I cracked my neck as the scoreboard timer ticked down. Twenty-eight minutes until the first event. Twenty-eight minutes to figure out how to not die or embarrass myself on national television. Based on my track record, I’d say those odds were about fifty-fifty.

"So what’s the first event?" I asked, looking at Isabelle.

She tapped her spear against the ground. "Combat trial. Eight fighters from each guild face off in a modified king-of-the-hill scenario."

"And by modified, you mean..."

"Five hills. Five flags. Whoever holds the most flags when time expires wins."

Simple enough. I surveyed our team, mentally running through our roster. We had heavy-hitters like Raphael and Hikari who could bulldoze through opposition. Stealth operators like Skylar who could sneak capture points. Defenders like Natalia who could lock down a position once taken.

"I assume we’re already picked for the first event?" I glanced at Braxton, who’d wandered over with his hands in his pockets.

"Yep. You, Natalia, Skylar, Raphael, Isabelle, Hikari, Marco, and Juan."

Juan raised his head from what appeared to be a nap while standing. "Do I have to?"

"Yes," Natalia answered before I could. "And if you try to nap during the match, I’ll freeze your balls off."

"Troublesome woman."

Braxton pulled me aside, his voice dropping low. "The Sentinels are sending Julian. Viper’s got Kenjiro. Phantoms are keeping Reyna in reserve for later."

Smart move. Save your ace for when it matters most.

"What about—"

I didn’t finish the question because the crowd suddenly erupted again. I turned to see what caused the commotion.

Oh. That’s why.

Veronica Cabana had just entered the VIP section, her crimson dress catching the sunlight as she waved to the screaming fans. Her hair – the same fiery red as Reyna’s – cascaded down her back in perfect waves. Unlike her younger sister’s athletic build, Veronica had curves that made men crash their cars when she appeared on billboards.

And she was staring directly at me.

"Oh shit," I muttered.

"What?" Natalia followed my gaze. Her temperature dropped ten degrees instantly. "Why is she looking at you?"

"I have no idea."

"Liar."

Veronica winked at me, then took her seat beside a furious-looking Reyna in the competitor’s box.

"That’s... problematic," Skylar observed dryly.

"You think?" I rubbed the back of my neck. "Let’s focus on the match."

Natalia grabbed my arm, her fingers digging in. "If you even think about—"

"I’m not thinking about anything except winning this tournament."

Her eyes narrowed. "Good. Keep it that way."

The massive screens above the arena flashed with the event layout. A digital map appeared, showing five raised platforms scattered across the arena floor. Each platform held a flag.

"Here’s the plan," I said, gathering our team closer. "Isabelle takes north hill. Raphael, east. Hikari, west. Skylar, center. Natalia, you’re mobile support – go wherever we’re weakest. Marco, Juan, and I will run interference and keep the other teams off-balance."

"Why am I not holding a position?" Juan asked, yawning.

"Because you’d fall asleep standing there," Natalia snapped.

"Fair point."

Isabelle nodded in approval. "A solid strategy. Keep their attention divided while we secure our positions."

"Exactly." I gripped my bat tighter. "Oh, and one more thing – don’t die."

Braxton snorted. "Great advice, captain obvious."

"I try my best."

A horn blasted across the arena, and the scoreboard changed:

FIRST EVENT: KING OF THE FIVE HILLS

TIME LIMIT: 30 MINUTES

COMPETITORS: PREPARE FOR ENTRY

The crowd roared as gates opened around the arena floor. Teams began filing out onto the battlefield.

Natalia caught my hand before I could step through our gate. Her violet eyes locked with mine.

"Don’t do anything stupid."

I grinned. "When have I ever?" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Do you want the list alphabetically or chronologically?"

"That’s hurtful."

"It’s accurate."

I leaned in, brushing my lips against hers quickly. "For luck."

Her cheeks flushed pink, but she recovered fast. "If you need luck to win, we’re already in trouble."

I met her narrowed gaze with a lazy smirk. "Maybe I just wanted to kiss you."

The words hung between us for a moment—charged, deliberate, and precisely calculated to make her falter. It worked. Her lips parted as if she was about to fire back some cutting retort, but she caught herself, a faint flush creeping up her neck. Instead of answering, she placed both hands on my chest and gave me a firm shove toward the gate.

"Go," she commanded, her voice low and dangerous. "Win this. And then—maybe—I’ll let you do more than just kiss me later."

The promise in her tone sent a thrill down my spine. It was the kind of motivation that made a man willing to break bones—preferably other people’s.

Now that was proper incentive.

