Three hours after his brutal takedown of Mbwa Mwitu, Damien stepped into the arena once more, this time for the semifinals.
The crowd was louder than ever, a pulsing, restless sea of banners, screams, and camera flashes. The tension was different now. It wasn't just excitement. It was awe. The people had started to believe.
Even the commentators had changed their tone.
Grumpy Bear adjusted his headset, grumbling. "Alright, alright. Look, I admit it. The kid's not bad. He might actually scrape this one through."
Sleepy Smile raised a brow. "Scrape? You mean disassemble his opponent bolt by bolt like he's been doing for four rounds?"
Grumpy Bear pointed a finger. "Hey, I'm cautiously optimistic now. That's progress."
A new screen blinked to life.
SEMI-FINALS: SPECIAL COMBAT TRIAL
