The arena shook from the sheer force of the battle. Dust swirled, carried by the weight of a fight that refused to end.
Aria stood tall, bruised but grinning, her violet eyes burning with wild excitement.
Across from her, Anup remained composed, his breath steady, his stance firm. He wasn't exhausted. He wasn't wavering.
And that?
That made her even more excited.
She rolled her shoulders, her joints cracking. "Alright," she murmured, swiping a thumb across her lip where blood still lingered. "That was fun."
She flexed her fingers.
Then she vanished.
No sound. No warning.
Anup reacted immediately.
His blade whipped up, sensing an attack from behind—
Nothing.
A flicker of movement—above.
His crimson eyes darted up just in time to see Aria descending from the air, her knee aimed straight for his skull.
Too late.
The impact landed.
A brutal collision of force against bone.
