They stopped.
No words.
Just eyes.
Their gazes locked—and in that instant, it felt as though the world itself had gone silent.
The crowd held its breath.
To think a human would stand like this…
King Zul's eyes narrowed slightly.
He defeated Prince Zohar with overwhelming ease. That cannot be coincidence.
Somewhere in the stands, whispers spread.
"He must have cheated."
"There's no way he beat Prince Zohar fairly."
"But it won't matter now."
"Our king is different."
"Our king is the strongest."
The introducer swallowed hard, feeling the pressure in the air thicken until his knees trembled.
"R-Ready?" he called out, his voice barely steady.
"May the king begin!"
The moment the words left his mouth—
King Zul's aura exploded outward.
A massive wave of emerald energy poured from his body like a storm unleashed. The ground groaned under the weight of it. Cracks spread rapidly across the arena floor, stones lifting slightly before slamming back down.
The elves gasped.
