Chapter 26: Vampire Lord
The arena where the duel would take place stood at the eastern sector of the academy, a grand stone coliseum built in a perfect circle.
Its walls framed the open sky, with rows upon rows of arched seats rising upward like the ridges of a bowl.
Carved banners of the four student tiers, Stone, Bronze, Silver, and Gold, decorated the entrances, while an enchantment glowed faintly across the sand-covered arena floor.
The seats were packed.
First-year students filled most of them, their eyes gleaming with excitement. But Noah also spotted a few second-years scattered among the crowd, lounging with casual interest as if waiting for a child’s scuffle.
In the center of the arena stood Ben Stanley.
His arms were folded across his chest, and a deep scowl twisted his face. His foot tapped against the ground in short bursts of irritation.
Arlo stopped at the entrance, nudging Noah with an elbow. "Try not to end it too fast. Give us a good show."
Then he left, disappearing into the seats above.
Noah stepped onto the sand.
Every eye turned toward him.
The moment Ben saw him, his scowl deepened into a snarl. "What took you so long?" He snapped. "Or did you finally remember you’re just a weak little rat and almost ran back to your hole?"