It was not a circle but an eclipse, an oval coliseum forged from black alloy, large enough to hold thousands. Runes the size of houses pulsed along its outer rim, forming containment grids strong enough to hold storms. Just outside, a wide platform stretched, tiered like steps of a throne. A place not for fighting, but for gathering. For declarations. For speeches before battles.
Ren's chest tightened. He could almost see it already: lines of mages gathered, the platform filled with figures giving orders before hurling them into wars unseen by the outside world.
"Training and war-preparation ground," Yato said, reading his silence. "When the Council calls for demonstrations, they begin here. When squads march into sanctioned battlefields, they are sent from here. The arena judges worth. The platform announces it."
Ren's gaze lingered. "So this was where soldiers were shaped."
Yato nodded.
