A sudden, deafening silence swallowed the arena.
Not a whisper. Not a breath. Just stillness.
Then, like the cracking of ice under pressure, it shattered.
"Wh… what the actual… f–fuck…" a spectator finally managed, voice hoarse with disbelief.
The stunned murmurs quickly spread like wildfire. Rows of spectators leaned forward, eyes wide with a mix of awe and confusion. Had they really just witnessed that?
Even the host charismatic and composed just moments ago struggled to maintain his usual bravado.
"H-Haha… A-Amazing! Let's give a big round of applause to our participants!" he stammered, forcing a smile while gripping the mic like it might anchor him back to reality.
A wave of applause followed hesitant at first, then stronger but the disbelief still lingered like static in the air. Every eye was drawn to him: the lone boy with a small frame and a calm expression, standing still among the gasping, sweat-drenched competitors.
He didn't look tired.
