Cashel and the masked woman reappeared almost at the same time near the edge of the field. She stopped a short distance away and tilted her head, her dagger resting loosely against her hip.
"I never intended to fight you seriously, Cashel," she said calmly, a hint of amusement in her tone. "My job was to make sure you won."
Cashel narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t tell if she was being honest, but the fact that she hadn’t attacked him seemed like she wasn’t lying... maybe.
"And how do I know you’re not lying? What makes you think I want to join you?"
She smiled. "I was told by my boss that you wanted in. That is specifically why I was sent in place of the original fighter." She shrugged. "The black market doesn’t waste time on evaluations like this. They already decided they want you. The rest is drama."
Cashel studied her for a moment. They were still treating him like an object, but... he already had his mind set. He glanced toward the direction of the two men still searching through the fading smoke.
He wondered why they weren’t fighting one another, but that wasn’t his concern anyway.
"I’ll consider joining," he said. "But only if you help me deal with the ARM one first while I handle the Hero."
The woman was quiet for a second, then she gave a small nod. "Fine. Make it quick."
She vanished upward into the air without another word, leaving Cashel to himself again.
He took two more smoke bombs and threw them toward opposite parts of the space, covering the stadium in more smoke.
Then he turned back toward the center of the field just as the Hero emerged from the smoke, his fists glowing faintly with blue energy.
And he looked a little pissed.
"You’re more trouble than expected," the Hero said between gritted teeth as he skidded to a stop a few feet away from Cashel.
Cashel just smirked. He gripped his guns tight, his fingers hovering near the triggers.
He shot at the Hero without hesitation, but already used to Cashel’s antics, the man dodged and charged at him.
They exchanged blows countless times. Each time the Hero swung his fist, a gust of wind moved with him, nearly tearing Cashel’s flesh off. He didn’t want to imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t dodged.
He created distance between them and leapt backward, only for the Hero to close the gap again and aim at his abdomen.
Cashel’s eyes widened. There was no time to dodge. Clenching his jaw and bracing himself for the hit, he raised his armed hands and brought his fists down on the Hero’s head at the same time.
Boom!
The gun and the Hero’s fist both struck their targets hard, forcing both of them to draw in sharp breaths and cough out blood.
The Hero shoved Cashel back. He drew his energy into his body and glared at Cashel, who had his hands pressed against his abdomen.
"Are you really a new awakener?" the Hero asked through his teeth, a groan leaving his lips on the last word.
Cashel simply laughed. He parted his hands from his stomach, spat out blood, and raised both arms again.
The Hero recovered just as quickly, already entering a stance ready to charge.
Cashel charged at him as well, blocking the incoming fists with his guns, his legs, and even his knee.
He kicked the Hero’s fists when they aimed at his torso, created a brief distance, then charged again, forcing the Hero into a narrow space between one of the broken boulders from the earlier explosions and the ARM’s attacks.
With one well-timed feint, Cashel made a low strike to the knees followed by another hit to his pressure point. It left the Hero unable to stand properly.
The military representative dropped to one knee, panting and suddenly drained.
Military side eliminated.
The ARM fighter roared and charged the moment he spotted Cashel. The massive hammer was lifted into the air and came down in a heavy arc that cracked the ground before it even landed.
Cashel ran aside, feeling the impact and the force brush past him.
If there was anything he had noticed about this man, it was that he was even more annoying than the Hero.
He exhaled as he ran back to where the Hero still knelt, struggling to breathe. He struck the side of the Hero’s neck, knocking him unconscious, then picked him up and swung him over his shoulder with a grunt.
His eyes darted through the thinning smoke. When he spotted a safe spot, he leapt into the air, briefly appearing above the smoke. The crowd gasped.
Then he dropped into the spot, placed the Hero carefully on the ground, and ran back into the thicker side of the smoke.
Once inside, he charged toward the huge man and kicked his shin before leaping back, pulling the man’s attention away from the Hero’s direction.
"I’m not even surprised you’re not affected by the attack," Cashel scoffed. He put the guns back in place, then unsheathed the arm-length dagger and sighed.
The ARM guy charged at him with increased speed, raising more dust and rock into the air. Cashel used them to hide as best as he could while he thought of a plan and waited for the woman.
Twice he was nearly caught each time the bastard threw his hammer.
And the fucking thing could return to its owner.
Cashel’s heart was racing by now, and his enhancements were slowly fading.
He needed an opening.
Above them, the masked woman hovered silently. When the ARM fighter committed to another wide swing, she dropped a single small object into the man’s path. It was enough. The momentary distraction broke his rhythm.
Cashel closed the distance instantly. He struck the wrist holding the hammer, then drove his dagger into the man’s side.....but it broke.
Snapped cleanly in half without leaving a scratch.
"You have to be kidding me!" Cashel half-screamed as he created distance again and wiped the sweat from his face.
The masked woman dropped gently onto the man’s shoulder and slammed the hilt of her dagger into the side of his temple, instantly knocking him unconscious.
Cashel straightened slowly, breathing steadily, and turned to his last opponent with his gun now in hand.
The masked woman landed lightly a few meters away while the ARM guy dropped to the ground with a loud thud, clearing out the remaining smoke. She no longer looked bored. She watched him with clear interest with her dagger still in her hand.
Cashel raised his broken blade and placed his finger on the trigger.
Then she smiled beneath the mask.
"Good enough."
Whoosh!
She vanished, one moment she was in front of him, the next her dagger was already at his throat.
Cashel realized too late that she had never intended a fair exchange. The strike was controlled, stopping just short of drawing blood, but the force behind it was terrifying.
He lost his balance and dropped to one knee.
The stadium remained silent for a long moment before the officials began speaking among themselves.
The masked woman leaned closer, her voice low enough that only he could hear, then slipped a thin black card into his hand. "Call the number when you’re ready. Ask for Handler Three."
She straightened, gave a small wave toward the stands, and walked away without looking back.
Cashel remained on one knee, the card resting against his palm. From the higher seats he saw Nathan already leaving through one of the side exits.
A moment later the masked woman appeared beside the doctor, falling into step with him as if they had planned it from the beginning.
Andeen was already making her way down from the observation platform, her staff tapping lightly against the steps.
Cashel closed his fingers around the card and let out a quiet breath.
[Ding! Timer updated, 60 seconds left. Exit the dungeon immediately.]