Rising Stakes

The crowd's initial cheers gradually turned to murmurs of discomfort, with some spectators beginning to demand that the officials stop the fight.

"Enough!" one shouted. "This isn't a fight; it's a massacre!"

Back in the locker room, the other challengers watched the scene with worry in their eyes, a mix of fascination and discomfort on their faces. Even Gabriel swallowed hard, unable to look away.

Sia, however, was unmoved. She kept her arms crossed, her gaze steady as she observed the brutal display.

"You reap what you sow," she said, her voice cold and matter-of-fact.

Mercury was still in the center of the arena, and with her foot planted firmly on Jaden's stomach, she tilted her head slightly, as if pondering why her finishing touch wasn't working the same way she'd seen before with Eratz on Melcin.