Chapter III

Summary

• The protagonist is preparing for a fight on a large, semi-circle stage in front of a crowd. The excitement and fear makes everything seem brighter and clearer. The chapter explores his thoughts as he’s about to fight Sextus, whose lip curls imperceptibly as he approaches in the torchlight.
• The protagonist realises that this is the only place he can be himself, not having to pretend to be friendly, dull, servile, or weary. He only has to survive the fight, which should not go beyond a minute according to Ellanher, the fight organiser, or he may face severe consequences.
• He realizes that making it appear as he is not trying hard to fight is an advantage, since it baits Sextus into acting bored instead of aggressively pursuing him onto the stage. He intentionally stays out of Sextus's reach for the first minute to give his impression.
• Sextus then tries to antagonise the protagonist, insulting his supposed orphan status and implying that he is unwanted and unloved. This attack deeply affects the protagonist emotionally. As he feels cornered and insulted, he starts to fight back.
• Sextus takes the first physical strike. The protagonist is skilled and fast, delivering a powerful counter-strike, then retreating quickly to avoid being grappled. He gets winded with the subsequent blows, as Sextus takes advantage of a small mistake he makes. But the protagonist uses Sextus's arrogance to his advantage when he is briefly distracted by the crowd.
• The protagonist's fury and determination not to lose results in him attacking Sextus multiple times in a row. The shock of these multiple blows causes Sextus to falter and eventually fall. Despite Sextus remaining motionless and injured on the ground, the protagonist still attacks him out of resounding fury, shouting about his family and his scars.
• Finally, the protagonist is pulled off Sextus, feeling drained from the emotional outburst. Ellanher wraps a cloak around him and helps him off the stage, with only stunned muttering from the crowd in response. Despite having won the fight and surviving, he's upset because his victory goes against a bet he had made, losing him potential earnings.