Match Four loaded at 1000.
SOLENNE_PRIME. Level 55. A-rank. Win rate: 91%. Elemental projection specialist. The profile image was minimal—a fighter standing neutrally with the specific quality of someone whose statistics communicated everything that a dramatic profile image would have been redundant to say.
"Dirty Grandpa," SOLENNE_PRIME said.
"SOLENNE_PRIME," Zeph said.
"I watched your previous matches." A pause that had information in it. "Minutes of absorbing damage to map the combination timing before deploying the counter."
"It worked," Zeph said.
"It did," SOLENNE_PRIME said. "I'm noting it."
He understood what this was. Not a threat. A courtesy—a skilled opponent confirming that the primary adaptive strategy had been identified and would not be given developmental time. He appreciated the transparency. It did not make the next thirteen minutes easier.
The timer hit zero.
The first six minutes were the best six minutes.
