A hush swept through the ceremonial hall like a curtain dropping before a play.
The air grew heavy, no announcement, no trumpet fanfare, just a sudden, crushing presence that made every Trial Taker in the hall stiffen. Rebecca's voice cut through the silence, low and sharp.
"The Golden Arbiter has arrived."
At the front of the vast hall, the double doors opened on their own with a slow groan, revealing a man as still as stone. His grey hair was slicked back, framing a face carved by decades of command. He wore a crisp golden military uniform, flawless and radiant under the ceiling lights. His steps were measured. His eyes saw everything.
SSS-rank aura poured off him like heat from a furnace.
Franklin George.
A Golden Arbiter, one of four in the Federation.
The highest rank any officer could reach, and even they answered to only one person.
Akira Yakomoto. The Supreme warden.
The Governor and the only SSS-rank Supreme in the federation.
