Chapter 260: TOP 10
The showers in the Arcadia locker room were running cold, but nobody complained.
The steam rising from the stalls wasn't just water vapor; it was the shedding of adrenaline, shame, and the clinging stench of necromantic mud.
When the team emerged, dressed in fresh, dry uniforms, the mood had shifted.
The nervous energy of the semifinals was gone, replaced by a razor-sharp, grim focus.
They had walked through the mud and come out as executioners. They weren't just students anymore; they were a unit under a tyrant's command.
Michael Wilson sat on the bench, his legs crossed, reviewing a holographic display. He looked as if he were checking the weather, not preparing for the most important battle of their lives.
"The Finals," Michael said, his voice cutting through the silence of the room. "The judges have finished resetting the arena. The terrain is flat. Standard reinforced stone. No gimmicks, no environmental hazards."
