After their unexpected victory, Piba and Yolden had no interest in taking part in the ongoing events any longer. And truthfully, no one expected them to. After defeating students from the Central Academy, the most prestigious of them all, they had already done what most thought was impossible.
Still, deep down, the two of them knew something about that win, it wasn't flawless. It hadn't been overwhelming domination. It had been clever. Strategic. A bit of trickery, even. And they both silently acknowledged that if they were to face those Central Academy students again... they might not win a second time.
That was the risk.
Right now, people could claim it was a fluke. An upset. A once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. But if they were to lose a rematch, then it would just be humiliation. All the praise they had earned would vanish.
So instead of taking that risk, they stepped off the stage.
Waiting for them at the edge of the platform were Chiba and Moze, both bursting with pride.
