Chapter 48: Face Off 4
The end of the battle had come.
The air itself seemed to hold its breath, heavy with the remnants of smoke, frost, and shattered mana. Craters and scorched earth stretched across the ruined forest, trees reduced to charred silhouettes, and the sky burned with the soft golden light of early evening.
Only two figures remained in the arena.
Rayne.
Layla.
Their uniforms were ripped, armor dented, faces stained with sweat and blood. But neither bent. They stood opposite each other—two monarchs vying for the throne of the Academy.
This wasn’t just another trial. This was the Student Council War.
Layla lifted her twin sabers, each blade crackling faintly with residual frost. Her expression was calm, confident, and terrifying in its serenity.
"You know," she said, tilting her head, "you don’t have any chance now."
Rayne flinched.
It wasn’t the words.