The three platforms had merged into one circular field.
No walls.
No barriers.
Just open sky in every direction.
The system timer continued counting down.
19:12.
No one moved immediately.
That alone said everything.
Han Qian adjusted his footing slightly.
Not aggressive.
Just stabilizing center alignment.
Arin Vale remained relaxed, but his gaze was constantly shifting measuring angles, spacing, wind flow.
Zhao Ren stayed near the outer edge.
Not defensive.
Just neutral.
Position mattered.
Center gave visibility.
Edge gave leverage.
The first move would reveal more than any skill display.
Arin moved first.
Not forward.
Sideways.
A subtle shift in momentum.
The air around him felt heavier for a fraction of a second.
Momentum Shift.
Zhao Ren felt the change.
Not force.
Not push.
But balance distortion.
Han Qian stepped lightly to compensate.
Adaptive Growth activating quietly.
He adjusted faster the second time the distortion occurred.
Arin smiled faintly.
He was testing response time.
Not trying to overpower.
Zhao Ren did not counter.
He observed.
Threat Detection tracked intention rather than motion.
Arin's movements were probing.
Han Qian's responses were tightening.
Both were revealing patterns.
Han Qian moved toward Arin.
Not explosive.
Just controlled forward pressure.
Arin pivoted, allowing Han Qian's advance to carry slightly off-line.
Momentum Shift activated again.
Han Qian's step extended half a pace more than intended.
Small imbalance.
Minimal.
But visible.
Zhao Ren saw it clearly.
Han Qian's ability was reactive scaling.
Arin's was proactive redirection.
Different philosophies.
Neither wasted energy.
Zhao Ren remained still.
Conserving.
Waiting.
If the two focused on each other
Openings would emerge.
Arin redirected momentum once more
But this time toward Zhao Ren.
A light force pressed against his stance.
Testing.
Zhao Ren lowered center of gravity instantly.
Titan Regeneration stabilized micro-strain.
He did not step back.
He stepped forward instead.
Breaking the redirection line.
Arin's expression sharpened slightly.
Unexpected resistance.
Han Qian noticed that too.
Now all three were aligned closer.
Distance reduced.
Tension increased.
Zhao Ren activated Stat Compression briefly
But only partially.
Not full output.
Just enough to increase Agility for a short burst.
He repositioned cleanly toward the center edge.
Not attacking.
Rebalancing control.
Arin attempted another momentum shift.
Han Qian adapted faster this time.
His footwork sharpened.
Each exchange was becoming smaller.
Cleaner.
More efficient.
Energy conservation mattered.
Twenty minutes was not long
But inefficient movement would accumulate cost.
The three began circling naturally.
No strikes.
No heavy impacts.
Just controlled displacement.
Each survivor tried to subtly force the others closer to the platform edge.
Small angles.
Small steps.
Constant calculation.
Zhao Ren felt it clearly now
This was not a fight of strength.
It was a contest of stability.
Who misjudged weight transfer.
Who reacted half a second too slow.
Who allowed momentum to compound.
Han Qian stepped slightly wider.
Arin capitalized.
Redirected again.
But this time
Zhao Ren moved simultaneously.
Disrupting the angle.
Han Qian regained balance.
Arin retreated half a step.
For the first time
All three had engaged at once.
No one had fallen.
No one had overcommitted.
The system voice echoed faintly.