In the stands, even more casual observers could feel a change in the dynamics. This was no longer simply Ren dominating while his opponent desperately sought ways to survive...
This was a real battle where both sides had the capacity to cause serious damage, where the outcome wasn't predetermined by a huge difference in power but would depend on tactical execution and precise timing.
Taro observed from his position with an expression mixing residual pain from the broken bond with renewed determination. The beetle had fallen but had fallen in a way that established the possibility of an eventual Terror victory... a genuine possibility.
Those mineral fragments the beetle had created in its last act were proving to be exactly as valuable as Ren had anticipated.
