Corin Dres entered without looking at Nox; his attention remained on the prediction columns surrounding the arena, where viewers had already purchased the opening attack, defensive response, and expected time of victory.
Ninety-six percent believed Nox would strike first; their certainty gathered as pale bands across Corin's forearms, reinforcing the guard prepared for that exact action.
"Your reputation makes you generous. Everyone knows what you do when somebody puts a locked system in front of you," Corin said.
"They knew I would kill eight hundred people too," Nox replied.
"They were sold a story. They watched you enter my stage," Corin replied.
The match opened before Dorian finished presenting the champion's record; Nox remained still, allowing the first prediction clock to expire without supplying an attack.
Corin's reinforced guard lost color; a smaller market replaced it with odds that Nox would use Void Step toward the western blind angle.
