Veilwalker Strength

In a heartbeat, Eren vanished.

The arena fell into stunned silence. Maria's eyes darted frantically, her blade raised in defensive position as she pivoted in place. "Where—"

"Here."

The whisper came from directly behind her. Maria whirled, bringing her sword up in a desperate arc, but she was a fraction too late. Eren's fist, encased in compressed earth, connected with her sternum. The impact resonated through the arena with a sickening CRACK that silenced even the most veteran warriors in the audience.

Maria skidded backward twenty feet, her heels carving trenches in the sand. Blood speckled her lips, but her eyes blazed with newfound excitement.

"Finally," she hissed through clenched teeth.

Eren stood motionless, face eerily serene. The wind around him stilled, as if the very air hesitated to intrude upon his concentration. Sand began to swirl at his feet, rising in spiraling columns that hardened into jagged spears of stone.