As Cedric's voice boomed across the coliseum, his fist raised high, a heavy silence fell over the crowd. For a moment, the only sound was the faint whistle of wind passing through the arena. Then, someone in the back blurted out:
"Wait, did he just say that?"
The murmurs started low, a ripple of confusion spreading through the audience like a dropped stone in a pond.
"What does that even mean?"
"Did he just punch a kid and call it honor?"
"Is he serious or just really bad at public speaking?"
A child in the front row, holding a half-eaten corndog, shouted, "Mom, is that how you honor girls?!" His mother hastily shushed him, her face red with secondhand embarrassment.
Then, slowly, one lone spectator started clapping. "Yeah! Equal rights, equal fights!" they yelled, standing up proudly.
This set off a chain reaction:
A group of rowdy students cheered, chanting, "Cedric! Cedric! Women's rights champion!"
