Dean Wren's voice cut through the murmurs in the arena.
"You and you—come here."
The two students who had been sparring froze mid-motion before quickly running over. They bowed respectfully to the president, who gave them a lazy wave, signaling them to stand straight.
"I called you here because I want you to spar against them," Wren said, motioning toward Alfred and Aria.
The crowd immediately perked up. A spar? Against the newcomers? This was going to be interesting.
The two students turned to face their opponents, a mix of nervousness and determination in their eyes. They were clearly younger—first-years, maybe second-years at best.
Aria took one look at them and frowned.
"...Seriously?" She crossed her arms. "I get that it's just a spar, but aren't they a little too weak? You can do better than this, right?"
The arena fell into absolute silence.
Then—
"Did she just—?"
"She called them weak… in front of everyone?"
