It was a moment of perfect unity for the three teams.
They had not practiced this. They had not even talked about this.
But from that simple eye contact with the judge, and even from the quick glances they had, Fate arranged their actions to be unified.
The scattered forces who moments ago had been rivals, opponents, and schemers suddenly moved with uncanny coordination. The whispers of Fate had grown louder, from a whisper to like a cruel hand pulling invisible strings, urging these people into alignment. Individually, they bore no loyalty to one another, but in that instant, each felt compelled to strike together, to make swift work of the victors who had so brazenly defied expectations.
But in forcing this unity, Fate made an error. Its meddling created an imbalance, a tremor that reverberated through the flow of destiny itself. A ripple, subtle yet undeniable, coursed through the hearts of those present.
Crystal was the first to feel it.
