The crowd stays locked onto the central clash—Velira and Dvrick exchanging savage blows under a sky of broken mana and fire. The arena rumbles. Screams and gasps echo like thunder.
But in the far corner of the stage—just outside the spotlight—a different kind of fight is happening.
No magic projection is tracking it.
No camera orb hovers overhead.
But a few sharp-eyed spectators near the lower stands have noticed.
"Hey," one guy mutters, leaning forward in his seat, squinting past the haze and dust. "That guy over there—do you see him?"
His friend blinks, confused. "Huh? Who?"
"There." He points. "That one. Look—he's fighting two people. Two low-level Tier 5s."
The friend squints, then his eyes widen. "Wait… what? You're right. And he's not down yet?! What the hell—"
The first guy shakes his head slowly. "It's weird. His movements look… clumsy at first, like he's gonna get hit—then suddenly he dodges. Perfectly. Just at the last second."
They both lean closer, lips parted.
