The crimson cloth draped over the cage trembled as something inside shifted, sending a reverberating thud through the platform.
The sound was deep and unnatural—like stone being dragged against bone, like a heartbeat laced with metal.
Though the creature remained unseen, its presence alone was suffocating.
A wave of pressure spread outward, crashing into the audience like a tide of invisible dread.
The magic flares flickered, and even the sunlight above the open-air stadium dimmed slightly, as if the skies themselves hesitated.
The crowd fell into a breathless hush.
Veteran teachers subconsciously reached for their weapons, even though they knew they were safe.
Seasoned knights among the audience stiffened.
Civilians clutched their seats. Infants cried in distant arms, and mana in the atmosphere itself swirled restlessly.
Even those who had never felt the weight of raw demonic energy before could now sense it—alien, ancient, and hungry.
It wasn't just a beast.
