It wasn't a polite round of applause, either. It was the kind of noise that rattled Aegis's teeth, that shook the sand beneath her feet, that made the columns of the arena vibrate. People were on their feet, screaming, clapping, stomping. Some of them were chanting her name.
"STARCALLER! STARCALLER! STARCALLER!"
Aegis lowered her blade.
Her arms felt like they were made of wet paper. Her mana was completely gone, her legs were shaking, and she was bleeding from at least four different places. She probably looked like absolute shit.
But God, did it feel good.
Darius dropped the broken hilt onto the sand and took a step back. He looked at Aegis for a long moment, then closed his eyes.
"I yield."
More roaring. More chanting. Aegis let herself soak it in for a few seconds, just standing there in the middle of the arena, sword hanging loose at her side, listening to thousands of people losing their minds over what she'd just done.
[I did it. Holy shit, I actually did it.]
