One minute ago, the stage felt like a battlefield waiting for blood.
Now?
Now it was execution time.
The arena lights dimmed to black, swallowing the massive hall in silence. No music yet, no intro, no announcer hype, just a heartbeat-like thump from the subwoofers.
Thousands of fans leaned forward in their seats. Cameras locked in. Judges straightened up. And behind the main stage curtain…
Team 12 stood in darkness.
No words. No nervous shifting. No more friction. The storms, jealousy, cracks, they had all burned away. What stood here now wasn't uncertainty.
It was resolve.
30 seconds.
Akari rolled her shoulders, jaw clenched. Fire in her eyes. The wild one, finally caged, finally lethal.
20 seconds.
Kana exhaled once. Controlled. Precise. Calm like a blade before it cuts.
10 seconds.
Hina stood small, but not fragile anymore. There was steel under that softness now.
And Rika…
