Techa Torqueburn couldn’t believe what she was doing. Was she insane? No, she had lost the bet, and this was her punishment. She really had to stop gambling; it landed her in all sorts of impossible situations like this.

  A quiet girl named Amy, her movements efficient and gentle, helped Techa into her armor. “Your twin sister made these,” Amy noted, her voice soft. “They’re strong.”

  “Yeah, and it’s because of my twin sister that I’m here tonight,” Techa grumbled, the words laced with a familiar resentment.

  “What happened?” Amy asked, carefully fastening a buckle.

  “Ah, Amy, you wouldn’t believe how dumb I was. I agreed to race Mecha with the condition that the loser has to enter the Arena.”

  “But Mecha has never lost a race before,” Amy pointed out, her tone bewildered. “So why did you agree to that?”

  Techa shrugged, the weight of the armor heavy on her shoulders. Her rivalry with Mecha stretched back years. They had once created wonders together, but now, they only competed, their every interaction a battle of wills. “Dumb pride, Amy. Dumb pride.”

  “’Cause yeah,” Amy continued, a hint of wry amusement in her voice, “out of all the Torqueburn sisters, you were the last one I expected to find here.”

  “Thanks, Amy,” Techa muttered, though a faint smile touched her lips. “That’s the motivational speech I need.”

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  “Here, you’re going to need this.” Amy handed Techa a large, circular shield, its polished surface reflecting the dim light of the waiting area. It reminded Techa of the one Valery, leader of the Defense Force, carried.

  “And you’re going to need this.” Amy offered a war hammer. Techa, however, refused it.

  “No, I don’t need that.”

  “But then how do you expect to win?” Amy’s concern was clear.

  “I’m not here to win,” Techa replied, her voice firm. “I’m here to survive.”

  The deafening reverberation of a giant gong echoed through the waiting area, rattling Techa to her bones. This was it. Time to enter the Arena. Amy pulled open the massive wooden doors, and Techa was momentarily blinded by the searing lights. A step inside, and she was temporarily deafened by the thunderous roar of the crowd, a wave of sound that threatened to consume her.

  “Oh no,” Techa mumbled, a self-deprecating laugh escaping her. “This is going to be more embarrassing than painful, ain’t it?”

  Amy couldn’t hide the concern etched on her face, but she forced a lie. “You’ve got this. Best of luck.”

  Before Techa stood the biggest woman she had ever seen. Bigger even than Belle Vicinage, a renowned member of the Defense Force. Techa had undergone the mandatory combat training; she wouldn't make this easy for her large opponent.

  Another, sharper clang of the gong signaled the start of the fight. Techa charged, her shield raised, a fleeting regret piercing her: should have taken the hammer. But it was all over in a flash. Her opponent’s warhammer made a terrifying impact in the very center of her shield, the shockwave knocking Techa out cold.

  The next thing she saw, opening her eyes, was the unamused face of Doctor Tansy Mossbrook, hovered over by her nurse, Nora. Tansy didn't look impressed.

  Tansy sighed, her diagnosis as sharp as any medical instrument: “You Torqueburns really are idiots,”