Chapter 12

Carl and his team arrive at Hungry Eyes Village, a safe-room cul-de-sac with nine garage doors where teams gather between races. They encounter Radoslav and Jasha (bugbears), then witness an elaborate ninja performance by Chiyome and her two companions from team The Wild Hunt before the garage door to third place begins to open, revealing womantaurs.

Carl exits the garage to find their truck placed seventh in a circular cul-de-sac ringed by nine numbered garage doors, with a skull-marked door at one end. A small portal leads to a neon settlement beyond. Radoslav and Jasha, bugbears relaxing with beer and lawn chairs, greet them warmly. Radoslav offers Carl beers, which Carl accepts after initially declining peach-flavored varieties. The garage door marked four suddenly opens, and three short bipedal figures in ninja suits emerge and perform an elaborate acrobatic display, eventually stopping in attack poses. Carl cannot examine them due to magical suits, but Donut identifies them as foxes. By examining their eyes, Carl learns the central figure is Chiyome, a Level 80 Razor Fox Mistress of Nunchaku from team The Wild Hunt. After the performance, the other two ninjas flip away and disappear through the portal. Chiyome relaxes, reveals her face, and joins Radoslav and Carl for beers. She explains the performance was a team casting called Size Up to assess their capabilities. Chiyome then expresses concern about teams in first, second, and especially third place, warning they must work together to stop the womantaurs in third place from winning. As she speaks, the third garage door begins to open.