As soon as the bell rang, before Karina could even process the sound, Astrid had already made her move.
Well, not the kind of move anyone expected.
Mana started accumulating behind Astrid's back. She didn't charge. Didn't draw a weapon. She simply sat down. And as she lowered herself, the mana beneath her solidified into something visible. Purple. Solid. Taking shape.
A throne.
Those who knew Astrid's creation magic recognized it immediately. She had built herself a seat in the middle of a battlefield. Arms resting on the armrests. One leg crossed over the other. Looking at her opponent the way a queen looks at a peasant who just walked into the wrong court.
She was farming aura. Despite looking like she could collapse any second. The scars across her body, the clotting wounds, all of it clearly visible on the broadcasting screens across the arena.
And after all of that, she spoke. "Senior. Don't disappoint me now."
