The arena wasn't quiet, but it wasn't quite loud, either.
It sat in a strange middle place where every sound felt forced.
Above the ruined concourse, the scoreboard had collapsed into simplicity. Everything else dimmed out until only two names stayed bright.
[RAIZEN]
[HIKARI]
The crowd could see it. The drones could see it. The arena could see it.
It felt like everyone was staring.
Down in the wrecked concourse, the arena looked like it had already lost a war. Broken stalls leaned against each other. Torn signs hung in strips. Debris covered the ground in a messy layer of cracked tiles and snapped beams. A tram sat half-buried in the floor, stuck at a weird angle.
Drones hovered far back, not swarming. Almost careful.
The host's voice tried to return to its job.
"Final two contestants, everyone! If you are holding your breath, please pass it to your neighbor when you faint."
A ripple of laughter tried to start, but nobody was in the mood for laughter now.
