"...."
Rey stood motionless within the barrier, his teenage form bound by mystical chains, his capabilities completely suppressed. The three Category S Guards maintained their positions around him, their professional wariness evident despite his apparent helplessness.
He'd calculated dozens of potential escape scenarios during the past few minutes—exploiting gaps in their coordination, using hidden Artifacts they might have missed, even attempting desperate gambits that would likely result in his death but might create opportunities for survival.
Every scenario ended in failure.
The Divine Artifact had stripped away too many of his advantages. T
he Category S Guards' positioning was too perfect.
The containment they'd created was too comprehensive.
'I've lost,' Rey acknowledged with cold clarity. 'This round, at least.'
He lowered his hands slowly, letting the tension drain from his posture in a gesture of surrender.
