The Vanguard arena was built to hold twelve thousand people at maximum capacity. Today it had somehow crammed in thirteen thousand, with crowds standing in aisles where security regulations explicitly forbade standing, pressed against railings that groaned under the collective weight, filling every available space with bodies and noise and anticipation.
Commander Drex Hithler stood in the center ring, his team arrayed behind him in a formation that looked casual but was actually precisely calculated for maximum intimidation. Seven fighters, not counting Drex himself. Every single one of them was third gen minimum. Two had EDF special operations backgrounds. Three carried awakened abilities with classifications that made regular combatants nervous. One had fought at Harbingers front lines and walked away when most of her unit hadn't. Another had personally defeated six faction champions in previous challenges, collecting their organizations like trophies.
