Kael's tone had changed.
The easygoing attitude he carried before was gone, replaced with sharp focus. His movements were no longer casual—they were efficient, practiced, and precise.
Steel met steel again, but this time Kael shifted the angle of the clash, forcing his opponent backward instead of meeting force head-on.
"…You've been holding back," his opponent muttered.
Kael smirked faintly.
"Everyone holds back until they don't need to."
He stepped forward, applying pressure—not overwhelming, but controlled. Testing, just like they were.
Andres noticed it immediately.
Kael wasn't trying to win.
He was matching the situation.
"…So he understands too," Andres thought.
That meant this wasn't Kael's first time in a setup like this.
Which raised another question.
"…Who exactly did I partner with?"
Meanwhile, the third man finally shifted.
Just one step.
But that step carried weight.
Andres' Mind's Eye reacted instantly, calculating trajectories, outcomes, risk levels.
Danger.
Higher than before.
"…So you're the real one," Andres said quietly.
The man smiled slightly.
"No," he replied.
"…I'm just the one who decides when this ends."
Silence followed.
Then—
Everything moved at once.