The statue's hammer crashed down with no warning. The street cracked apart like thin glass, sending shockwaves through the air.
Leon pulled his friends back, shielding them with a flare of Shell Reverb. The blow landed where he had stood only a moment earlier, leaving a crater that burned faintly with white fire.
Naval bristled, raising his trident. "Together—"
"No." Leon's voice cut sharp. He stepped forward, holding the gauntlet before him. His tone left no room for argument. "This is aimed at me. If you fight, the scale won't count it."
Roselia's lips parted as if to protest, but then she stopped. She felt it too—that strange pull from the statue's faceless gaze. The judgment wasn't spread across them. It weighed Leon alone.
The statue lifted its hammer again, slow but unstoppable, like a mountain shifting. The chains around its arms clinked and dragged, each movement echoing with a hollow clang that rattled through Leon's chest.
