Awa
A few moments later.
— Go, Mei! Awa shouted from the top of the platform, her arms raised in a burst of fierce enthusiasm.
Perched above the arena, she waved her hands with an almost childlike fervor. Down below, Meisana advanced slowly, with a strange gentleness in her step. Something almost unreal against the rough, sandy floor. Her smile, quiet but genuine, floated up to Awa like a beam of light piercing the heavy atmosphere of the arena.
— That's her… Meisana, the princess of the forest tribe, several awestruck voices whispered through the crowd.
— So much grace… Those green eyes, they look like dew-kissed leaves. She isn't a warrior, she's a work of art. If she were my wife, I'd never let her expose herself to this.
— Exactly! She's way too beautiful to fight.
Awa let out a small, ironic laugh. She'd heard murmurs like these her entire life. They were the music of the ignorant those who underestimate, who judge without knowing. She had no doubt about what would happen next.
The tension spiked the moment Meisana's opponent stepped into the arena: Kani, a feared fighter whose primary loa granted her a terrifying ability the power to enlarge her limbs at will. And without hesitation, she exploded in size. Her body unfolded across the arena like a living mountain, her massive silhouette casting a threatening shadow over Meisana.
— The princess doesn't stand a chance, a trembling voice murmured in the stands.
— She's gone too far already. An organizational mistake, if you ask me.
— She must have been protected all her life. Girls like her don't survive alone.
Awa sprang to her feet, her voice cracking like a whip:
— SHUT UP! You don't know anything about her. Nothing. And you'll see what she can do. I guarantee it.
She sat back down, a fierce, glowing pride spreading across her face.
***
Facing the giant, Meisana looked tiny, but she hadn't moved a muscle. Her green eyes locked onto Kani's, she brushed her fingers over the daggers at her belt, chose two, spun them with the grace of a dancer, then dashed forward.
Her run was fluid, almost airborne. She danced more than she sprinted, weaving between Kani's heavy blows, dodging every foot that crashed down like a divine hammer against the ground. Then, in a flash of motion, she leapt, climbed up Kani's gigantic arm, and once she reached the shoulder, she drove a blade deep into her flesh.
Blood burst forth, painting the air with a scarlet arc.
She pushed herself off, sliding down the wounded arm, carving a wide gash as she fell. She landed in an elegant roll, stepped back quickly, her gaze still serene, as if everything had been perfectly choreographed.
Kani staggered. Her face twisted in pain, then contorted with confusion. Her steps grew clumsy. Each movement made the ground tremble. Her hands clutched her skull as her eyes rolled back.
Then she collapsed, her knees crashing to the ground with a dull, echoing thud. Her titanic form vanished instantly. Back to her normal size, she lay breathless, limbs shaking with spasms.
— Stop! Stop! she screamed, her voice shattered by pain. I can't… I give up! Please stop!
Meisana approached gently, still serene, and pulled a small vial from her belt. An antidote, most likely. She held it out to Kani with a disarming smile.
— Sorry, she said softly, her voice almost childlike.
Then she turned toward the platform, raised a triumphant fist. Awa, eyes shining, mirrored the gesture, then swept her gaze over the stands. Those who had doubted Meisana now turned away, ashamed, silent.
Wura
The fight had lasted barely fifteen minutes.
Wura, petrified, couldn't find her words. She finally whispered,
— She's unbelievable. Looking at her… who could have guessed she had that strength?
— That's how our tribe is, Nath said with a wink. We don't need brutality to be dangerous. The forest teaches you to strike unseen, to survive in silence. And Meisana… she's its most beautiful embodiment.