Kairi's sharp eyes had been locked on Aiden as her katana was dripping with his blood.
The crowd's roar faded into a dull hum. For a moment, she didn't hear them. Didn't hear the Queen's guilty cry, didn't hear the wives' anguish.
Her gaze was fixed only on him—on the man who had thrown himself into death's path without hesitation.
"…Tch," she hissed, biting the inside of her cheek. Her grip on the katana tightened. *What kind of fool… shields another with his own life… in a duel like this?*
But before her thoughts could sharpen further—
A blinding light erupted across the arena.
FWOOOM!
Kairi flinched, snapping her head toward the source—
And then—
BOOOOM!
---
30 Minutes Earlier.
