Back in the viewing stands...
The inscription board above the eastern part had been running for a while now, names and kill counts updating in real time with the satisfying regularity of a competition going exactly as designed.
The crowd had found its rhythm, reacting to significant jumps in ranking, groaning when favorites dropped positions, the ambient noise of several thousand people watching something they were invested in.
Gray was watching the board, focused on the rankings.
'...Mhm.'
Lyra was sitting at thirty-first, her kill count climbing at a pace that was pretty consistent, meaning that she might have found a good spot.
Seraph was at fourth.
Had been at fourth for the past several minutes, her count climbing faster than almost anyone else on the board, the gaps between her updates shorter than most participants, which meant she was moving quickly and not wasting time between kills.
Gray watched her number.
It ticked up once more, and then... it suddenly halted.
