Chapter 44: Rankings...

[Azrael's Pov]

First place. A bittersweet victory, tainted by the unknown. The only name in the top 5 that I couldn't recognize, the raw power that he unleashed at the plains, that fighter – it had to be Neveah. Ranked third, yet unseen before the trials. My gut churned.

Vera slid a file across the table. "Congratulations," she offered, a genuine cheer in her voice.

"Who is he?" I pressed, ignoring the pleasantries.

"Here," she simply said.

Flipping through the file, my eyes narrowed. "He repelled the Dragon-blessed?" Surprise clawed at me.

"Yes," Vera confirmed, "but vanished after that match. No one saw him for the rest of the trials."

Grim understanding settled in. "He could've kept going, racked up even more points."

"Possibly," Vera conceded, "higher than you, even."