I stepped through the gate and onto the arena floor, my bat settling comfortably on my shoulder. The roar of the crowd washed over me like a physical wave, but I tuned it out, focusing instead on the massive battlefield sprawling before me. Forty fighters in total were taking their positions across the arena—a chaotic patchwork of guilds, ambitions, and barely-concealed hostility.

My gaze swept the field with practiced ease, cataloging threats and opportunities. Then my eyes landed on him.

Julian Valerius stood at the head of the Argent Sentinels’ formation, his custom golden armor catching the sunlight and throwing it back in brilliant, ostentatious flashes. He looked like a recruitment poster come to life—noble, powerful, and utterly convinced of his own superiority. The moment our eyes met, I could practically see the furnace ignite behind his perfect blue irises. The hatred burning there was so pure, so visceral, that it was almost beautiful in its intensity.

I couldn’t resist.

I blew him a kiss.

His entire face contorted—jaw clenched, eyes bulging, a vein throbbing visibly at his temple. For a glorious second, I thought he might actually charge me right then and there, before the match even started.

Perfect.

"You’re going to get yourself killed," Skylar murmured as she slid past me.

"Probably."

The screens displayed the countdown:

10... 9... 8...

I rolled my shoulders, feeling the regenerator brace humming against my skin. My ribs still ached from the Reyna fight, but I’d manage.

7... 6... 5...

Isabelle took position on my left, her spear glowing green with her Aspect ready.

4... 3... 2...

I gripped my bat with both hands.

1... BEGIN!

The arena exploded into chaos.

Forty fighters charging at once created a thunderous noise that reverberated off the stadium walls. I sprinted forward, angling toward the central platform where three Sentinels were converging.

Time to make some new friends.

I activated Shade Cloak, dissolving into shadow as I reached the base of the central platform. The Sentinels hesitated, losing sight of me. I rematerialized behind the nearest one – a bulky guy with a hammer – and swung my bat into the back of his knee.

He went down with a satisfying crunch.

"Sorry, did that hurt?" I asked, dancing backward as he swung wildly.

"Nakano!" he snarled.

I couldn’t remember his name, which probably meant he wasn’t worth remembering. I ducked another swing and cracked my bat across his ribs.

The second Sentinel came at me with twin daggers, slashing in perfect arcs that would have been beautiful if they weren’t aimed at my throat. I parried with my bat, the impacts jarring my arms.

"You don’t belong here," he hissed, his voice dripping with contempt.

"Funny, your mom said the same thing this morning," I replied conversationally, watching his face twist in rage. Then I activated Steel Body just as his blade came down toward my shoulder.

The dagger bounced off with a sharp metallic clang, as if he’d struck solid iron instead of flesh.

His eyes widened in shock, the confident sneer evaporating. "What the—"

I didn’t give him time to finish.

I drove my forehead into his face with enough force to feel the crunch of cartilage. Blood exploded from his nose as he stumbled backward, hands flying up to his ruined face. I followed up immediately with a vicious swing of my bat straight into his stomach, doubling him over and sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Two down," I muttered, stepping over his groaning form.

The third Sentinel was smarter than his companions. He kept his distance, circling me warily as some kind of energy bow materialized in his hands. An arrow of pure, crackling light formed on the string, aimed directly at my chest.

"That looks painful," I commented casually, keeping my voice light.

He smiled coldly, confidence returning to his features. "It will be."

The arrow flew straight and true, a streak of blinding white energy.

I didn’t move. Didn’t even flinch.

It struck me dead center in the chest – and shattered on impact against my skin, sparks of light cascading around me in a brilliant but harmless shower. The absorbed kinetic force flooded through my body, a surge of raw power that made my muscles sing.

Thank you, Kinetic Absorption.

His jaw dropped, face going pale. "How did you—"

I was already moving, closing the distance between us in three explosive strides. My bat connected with his jaw before he could even think about running, and he dropped like a puppet with its strings cut, crumpling unconscious to the ground.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" I asked his unconscious form, prodding him with my boot.

The crowd was going insane. I looked up to see my face plastered across the giant screens, smiling like a maniac with three Sentinels sprawled at my feet.

Okay, maybe I was showing off a little.

I climbed the platform to find Skylar already there, her knives dripping blood as she secured the central flag.

"Took you long enough," she said.

"I was making friends."

"You’re a real social butterfly."

I scanned the arena. Isabelle had the northern platform locked down, her green aura surrounding the flag as she fended off two Vipers simultaneously. Raphael was demolishing anyone who approached the eastern platform. Hikari...

Hikari was in trouble.

Four Phantoms had swarmed the western platform, overwhelming her despite her monstrous strength. I spotted Julian among them, his sword flashing as he pressed the advantage.

"Skylar, hold this position. I’m going to help Hikari."

She nodded. "Try not to die spectacularly."

"Where’s the fun in that?"