Before entering the arena, Koda pulled Theon aside to a quiet corner of the Gate complex.
From her jacket pocket, she took out a smooth, capsule-shaped case—matte black with a single blue stripe running across the seam.
It fit snugly in her palm, small and sleek, no larger than a clenched fist.
She pressed a button on the side with her thumb.
Click.
The case split open silently, revealing a folded piece of ultra-thin film inside—almost invisible, like a shimmer of water suspended in air.
"This'll sting a bit," she said quietly.
She pinched the edge of the film and lifted it free. It fluttered in the air, almost weightless.
Without hesitation, she leaned in and pressed the film to Theon's face, from just above his brow to the edge of his jaw.
The material reacted instantly.
It clung to his skin with eerie precision, as if magnetized.
Within seconds, the dull pallor of his exhausted features vanished—replaced by a mesmerizing web of shifting patterns.
Lines—perfectly etched and pulsating with faint neon light—unfurled across his face in angular symmetry.
Blues, violets, and deep silvers moved like current through a circuit board.
Geometric shapes, digital sigils, and encrypted runes danced just beneath the surface of his skin.
Not painted.
Not projected.
Embedded.
His face now resembled a living interface—an encrypted cipher wearing human skin.
"I saw a new camera system installed at the arena's entrance," Koda murmured. "Probably tightened security after the explosion."
"It's called a Ghostmark," she continued, snapping the case shut and slipping it back into her pocket.
"Kills your facial ID, reroutes any recognition trace to a thousand false profiles."
She paused, then added, "Think of it as… extra insurance."
Theon blinked, feeling the subtle hum of the Mark against his skin. It was cold at first—then warm, as if syncing with his pulse.
"Stylish," Felix said looking at Theon's face.
Koda smirked. "You're lucky I'm generous with my tech."
Theon thanks Koda and the three of them enter the arena.
The fighting arena was packed when they arrived. The crowd roared as two fighters grappled in a transparent cube suspended over the central platform.
Energy barriers contained the combat while allowing spectators a clear view from all angles.
With fighter pass Felix and Koda also got the access to the fighters seating area near to the fighting cube.
"Your opponent is a Raiyu fighter with an electric-based ability. When he touches someone, he delivers a powerful shock," Felix explains.
"He can also project electricity within about a foot. Keep your distance."
Theon felt nervous, just because this is his first fight, not because of the fighter's ability and strength.
The worst thing that can happen is get mashed by the fighter. He can take more than punches, more than electric shock.
And with his training he can surely defend himself.
"Next fight Raiyuuu.. Vs Phantom" the announcer's voice boomed through the arena.
Phantom? Is that me?
Theon looked questioningly at Koda, who nodded.
"That's your fighting name," she explained. "Go on, you're up."
Theon rolled his shoulders and shifted into motion as he entered the cube—light on his feet, tension buzzing in his legs.
Across the platform, Raiyu stood loose, his bare torso displaying clearly shaped muscles that rippled with each slight movement.
His arms glowed faintly with live electricity. Sparks crackled around him like angry wasps.
Raiyu sized up Theon with a dismissive glance.
Another scrawny kid trying to make a name for himself.
I'll crush him like a bug and be out in time for dinner.
Electric aura within a foot. Touch is worse. Keep distance, Theon reminded himself silently.
His heart pounded. Memories of countless fights he'd lost in the past flashed through his mind.
This time would be different. It had to be.
"Are you crazy? You know about Raiyu... He's E-class," Felix said with a hint of anger and worry.
"Raiyu will knock him down without touching him. A normal human will never stand a chance against his electric shock."
"Isn't that a good thing? He'll learn his lesson without getting serious injury," Koda said, looking at Felix, only rolling her eyes without turning her head, a small smile playing on her lips.
Raiyu dashed forward with a front kick.
CRACK!
The kick sliced through the air with terrifying precision. Theon ducked just in time, the electric discharge hissing above his head as sparks crackled through the air.
The crowd roared, all expecting a short fight.
This wasn't a new thing—they'd all seen young fighters come and challenge only to leave on stretchers, broken and defeated.
A split-second later, Raiyu's knee twisted. He flowed straight into a spinning roundhouse.
Theon's guard came up—tight, but not fast enough.
ZAP!
The kick didn't land directly, but the aura around Raiyu's leg discharged on contact.
Electricity flared along Theon's forearms as he jumped back.
One foot of margin… and it was still shocking.
Theon felt electricity surging through his arms. He shook his arms out, blood pulsing back into his hands.
Pain burned through his nerves like liquid fire. He didn't react.
He had endured far worse—his nerves had been reshaped by suffering, but it wasn't something he wore with pride.
Just a fact. He didn't fight to prove strength. He fought for his mother's medicine. For credits that might save her life.
Combat wasn't a sport. It was survival. It was his mother's heartbeat.
Raiyu came again, stepping in with sharp footwork, launching a flurry of strikes—an elbow to the temple, a low feint, then a spinning backfist.
Every touch, even near misses when a kick or fist came close to Theon, sent jolts of electricity through him, pain shooting through every nerve.
If he was a normal U-class human, he would have been convulsing on the ground by now, muscles seized up from the electrical current.
"Hey, he's really strong like he said," Koda remarked, her eyes never leaving the fight, completely absorbed in the action unfolding before her.
Felix stared in disbelief at what he was seeing—a U-class human holding his own.
"How... what..." Felix's jaw hung open, his eyes wide as if witnessing the impossible.
"That can't be right," he whispered, shaking his head in shock.
