When the next duel was about to begin, the enforcer raised his hand.
"Step forward."
Both Kael and Rai stepped closer, bowing their heads slightly toward the judges' table, the crowd's cheers echoing around them. The arena's mana barrier shimmered faintly, humming under the tension that filled the air.
Almost instantly, as Rai lifted his head toward Kael, a cruel grin spread across his face.
"The first commoner," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "Get ready to be stripped of the hierarchy itself. You're not even worth what it takes to stand among nobles."
As the last word slipped from his mouth, his mana flared violently. Lightning-blue flames burst to life, shaping into twin blades along his hands. The enforcer's voice sliced through the tension—
"Begin!"
Rai lunged forward without a heartbeat's hesitation. The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.
"Get him, Rai!"
"Commoners aren't fit to stand here!"
