Seraphine stopped in front of Darius, her sword held tightly in her grip, the gleaming edge reflecting the dim torches of the arena. Her eyes met his, unyielding and cold, the silence between them so palpable that the air seemed to grow thick, oppressive.

    Every soul in the stands, every fighter in the arena, paused. It wasn''t the fight between Orcas and I that held their attention now, but the tense standoff between these two, whose fates were intertwined in a far more dangerous game.

    Darius raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting from seriousness to mild curiosity. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice laced with mockery.

    Seraphine, without a hint of hesitation, spoke before he could finish his sentence, her voice sharply came. "What did you get?"

    Darius''s brow furrowed in confusion. "Hmm?" He didn''t seem to fully understand her question.

    "What did you get," she repeated, her tone ice-cold, "by framing my father as a traitor and trying to kill me?"

    The crowd collectively inhaled. Murmurs erupted from all corners of the arena as disbelief rippled through them. The accusation hung in the air, heavy and damning.

    The Queen''s gaze narrowed as she turned her head, her expression unreadable, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of something—whether suspicion or admiration, it was hard to tell.

    Darius''s smirk faltered for a split second, his hand instinctively tightening on the armrest of his seat. He glanced at her with his cold eyes.

    "Nothing," he said, his voice low and steady. "I am still one step behind..."

    Seraphine''s lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile, a smile that didn''t reach her eyes.

    "So sad," she said, her words cutting through the silence like a blade. "It will never happen."

    A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Some were speechless, while others exchanged confused glances, trying to make sense of what had just transpired. The announcer, his voice now trembling, could hardly keep up with the gravity of the situation.

    "W-what? Seraphine... of Damascus... accuses Darius of framing her father?!" The announcer''s voice hitched in disbelief.

    Seraphine''s gaze remained locked on Darius. Slowly, she lifted her sword high above her head. The crowd held its breath. Was she going to strike? Was this the moment she would end Darius? Her own guardian? in front of everyone?

    The tension was unbearable. Her eyes glinted with something darker, her heart visibly racing beneath the ice that coated her expression. But then—

    A roar, guttural and furious, cut through the stillness.

    "GRRRRRR!" Orcas''s cry echoed across the arena, snapping everyone''s attention back to the fight that had almost been forgotten. His body flared with power, his muscles rippling as he surged forward with all the force he could muster. His chains rattled ominously, the dark aura around him thickening like a storm cloud.

    My eyes were at Seraphine. I could see the rage and intensity in her eyes, but I also noticed something else: a tear threatening to fall from her eye, her emotions barely contained. "It''s okay girl...you are doing right..." I thought in my mind, well wishing for her.

    But before I could process it, Orcas leapt forward, his body a blur of motion, charging at me with all his might.

    The cloaked figures froze, their eyes locking onto me in surprise, their hands tightening around their weapons.

    But I was already there.

    The arena fell into a tense, uneasy silence as I moved to intercept them, my body fully aware of the danger they posed, but more importantly, the responsibility I carried to protect her.

    The Queen stood up, her eyes narrowing as she surveyed the arena. A chill ran through the crowd as her regal presence dominated the space. She turned her gaze toward the hooded figures now scattered among the stands. There was a growing sense of unease in the air, an electricity that made everyone aware that something wrong was happening.

    "Who are these intruders?" the Queen demanded, her voice cutting through the murmurs and whispers that rippled through the crowd. Her voice, usually calm and composed, now carried a sharp edge that spoke of authority—and danger.

    Her knights, ever loyal, stood as one, their armor clanking slightly as they rose from their seats. Their hands moved instinctively toward the hilts of their weapons, their faces grim, ready to defend the Queen and the honor of the arena.

    The announcer, completely baffled by the turn of events, hesitated, his microphone in hand as confusion seeped into his words.

    "What... what is happening here?" His voice faltered, unsure how to proceed with such a sudden change in the atmosphere.

    The crowd, too, seemed uncertain, their once-excited cheers dying down to fearful whispers. A sense of panic began to rise from the stands.

    One of the hooded figures, standing at the forefront, raised his head, his eyes cold and calculated as he spoke in a low but commanding voice, his words aimed directly at his comrades. "Take down Seraphine. This is our chance! Don''t let her kill Darius!!"

    Before anyone could process the command, a sword was thrust toward Seraphine, aiming to strike her down while she was distracted and confused by the chaos around her.

    "Not until I exist." But in a blink, my body moved to intercept the blow. The sound of clashing steel rang out as my sword, swift and sure, came between the assailants and Seraphine, deflecting their three swords with a single, well-timed motion.

    The crowd gasped, their attention snapping toward me as I stepped into the chaos, my voice cutting through the noise of the arena.

    "What now?" one of the hooded figures sneered, stepping back as he assessed the new threat.

    I didn''t look anywhere except glared straight ag Darius''s eyes.

    "Don''t you all fucking dare to touch—" My voice, that of a girl, Cutipie...shifted suddenly, heavy with a cold, commanding tone of a man as I said. "—my girl."

    The words were simple, but the weight of them hit like a hammer. The atmosphere around me seemed to shift as my aura flared to life, a dark, swirling force that filled the air with tension. My clothes—white shorts and flowing jacket with the crop top—began to disintegrate in the face of the overwhelming energy surging through me. For a moment, I was nothing but raw power, my body flickering between states before absorbing my own energy.

    In a flash, the aura solidified, and the cloak enveloped me, black as night. My hood fell over my face, shadows obscuring my features, but my presence had already changed.

    I am no longer the sexy bold girl, Cutiepie....

    I am Zero!