The heavy, suffocating silence that had gripped the training hall shattered not with a scream but with a single, thunderous clap that echoed off the vaulted ceilings.
Then another.
And another.
Slowly, the shock dissolved into a roaring crescendo of approval. The guards, the lesser nobles, and the seasoned warriors who had witnessed the carnage didn't see a massacre; they saw a revelation.
In a world where threats were becoming more monstrous and unpredictable, seeing two titans push each other to the brink of death was more than entertainment; it was a reassurance.
This was what survival looked like.
This was the preparation required for the true horrors awaiting them beyond the walls.
"Magnificent!" someone bellowed from the balcony. "That was true steel!"
"Gods, what a display of power!" another voice joined in.
The applause became a wave, a physical force that washed over the blood-soaked arena.
