At first, after Ethan stepped past the blockade, nothing happened.

The stadium still looked like it had from the outside: dark, quiet, abandoned.

But then, he felt something odd.

It was almost like stepping through a thin sheet of water as a subtle resistance brushed against his skin.

’Maybe I’m just imagining things.’

But then everything suddenly changed.

The silence shattered, and noise flooded his ears - cheers, shouting, laughter - the roar of a crowd so loud it felt alive.

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly.

"Oh..."

The empty stadium was gone, and in its place, a bustling, vibrant scene unfolded before him. There were hundreds of people all gathered outside the entrance gates, queued up in long lines.

Talking, laughing, arguing - everyone was buzzing with energy.

Lights illuminated the entire structure, giving it a completely different atmosphere. What had seemed abandoned moments ago was now alive, pulsing with anticipation.

The massive stadium itself also looked altered.

Not physically destroyed, but enhanced with screens, banners, and lighting rigs installed around the exterior. It was also organised, with security checkpoints funnelling people into lines.

And from inside, the thunderous noise continued, so loud that Ethan could practically feel the air vibrate.

"What the fuck," he whispered.

He turned instinctively and stepped back.

The moment he crossed that invisible boundary again, it was silent: the noise vanished, the lights dimmed, and the crowd disappeared.

In an instant, he was back outside with Mark and Elara staring at him.

"What happened?" Mark blurted out.

Elara’s eyes were wide, her expression somewhere between confusion and intrigue. From their perspective, he had walked forward and vanished before reappearing moments later.

Ethan glanced between them, then gave a small, amused shrug.

"I’ll explain later."

And without waiting, he stepped back through the invisible barrier again. The world shifted instantly, the noise returning and the crowd reappearing.

’What kind of Title lets you make this kind of barrier thing?’

Ethan had come across many combat-oriented Titles, as well as some support-type Titles used for healing or communication. The woman with antennae who had conducted his initial Titled Assessment was the first thing that came to mind.

But this was the first Title that didn’t fit into either bucket.

’I guess it’s kinda support, but it would be more right to call it a utility-type. Either way, to make one this large, they must be OP as fuck.’

Ethan didn’t dwell on it too long, more focused on the goal at hand.

"Time to get some more of these ticket-things."

He scanned the area, and there were two main entrances.

One had a long, crowded line of people who were being checked, searched, and processed. The other was empty and marked as VIP.

"Figures."

Ethan joined the normal queue.

The line moved steadily, but not quickly, with the people around him growing restless. They were muttering and complaining while constantly checking the time.

"We’re gonna miss the good fights at this rate..."

"Man, I swear if I miss the main event-"

"Why is this line so slow?"

Ethan remained patient, silently observing everything around him.

Eventually, he reached the front.

A man in a dark uniform held out his hand.

"Card."

Ethan handed it over.

The man examined it, then nodded.

"Step forward."

A thorough search followed, almost as thoroughly as what he’d experienced before being thrown in prison. They patted him down, emptied his pockets, and even took his phone.

"All personal devices will be returned upon exit," the man said flatly.

Ethan raised a brow.

"Sure."

He stepped through a scanner, feeling something intrusive pass over his body.

Then there was a beep, indicating he was clear.

"Proceed."

Ethan didn’t move.

"I need to get two more visitor cards."

The man didn’t even hesitate.

"Not possible."

Ethan frowned.

"Why?"

"Cards cannot be purchased here or at this time. All entries must be pre-approved."

Ethan clicked his tongue.

"Is there really no way? I can’t go inside without them."

Behind him, people were getting irritated.

"Come on, man-"

"Hurry the fuck up!"

"You’re holding up the line!"

Ethan didn’t turn around.

"Fuck off and wait."

The tension spiked instantly.

A few people pushed forward slightly, trying to pressure him.

"Move already!"

"Some of us actually want to watch the fights-"

Just when it seemed like a fight between Ethan and the crowd behind him might erupt...

BOOM!

The ground trembled.

A violent gust of wind tore through the area, kicking up dust and debris. The smell hit next, a strong and sharp waft of alcohol.

Silence fell, and every head turned, Ethan included.

"Of course," he mumbled under his breath.

A figure stood at the centre of the impact point.

She had landed like a meteor, completely unbothered, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

The Riot Valkyrie.

She straightened slowly, rolling her shoulders as if she had merely taken a casual step instead of dropping from the sky.

Her outfit was different this time.

Still black leather, but sharper and more revealing.

A cropped jacket exposed her toned abdomen, her physique both powerful and undeniably striking. Her black hair was messy, falling naturally around her face, framing those unmistakable purple eyes.

The crowd was captivated and frightened, an odd sensation.

Ethan wasn’t immune; his second head controlled his body as he looked her up and down.

’Yeah... it really has been a while.’

He had even caught himself stealing the occasional glance at Elara, almost unconsciously. She was beautiful in a quieter, more understated way - slender, with a naturally graceful figure, silky blonde hair that caught the light just right, and soft features that gave her an almost innocent charm.

Kaela, on the other hand, was her complete opposite.

Where Elara was subtle, Kaela was bold.

Curves where Elara was slim, presence where Elara was reserved. Her beauty was striking, impossible to ignore, and carried with a confidence that bordered on dangerous.

Different, but equally captivating.

Still, Ethan wasn’t blind to reality.

Both of them were frightening in their own ways, and very few people were stupid enough to stare openly, especially at the Riot Valkyrie, who had a reputation for snapping without warning.

Even Ethan, for all his nerve, knew better than to linger too long.

He coughed lightly.

’Focus.’

Her presence alone commanded attention.

And unlike everyone else, she wasn’t stopped, searched, or even asked to show a card.

The guards moved immediately and respectfully.

"Miss," one of them said. "Your suite has been prepared. Please follow me."

She nodded lazily, taking a swig from the bottle in her hand.

But before she could head inside, Ethan’s voice cut through the air.

"Hey! Kaela!"

She stopped slowly and turned.

Everyone around him gasped, and in that moment, everything changed...