20 | The Solo Duel, Part II

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The training studio that was reserved for the duel was the biggest one Lyn had ever seen. White cushy padding lined all around the walls for protection and soundproofing, while a luxurious chandelier hung in the middle. The challenger, whoever he was, definitely lavished on every possible expenditure for this duel.

As the team entered, Lyn noticed Cydney fidgeting with her black wristwatch. She reached her hand out and gave her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder.

"You'll be fine, Cinna. You're the best fighter I know."

Cydney merely smiled in reply.

Just then, a middle-aged man with a black bowler hat stormed into the studio.

"Hello, hello! Which one of you is the fighter?" he asked in between breaths. His eyes darted around the team as he examined everyone eagerly—everyone, except for the petite woman standing right in the middle.

Cydney lifted a timid hand up. "I- I am..."

"You? Oh." There was a slight pause of surprise before the man rushed forward to shake her hands. "That's awesome! Good to see you, good to see you! Cydney, right? I've heard so much about how elusive you are, and how impossible it is to duel you, so I'm very, very honored you agreed to this duel. I am the manager for the challenger, Master Han. He's on his way here. He takes a really long time to prepare, so I apologize for the wait."

"Master Han?" Lyn repeated with a raised brow. "What is he, some kind of royalty?"

"No," the manager said with a strained smile, "but he wants to be called either Master Han or Master Solo. He's very insistent on the 'Master' part for some reason. Well, he pays me, so I'll call him whatever he wants to be called."

"Wait," Cydney whispered, her face distorting in terror. "Han... Solo?"

"Yes, yes, have you heard of him? Han Solo is the name he goes by. I think the 'Solo' is supposed to stand for solo quester, which is weird because he's not a quester at all, he's just a challenger. But well, he's a weird dude, you'll see."

The blood seemed to drain from Cydney's face, as she staggered backward and muttered, "Lyn... I- I don't want to do this anymore."

"You'll be fine, Cinna—"

"No, I really don't want to do this anymore. Let's go, please."

Cydney's adamant tone jolted Lyn to action.

"Oh, okay, okay. Let's go." She grabbed Cydney's hands and turned to the rest of the team. "Let's go, guys."

The door slammed open, freezing them in place.

A tall, slender East Asian man sauntered into the studio. His lips were curled into a permanent smirk, while his chin was tilted upwards as if he owned the place. Under his neatly-styled pompadour hair was a pair of trendy, horn-rimmed sunglasses and an expensive-looking suit. As he stopped in front of the team, he pushed out his suit and broke into a wide, gleeful smile.

"I knew it." He took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of small, almond-shaped eyes that bored into Cydney. "It really is you, Sīn-Sīn!"

Sin-Sin? Lyn frowned. The name, 'Sin-Ni Yen', flashed across her mind—it was the name that had appeared on Cydney's strange messaging device. Was Sin-Sin a nickname that Cydney had back home?

"You know him, Cinna?"

Cydney did not reply. Instead, her eyes were fixated on the newcomer. An unfamiliar voice—soft, trembling, filled with a level of rage that Lyn had never heard before—escaped her throat.

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