The crowd roared for Ulv's victory, oblivious to the girl crying in the sand.
Lothar, ever the showman, spun the narrative instantly.
"A heartbreaking loss for Lady Aurelia, but a monstrous evolution for the Ice Knight! Give it up for them!"
The cheers were deafening.
"But we must march on!"
Lothar boomed.
"Next up, we have... Kaelen the Water Vanguard versus Lyra of the Singing Blades!"
With that, Ignotus lost all interest.
The matches continued and began to blur together while he sat in a dark waiting room beneath the stands, munching on snacks and enjoying his break with Eris.
He didn't watch Kaelen shatter Lyra's swords. He didn't watch a Spear user cut off a hapless Lava Runebearer. Nor did he watch Mer utterly destroy some random.
Again, Ignotus didn't care for the squabbles of those who didn't interest him.
Hours passed, and the sun began to dip, painting the sky orange.
That was when finally...
"It is time."
