The inner sanctum of the Red Lotus Temple was darker than I expected. The air was thick with the scent of incense and something far more sinister — blood, perhaps, or fear. The woman in red led us through winding corridors, her steps soundless, until we reached a vast underground chamber.
The arena.
Torches lined the circular space, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. Above us, there were rows of masked figures watching in silence. Crimson Serpent Pavilion members, no doubt. And in the center of the arena stood my opponent.
He was massive — a mountain of a man with dark tattoos winding over his bare chest and arms. His eyes gleamed with anticipation, and his hands rested on the twin axes strapped to his back.
"The first trial," the woman said softly, her voice echoing in the chamber. "Defeat him, and you may proceed. Fail… and you belong to us."
I stepped forward, my fingers brushing the hilt of my sword. Yoon-Hee's voice was low and urgent behind me. "Be careful. This… doesn't feel right."
She was right. Everything about this felt off — the way the crowd watched, the oppressive atmosphere, the air itself humming with tension. But I didn't come here to hesitate.
The massive warrior grinned. "You look small," he said, his voice a rumble. "I'll try not to break you too quickly."
I didn't bother responding.
The gong sounded.
He moved faster than I expected, those twin axes flashing toward me in a blur of steel. I sidestepped the first strike, feeling the wind of it brush past my face, and twisted away from the second with inches to spare.
The ground cracked where his axes struck, stone splintering like brittle glass.
He was strong. That much was obvious. But strength wasn't everything.
I drew my sword.
He came at me again, a whirlwind of brutal power. But power without control was nothing but wasted effort. I slipped beneath his swings, my blade flashing out in quick, precise strikes — shallow cuts that scored his arms and legs.
He roared, more in rage than pain, and I saw it then — his weakness. He was used to overpowering his enemies. He had no patience for anyone who didn't fall in the first few blows.
That would be his undoing.
I let him chase me, let him wear himself down. His breathing grew heavier, his movements slower. When he swung one of his axes wide, I darted inside his guard and drove my knee into his ribs.
The crack was audible.
He staggered, and I followed up with a slash across his chest — not deep enough to kill, but enough to bleed.
"Is this the best the Pavilion can offer?" I asked coldly.
The crowd stirred. The warrior bellowed in fury and charged me again. But this time, his rage made him sloppy. I sidestepped his strike and swept his legs out from under him.
He hit the ground hard, and before he could rise, my sword was at his throat.
"Yield," I said.
For a moment, there was only silence. Then his hand opened, his axe falling to the ground with a heavy thud.
The crowd murmured, and the woman in red's voice rang out. "The first trial is complete. The challenger… proceeds."
I lowered my sword and stepped back.
But as I turned toward the exit, I caught the faintest flicker of a smile behind the woman's mask. And I knew this was only the beginning.