Chapter 254: The Puppeteer
The roar of the crowd was a physical weight, pressing down on the arena floor like a sudden change in atmospheric pressure. Fifty thousand throats screamed in unison, shaking the reinforced barriers and vibrating the adamantite tiles beneath Eric William's boots.
[WINNER: Arcadia Academy (Michael Wilson & Eric William)]
Confetti, generated by low-tier light magic, rained down in shimmering gold streams. The holographic displays replayed the final moments in slow motion: Eric's impossible dodge, the lightning-fast parry, the devastating counter-attack that had blown Jaren Falk off the stage.
To the audience, it was a miracle. It was the moment a battered, arrogant noble dug deep, found his grit, and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. It was a narrative of redemption.
But Eric William wasn't celebrating.
