A great gong resonated again, shaking the floating spectator platform.
Below them, the massive sandy floor of the coliseum began to shift. A wall of translucent mana-energy rose from the ground, bisecting the arena perfectly down the middle.
[ARENA SPLIT: ACTIVE]
[Sector A: Match 1]
[Sector B: Match 2]
The tournament had officially begun.
Kael leaned against the railing of the spectator box, his golden armor reflecting the digital sunlight. Usually, in a situation like this, he would be looking for a corner to sit in, or perhaps calculating the most discreet way to nap while standing up.
But today, he couldn't look away.
Kael found himself watching the matches with a genuine, unblinking interest that surprised even him.
It wasn't the bloodlust that captivated him. It wasn't the spectacle. It was the data.
Down in Sector A, two set of mages were squaring off. One was a Second Year known as "The Geologist," and the other was a second Year Retainer called "Slipstream."
