Vitality – Crimsonwind Arena (Outer Flats)
Cassian approached the wind-carved ridge where the arena stood, carved from obsidian and old stormbone trees. The structure had been dormant for cycles—deemed obsolete for guild combat.
Today, it pulsed with fresh energy.
The Veil buzzed in his ear.
> "Zone Override Detected – Live Broadcast Active."
"NeuraStream Sponsorship Verified – Host: FlameMouthTV"
"Trap Probability: High."
Cassian didn't flinch.
He walked toward the glow anyway.
---
Crimsonwind Arena – Inside the Ring
FlameMouth's voice echoed from a platform above, broadcast in-game and out.
> "Ladies and data-junkies, we've got something special today. A rogue ping—an untagged shadow drifted through our uplink zone. And we think we've found him."
A team of six guild fighters stood in a semi-circle, wearing high-profile gear and streamer-verified skins. Their leader, a lean duelist named Rash Vox, grinned as he twirled a branded dagger.
> "Come out, ghost. We'll give you a fair fight. Or at least a stylish one."
Cassian stepped into the arena without a word.
The broadcast audience surged.
> Viewers: 5.1M
Trending: #PhantomBreakerLive
---
The match started fast—Rash Vox struck first, showy but tight. Two teammates tried to flank. One streamed a live kill-cam from first person.
Cassian let them come.
He moved like glass bending around flame—sliding through sword arcs, redirecting their own momentum against them.
He didn't speak. He didn't trigger any chat.
One streamer got close—overconfident. Cassian disabled her blade mid-swing using a zone feedback glitch from the Veil, then hit her core system with a perfect stun-strike.
> [KO: Streamer ID "KaylaByte" – 2.4M watchers]
The crowd exploded.
---
Rash Vox dropped to one knee, panting, and laughed.
> "Okay. Okay, you win."
Cassian stood above him, sword at rest.
The NeuraStream feed kept rolling.
Vox raised his hands slowly and added, "Any message for your fans? A tagline? A guild name?"
Cassian said nothing.
Just turned.
And walked away.
The silence was louder than any speech.
---
Vitality – Skyshade Outpost (Shortly After)
StarViper leaned against a supply wall, watching the stream replay.
"He still won't speak," someone muttered.
"He doesn't need to," another said. "He's winning."
She turned off the screen and whispered:
> "For now."
---
New Cascadia – Sector 12, Apartment 18B
Cassian removed the neural brace slowly. The pod hissed as it opened, heat wafting into the cold room.
Mira lay asleep nearby, one hand clutching the edge of her blanket. Her face was pale. Fragile.
His tablet buzzed on the table—trending clips, reaction videos, memes.
> "Who is the Phantom Breaker?"
"Top 10 Times He Proved He's Not Human"
"The Architect Returns? Theory Breakdown"
He turned the device face-down.
Outside, a thunderstorm rolled over the decaying skyline.
Inside, Cassian sat in the dark, more phantom than man.
---
End of Chapter Twelve