[Northern region of the dimensional zone.]
[One hour later.]
The air in the Northern Dimensional Zone crackled with raw, untamed energy. It had been a long hour of slaughter.
Death-flames, his face an unreadable mask beneath the illusion he wore, kept his gaze locked on the hulking, Sky Stage Chimera-Lion prowling a mile away.
"Master… are we truly going to engage that thing?" Death-flames asked, his voice a low gravelly murmur. The Chimera-Lion was a known quantity—fast, powerful, and demanding a significant expenditure of power to defeat quickly.
Darkness paused, the deep shadows of the forest floor seeming to intensify around her. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, a smile forming:
"It's only a Sky Stage Beast, Death-flames. A high-value target, nothing more."
Eagle-Eye stepped forward, her tone urgent. "Master, please! We can't afford to expose your core strength. There are thousands of eyes on the Arena. If they deduce our dentities, this competition—"