Chapter 158: Momentum Break
The arena shimmered back into place, one broken piece of stone at a time. Dust still lingered in the air from the last clash, and the crowd—if you could call the faceless watchers behind the glass walls a crowd—seemed quieter now. Not subdued. Just expectant.
Tired of blood that didn’t impress.
Inside the glass prism, Jisoo stood alone, arms crossed, heel tapping softly against the translucent floor. She watched the aftermath of the previous fight with narrowed eyes. The losing fighter had been quick—damn quick—but their footwork fell apart under pressure. They moved like they didn’t trust their own limbs. That was the part that stuck with her.
Trust.
The system’s chime rolled through the air:
[Next Match: Jisoo Oh vs ???]
She didn’t flinch. Just closed her eyes for a moment.
Yujin had pulled out a dragon.
Jin had cut the ground open and fought a criminal who could melt through weapons.
Even Seul, quiet and sharp-eyed as ever, had stepped into the spotlight like she belonged there and bent the rules of gravity itself.
And what had Jisoo done?
She’d run. She’d punched. She’d dashed and swept and moved fast enough to keep up—but barely. The Talaria, the damn shoes—sure, they made her fast. But they didn’t make her better.