"Are you sure he didn't lie to us?" Koda asked, still locked in the same position, her attention never wavering from the fight.
Theon absorbed the first elbow on his shoulder. It hurt—sharp and jarring.
The second move forced him to lower his stance, while the backfist caught the edge of his chin.
His head snapped to the side. He staggered. The impact rattled him.
He didn't lash out. He didn't panic.
His eyes studied Raiyu with focus. Each motion, each sequence—it was all there in the rhythm.
High kick, low feint, reset. He favors high angles. Opens his core mid-transition. Moves too far into each strike.
Strong... Fast... but not efficient.
Raiyu lunged again, another powerful front kick aiming for Theon's gut.
Theon moved—not by instinct, but through practiced calm.
He stepped just outside the kick's range, letting the strike pass him. The air brushed his ribs, but the attack missed.
First evasion.
He didn't counter. Not yet.
Raiyu pivoted, spinning into a heel kick.
Theon's footwork shifted—slip right, dip low, roll under. The kick swept over him.
Second evasion.
Theon's breathing slowed. Not because he was tired—but because he was beginning to understand.
Raiyu launched a jab, then a hook, fast as lightning.
Theon ducked the jab and weaved under the hook. His eyes locked onto Raiyu's stance.
The moment the man's back foot planted, Theon moved.
One clean step inside.
He turned his shoulder, twisted at the waist, and let the punch go—not with rage, not with power for power's sake—but with precision.
It struck Raiyu's jaw squarely.
The sound was quiet, almost unimpressive.
But Raiyu's body reacted instantly. His head snapped back, his eyes wide—then blank.
Time paused.
Then Raiyu dropped. Deadweight. No resistance. He collapsed in a heap on the floor.
Theon stood still, shoulders rising and falling with slow, steady breaths. His fists were still up, just in case.
Raiyu twitched—then went still again.
Only then did Theon lower his guard.
He didn't smile. Didn't celebrate.
Just watched in silence, grounded in the moment.
He wasn't proud of the victory. Just relieved it was over.
The crowd erupted. The announcer was shouting something, but Theon couldn't make out the words over the roaring in his ears.
Koda and Felix rushed up to him as Theon came out of the fighting cube, Koda shouting and cheering.
"Don't lie to us. What's your ability? Tell us the secret, man," Koda said, throwing a slow punch at Theon's shoulder. Her eyes were wide with excitement.
"None," Theon said while walking away, his face expressionless.
They both followed him.
They exited the fighting arena. Theon found a place to remove his Ghostmark.
"That was seriously insane," Felix said, his eyes wide with newfound respect. "You took down Raiyu like he was nothing!"
TING
[--Notification--
10,000 Terra conis Credited]
Theon's NIP showed the confirmation message the credits had been transferred.
He felt relief now he could start his mother's treatment.
"Let's check out the mall," Koda suggested, gesturing toward the commercial section of the complex.
Felix had a guilty feeling in his gut for doubting his new friend.
"My treat for dinner," Felix said, pointing in a direction.
Koda's eyes narrowed, her expression skeptical. "The food court? Doesn't your family own this place?"
Felix stiffened slightly, his casual smile faltering. "It's just dinner," he said with a shrug that seemed a little too practiced.
Theon glanced between them, puzzled by the sudden tension.
Koda's tone implied something he was missing. She caught his confused look and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, Theon, you don't know?" Koda said, a hint of surprise in her voice. "His family is the Solari family."
"Is that true?" Theon asked, turning to Felix.
Felix shoved his hands into his pockets, his shoulders hunching slightly.
"Not a big deal. My grandfather happens to be Xavier Solari." He waved dismissively. "We can go somewhere else if you want."
The name raised Theon's eyebrows. Everyone knew the Solari family.
Xavier Solari wasn't just wealthy—he was legendary.
The family possessed one of the rarest abilities ever manifested after the Maelstrom War.
Rumors claimed they could generate solar flares from their bodies, though the full extent of their power remained closely guarded.
Their corporate empire controlled everything from essence crystal refinement to Gate technology.
But Felix didn't carry himself with the arrogance Theon would have expected.
There was something almost defensive in his posture now, as if bracing for judgment.
"Felix's father is the third son of Xavier Solari," Koda continued, her voice dropping to a near whisper despite no one being close enough to hear.
"Not all family members inherit the Solari abilities. His father wasn't one of them."
Felix's expression darkened. "Can we not talk about this?" he said, his tone clipped.
Koda fell silent, her eyes darting away.
Theon recognized the unspoken history—families with powerful abilities often treated their unawakened members as disappointments, sometimes worse.
He knew that kind of rejection all too well.
"By the way," Theon said, deliberately changing the subject, "thank you both for helping me today. I couldn't have done this without you."
Felix's posture relaxed slightly, gratitude flashing across his features.
"No problem," Koda replied with a casual wave, though her eyes sparked with mischief.
"If I'd known you could take down Raiyu like that, I would have registered you for a higher rank."
Her lips curved into a smile that was both predatory and playful. "I love a good fight. Haven't missed one since they opened this place."
"Let's eat first," Felix suggested, gesturing toward an elegant restaurant with a circular glass entrance.
"Then I have something to discuss with both of you."
Koda's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "That can't be good."
_______
Ghostmark : It's a heat-reactive film mask that scrambles facial recognition. When applied, it bonds to the skin and displays shifting neon patterns—circuitry, sigils, and encrypted lines. It reroutes surveillance to false profiles, granting 48–72 hours of digital anonymity. Favored by operatives and outlaws alike, it's a vanish-in-plain-sight solution.