Kaelen advanced. Round 2: Won in 10 seconds. Round 3: Won by ring-out.
He was in the Quarter-Finals. His opponent was Varg, the Berserker.
The arena was sand. Varg roared, activating [Rage Mode]. His skin turned red. His axe caught fire. "No more tricks, little rat! I will smash you!"
Varg leaped, bringing the axe down. Kaelen sidestepped. BOOM. The sand exploded. Varg was fast for a big guy. He spun, swinging the axe horizontally.
Kaelen jumped over the blade. But Varg grinned. "Gotcha." Varg activated a hidden skill: [Magma Burst].
The axe exploded in a wave of fire after the swing. Kaelen was mid-air. He couldn't dodge.
The fire hit him. The crowd gasped. "He's toast!"
Inside the fire, Kaelen's skin burned. [HP: 300/450]
The pain triggered the Glitch. The Guide text flashed red. [System Error: Damage exceeds threshold. Defensive Reflex Activated.]
Kaelen didn't mean to do it. His shadow reacted defensively. It rose up behind him, forming a massive, demonic claw. The shadow claw swatted the fire away like it was a fly.
The fire vanished. Kaelen landed, smoking but alive. The shadow claw receded instantly, but for a split second, everyone saw it.
Silence.
"What was that?" Varg stammered. "That wasn't Rogue magic. That was..."
Kaelen knew he was in trouble. He had to end this now. He sprinted at Varg. Varg raised his axe in fear.
Kaelen slid under Varg's legs. He placed his palm on Varg's ankle armor. [Decay: Max Output on Object.]
The metal greaves rusted into dust instantly. Varg, putting his full weight on that leg, lost his footing. SNAP. Varg's ankle twisted. He fell face-first into the sand.
Kaelen jumped on Varg's back and put a knife to his throat. "Yield."
"I yield! I yield!" Varg screamed.
[Winner: Kael!]
Kaelen stood up. He looked at the VIP box. The Inquisitors were standing up. They were pointing at him. They had seen the Shadow Claw.