The crowd gasped—then erupted in cheers, thrilled by the promise of a wild, unpredictable match.
Suddenly—Aslan lunged forward, blade pointed straight at Darian like a spear.
Darian's brown eyes lit up, earthy glow shimmering from his irises. A thick brown aura engulfed his body.
Stones rose from the platform, floating and orbiting him like satellites.
Then—his feet sank into the platform itself, merging with it.
He was rooted. Unmoving. Unshakable.
Aslan's sword came slicing toward him—
CLANG!
With a sharp movement, Darian deflected the blade sideways, the metallic clash ringing across the arena.
Aslan stumbled, the unstable raft-like surface betraying him.
He tried to regain footing, but—
BOOM!
A colossal stone shield smashed into him from the side.
Aslan flew, tumbling like a rag doll across the arena. His body slammed into the golden barrier with a resounding thud.
The crowd roared, some rising to their feet.
