They came all at once.
Fast.
Coordinated.
"…count?" Iris said.
"…ten," Jared replied.
"…TEN?!"
"…approximate."
"…THAT DOESN'T HELP."
First attacker—
Jared dodged.
Second—
Blocked.
Third—
Countered.
BAM.
But no pause.
No gap.
Pressure rising.
"…they're not stopping," Iris shouted.
"…they won't."
Jared stepped back.
Adjusted.
Changed rhythm.
Prediction mode.
Then—
Something shifted.
Vision sharpened.
Time slowed.
Every movement clear.
"…optimization," he whispered.
"…WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!" Iris yelled.
"…I see it."
He moved—
Before they did.
THUD.
CRACK.
BAM.
One by one—
They fell.
Silence.
All ten—
Down.
Iris stared.
"…you just—"
"…yes."
"…I don't even know what to say."
"…common outcome."
"…NO IT'S NOT."
Jared stood still.
But his body—
Shaking slightly.
Limit reached.
Lights returned.
Ethan stepped forward.
"…impressive," he said.
"…irrelevant," Jared replied.
"…not quite."
Ethan's eyes shifted—
To Iris.
"…remove that…"
A pause.
"…and you'll be perfect."
Silence.
Jared's voice dropped.
"…don't."
For the first time—
Tension changed.
Not strategy.
Not logic.
Something else.