The afternoon shadows lengthened across the massive expanse of the Grand Colosseum as the final matchup of the Round of Sixteen was announced over the stadium address system. The air inside the arena had reached a fever pitch. Over one hundred thousand spectators packed every stone tier from the arena sand to the soaring quartz roof. The lower commoner sections were dense with working-class citizens waving heavy-duty union banners. Meanwhile, the raised skyboxes of the northern walkway were ablaze with the gold-trimmed, purple-and-gold heraldry of the high patrician families of Aethelgard.
The ringing chime of the arena bells echoed across the sands: ROUND OF 16 // MATCH 08: VALERIUS PRIME ACADEMY VERSUS STORM-FORGE POLYTECHNIC.
Arthur Vance stood in the shadowed scouting gallery beneath the southern grandstand. He watched the arena floor through heavy, heavy watching slits. Beside him, Instructor Valerie leaned against the damp concrete wall with her arms crossed. Meanwhile, Toby adjusted the sight focus on their portable tracking data receiver. At Arthur’s feet, Grimm lay flat on the cool stone floor, his black glass bone-armor resting comfortably against Arthur’s combat boot.
Atop the low concrete watching low roof wall, Vesper sat perched with total feline poise. Her golden slit pupils were fixed on the northern gates below, her notched left ear twitching backward with cold, hungry curiosity.
