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The Third-Rank Master's eyes did not leave Soman for even a fraction of a second.
He stood firmly, yet that firmness was not calm—it was suffocating focus, the focus of a man who had grown accustomed to analyzing everything before making a move.
He did not see merely an opponent before him, but a complex system of variables: power, speed, consumption, and an incomprehensible pattern that disrupted everything he was used to.
Inside his mind, calculations began running without pause.
Soman's movements were still fast, despite his accumulation clearly decreasing. That alone was enough to raise suspicion. He should have been slowing down, showing clearer signs of fatigue, yet what the Master saw did not fully align with the rules he knew.
His strength as well… was high. Higher than any Second-Rank Master he had previously faced. And yet, there was a clear gap. It was not the complete power of a Third-Rank Master.
Based on all of that, he reached a near-certain conclusion.
