tongue. Just kinda... flicks out sometimes without me thinking about it. It's a little annoying when it happens in the middle of a sentence, but otherwise? Not bad. Feels sharp. Quick. Good for, you know, tasting the air and all that. Very monster-chic.

Oh! Right, almost forgot the tails.

I’ve got four of them now. Golden, fluffy, fox tails. And when I say fluffy, I mean fluffy. Like, distractingly fluffy. Pretty sure I could make a fortune just charging people to pet 'em. They're kinda heavy too, but somehow they don't slow me down at all. Actually feels like I’m faster now? Way more balanced, at least. Built-in counterweights.

And speaking of heavy…

You seen my hands yet? Look at this thing.

Yeah, one of them’s basically a massive claw now. So big, scaled, sharp. Twice the size it used to be. I could probably punch through a car if I tried. Heck, even my robot arm got a glow-up! They scaled it up so I wouldn’t look lopsided, which, thanks by the way. Would’ve been awkward clobbering people with a noodle arm and a wrecking ball.

– Pauses, small chuckle. –

Legs too — you probably noticed. Total reptile vibes. Big claws, thick scales running all the way up my thighs. Not gonna lie, it’s a look. I’m half expecting someone to throw a knight at me to "slay the dragon." Spoiler alert: The dragon punches back.

– Laughs again, then shifts tone to something a little smug. –

And then there's this.

– slight flexing noise, maybe some fabric shifting. –

Seriously, I am jacked. Like, look at me. Biceps for days, abs popping even through this shirt. I’m not even flexing right now anymore. This is just how I am. Peak performance, baby.

– Pause, thoughtful hum. –

Yeah, no. This outfit isn’t gonna cut it anymore.

– More fabric noise. Sound of clothes being adjusted, ripped or tossed aside. –

Much better. Black sports bra, shorts. Clean. Simple. Lets me breathe. Also lets everyone appreciate the view a little more, right?

Hey, don’t think I didn’t catch you staring, science guy. Like what you see? Laughs. Don’t worry, you’re only human.

Oh, and uh... guess I should mention.

– Pause, slight awkward cough. –

My boobs and butt kinda got a major upgrade too. Like, seriously. I noticed when I was changing, but I didn’t really think much of it. I mean, monster girls in all the old stories? They always had, you know... assets. Comes with the territory, right?

Small chuckle.

Wait, what? That wasn’t on purpose?

– Yang laughed loud and genuine –

You’re telling me that’s a bug in the machine?! Pfft. Honestly? You might wanna not fix that one. Just saying. Half the girls I know would kill for boobs half the size I’m rocking now.

Anyway, enough about the upgrades. I’m feeling good. Better than good. I’m ready to hit the ground running — or, you know, hit a few faces.

Climb the ranks, smash anyone dumb enough to get in my way, rise to the top... And punch the enemy agent straight into next week.

– Sound of a heavy flex — muscle shifting under skin — and a chair scraping back as Yang stands up. –

Let’s get this show on the road. (Man, I’m gonna break so many bones...)

Audio log end.

Day 1:

Audio log start.

Yo, Captain. Reporting in after Day One at the Iron Arena.

Gotta say, it went about as good as it possibly could’ve. That participation ticket you guys cooked up? Worked like a charm. They didn’t even blink when I handed it over. Just waved me right in. No questions, no drama. Honestly, I’m a little disappointed. Was kinda hoping for at least one "You don’t look like you belong here" so I could punch someone early.

Anyway… fights. I had four big ones today. Three of 'em? Total cakewalk. Didn’t even have to bring out the heavy punches. The last one gave me a bit more of a workout — some big bruiser who thought charging headfirst was a strategy. Cute, right? Still flattened him. Nothing I couldn’t handle.

I also figured out how they’re running this place. Turns out the Iron Arena’s got a whole ranking system. Makes sense, right? Keep the noobs from getting splattered too early. They started me at Rank 10 — bottom of the ladder. Real rookie territory. Not much going on down there. Hardly any important people watching, no real betting action either. Just warm-up rounds for the cheap seats.

And as for the enemy agents... no clue yet. If Aza-Gisa’s crawling around here, they’re not hanging out where the amateurs are. Makes sense. If I wanna find them, I’m gonna have to climb.

So here’s the plan: I’m gonna enter a few more late-night fights. Smash my way up the rankings. Get into the big leagues where all the real action — and the real threats — are hiding.

Shouldn’t be too hard.

Catch you tomorrow.

Audio log end.

Day 2:

Audio log start.

Yo, Captain. Day Two check-in.

Still feeling good out here, better than good, actually. Fighting nonstop’s really paying off. Dunno if it’s the monster upgrades or just me being me, but I swear I recover faster than pretty much everyone else here. While the other fighters are limping around and sucking wind, I’m already bouncing around ready for round two. Kinda love it.

And hey, guess what? People are finally starting to bet on me. I’m sitting at Rank 7 now. Took a while, and about twenty faces introduced to my fists along the way, but hey, now things are actually getting interesting. You can feel the shift when you're out there. Bigger crowds. Louder cheers. The whole arena’s starting to wake up when I step in.

Not gonna lie... That rush when the crowd's screaming your name? It’s addictive.

– A slight pause with humming noise –

But yeah. Not everything’s sunshine and uppercuts.

Last fight was... weird. Right before it started, someone from the stands tossed in a donation or whatever they call it. Some little rule change they can buy with money. Apparently, that meant I had to fight in handcuffs. Real ones. And if I broke 'em? Automatic loss.

