The midday sun hung high in the sky, casting long shadows across the makeshift arena in the center of the camp. The air buzzed with excitement as the goblins gathered around, forming a loose circle around the cleared patch of dirt where the tournament would take place. Wooden spears and shields gleamed, freshly polished and prepared for the mock battles.
Lance stood beside Rynne, his arms crossed as he surveyed the crowd. The goblins, from the youngest trainees to seasoned warriors, murmured in anticipation, their energy infectious.
"This was a good idea," Lance said, glancing at Rynne.
She smirked, her eyes glinting. "Of course it was. Warriors thrive on competition. Nothing like a little tournament to show off their progress and keep them on their toes."
After a while, Rynne raised her hand, signaling for silence. The crowd gradually subsided as they listened, their eyes fixed on her.
"Today isn't just about fighting," Rynne began, "it's about growth. It's about testing everything you've learned, everything you've worked on. Win or lose, what matters is what you take away from this. Experience, understanding of your weaknesses, and acknowledgement of your strengths." She said, her voice seeming to mirror Lance's when he gives his speeches, from intonation to tone… it seemed someone had been practicing.
The goblins nodded, their expressions a mix of determination and nervous excitement as they listened, most especially, the ones who were to participate.
"I will oversee the matches," she continued. "And Mira will be here to ensure no one gets seriously hurt. So give it your all, this is your chance to show what you're made of."
The crowd erupted into cheers, and the first two competitors stepped into the ring soon after.
The matches began with younger warriors. Even though they were the youngest, their determination burned with passion, their movements rough but eager. Rynne barked instructions from the sidelines, her voice cutting through the noise as the trainees sparred with enthusiasm that sometimes outpaced their skill.
"Keep your stance lower!" Rynne shouted as one goblin overextended, nearly tripping over his own feet.
Lance watched with a faint smile, noting the subtle improvements in their form and coordination. Despite his untrained eyes, their progress was visible. Even the least experienced fighters were showing progress, a mirror reflection of Rynne's tough and relentless training methods.
As the matches progressed, the older, more seasoned warriors took the stage. Though they were older, they were most just around teenage years at most, with only a few being above that.
The crowd's energy surged as the combatants clashed with speed and precision, their wooden weapons striking with sharp cracks. The difference in power from the younger fighters clearly evident in the intensity of their bout.
One particularly intense match saw two goblins exchanging rapid blows, their movements almost too fast to follow as they burned their passion and youth as fuel, going above and beyond what their bodies should be capable of.
"Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora!!..."
"Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda!!..."
Looking at their faces, Lance couldn't help but remember one particularly fierce anime back on earth, 'this burning of passion, it's certainly not normal!'
These two had completely abandoned their wooden weapons and were going at it blow for blow, certainly, there was no way this could be considered normal, even their bodies appeared to be more muscular than normal!
The crowd roared as one fighter executed a perfect sweep, his eyes dark and his jawline seemingly more chiseled than ever before, delivering a precise and rigid sweep, sending his opponent sprawling in the dirt.
Seeing the performance, Lance couldn't help but shudder a bit as he turned to Rynne, "wow, Rynne, what sort of training are you putting them through these days?"
"I have no idea where they learnt to fight like this, but it seems… effective?" Even she was a bit confused.
Seeing that one of the fighters had his back to the ground without signs of getting up, while the other stood victorious, Rynne called the match, pronouncing the one standing as the winner.
"Hiyaaaaaaa!!!" The winner roared, raising both hands in the air, as the crowd roared together with him.
After a brief celebration, he walked up to his opponent and offered him a hand. Grabbing hands in such a masculine manner, forearm to forearm shake, he pulled his opponent up, and they both received praises from the crowd for their exceptional performance.
"Alright you too, go to Mira, she'll check up on your bodies…" Before Rynne could finish her words, both of them disappeared from the ring and were already before Mira who was behind the crowd.
Observing the two, Lance's emotions became conflicted, he wasn't sure whether to laugh or be surprised or cry… the reason behind their exceptional performance was precisely so they could impress Mira! It was unbelievable! The things males of every species would do for the women they loved…
'These rascals certainly got the idea, huh?' He thought to himself, looking at the suddenly deflated and sweet boys standing before Mira with excited faces as she checked them for injuries. Suddenly, all their "Masculinity" had disappeared.
Unlike Lance, Rynne who also noticed their behavior was not happily smiling about it, she had taken note of them, and their training was only going to become hellish from then on.
…
Despite the overall success of the event, tensions began to simmer as the weaker fighters struggled to keep up. One goblin, a young warrior named Krez, stumbled during his match, his opponent's spear striking him hard enough to knock the wind out of him.
The crowd winced, but Krez waved off their concern, struggling to his feet with a pained expression, a deep cut on his scalp he was yet to notice.