The Colosseum buzzed with the roar of the crowd, their cheers and jeers eg through the massive storucture. The air was thick with anticipation as Phil, standing on a raised ptform at the ter of the arena, raised his arms to call for silehe satyr’s gruff voied across the Colosseum.

  “All right, folks! First up in the begiour, we’ve got a match that’s sure to get your blood pumpin’! In one er, we’ve got the up-and-er, the mysterious Skuld!” The crowd erupted into cheers as Skuld stepped nervously into the arena, her Keybde clutched tightly in her hands. She sed the faces iands, her heart pounding in her chest.

  “And iher er,” Phil tinued, gesturing dramatically, “we’ve got her thaempest, Princess of the Amazons!”

  A tall, imposing figure stepped into the arena. Tempest’s teal armleamed uhe sunlight, her golden-tipped spear resting casually on her shoulder as though it were aension of herself. Her presence alone was enough to silehe omentarily, their aable. Her fident smirk only grew wider as she locked eyes with Skuld.

  “Let’s give ‘em a show!” Phil bellowed, and the gong sounded, signaling the start of the match.

  Skuld raised her Keybde awkwardly, her grip unsteady as she tried to calm her rag thoughts. Tempest wasted no time, charging forward with a burst of speed. The Amazon warrior spun her spear with deadly precision, the golden tip glinting as it came down in a powerful arc.

  Skuld barely mao block, the force of the strike reverberating through her arms. She stumbled back, struggling tain her footing as Tempest pressed the attack. The Amazon’s movements were fluid, each strike flowing into the with practiced ease. Skuld’s attempts to parry were clumsy by parison, her inexperience gringly obvious.

  Tempest swept her spear low, aiming for Skuld’s legs. Skuld jumped back just in time, but the Amazon warrior followed up with a thrust aimed directly at her chest. Skuld twisted to the side, the spear grazing her clothes and leaving a shallow scratch.

  “You’re not bad,” Tempest said, her voice carrying a mixture of amusement and respect. “You’ve got good instincts but you’re not experienced enough. Give it a couple more years.”

  Skuld gritted her teeth, frustration boiling within her. She lunged forward, swinging her Keybde in a wide arc. Tempest sidestepped easily, tering with a quick jab that sent Skuld sprawling into the dirt.

  The croed as Skuld hit the ground, dust billowing arouempest didn’t relent, spinning her spear overhead before bringing it down with tremendous force. Skuld rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike, and scrambled to her feet.

  Her breathing was ragged, her grip on the Keybde tightening as she tried to steady herself. Tempest stalked toward her like a predator closing in on its prey, her movements fident and deliberate.

  “I’ll admit you’ve gou’ve got heart,” Tempest said, her smirk never wavering. “But heart only gets you so far.”

  Skuld’s mind raced. She o find an opening, a way to turide. But every time she moved to attack, Tempest was there, her spear fshing like lightning. Skuld’s own strikes felt slow by parison, her movements g the grad precision of her oppo.

  A sharp pain shot through her shoulder as Tempest’s spear grazed her again, the Amazon’s strikes relentless. Skuld staggered back, her vision blurring as exhaustion began to take its toll. She could hear the crowd cheering Tempest’s heir voices a distant roar in her ears.

  Just as Tempest prepared to deliver the finishing blow, something flickered in Skuld’s mind—a memory, hazy and fragmented, but vivid enough to stop her iracks. She saw herself standing in a sunlit field, a white-haired boy across from her. His Keybde mirrored her own as they sparred, his movements graceful and precise.

  “Focus,” the boy’s voice echoed in her mind. “Let your instincts guide you. Don’t think—just feel.”

  The memory surged through her, and Skuld felt a strange sense of crity wash over her. She raised her Keybde, her stance shifting instinctively. Tempest hesitated for a fra of a sed, surprised by the sudden ge in Skuld’s demeanor.

  Skuld moved.

  Tempest lunged, her spear slig through the air. But this time, Skuld was ready. She sidestepped with newfound fluidity, her Keybde parrying the spear with a sharp g. The crowd erupted in cheers as Skuld pressed the attack, her movements faster and more deliberate.

  Tempest frowned, her fidence faltering as Skuld’s strikes greer. The Amazon warrior spun her spear in a defensive arc, but Skuld’s Keybde slipped through, grazing her armor.

  “That’s more like it,” Tempest muttered, her smirk returning as she adjusted her grip. “Let’s see what you’ve really got.”

  The two cshed in a flurry of strikes and ters, their ing out like a symphony of steel. Skuld’s movements were far from perfect, but she ting, her instincts honed by the memory of her training. Tempest’s strikes were still faster and more precise, but Skuld’s determination drove her forward.

  The match reached its climax as both fighters circled each other, their breathing heavy but their resolve unbroken. Tempest lunged, her spear aimed for Skuld’s chest. Skuld twisted to the side, her Keybde defleg the strike with a burst of sparks.

  She saw her opening.

  eling all her remaining strength, Skuld swung her Keybde in a wide arc. The on ected with Tempest’s spear, knog it from her hands and sending it spinning across the arena. The Amazon warrior staggered back, her eyes wide with surprise as Skuld stepped forward, her Keybde leveled at her.

  “I yield,” said Tempest as she tried to catch her her breath.

  The crowd erupted into cheers, their voices deafening as Phil’s voied across the arena. “And the winner is—Skuld!”

  Skuld lowered her Keybde, her chest heaving as she stared at Tempest. The Amazon warrior let out a soft ugh, shaking her head as she retrieved her spear.

  “Not bad, Skuld was it?” Tempest said, her smirk returning. “Looks like I uimated you.”

  Skuld managed a small smile, though her exhaustion was evident. She turo face the crowd, their cheers washing over her like a wave. For the first time, she felt a flicker of fidence—a sehat she was capable of more than she had realized.

  As she left the arena, Skuld couldn’t help but g the stands, her thoughts lingering on the white-haired boy from her memory. His voice echoed in her mind once more.

  “Don’t think—just feel,” She ched her Keybde tightly, a newfound fidence sparking within her.