The referee raised his hand, voice booming across the arena.
"Kael Cassian Vorn defeats Orion Blake! Moving up to Rank 9 in the Heaven's Gate Academy!"
The crowd erupted.
Cheers, screams, stamping feet, the entire arena shaking with the force of a thousand students losing their minds simultaneously. Rank 24 to Rank 9 in a single day. Four consecutive victories without seeing his full power.
Yenna sat in the stands, ice-blue eyes fixed on Kael's retreating back, and felt something cold settle in her chest.
She wasn't sure if it was fear or anticipation.
Kael walked off the stage with a smile on his face.
"Well, that was fun."
His body ached in the good way—muscles sore from sustained impact, joints stiff from repeated shock absorption, a faint bruise forming on his jaw where Orion's elbow had connected. The Void Body Refinement was already working on the damage, knitting micro-tears and compressing swelling, but it would take a few hours before he felt completely normal.
