Location from Iron Prince by Bryce O\
Where rankings are earned and reputations are destroyed — shielded combat spaces where CAD-assisted fights happen in conditions that simulate lethal combat without permanent harm.
The arenas are where everything real at Galens happens. Academic theory, social hierarchy, political maneuvering — all of it collapses into the simple truth of two fighters and their CADs in a space designed to test them to destruction. Combat at Galens is designed to be survivable: CADs provide protection, medical systems are on standby, and fights have defined stop conditions. But the pain is real. The damage is real (temporarily). And the rankings that result are absolutely real. A loss in the arena follows a cadet to every interaction for the rest of their time at Galens. For Rei, the arenas are where the impossible happens. His early fights are one-sided beatings that demonstrate why F-rank means F-rank. His later fights are where the S-rank Growth stat starts to manifest as something terrifying — a fighter who is measurably better every single time he steps into the ring.
Large, reinforced combat spaces designed to withstand the destructive output of high-rank CAD Users. Shielded floors and walls absorb or deflect energy. Observation galleries surround the fighting space — ranked fights draw audiences. Display screens show combatant stats in real time. The arenas can be reconfigured for different terrain types and combat scenarios.
Also known as: The Arena, Training Arenas, Combat Pits