Lynnor's words hung in the air like a slap.
The Dragon Emperor girl moved.
It wasn't a lunge that showed aggression right off the bat, but rather, it was a silent, lethal step.
Her arm swept upward — fingers half-curled, ice already gathering
as the gap between her hand and Lynnor's throat vanished in a blink—
then stopped.
Her hand froze a hair's breadth from Lynnor's jaw.
Not because the girl hesitated.
But because her tutor's hand was already around her wrist, stopping her mid-strike with effortless precision.
The whole arena corridor held its breath.
Lynnor didn't even flinch.
She just tilted her head a fraction and smirked, eyes bored, almost amused.
"Oh? That's all?" she asked, voice light and poisonous. "Don't tell me the mighty Dragon Emperor needs permission before they can scratch someone."
The Dragon Emperor tutor's voice was calm but sharp.
"Fights are forbidden here. Unless both parties agree to a formal duel."
