"You stand among the strongest of your generation. Less than twenty-four hours ago, you were two thousand. Today, you are two hundred. Each of you should be proud, regardless of your current ranking. Surviving this far is not luck. It is skill. It is determination. It is the will to push past your limits when others around you broke."
The crowd murmured with anticipation.
Klein raised his hand, and the noise died down again.
"Before we begin preparations for the next stage, we have a special guest joining us today. A guest who carries an announcement that will change the course of everything humanity has believed was possible since the Great Collapse."
The murmuring stopped entirely as Klein's smile sharpened.
"Please welcome the Light Sword Saint himself and the champion of the Spirit Tournament. Alaric Sky."
The arena erupted.
Cheers cascaded down from the spectator stands in waves, the noise spreading across the open space.
