The staff booth was busier than it looked.
One staff mber finally looked at him and made a quick motion. A translucent panel flickered to life between them.
"Team?"
"Team A. mbers: Aren, Lily, Luna," he replied.
"Right, and what’s your question?"
"I wanted to ask about a team that forfeited earlier," Aren continued casually. "We were scheduled to face them next."
The information popped on the screen, the sa bracket and fight that was supposed to happen.
The staff mber zood into the team they were supposed to be fighting against, Aren could see it too, and the information was clear.
"They’re not from Sun City," he said.
"No," the staff mber replied. "External registrants. They applied just before the cutoff."
That alone wasn’t illegal, but very uncommon. Sun City’s tournant wasn’t exactly friendly to outsiders without a guarantee. The fact that they even managed to register at all spoke highly of either them...or their backing.
"They didn’t report any injuries?" Aren asked.
"None," the staffer said. "Their forfeit was voluntary."
Another strange detail Aren spotted. The appeal was given out imdiately, without any deliberation whatsoever.
Aren leaned back slightly.
"Then why enter at all?" he asked, more to himself than anyone else.
The staff mber shrugged. "It happens sotis. People misjudge the level of competition."
Maybe.
But that didn’t sit right.
Aren thanked them and turned as if to leave, then paused.
The Defilers definitely had so inside people who managed the tournant, so he decided to check.
"Ah, one more thing," he said, tone deliberately casual. "I heard a rumor while waiting."
The staffer looked up again.
"They say the Fertile Core isn’t actually kept in the arena," Aren said. "That true?"
The staffer blinked.
"...Who told you that?"
"No one important," Aren replied. "Just talk."
She shrugged, "Beats , I’m not high enough to know that kind of information."
Aren nodded, satisfied.
At least she isn’t part of it.
That was when soone tapped him on the back.
His heart skipped a beat as he turned quickly. A girl stood there like she’d always been part of the crowd, hood pulled low, hands in her pockets.
She was chewing gum, her golden eyes t his, curious rather than hostile.
The sa girl from the gym, the one that caught him staring.
"Heya!"
Aren’s muscles tensed, though his face remained calm. He didn’t sense her sneaking up to him at all. Not her ether—no, even her presence wasn’t there...nothing.
"...Do I know you?" he asked.
She smiled faintly and blew a small bubble, letting it pop before answering.
"Rinrin," she said. "Just Rinrin."
"Or Little Rinrin, if you like," She tilted her head. "You seem older."
"...Aren," he replied hesitantly. "Do you have business with ?"
Aren studied her carefully now. Her fading ether along with the visage of shadows that clung to her, along with her light presence, all signaled one thing.
Shadow Stealing Cat Pathway.
"Was that rumor true?" Rinrin prompted lightly.
Aren exhaled once, slow and controlled.
"People think it’s not here," he said. "That it’s sowhere safer."
Her chewing slowed.
"...That’s a sha," she frowned before looking back up with a cheerful smile. "I really wanted to see it."
Aren blinked. In that split second, she was suddenly holding a phone. Not just any phone.
His.
"—Hey," he reached out instinctively.
She finished tapping sothing onto the screen before tossing it back. Aren barely managed to catch it.
"Here," she said cheerfully. "My number."
"In case you hear anything else."
"Why would I—" he started.
"Shhh," she cut in, grinning. "You don’t want a pretty girl’s phone number?"
Before he could respond, she turned and started skipping away, hands clasped behind her back.
"Anyway," she called over her shoulder, "see you later!"
Aren stood, stunned by the odd interaction, phone still in his hand.
"Wait," he muttered. "See you later?"
"What does that even—?"
He looked up quickly, trying to scan for her in the crowd, but there was no one else.
Aren looked down at the screen once more. The number was real. The first three numbers were clearly an area code from Imperial City.
"...Huh."
He shook his head and slipped the phone into his pocket, heading back toward the waiting rooms.
Luna was already standing by the floating bracket display when he entered, her arms crossed, expression thoughtful.
"You missed another update," she said.
Aren paused. "Another?"
She nodded and expanded the projection with a flick of her fingers.
"Bracket E," Luna continued. "First bracket on the other side."
The display shifted, rearranging teams as results finalized.
"One of the teams surrendered," Lily added. "Sa situation as ours."
Aren stepped closer.
Bracket E sat opposite theirs, far enough that they wouldn’t et until the semi-finals.
His eyes scanned the nas.
Then stopped.
"...That team," he said quietly.
"Yeah, it was their opponent for the current quarterfinals who forfeited," Luna glanced at him. "You recognize them, too?"
Aren didn’t answer imdiately.
He pulled out his phone.
The contact was still there.
Pretty Little Rinrin!
"...So she’s already in the semifinals," Aren said quietly.
Lily’s brow furrowed.
"Then who are we facing next?"
Luna swiped the display again. Their path highlighted itself.
Next Match: Bennet’s Team.
"Bennet?" Aren muttered.
He tried to recall the contestants within this tourney, both from recent mory and past mory, before he arrived at one person.
"Brother Bennet—team up with us!"
"Right," Aren said softly. "That guy."
Luna tilted her head slightly, "You know him too?"
"Nah," Aren replied. "Just saw him in the gymnasium back when we were looking for our third, that’s all."
"The show-off?" Lily added, looking up. "Didn’t you say he was weak?"
"I wouldn’t be so sure about that..." he said slowly.
He’d seen plenty of rich young masters before. Plenty of influential families too.
But the Parker Family was different.
Generational. Their reach stretched across the Central Realm itself.
Pill-makers and apothecaries who made a na for themselves through various dicines, and even poison, depending on who asked.
Bennet Parker wasn’t just your average Young Master, and Aren knew not to underestimate him, no matter how much of a prick he was.
Money is strength in this world after all.
The room was silent for a heartbeat. Then the arena speakers crackled to life.
"Attention. Quarterfinal Match D will begin shortly."
The bracket display shifted, highlighting their path in a sharp pulse of light.
Aren’s Team vs. Bennet’s Team.
Luna exhaled slowly.
"That’s us."
She stepped out first. Aren gathered his things, then paused when he noticed Lily hadn’t moved.
Her hands trembled, sweat beading along her brow before sliding down her cheek. Aren t her eyes and gave a small nod.
"Hey," he asked. "You ready to kick more Young Masters’ butts?"
Then she nodded hard.
"Yeah," Lily said, voice steady now. "Let’s do this."
Aren watched her for half a second longer...
Then turned and followed Luna toward the arena.
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