In their eyes, Serena standing beneath the corridor lights was nothing short of a deity.
Powerful, fiercely protective, calm, and utterly dominant.
It seemed that no matter what accident occurred or what obstacle arose, she could handle it.
With a single sentence, she could command the room, effortlessly turning the tables and solving any problem.
The fervor and admiration in everyone's eyes reached its absolute peak in that moment.
...
The next morning.
The Elyndorian competitors woke up early, finished breakfast, and gathered in the hotel's magnificent lobby.
Today was the official opening ceremony for the global elite individual matches.
Competitors from all nations were required to assemble at the grand plaza of the Severia Global Med-Tech Center.
They waited in the lobby for Mr. Ashwell, who had gone to retrieve the Elyndor Delegation Uniforms submitted to the organizing committee for inspection before their arrival.
Everyone was in fairly good spirits.
The confrontation last night had been a close call, but it ended with Phelps Prescott taking a massive hit to his pride.
However, it wasn't long before Mr. Ashwell returned.
Seeing his expression, the team's hearts sank.
He was carrying a battered cardboard box. His face was livid, and his eyes were practically blazing with fury.
"Mr. Ashwell, what's wrong?" Caleb hurried over. "Is the Severian committee playing dirty again?"
Mr. Ashwell didn't say a word. Jaw clenched tight, he slammed the ruined box onto the floor.
"These Severian bastards have gone too far! This is completely shameless!"
The box broke open, its contents spilling out.
The team quickly crouched down to look.
Next to it was a line in Severian.
One of the competitors who understood the language leaned in. His face instantly flushed crimson as he gritted his teeth and translated, "It says... these uniforms are a perfect match for Elyndor."
Humiliation.
This was a blatant, undisguised, and extreme humiliation!
The expressions of every Elyndorian competitor turned grim.
"Mr. Ashwell, what exactly happened?!"
"Where are our original uniforms?"
Mr. Ashwell's voice was tight with anger. "The committee claimed there was an 'accident' during the inspection process."
"They said that after our uniforms passed the security check, they were stored in a warehouse. Last night, a pipe supposedly burst, causing an electrical short and a fire. All our uniforms were destroyed."
"So they rushed to make this new batch for us, claiming they worked through the night specifically for our sake..."

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