When Piba stepped out into the arena, the students from Central Academy were already watching from their viewing room. Their eyes were glued to the widescreen, tension thick in the air. And the moment they saw who it was, the atmosphere shifted.
"I can't believe he's actually taking part in this," Rupert said in disbelief. "After what you did to him, he should barely be able to cast magic, let alone perform."
From the screen, it was obvious that Piba was in far better shape than the last time they'd seen him. He was walking with confidence, no limp, no hesitation. But to Kayzel and the others, it seemed like nothing more than a trick. A gimmick.
To them, the idea that Piba could be fully healed in such a short amount of time was impossible. Maybe with the help of multiple recovery mages over a long period, maybe, but this? This was too soon.
"We already know what his special affinity is anyway," Bones added with a shrug. "So it's really not a big deal."
