Adventure Time Rebellion: Fight for the Throne

Chapter 50: Fire Kingdom (3)

After a moment of inspecting himself again in the lava's reflection, he tilted his head and nodded. "Not bad. Might keep this look."

Within minutes, he reached the edge of the Fire Kingdom's capital and joined the stream of locals entering through one of the outer gates. His eyes scanned everything—the layout, the architecture, the people, the guards. Nothing escaped his attention. He moved calmly, unnoticed, like he belonged there.

The city pulsed with heat and activity. Obsidian towers stretched skyward, their windows glowing from the eternal fires burning inside. Steam hissed from vents in the streets. Locals walked with purpose, adorned in flame-colored garments, their skin bearing the sun's kiss and their eyes sharp with fireborn lineage.

Even in Finn's first life, his memories of this place were sparse. He had only visited the Fire Kingdom twice—and only in the company of the Fire Princess herself. Back then, it had felt like walking through a dream of molten steel and red smoke. Now, here alone, it felt even more alien.

The people here knew almost nothing about Finn Martin. His name was little more than a rumor, a half-remembered tale brought back by the rare travelers who left and returned.

"How much is this?" Finn asked as he passed a street vendor. He had picked up a small black cube that flickered with tiny flames—candy, apparently.

"Three red coins, boy. That's my specialty candy—famous all over this area," the elderly shopkeeper replied, stroking his charred gray beard. His voice was gravelly but warm, speaking in the local dialect and using the Fire Kingdom's currency.

"Oh, I don't have that," Finn said nonchalantly as he dug into his pocket. Instead of red coins, he pulled out a bright, heavy gold piece and held it up between two fingers. "Will this do?"

The old man's eyes widened. "I-Is this real gold…" He snatched it, examined it under the firelight, and confirmed its authenticity with a silent nod.

"I'll take that as a yes," Finn said with a shrug and tossed the candy into his mouth.

The flames didn't bother him at all. His body absorbed the heat without a blink. But the taste—

"Yuck," he groaned immediately, eyes squinting. "So much for 'famous candy'." He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, trying to get rid of the charcoal flavor. "Tastes like burnt socks dipped in ash."

Just then, a voice caught his ear. A girl's voice—sharp, energetic.

"Did you hear what the queen announced today?"

Finn stopped mid-step. His head tilted slightly as he tuned in.

"No, is there really something I don't know about?" her friend replied, tone rising with curiosity.

"You dummy," the first one said, exasperated. "Just three hours ago, the Blazing Blade released an emergency bulletin. There's going to be a huge tournament at the palace—two weeks from now. Ordered by the queen herself. How do you not know this?"

"A tournament?" the second girl repeated. "What for? Is she turning her palace guards' training into a public event?"

"No, no. If that were the case, she would've limited it to the guards. But the announcement was sent to all the sects—big and small," the first girl said while twirling her finger dramatically.

"All sects?! Including the Golden Sun Sect?" the second one asked, voice hushed in awe. "What is she trying to prove?"

"I don't really know," the first girl whispered, leaning in. "But I think she's got a few elite participants lined up and she wants them to shine. Rebuild the palace's rep a little—you know how much it's suffered ever since the Golden Sun Sect started gaining popularity."

Finn smiled faintly as he listened, having remained just close enough to hear it all.

He stepped forward casually and addressed them. "Excuse me, ladies… where can I register?"

The girls turned, mid-conversation—and for a moment, they both froze. The young man standing before them looked like he had walked straight out of a volcano. His skin glowed, his eyes burned, and his face—handsome, angular, confident—struck them both dumb for a few seconds.

One of them pointed nervously down the road. "Uh… t-that way. That building with the black roof and flame banner."

"Thanks." Finn gave a small nod and walked off.

Moments later, he stepped through the open doorway of a sleek obsidian structure. Inside, a single young man sat slouched behind a long wooden desk, chin resting on one hand, barely awake.

"This where you register for the Fire Dragon Tournament?" Finn asked as he approached.

The man jerked up, startled. "Oh—yes, yes! Sorry, I didn't expect anyone so soon. Two weeks still to go, and all…" He gave a nervous chuckle, fumbling with a scroll and quill. Judging by his tone and posture, he was used to dealing with representatives of powerful sects, not strangers wandering in off the street.

He straightened and cleared his throat. "Name of your noble sect?"

"No sect," Finn replied, calm as ever.

The man blinked. The quill in his hand hovered in place, frozen midair.

Then he laughed. A single chuckle turned into a snort, then into full-on hysterics.

"Hahaha… oh wow… hahahahaha…" He slapped the table, barely able to contain himself. "You want to—hahaha—join the tournament… without a sect? Are you insane?!"

Finn didn't react. He simply looked at him, waiting.

"Okay, okay," the man wheezed, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. "Guess we're in for a hilarious first-round execution. All right, let's go through the motions. How old are you?"

"Fourteen," Finn answered plainly.

The registrar opened his mouth to mock him again… but stopped. There was something in Finn's tone—his eyes—that wasn't joking.

"W-What's your name?" the man asked, finally unsure if this was a prank or a trap.

"Finn Ma…" Finn paused, just briefly. If the Fire Princess saw his name during the tournament, everything could fall apart .

"…Omar Briandes."