The clash of steel and the roar of the crowd blurred into background noise as Noel tightened his grip on Revenant Fang. His breath came steady but deliberate, every sense locked on the dwarf's erratic movements. The black mark on the opponent's neck pulsed faster, its dark veins spreading like ink under skin.
Noel shifted to his right, ready to intercept the next charge—then, for a reason he couldn't explain, his gaze flicked upward.
High above, in the directors' balcony, Torwan was watching him. The man sat with one leg crossed, posture casual, and a smile curved lazily across his face. It wasn't the smugness of a man enjoying a good fight—it was the certainty of someone who already knew the ending.
That heartbeat of distraction was all it took.
The dwarf exploded forward with a speed that shredded the air. Noel turned too late—
BANG!
