A heavy silence hung over the entire coliseum, thick and electric.
Not a word, not a whisper—only the low hum of magical containment fields around the creature beyond the curtain, and the sound of a young student staring it down as if it were just a smudge on a classroom window.
And then—
"Ha—ah!"
The sudden burst of sound made everyone flinch.
Granfire stood, clapping a hand to his mouth like he'd just heard the punchline to the universe's most absurd joke. His shoulders began to shake.
A huff escaped, then another, and before long, he couldn't stop. "Ha-ha! HA—HA—HA—HA!"
People stared. Heads turned. Even the nearby Mana Instructors watched with confusion as Granfire pointed to the arena below, voice booming with theatrical disbelief.
"The goal… the goal for my students was just to stand, correct? To stand and face that challenge in the curtain without fainting or fleeing, yes?"
