A loss was a loss; their skill had simply been inferior, leaving little else to say. All that could be said was that the two sides had differed in their attitude toward this World Cup from the very beginning.
Professor Jones had clearly prepared more thoroughly. Professor Kazel, on the other hand, had been comparatively "go with the flow."
The victory in this duel ultimately belonged to the one who had taken it more seriously. The World Cup champion had truly earned her title!
"It has begun."
Dark stood before the window, a faint trace of regret still lingering on his face.
But as the duel officially came to an end, his expression quickly grew solemn. To ordinary spectators, deciding the champion meant the competition was over. But to those in the know, it was the beginning of another act.
He could already sense the omnipresent traces of the "ritual." The God-Summoning Ritual had advanced to its very peak the moment victory and defeat were decided.
The entire venue, all of Duel City, the whole Free City, and even the entire continent—every great current was converging toward this center.
Countless "Divine Factors" drawn in by the World Cup had begun to stir. The scale and depth of influence of this God-Summoning Ritual far exceeded Dark's imagination.
Golden light flickered in his eyes, and his expression became increasingly grave. Awakening Hermes ahead of time had also been a gamble.
But ever since the Age of Gods, every step humanity had taken had been a gamble.
If they made even one wrong step, they risked falling into an endless abyss. No one knew what changes Hermes might have undergone after sleeping for a year.
The will of the gods was ultimately unfathomable.
Even if he were to suddenly change his mind upon