With Frostfang's acceptance, a wave of excitement spread through the crowd. Some both expected and wished for Erik to receive a quick beat-down. Others looked forward to a heated battle between two powerhouses, before a next-generation Gunnulf ascended the Enclave throne.
Either way, everyone was itching to see the result and wanting different things, but they managed to keep it civil this time. Frostfang's earlier speech and pressure still rang fresh in their minds.
Now, Erik and Frostfang stood ten meters apart. Ten meters was an extremely short distance to a Runebound, of course, but neither intended to fight at range, so neither minded.
Erik eyed his opponent with cautious optimism and excitement. Despite his earlier bravado, he wasn't actually sure he could beat Frostfang. He had built new armor, trained for eleven months, and prepared a few more surprises just to reach a level of power where he could face Frostfang despite being a second-ranker.
