Serena smiled, her voice lazy and indifferent. Yet, it was precisely this careless tone that hit the hardest.
The expressions on the faces of the opposing competitors shifted uncomfortably. Their lips moved, but no one dared to speak up.
Serena let out a soft scoff. "Weren't you all quite chatty just a moment ago? Every single one of you was in a rush to condemn me, terrified I might actually make it back in time for the match."
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze sharp and mocking. "Turns out, you're all terrified of me."
"So terrified that you don't even have the guts to compete against me on the same stage. You were practically begging the officials to disqualify me, weren't you?"
Those two sentences dropped lightly into the quiet room. But they landed like a resounding slap to the faces of the opposing teams.
Several competitors flushed bright red, gritting their teeth to argue back, but they couldn't find a single word. She had mercilessly laid their pathetic, cowardly intentions out in the open for everyone to see.
Because they were terrified. Terrified of her showing up. Terrified of her competing. Terrified she would completely crush all their delusions of grandeur with sheer skill once again.
Serena continued to smile, her tone dripping with ridicule. "Makes sense. After all, if I didn't show up, you might actually have a dream worth chasing."
"Too bad. I'm back now."
She paused, the curve of her lips turning chillingly thin, laced with an unparalleled, arrogant confidence. "So, you'd better start thinking about how to lose with some dignity."
"As long as I'm standing here, you don't even have the right to fight for second place."
"Today, the Elyndorian team will step right over all your faces and sweep the top three."
Her words were arrogant to the extreme.
But for the Elyndorian team, it sent their blood boiling with pure adrenaline. It was incredibly satisfying.

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