The tension in the arena shifted as a voice pierced the air, drenched in mockery.
"Did I hear you right?" The words were slow, deliberate, and razor-sharp. A student clad in a sleek black uniform, adorned with the emblem of Zenith Academy, stepped forward.
His silver insignia glinted under the fractured light of the shattered crystalline dome.
He carried himself with a casual arrogance, his piercing gray eyes sweeping over Cruzer and Elara with disdain.
"You two think you could face someone like Aria?" He scoffed, folding his arms. "That's rich. You don't belong anywhere near fighters of that caliber."
Cruzer turned his head slowly, his Abyssal Shardblade still leaning against the seat. His eyes narrowed, their usual intensity sharpening into a glare.
Elara, seated beside him, tensed, her hand instinctively brushing against her staff as though readying herself to intervene.
