Suddenly, the injured Blood Knights erupted.
One voice broke the silence, hoarse and cracking. Then another. Then several at once.
The courtyard filled with shouting, rough and angry, words crashing into each other without order.
"I knew it!" a Blood Knight shouted, stabbing a trembling finger toward Cain. "I knew it from the start!"
"He cheated!"
"A magic scroll!"
"There's no way he did that himself!"
One of them staggered forward, clutching his side. His armor was dented and split, his ribs clearly broken, yet he kept going.
His face was twisted with pain and rage as he glared at Cain, breathing hard, barely able to stay on his feet.
The others followed, voices rising as accusations flew. The noise grew louder and uglier by the second.
"That's right! I felt it! That strength wasn't normal! He cheated! He cheated!"
"He crushed my armor with one hit!"
"My shield shattered!"
"My arm—my arm is ruined!"
