Delta Outpost – Midday
The sun didn't rise much over Delta Outpost. It loomed instead—like a distant god half-interested in shining its light on a battlefield that barely mattered. Shadows clung to the walls of the watchtower, and the corrupted mists still curled around the edges of the outpost's barricades. Yet the central training field was clear, swept of ash and debris, marked with fresh lines of white chalk.
A makeshift arena.
Word had spread quickly. Soldiers, mercenaries, and even healers who rarely stepped out of the medical tents had gathered along the perimeter. The promise of a fight—especially one involving a platinum guild heir and a newly ascended S-rank—was more than enough to stir up excitement.
But for Hiro and his team, it wasn't about the crowd.
It was about what the fight represented.
Inside the eastern barracks, the air was tense.
