Chapter 274: Steele meets Slime

Steele muscled his way through the throng of bodies, his eyes locked on Zafron's retreating form. The newly crowned champion was moving with surprising speed for someone who'd just been through such a brutal fight.

"Move!" Steele growled, shoving past a group of excited spectators. "Get out of my way, damn it!"

His progress was frustratingly slow. For every step forward, it felt like the crowd pushed him back two. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled to keep Zafron in sight.

'I didn't come all this way to lose him now,' Steele thought, gritting his teeth. 'Not when he's right there.'

Behind him, Maze paused at the base of the stands, torn between following Steele and pursuing their other lead. Something deep in her gut twisted uncomfortably as she watched her partner disappear into the sea of bodies.

'This is a bad idea,' she thought, biting her lip. 'Steele's too worked up. He's going to do something stupid.'