The Grand Imperial Arena no longer resembled a battlefield prepared for an academy tournament.
It looked like the aftermath of a war between ancient rulers.
Massive fractures spread through the reinforced blackstone floor like spiderwebs carved by divine punishment. Rivers of molten stone glowed beneath shattered terrain, illuminating the arena in pulses of crimson and gold. The air itself trembled beneath unbearable heat, distorted by colliding waves of solar fire and sovereign flame that continuously devoured one another across the battlefield.
Above the arena, the barrier formations groaned under pressure.
Layer after layer of translucent defensive arrays shimmered overhead while imperial elders stood around the perimeter with raised hands, pouring spiritual energy into the failing structures. Ancient runes rotated desperately across the massive crystal pillars surrounding the arena, each one vibrating violently whenever another explosion erupted below.
