With the crowd surrounding them and seeing him falter under the Wolf Girls presence, Paigos' pride had been wounded to an irreparable degree.
He straightened, forcing his trembling fists to still at his sides. His breath came out sharp through his nose, and though his pride still screamed at him to lash out, he knew better than to collapse entirely in front of the crowd. No—he had to turn this around. He had to reclaim the stage.
A slow, curling smile spread across his lips, brittle at first, then steadier as he found the words that could salvage his authority. "If you truly believe you and your… pet can stand against me," he said, his voice rising, ringing with false confidence, "then I will happily accept your challenge. Not here. Not now. But at the Intergrade Tournament, next month."
