At the other end of the arena, was a giant orc, twice as tall as the ones who'd escorted Jin from the cell. Its eyes were thin with red irises, and its tusks were short and sharper.
In addition to the black uniform, it wore a pair of steel gauntlets and a breastplate with two noticeable protrusions on its chest.
A she?
Jin stared at the huge figure, his eyes darting from her chest, to the large iron baton she wielded in her left hand, the end of which was stained with a dark red hue.
His gaze fell to his own weapon, which paled in size when compared to his opponent's. In that moment, he realized an awful truth.
One swing of her baton, and his brains could be on it as well.
His heart sank at the thought. His fingers trembled, and the sword he clutched slipped out of his palm, crashing to the floor with a dull clang.
"Uh oh..." the announcer's voice boomed, "Our new challenger seems to be pissing his pants right now."
The announcer's voice barely made it into Jin's mind. Thoughts of him dying on the platform clashed within, and his contorted face was the very picture of dread.
He tried to calm himself with the hopes that this was another set, but the probability dwindled with every passing second.
All he wanted was to hear Director Taro's "Cut!" pierce through the arena and to see a backstage crew come running to tell him he performed well. But all he heard was another roar, from the undefeated warrior he was about to face.
"Fuck..." he muttered, watching the orc march around the arena while the audience showered praises on her.
But Jin wasn't one to dwell on a problem for long, and this was no time to fret.
He had to find a solution, and fast.
Running back to the tunnel seemed like a viable option. He spun around, ready to sprint, but the exit had been blocked by none other than the two muscular orcs who led him to the arena.
Jumping off the platform was his next thought. But when he glanced over the edge, he noticed the sharp metal poles that were sticking up from the floor, deliberately put there to prevent this exact scenario.
Jin had no options left, but one.
He had to defeat the orc.
But with no combat experience whatsoever—except for a short martial arts training he'd undergone in preparation for his last role—all he could picture, was his lifeless body passed out cold on the platform.
Passed out on the platform.
"Alright," the announcer's voice boomed once again. "The general just gave her nod... The next match is about to start."
Jin exhaled a long breath, then leaned down, picking up his sword from the floor.
"Here goes nothing," he sighed, tugging at the neck of his uniform. The air around him seemed warmer for some reason, perhaps caused by the blazing lights above the platform.
Then, something in the air caught his attention.
It was a small piece of red cloth, drifting through the air, perhaps dropped from the top of the arena. It moved straight down, until it found its rest in the very center of the platform.
"Fight!!!"
At the sound of the announcer's words, the giant orc suddenly charged at Jin, her heavy footsteps thudding across the platform.
Jin retreated in the opposite direction, his pace quickening as the orc closed the gap between them. But it was of no use. Within seconds, the orc woman was right in front of him, her baton raised high over her shoulder.
"Holy..."
The baton came swinging down, heading right for Jin's head. He raised his sword to parry, and the two objects clashed against each other, releasing a dull clang. The sword in Jin's hand broke, and he stumbled to the floor.
The female orc raised her baton once again, to finish off her opponent, but suddenly, her movements ceased. She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at her opponent.
Jin lay on the ground in front of her, completely still, his body positioned at an unnatural angle. A small cut lined the edge of his open mouth, and his eyes were wide and unblinking.
"The new challenger has been knocked out with one swing!" the announcer yelled. "Rigna does it yet again!"
As the crowd erupted in cheers, the female orc kept her gaze on Jin. She lowered her baton, poking Jin in the stomach a few times. When he failed to respond, she shrugged and turned back to the arena to celebrate her victory.
The orc soldier who led Jin to the arena came marching toward the body. He placed a finger over Jin's nose, pausing for a second. Then he lifted Jin's body over his shoulder and marched back to the tunnels.
"He's dead?" The second orc soldier asked.
The orc carrying Jin nodded.
"Weakling. Toss him in the catacombs to rot."
The first orc nodded again, then moved silently past the other.
After two minutes of walking through stone tunnels, the orc finally emerged into a wide cavern, lit with burning torches. The smell of moss lingered in the air, slightly tainted by the familiar tang of rotten meat.
The cavern led into three separate cave tunnels. The orc paused, glancing at each one for a moment. Then he dropped Jin's body on the cave floor, and returned the way he came, his footsteps fading in the distance.
The moment his footsteps ceased, Jin gasped for air, reaching for his throat. His lungs burned in his chest, and he coughed out violently.
This was the longest he'd ever held his breath, and for a second, he thought he'd pass out for real.
He sat upright, stretching his tense limbs. He had never imagined he would have to feign his death in a real scenario, and he was glad he'd paid attention to the Acting tutors at Toho.
"Fuck..." he whispered, "That actually worked."
As he spoke, a stinging pain flared up in his cheek. He reached for it with a finger, wiping off the drop of blood that oozed from the cut on his face.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips, knowing he made it out of that fight with nothing but a scratch. One wrong move, and it would have been his entire head.
"I need to get out of here."
He rose to his feet, groaning out as he stretched his back. Then he spun around, and found himself staring right at the orc soldier.