The arena maintenance crews worked frantically between matches, their repair enchantments struggling to fix the devastation left by Ren's impossible dual resonance display.
Cracked stone merged back together under magical influence, but the scorch marks and tears would take minutes to fully heal.
Ren sat in the candidate observation area, his body aching from wounds that ran deeper than flesh.
The sympathetic damage from Shadow's attacks had created injuries that confused even experienced spirits, while the strain of achieving dual resonance had pushed his mental sea beyond their normal limits.
But his mind remained razor-sharp as he studied the remaining quarterfinalists with methodical precision.
The second quarterfinal featured two Block C candidates whose fighting styles represented textbook academy training.
Elemental manipulation met battlefield control in exchanges that were competent but predictable.