And uh, yeah... I lost. Not because the other fighter was good. Nah, she barely even touched me. It’s just… those handcuffs were garbage. I couldn’t even swing properly. Couldn’t even get one solid hit in.

Yang's tongue clicked in irritation.

Something’s fishy. Real fishy.

I’m gonna poke around a bit tomorrow. Figure out how those donation rules work. Now that I actually have some fans, people betting on me, I’m not about to let some cheap stunt screw me over. I’m not here to disappoint the people putting their money and cheers behind me.

Catch you tomorrow.

Audio log end.

Day 3:

Audio log start.

Yo, Captain. Day Three.

Not gonna sugarcoat it… today sucked.

I made it to Rank 5. Thought I was flying. But ever since I got here... It’s been nothing but loss after loss after loss.

Every damn time! Every single fight…! I’m the stronger one. Everyone knows it. Most of the crowd even bets on me. You can hear it. They want me to win. And still... I lose.

Because when the fight’s as good as over, when I’ve got them on the ropes, when I’m about to crush it, some genius up in the stands throws a donation. Some cheap little "help" that gives my opponent an edge. Free armor, a magic shield, a sudden strength boost, whatever they feel like.

And yeah, sure, these fighters aren’t scrubs anymore. They're good. But I’m better. Without those damn donations tipping the scale, they'd be eating dirt.

It’s not fair. It’s just not fair.

I didn’t come here to get jerked around. I came here to win. To crush it. To get the prize, the fame, the name at the top.

I want it. I want it so bad it’s driving me nuts. I wanna—augh!

THUD!!

Yang punched something solid, followed by her stomping her scaled foot hard.

Then... the sound of footsteps approaching. 

...Who are you?

Audio log cuts off sharply.

Day 4:

Audio log start.

Heya, Captain. Or, uh, should I say...

Queen reporting in.

Man, it feels good to finally be winning.

I’m fighting with the top dogs now. Rank 2, baby. Rank. Freaking. Two. And I’m not stopping anytime soon. Feels like I’m finally the protagonist of this little story, right where I belong.

Turns out, with the right contacts, and a few generous backers, climbing the ranks is easy. You just gotta know how to play the game. Take some ridiculous mission like "Five Rank 4s versus one Rank 3."

Fight just well enough to get people hyped. Make it look like you’re about to lose. Wait a little... then boom, a little outside assistance. Flatten everyone. Crowd goes nuts. Bets go crazy. It’s glorious.

Winning’s the best feeling in the world. Especially when it’s raining gold. Between the prizes I’m pulling in and the bet money I’m stacking up, thanks to a few bets placed under a different name, of course, I'm practically swimming in it.

Ahahaha~

The fans love me too. They’re screaming my name like I’m a goddess. Sure, when it looks like I’m losing, they panic and bet against me, but that’s just part of the dance. Poor saps don’t even know the donations are rigging things behind the scenes. They think I’m pulling miracle comebacks on pure guts. Adorable.

And the best part? Those extra rules and donations, none of it’s public. No announcements. No warnings. Just a little invisible nudge here, a little edge there. The fighters get told everything, but the crowd is completely in the dark. It’s like being let in on the world’s best-kept secret.

Feels good to be in the know. Real good.

No way I’m going back to being some nobody stuck in Rank 5 again. Never.

And get this, I might’ve found an even richer backer than the great Sir Conrad who approached me yesterday. Someone real serious. Real money. Real power.

The Ironfox Snakequeen’s only got one direction to go, and that’s straight to the top.

Catch you tomorrow.

Audio log end.

Day 5:

Audio log start.

Hey there, Chief. Or should I say... Future business partner?

Big news today, not that you haven’t heard it already.

I’m not just Rank 1 anymore. I’m the Number One in Rank 1. Top of the top. Tippity-top.

Naturally, the match was legendary.

Punch for punch. Heart-stopping moments. Down to the final blow.

And completely rigged from the very start.

Sorry, sweetheart. Should’ve gotten yourself a better backer. Maybe next time.

But hey, that’s showbiz. Gotta keep it interesting, right? Word is, they wanna set up some stupid power triangle now.

Me, some harpy girl — forgot her name — and that old champ, Trainfist Gontor.

Like, I care.

Their little plans mean nothing to me. These individual fights? Meaningless.

The people pulling the strings? Meaningless.

Loyalty? Pfft. Please.

The way I see it?

The highest bidder gets the queen’s favor. Simple as that.

So, Chief... if you’re feeling lucky, and rich, let’s talk.

Come by tomorrow. I’ll reserve you a nice little VIP seat, just for you.

You can watch live as our bank accounts skyrocket.

Oh, and another thing. These little audio logs?

Yeah, they’re getting exhausting.

You really think the great Ironfox Snakequeen’s gonna keep working for free?

Nah. If you want my voice sweetening your files, bets for tomorrow’s match start at half a million.

See you there, Captain~

Audio log ends with a cocky click.

Case Codename: Cage Fight Throwdown

Agent in charge: Yang Xiao Long

Objective: Find out why agents of Aza-Gisa are in the underground fight club called Iron Arena. Rising in the ranks of the club might be necessary.
Result: Never have I seen someone ignore the mission objective more than with this mission. Yang has become the queen of Iron Arena by completely embracing the corruption of that place. As such, we still know nothing about the agents of Aza-Gisa.

Mission failed. We are still exactly where we started.

—

It turned out that Hiroshima needed one more agent for one last mission. This time will surely be a success, right…?