The resolution of the tournament felt less like a celebration and more like the careful application of a bandage over a deep, festering wound.
The organizers, desperate for closure and a champion, proposed a rematch. Aile, her arm stiff and bruised beneath a fresh bandage, her spirit weary from the betrayal and the lingering shock of the sabotage, declined without hesitation.
"My gear is ruined, my arm needs rest, and the spirit of fair competition was shattered," she stated flatly to the judges, her gaze steady despite the fatigue. "I concede the match. Let the victory stand as it was decided before the... interruption."
The judges conferred briefly. With Aile's concession and the official findings pointing to external sabotage not directly orchestrated by Darien (as per the Voss cover story), they declared Darien Voss the Imperial Tournament Champion.
