(15 minutes later, Leo's POV, the Fourth Ring)
It was around the thirty-minute mark since he first entered the Fourth Ring that Leo began to observe a humongous dip in the performance of the Monarchs surrounding him, as the pressure that had been steadily accumulating finally crossed a threshold that their bodies and minds could no longer compensate for.
At first it showed itself subtly, as movements lost sharpness and intent lines wavered instead of snapping cleanly into place, as swings arrived a fraction slower than before and spells took just a little longer to form.
Then it became undeniable.
Breathing grew strained and uneven across the battlefield, chests heaving as though the air itself had turned thick and resistant, while vision blurred under the relentless spiritual weight pressing down on them from all directions, the Chakravyuh grinding at their foundations while Moltherak's presence crushed what remained of their composure.
Leo felt it through their attacks.
