Challenger

Joana watched with a mixture of pride and mild skepticism. "Though I'm not the biggest fan of scythes since they're hardly an appropriate weapon for combat," she said, her tone thoughtful, "but you do you." With that, she began climbing back up the stairs, leaving Ludwig to his new weapon.

Kaela, who had been observing the exchange, stepped closer, her eyes fixed on the weapon. "That looks like an interesting weapon," she said, her tone appreciative.

"It should get the job done," Ludwig replied, his confidence growing as he tested the weight and balance of the scythe. "I've been playing with half my strength up until now. This should level the playing field."

"Well, good," Kaela said, though her expression was still tinged with concern. "We'll need that. If it's a team battle, we're already on the losing side of things. Without Sabrina, we'll have a harder time clearing the next stage." She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly.