“And with this, the first round of combat is over!” - Rising from her seat amongst the leaders, the old female Orc spread her arms, looking around at the crowd - “Fighters who achieved victory during their first fight, prepare for the second round!”

  “What now?” - seeing as the loser from the last fight was carried out of the arena by two large orcs, blood dripping from a large wound on his chest, Maya could sense her anxiety returning as her next combat came closer.

  “Now you just have to show us some more of that fiery warrior from the previous fight!” - seeming more fired up than before, especially after the recent bloody fight, Kali’s eyes looked at the girl full of renewed passion - “Maybe this time we’ll get you a really good scar.”

  “Or a good partner!” - seeing Luna moved back a little, Aisha pulled the woman back to her seat.

  As the Orcs changed seats between fights, trying to be closer to the ones who had been victorious in their previous combats, the area surrounding their group had gathered a considerable number of supporters. From young Orcs looking at Maya full of curiosity, to older battle hardened warriors trying to catch a glimpse at this year’s surprise, the amount of eyes staring at Luna made the girl overly conscious that her every move was being watched.

  “Forget partners…” - quickly sending Aisha a deathly glare, in hopes that the woman would not speak of such topics so loudly, Luna noticed the clan’s shamans giving first aid to the recently defeated Orc - “I just want to make sure I don’t end up like that.”

  “You won’t, just remember your training.” - trying his best to hide his worry, Solo placed his hand on the girl’s shoulder, wishing that Maya was there to help ease the tension - “In this second round the warriors are allowed to carry a second weapon to the arena…”

  “But I already have my glaive,” - Luna interrupted, fully aware after the previous combat that the glaive was definitely the weapon that fit her fighting style better - “I don’t think I need one.”

  “You never know!” - added Aisha, still struggling to keep Kali in her seat.

  “Better safe than sorry.” - threatening to punch Aisha unless the woman stopped pushing her down, Kali got comfortable in her seat - “On the battlefield, having a spare weapon can be the difference between life and death!”

  “Fine…” - sensing there would be no way to win in an argument against so many people, Luna thought of a workaround - “I’ll take this then!”

  Going through her normal clothes, which had been folded and tied together by Aisha before they left the tent earlier, Maya pulled a small uneven cylindrical object wrapped in leather.

  “You’re kidding, right?” - seeing the girl unwrap the leather, revealing a shining silver surface underneath, Solo thought that maybe the tension had begun affecting Luna's judgment.

  “You all said I needed a second weapon,” - grabbing the hilt of the sword, the girl finished releasing the weapon from its hiding place - “I’m guessing this one still counts, right?”

  “Girl, I’m so glad you decided to participate…” - trying and failing to control his laughter, a wide smile spread across his face, Yornush pointed to the silver sword in Luna’s hand - “That weapon is acceptable, for sure.”

  “But you said that’s a real silver weapon…” - speaking in a hushed voice, Solo tried to avoid being heard by anyone else besides their group, despite a few curious Orcs already noticing the presence of something unusual.

  “A dormant one, but yes.” - seemingly proud to have been the one to vouch for the girl’s participation on that year’s ceremony, Yornush could already imagine the stories that would be told about a participant carrying a silver weapon as a backup - “Even so, there’s no rule stopping her from carrying it, or using it if she can.”

  “Won’t people try to steal it?” - Solo asked without thinking, realizing his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth.

  “You offend me, my friend.” - giving Solo a stern and serious glare, Yornush stopped laughing almost instantly - “No member of an Orc clan would dare steal another warrior’s weapon, no matter how much he coveted it.”

  “It would be an insult against the goddess!” - Kali added, as she grabbed the weapon from Luna’s hands and began setting it on her belt.

  “Are you sure?” - looking straight into Luna’s eyes, Solo was clearly worried, in a way that reminded the girl of Maya.

  “I have a good feeling about it.” - placing her free hand on Solo’s shoulder, barely able to reach it due to their height difference, Luna felt guilty upon seeing the man so worried for her sake - “Just trust me!”

  With a simple nod, the man watched as the weapon was safely attached to the armor, and Luna waited to be called for the next combat. Standing ready with a glaive in one hand, and the glistening silver weapon on her waist, it was a matter of mere seconds before the nearby Orcs began whispering about the girl’s new weapon.

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  “We shall begin the second round now.” - the old woman’s voice broke the silence in the arena, the sun already high in the sky - “The five remaining warriors, return to the arena!”

  “Good luck.” - giving the girl a small pat on the head, Solo watched as she walked away, multiple eyes following her.

  The battle drums sounded even louder this time, their rhythm faster and more enthusiastic. As Luna walked to her spot in the arena, she locked eyes with her next opponent, the female Orc who had won the second battle of the day. Carrying her hammer in her hands, the warrior had a wooden club strapped to her waist, smiling as she looked at Luna.

  “In the first fight, two female warriors face each other after spectacular victories.” - making a small pause, the woman pointed to Luna - “Warrior number one, the young human who mastered the glaive, Luna!”

  Hearing her name being called out, the girl stepped forwards, taking her place in the center of the stage while hearing the roars of the excited crowd. Feeling herself blushing, Luna tried her best to hide her embarrassment.

