Date: TC1853.10.05
Location: Imperial City — Fourth Ring Grand Arena, Main Stage
Shadow Fang Brotherhood didn't walk onto the arena sand. They appeared.
Six figures in matte-black armor materializing from the competitor tunnel's shadow like ink bleeding into water — no formation march, no coordinated entrance, no visual spectacle. One moment, the sand was empty. The next, six killers occupied it with the casual stillness of people standing exactly where they intended to be.
The crowd's reaction was uneasy applause. Shadow Fang had fans, but the kind who admired from a careful distance. The Brotherhood's reputation preceded them — assassination guild reformed into a tournament team, which was a polite way of saying professional killers who'd found a legal venue for their skills.
