A monkey-like beast man landed ahead of her, staff spinning in effortless circles.
His Divine Stage pressure didn't flare wildly like the others; it compressed inward, focused and sharp. He watched Nikko with bright, steady eyes, tail swaying behind him with a calm rhythm.
He wasn't nervous.
He wasn't impressed.
He wasn't even curious.
He was simply ready.
Nikko slowed her steps, claws retracting slightly as she measured him.
That brief moment of stillness said enough, the first real roadblock since she'd entered the arena.
The monkey beast man rested his staff on one shoulder, his voice carrying just enough to reach her.
"You're strong," he said, not as praise, but as fact. "But this is as far as you go."
Nikko's eyes narrowed, a spark of excitement flickering beneath her calm exterior.
The air tightened between them, the noise of the arena fading behind the pressure gathering at their feet.
She slid one foot back, her stance lowering.
"Try me."
