The first round draw happened in a dimly lit bar in Jakarta's industrial district, two blocks from where the tournament would take place. Rama arrived as Bayangan—fully masked, voice modulator active, moving with deliberate anonymity through crowds of fighters and spectators gathering for the announcement.
The bar was called "The Pit," and it lived up to its name. Underground literal and metaphorical. Descended through a hidden staircase behind a legitimate restaurant. Dark. Smoky despite ventilation. Filled with the kind of people who thrived in gray areas between legal and criminal.
Fighters clustered in groups. Some famous in underground circuits. Others complete unknowns like Bayangan. All sizing each other up. Assessing threats. Calculating odds.
Rama found a corner position with good sightlines. [Tactical Overseer] active at low level, reading body language, threat assessments, power dynamics.
