The repossession died right there on the court, and it died of paperwork. Nox crossed the wreckage with the anchor core held up where every phone could frame it, and put his claim into the dusk at contract volume.
"Collection routes through the investiture," he said, "and the investiture is this core. I hold it by stakes the patron signed in public, so your claim knocks on my property."
The gold script stuttered above Jax's kneeling frame. Diana's orbit held its ring of furniture between the light and its collateral, while the System arrived to read the paperwork aloud.
[ Claim contested: pledged instrument held by third party. ]
[ Repossession suspended. Debtor status: defaulted. ]
[ Interference by instrument holder: lawful. ]
The pulling light let go of Jax's frame by degrees, a hand unclenching in bad grace. What remained when it withdrew was a beaten champion, still Awakened, branded defaulted in type the whole school could read, and breathing.
