Kubo Village
Sweat dripped from her silver hair as she executed another perfect strike sequence, her emerald eyes blazing with the same fierce resolve that had kept her alive through fifteen years of exile.
"Hanan!" Drugo's voice cut through the stillness as he rushed toward her, his usually calm demeanor replaced by obvious agitation.
Hanan lowered her practice sword, wiping the perspiration from her brow. "What is it, Drugo? You look like you've seen a Red God."
"It's about Krad and Mist," Drugo panted, catching his breath. "They've been spotted at the Rage Tournament."
The practice sword slipped from Hanan's grasp, clattering against the stone ground. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "The Rage Tournament? But that's impossible. They would have told us if they were---."
"That's not all," Drugo continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "They weren't alone. There was a woman with them, someone none of our scouts recognized."
The words hit Hanan like a physical blow. Her mind raced through possibilities, each one more troubling than the last. The Rage Tournament was a legendary competition that attracted the most dangerous fighters from across the realm, warriors, mages, and creatures that existed only in nightmares.
"A woman?" Hanan's voice was barely audible, but Drugo caught the dangerous edge in her tone.
"Yes. Our informant said she had silver hair, almost like yours, but... different. There was something about her presence that made even seasoned fighters step back."
Hanan's fists clenched at her sides. Fifteen years of surviving in exile had taught her to read between the lines, to sense deception and hidden truths. Something was terribly wrong. Krad wouldn't keep secrets from her, not after everything they'd been through together.
"Summon Auntie Vice immediately," Hanan commanded, her voice taking on the regal authority she rarely displayed. "We're going to the Rage Tournament."
---
The intermission had passed too quickly, despite the emotional revelations that had shaken them all. Queen Hania's memories were still fragmented, returning in painful waves, but she insisted on watching Krad's next match.
"I need to see him fight," she had said, her voice steadier than her trembling hands suggested. "I need to understand the strength that freed me."
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"
The voice of the arena announcer echoed through enchanted crystal speakers embedded in the towering walls of the Sorsogon Coliseum. Spectators leaned forward in their magically cushioned seats, breathless with anticipation as the stage beneath them began to shift.
"WELCOME… TO THE SHADOW MAZE!"
The ground trembled.
An explosion of black mist surged from the center of the arena as gigantic stone panels rose from the floor like ancient tombs awakening. Within seconds, the circular arena transformed into a massive labyrinth, walls shifting, turning, reshaping the battlefield every few minutes. Twisting corridors, dead ends, trap tiles, and glowing runes formed a labyrinth of chaos and mystery.
"For our second round," the announcer continued, "we've crafted a battlefield not just of muscle and might, but of strategy, stealth, and survival. This maze will test our players' strength, their perception, and their ability to make split-second decisions. In the Shadow Maze, death can come from any direction."
Spotlights narrowed into two glowing teleport circles on opposite ends of the maze.
The names flickered across floating holograms above the coliseum:
"MOON FIST" vs. "SHADOW DANCER"
A hush fell.
Everyone in the crowd leaned in.
Krad stood at the threshold of the maze, bouncing on his feet. He rolled his shoulders, cracked his knuckles, and whispered to himself, "Okay, self. This is just like hide-and-seek."
"AND REMEMBER!" the announcer bellowed, "THE WINNER OF THIS ROUND WILL EARN AN EXCLUSIVE ADVANTAGE! While the rest of our semifinalists continue to battle it out, the victor here will be granted a full day's rest before the final round!"
The audience gasped.
"That's right!" the announcer's voice boomed. "One step closer to glory, and a tactical edge that could change EVERYTHING in the finals!"
Krad's eyes lit up.
"Wait, so if I win, I get a nap, eat, AND a tactical advantage? Best. Day. Ever."
The crowd's roar was deafening, but Krad barely heard it. His attention was focused on the other side of the maze, where his opponent was emerging from the shadows like a wraith given form.
Shadow Dancer Kira moved with a fluid grace that seemed to defy physics. Her lithe form was wrapped in form-fitting black leather that absorbed light rather than reflecting it. Her face was hidden behind a mask of polished obsidian, but her eyes visible through narrow slits, glowed with an eerie purple light. What made her truly unsettling wasn't her appearance, but the way she moved. Each step seemed to blend seamlessly with the shadows around her, making it difficult to track her exact position.
"So," Kira's voice drifted across the arena, seeming to come from multiple directions at once. "You're the one who defeated Ragnar. I watched that match with interest."
"Yeah, well," Krad raised his fists, trying to project confidence he didn't entirely feel. "Hope you enjoyed the show. This one's gonna be even better."
"I'm sure it will be," Kira replied, and even through the mask, Krad could hear the smile in her voice. "Though I suspect you'll find me a very different opponent than the Blade Emperor."
Without warning, she simply... vanished.
Not quickly, not in a blur of motion, she was there one moment and gone the next, as if she had never existed at all.
"What the---" Krad spun around, his enhanced reflexes screaming warnings. His system interface flickered to life.
DING!
System Alert!
Enemy Status: Completely Invisible
Recommended Action: Panic Moderately
"Panic moderately?" Krad whispered incredulously. "That's your advice?"
Well, full panic would be counterproductive, but a little panic keeps you alert!
"You're the worst combat system ever," Krad muttered, then raised his voice. "Alright, shadow lady! I can't see you, but I can still fight!"
Silence answered him, broken only by the distant murmur of the crowd. The shadow maze seemed to pulse around him, the darkness growing deeper and more oppressive with each passing second.
Then he felt it, the slightest disturbance in the air behind him. Not wind, not movement, but something subtler. A presence that didn't belong.
Krad threw himself forward just as something razor-sharp whistled through the space where his head had been. He rolled, came up in a crouch, and spun to face his attacker.
Nothing.
"Invisible blade techniques," he breathed, understanding flooding through him. "You're not just hiding yourself, you're hiding your weapons too."
"Very good," Kira's voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. "Most opponents never figure that out before they're dead."
Another disturbance in the air, this time from his left. Krad ducked, feeling the whisper of steel pass inches from his ear. He lashed out with his fist, but struck only empty air.
"This is impossible," he muttered, his eyes darting around the maze. "How am I supposed to fight someone I can't see?"