Without taking his eyes off the arena, Shahin pulled out an apple and casually offered it to Averkane, who declined with a smile. Unbothered, Shahin shook his head, pouting slightly, and bit into the crisp fruit.
Time dragged on, and the day's matches were dreadfully boring. Shahin kept yelling advice to the fighters, fully aware that his words would never reach their ears. His zeal annoyed Averkane, who finally asked in a tired tone:
"Do you want to fight the winner of this match?"
"What?" Shahin asked, surprised.
"You can, if you like, challenge the winner of the fourth match to offer the audience a fifth and final battle. It's a custom here. Of course, you don't have to – others will surely volunteer if you don't."
Shahin hesitated briefly before agreeing with enthusiasm. But wasn't this too risky? Wouldn't they expose themselves completely?
