As Kaizer landed lightly in the arena, the platform beneath him shimmered with a silver-gray glow. A new seal had been inscribed into the floor by the Academy's highest esper artificers in under a minute, proof that the course of the esper world itself had shifted.
Across from him, Sophia Rochester emerged calmly, void rippling around her like a cloak. Her boots tapped softly against the enchanted stone, and her face—always calm—showed something unusual.
A trace of emotion.
She stood across from him, arms at her sides languidly. Their eyes met, and for a long moment, it was as if the rest of the arena didn't exist.
But the world did exist… and it was watching.
Within seconds, the academy's betting system exploded to life.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Lysandra's voice returned to the speakers with renewed electricity.
