The virtual battlefield shimmered as Ren's avatar shattered into a cascade of light, the system chiming his elimination. My chest heaved, sword still buzzing in my hand from the duel's final clash. The energy blade's afterglow lingered in the air where his neck had been moments before—a clean, precise strike that had ended our rivalry, at least for this simulation.
He was out—Ren, perpetually stuck at 9,900 points, gone from the competition. I stood alone on the fractured ground, glowing cracks spiderwebbing beneath my boots like veins of molten gold in obsidian. The destruction around me told the story of our battle—scorched earth, fractured pillars, the scattered remnants of his shadow-wolves that had nearly flanked me twice.
I tapped my wrist interface, pulling up the holographic leaderboard that hovered in translucent blue:
1. Seraphina – 12,500 points
2. Jin – 11,800 points
3. Arthur – 10,200 points
4. Ren – 9,900 points (eliminated)
