"Ha ha ha, I knew it would turn out like this."
"But Silvanus did really well, too. He just enrolled, and he actually managed to hold his ground against Thomas for this long."
"Personally, I think Silvanus is powerful."
"Strong or not, he's still going to be crushed by Thomas!"
Excited chatter echoed throughout the stands, like a crowd of spectators driven to frenzy.
Watching the strong be forced down and ground into the dirt—it always carried a certain twisted satisfaction!
"Silvanus…" Outside the arena, Ariana stared anxiously toward the stage, murmuring under her breath. Her eyes shimmered with tears, threatening to fall at any moment.
No way… could Silvanus really—really lose?
Even though this was the expected outcome, Ariana still couldn't bring herself to accept it.
At the very least, Silvanus mustn't die!
All she could do was look up at the high platform with pleading eyes, where the Elders overseeing Crucible Hall stood.
