The arena lights hummed overhead, casting sharp shadows across the combat floor as Cassian Veyne stepped into the chalk-lined ring. A hush fell over the gathered students - this was the first time they'd see the mysterious transfer student fight.
Cassian rolled his shoulders, his gold-flecked eyes scanning the crowd with detached interest. He moved with an unsettling precision, every motion economical, as if he'd already calculated a thousand possible outcomes before the match began.
His opponent, Lira Voss, cracked her knuckles with a smirk. The wiry girl with the shaved undercut had earned a reputation for dirty tactics. Black tape wrapped around her fists hid scars from countless underground fights.
"Begin!"
Lira struck first, her real fist aiming for Cassian's throat while a ghostly second arm materialized from her shoulder, hooking toward his ribs.
Cassian didn't flinch.
He stepped into the blow, his left hand snapping up to catch Lira's wrist while his right forearm intercepted the phantom strike. For a fraction of a second, his skin flickered translucent where the intangible limb passed through.
Lira's eyes widened. "What the-"
Using her own momentum, Cassian twisted and hurled her over his hip. She hit the mat hard, rolling to her feet with a snarl. The crowd murmured - he'd predicted her signature move perfectly.
The second exchange came faster. Lira feinted high before driving her phantom fist toward Cassian's knee - a crippling blow that had ended many matches.
Cassian pivoted with eerie precision, his fingers brushing her forearm as he deflected the strike.
Then it happened.
A second, ghostly arm erupted from Cassian's shoulder.
The crowd erupted. Lira froze mid-swing. "No way you just-"
Cassian didn't smile. He simply adjusted his stance, testing the phantom limb's weight with clinical interest before striking.
His real fist jabbed forward - Lira blocked - but the copied phantom arm hooked around her guard, striking her solar plexus.
"Oof!"
She staggered. Cassian pressed the advantage, sweeping her legs out from under her. As she fell, his phantom arm pinned her wrist to the mat while his real hand hovered over her throat.
"Yield."
Silence. Then - "Winner: Cassian Veyne."
As the phantom limb dissolved into mist, Cassian offered a hand. Lira ignored it, pushing up with a bloody grin. "How long can you keep it?"
"Twenty-four hours," he said simply.
She wiped her lip, studying him with grudging respect. "You're a freak."
"Yeah."
Walking back through the murmuring crowd, Cassian's gaze found Kenneth's. The hybrid watched him with unreadable intensity.
For the first time, Cassian allowed himself the smallest smile.
Somewhere in the stands, Zarek cracked his knuckles, lightning dancing between his fingers. The real competition was just beginning.