Fiona hovered above the arena, her visor glowing as the drones circled her in formation.
The crowd below waited, eyes wide, food half-eaten, breaths held.
Fionyx flared behind her as she raised one hand.
"Alright, everyone!" Fiona shouted with a smirk.
"Let's start the Vornis Competition!"
A cheer exploded from the audience stands.
"As I said before," she continued, floating in a slow circle above the platform.
"Stage One is the Beauty Stage."
She spun once midair, light trailing behind her.
"This round isn't about power. It's about style, customization, and creativity."
"We're going to see how beautiful or how terrifying your Vornis beast looks after all your hard work."
Drones zoomed toward the center of the arena as the main platform began to rise.
A glowing hex ring formed midair.
"And to help with that... We've prepared something special."
A large steel platform rose from the center of the arena, and on it stood a massive beast.
