My team began returning from their scattered positions upon hearing the announcement, regrouping efficiently as we had agreed on. Elen emerged from her hiding place as well, still safely carrying our accumulated Crest Marks.
As we assembled near the designated gate, I could feel the hostile stares from virtually every other team present. We had become public enemy number one, having destroyed multiple teams' accumulated resources through coordinated theft and tactical manipulation.
The resentment was palpable. Students from the lower-ranked classes glared at us with obvious hatred, while Kyle's team looked exhausted and bitter from their final desperate defense. Even teams we hadn't directly engaged seemed to view us with suspicion and anger.
But none of that mattered. The examination was over, and our approach had secured what appeared to be a commanding victory. The other teams' feelings about our methods were irrelevant compared to the tangible results we had achieved.