  “Warrior number four, swinging her hammer into Orc history, Phyllis!” - with a new round of cheers, the orc walked proudly to her place, raising her weapon high while basking in the attention she was receiving - “Mother Koynassi, these warriors have proven their worth before thee. Allow them to bask in your mercy, and grant them your blessings!”

  The sound of the echoing gong was barely audible amongst the cheering of the Orcs, excited about the upcoming battle. Not wanting to stay as defensive as in the first round, Luna began moving in a circle around her opponent, her glaive held firmly in hand. Not even blinking while watching the girl’s every move, Phyllis kept her warhammer resting on her shoulder with an air of confidence.

  Feeling the attentive gaze of the crowd on her neck, Luna searched for the perfect opportunity to perform the first strike. Her opponent was taller and broader than her, but the girl was confident that her speed could make up the difference.

  Starting to become impatient, Phyllis cracked her neck slowly before twirling her warhammer once over her shoulder, the heavy-looking iron head swinging effortlessly in her grip. The org girl’s stance was firm and steady, her feet planted like tree roots in the arena. As the sun started becoming stronger, her green skin glistened slightly with sweat, but her defiant smirk showed no signs of being tired or nervous.

  Taking the first move, Phyllis lunged towards the human, closing the distance between them in only three thunderous strides. Caughting Luna by surprise with her swift move, Phyllis’s warhammer came down like a meteor, a strong vertical arc meant to crush everything in its way.

  Sliding sideways in a blur, Luna’s glaive parried the hammer with a screech of metal on wood, the strength of the blow making her arms tremble. Cursing herself for losing the chance to strike first, the human twisted with the impact and countered with a spinning slash aimed at Phylli’s ribs.

  Phyllis brought her hammer across her body just in time, deflecting the strike with a loud clang. She drove her shoulder into Luna, who staggered back, barely staying upright. As both girls stood still for a second after their intense exchange of blows, the crowd roared.

  Struggling to catch her breath, her breathing fast and heavy, Luna knew there was no chance to fight defensively against her opponent. Moving as quickly as she could, she unleashed a flurry of glaive strikes. A sweep at the legs, a feint high, a thrust towards Phyllis’s exposed side. Her superior speed and the reach of her weapon were her biggest advantages, and she planned to make full use of both.

  Taken by surprise with the sudden burst of speed, Phyllis snarled as she surged forward again, swinging her hammer upwards. Expecting to deflect the blow, Luna moved expecting to catch it near the base of her weapon, until she heard the loud cracking noise.

  On her hands, the shaft of the glaive snapped cleanly in two pieces, the top half spinning away in the air. Gasping, Luna fell to one knee, the broken shaft in her hand being little more than a sturdy stick.

  “You fought well,” - with a satisfied grin on her face, the orc girl lifted her hammer - “but it’s over now!”

  Hearing in her mind the warning words Kali said before the battle, Luna let the broken glaive fall to the ground, reaching for her belt. In one swift motion, the girl drew the short sword from its improvised scabbard, its silver body shimmering in the sunlight.

  The crowd erupted, their voices an incomprehensible mixture of screaming and cheers, as Luna launched herself forward.

  Clearly expecting her human opponent to be willing to give up once their main weapon was destroyed, Phyllis saw herself once more being on the defensive. Having lost her reach advantage, Luna ducked low and slashed, forcing the orc to block with her warhammer’s haft. Despite the silver blade’s dull edge, Luna struck with a constant rhythm, a relentless tempo that kept Phyllis backpedaling.

  As the fight progressed, each time their weapons clashed a flurry of sparks sprouted from the girl’s sword. With sweat flying from her brow, Phyllis grunted loudly, swinging her hammer wide in a desperate attempt to stop the onslaught. Gaining speed with each new strike, Luna graciously spun past her opponent’s attack, getting inside the hammer’s range. Seeing the opportunity to finish the combat, the girl strikes forward, forcing the orc to drop her main weapon in order to avoid a blow to the temple.

  Seeing herself unarmed and on the verge of defeat, Phyllis reached for her wooden club, but Luna’s blade was quicker. In an instant, the orc girl felt the tip of the silver blade against her throat, a single droplet of blood trickling down her skin.

  Witnessing such an exciting duel, the audience cheered loudly as the battle seemed to have reached its conclusion.

  Then everything changed.

  In Luna’s hands, the sword began to shine. A small glow at first, as if the silver blade decided to release all the sunlight accumulated during the fight. The girl could feel the metal of the handle growing hotter as the light grew stronger, engulfing Luna completely as a column of white light erupted from the blade.

  Her eyes widened while the sword vibrated in her burning hands.

  Then suddenly, complete silence.

  In less than a second, Luna collapsed, the blade clattering beside her, its light extinguished despite the remaining glow.

  The entire arena froze silent. Not a single sound could be heard, even the thunderous orcish drums had gone quiet, as the entire crowd watched, shocked and speechless to what had just transpired.

  “LUNA!” - a desperate scream emerged amidst the silent crowd, as Solo rushed from his seat towards the center of the arena.