Inside, the air smelled of ozone, stale energy drinks, and desperate adrenaline. Jax adjusted his haptic gloves, the synthetic fibers tightening around his knuckles. He wasn’t here for the nostalgia of the old days, when "ball games online" meant simplistic 2D simulations on a phone screen. He was here for the Contract.

It was Kruger. Top-ranked player in the hemisphere. He controlled a Tank-class Avatar across the field—a hulking mass of carbon fiber and servos. Jax was piloting a Speed-class model, sleek and fragile.

With a flick of his wrist, he engaged the magnetic repulsor on his gauntlet.

Jax didn't try to dodge. He slid. He commanded the Avatar to drop into a baseball slide, the frictionless glass allowing him to glide under Kruger’s swinging arm. He looked up, inverted, staring at the hovering goal ring above him.

Whoosh.