As soon as it escaped, Cutie Pie darted off the martial stage and dove straight into Grace's arms, trembling all over.
The entire arena fell silent.
Then, the crowd erupted into even louder laughter.
Queenie Zhu was affected too; distracted for a moment, she was kicked off the martial stage by Evelyn Yuan.
She scrambled up awkwardly, a big shoe print on her chest, and shouted toward the judge, "That doesn’t count! This round doesn’t count! Cutie Pie belongs to Grace, not me! I demand a rematch!"
"Miss Queenie Zhu, the rules were read before the match. Falling off the stage means you lose. You have been eliminated," the judge said expressionlessly.
"No way! I refuse! I want to compete again with my own spirit beast!" Queenie Zhu protested, unwilling to accept the result.
"The rules were set by Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu. If you keep making a scene, you’ll be charged with defying the imperial decree," the judge warned, his face darkening.
Queenie Zhu’s expression changed instantly; she didn’t dare make another sound.
She glared resentfully at Grace.