Cheers!
The roar of the crowd still lingered in Kairo's ears. His fists ached, his muscles screamed, but he had done it… he had won.
'I actually did it!'
Relief, pride, and satisfaction swelled in his chest as his vision blurred.
He stood tall in the combat arena, chest heaving, sweat dripping, the deafening cheers almost enough to drown out the agony eating away at his stomach. For one fleeting second, he believed this was the end.
That he had made it.
Major Pain stood at the central platform, ready to declare the conclusion of the Entrance Tournament and announce the 2 applicants out of the other 8 who lost that impressed him most.
Those two would also get the scholarship.
The shield shimmered faintly around the combat rings, separating them from the stands, glowing runes humming steady.
And then…
Crack!
A spiderweb line appeared across the shimmering dome of light. Faint at first, then another, and then another.
Kairo frowned, lifting his gaze. 'What…?'
