Noel adjusted the strap of Revenant Fang at his left hip, making sure it sat comfortably before heading for the arena. He had roughly ten minutes before his match began—enough time to arrive without rushing, but not enough to waste.
"See you," he said over his shoulder.
Roberto waved lazily from where he sat. "Yeah, good luck. I hope you get farther than I did, at least. And don't get distracted by anything, by accident or otherwise."
"I wouldn't, even without your warning," Noel replied, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Roberto leaned back in his chair, smirking right back. "Don't come crying to me later saying I didn't warn you."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Noel gave him a casual wave before turning down the corridor.
The noise of the waiting area faded behind him, replaced by the low hum of magical wards built into the arena's infrastructure. His footsteps echoed softly against the stone floor, the faint vibrations of the ongoing matches rumbling through the walls.
