"Eight fighters. Four rounds. Last one standing earns freedom." Hayes's crystal eyes gleamed as he addressed the gathered 'participants.' "Think of it as... product stress testing."
The underground arena had been expanded overnight. Maintenance crews - Wei among them - had installed additional crystal arrays, their light casting harsh shadows across the gathered crowd. Rich observers filled private booths, crystal-enhanced eyes glowing as they studied betting odds.
Rhys's Gem Sense pierced the facade. Dampening fields modified to allow controlled fusion. Scanner coverage precise enough to record enhancement data. Medical teams with equipment that belonged in research labs, not prisons.
"Today's merchandise." The man in white addressed potential buyers. "Various enhancement formulations. Different application methods. Combat stress will show viable results."
Mari stood with the other test subjects. Seven "broken" fighters chosen for their expendability. Each bearing enhancement scars. Each moving with carefully hidden purpose that only Rhys's Gem Sense detected.
"First round - subjects 3479 versus 2891."
Lei waited in the combat circle, his system burning with a new enhancer cocktail. The crystals in his veins pulsed with unstable power. Last week's defeat had earned him another round of testing.
"Try to survive longer this time." Hayes's smile carried no warmth. "Buyers want their money's worth."
In a private booth above, a hooded figure slipped between betting syndicates. Maya's presence hidden but precise, gathering intelligence while placing calculated wagers.
Lei attacked with enhancement-fueled fury.
His new cocktail made him faster than before. Each strike left crystal-tinged afterimages in the air. Power that should have shattered his fusion channels somehow contained by whatever they'd pumped into his system.
Rhys moved with cold calculation.
Shadow Step carried him through Lei's enhanced combinations. Each dodge precise but masked as desperate survival. His Gem Sense tracked the observers' reactions, noting which techniques drew the most attention.
"Remarkable adaptation." The man in white made notes. "Subject 3479 shows unusual resonance patterns."
Lei pressed harder, artificial fusion making the air crack with each strike. The crowd leaned forward, crystal-enhanced senses tingling as power levels spiked beyond safety limits.
Rhys let blood paint the arena floor. Each drop placed precisely where his Gem Sense showed scanner blind spots. Building a pattern that would matter later.
"Stop... dancing!" Lei's voice cracked as the enhancers burned through him. His fusion channels showed micro-fractures spreading with each technique.
The end came precisely.
Rhys's Resonant Strike slipped through Lei's guard, timed perfectly to when the enhancers peaked. Not enough power to be obvious. Just enough to shatter already-strained systems.
Lei collapsed. Medical team moved in efficiently. Data recorded and analyzed.
"Next match - subjects 3479 versus 4115."
Mari entered the circle, enhancement scars glowing faintly. Her eyes met Rhys's with careful purpose. Around the arena, other test subjects shifted slightly. Wei's hands moved over crystal controls.
They'd planned this during night whispers between cells. Each fighter positioned. Each action timed. A carnival of broken things about to show their teeth.
The bout began with deliberate stumbles. Two damaged fighters providing entertainment. But Rhys's Gem Sense tracked the real movement. How other test subjects created carefully timed distractions. The way Wei's maintenance work affected scanner coverage.
"Something's wrong with the readings." A technician frowned at his instruments. "Interference patterns..."
Mari moved with precise desperation, each technique placed to draw attention where they wanted it. Her enhancement scars pulsed with carefully controlled resonance.
Rhys Shadow Stepped through her combinations, making it look like chaos while his Gem Sense mapped observer positions. Rich buyers leaning forward, crystal eyes hunting for marketable data. Guards watching for escape attempts.
No one watching the shadows where Jin gathered intelligence.
"The crystals remember," Mari whispered during a clinch. The coded signal. Time to move.
Chaos erupted with calculated precision.
Wei's "maintenance errors" created scanner blind spots. Test subjects stumbled into guard positions with careful clumsiness. Jin's underground contacts moved through the crowd, gathering specific information.
Maya's hidden presence recorded everything.
The bout ended in a controlled draw. Two broken fighters, neither worth enhancement resources. The man in white frowned at corrupted data readings.
"Final match - subjects 3479 versus 1158."
Jin entered the circle, his fusion scars telling a story of survival. Former A-Tier power now a cautionary tale. But Rhys's Gem Sense showed something else. Controlled power hiding beneath enhancement damage.
"Make it look good." Hayes didn't notice how the crystal arrays had been subtly altered. "Buyers are losing interest."
The fight began with measured violence.
Jin's techniques carried the weight of experience. Each combination designed to draw attention. Each exchange masks real purpose - testing altered crystal frequencies, mapping guard positions, confirming scanner gaps.
Rhys moved through the dance with cold focus. Shadow Step and Resonant Strike carefully hidden beneath apparent desperation. Blood patterns completing circuits that would matter tomorrow.
The final exchange looked like accident. Both fighters down, neither showing marketable enhancement potential. The man in white made disappointed notes.
---
But Rhys's Gem Sense had captured everything:
- Complete scanner coverage map
- Guard response patterns
- Crystal array modifications
- Underground market structure
- Buyer identities and interests
- Hayes's operation hierarchy
- Research program details
---
Later, in his cell, Jin's whisper carried through crystal-warped air. "Tomorrow's the real test. Hayes wants to prove something to his buyers. Wants to push enhancement limits."
Mari's voice joined from across the corridor. "They're planning to use all of us. See how many survive the new formula."