Merisa stayed there, seated on the ground, shaking, doing nothing but staring at Razeal as if afraid that blinking might make him disappear.
King Julius, meanwhile, stood frozen.
Shock didn't begin to describe what was written across his face.
His gaze was fixed on the arena, on the massive crater gouged into what had once been a pristine battleground, and on the sight at its center: Knox, the ancient examiner, lying unconscious amidst shattered stone… and Razeal, standing upright.
Standing.
Alive.. And unharmed.
For several heartbeats, Julius couldn't even think. His mind simply refused to process the image before him. Knox.. that Knox had been defeated? No, not even defeated… rendered unconscious by a single exchange? And that impact.. what was that impact anyways? He replayed it in his head again and again. He had seen the boy attack. He was sure of it. The strike itself had seemed… normal. Strong, yes, but nothing that should have led to what followed.
