The Octofinals

Kai stepped into the arena lobby, his boots echoing on the polished stone floor. The once-crowded space from the first day of matches was now half-cleared, with many of the chairs removed. Only a handful of fighters occupied the remaining seats, scattered in silence or hushed conversations.

He exhaled slowly.

He'd told Vepice he was going to train while wearing a confident smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

That was a lie.

The truth was, Kai didn't even know what training could do for him in just a few short hours. After watching the terrifying potential of the remaining fighters, the gap between them all felt... unbridgeable.

He didn't want to admit it, but this wasn't a competition anymore, it was survival.

He accepted the tournament slip handed to him by one of the arena staff, the names written crisply in thick black ink.

---

Round Two - Octofinals:

Selise vs Grim

Alex vs Fenric

Tarnil vs Brynn