The coin closed in Threxian's fist, and the room answered through the floor.
Ty felt it through his boots before he saw anything change. The boundary line warmed again, then bit into the soles of everyone standing near it. Several contestants stepped back. Alexander stayed where he was, shoulders tight, eyes on the king's hand.
Rui-Chai saw the same hand and moved before Threxian finished breathing in. That single early move saved his chest from being opened.
Threxian crossed the distance with less show than before. The cameras still tracked him, but he had stopped feeding them pretty angles. His elbow drove through Rui-Chai's guard and folded the man sideways. Rui-Chai caught the floor with one hand, pushed off, and met the next strike with both forearms.
Bone cracked somewhere under the impact, and Rui-Chai stayed upright while Ty's teeth pressed together until his jaw hurt.
