Chapter 7: The Battle of Honor

"The Battle of Honor?" I looked at the blue-clad girl in confusion.

"Orcs see strength and combat as honor. Simply put, you can choose to duel them. If you win, not only will they let you go, but they will also respect you greatly." The blue-clad girl finished speaking and lifted her chin slightly, looking at the orc leader. "Isn't that right, Commander Tiger Might?"

I curiously observed her, secretly wondering—who exactly was this girl? Standing in the middle of an orc tribe, she showed no trace of fear and even seemed to know this commander. But if she were truly formidable or had a close relationship with him, why would she have been captured in the first place?

"You know my name?" Commander Tiger Might's tone was calm, showing neither anger nor surprise. Of course, with his fierce face, it was hard to read any complex emotions.

"Of course. You captured me. How could I not even know who you are?" The blue-clad girl replied playfully.

"Alright then." Tiger Might turned to us. "So, which one of you wants to challenge? Or all three of you together? A three-on-three match works too."

"What the—" I cursed inwardly. I had thought that since they knew each other, they might talk for a while, and if we were lucky, this girl could even help get us out of here. But before I knew it, we were already facing a duel.

"Maybe I should do it," Lu Xi finally spoke. He was well aware that among the three of us, his swordsmanship was the best. If we had any chance of winning, he had the highest odds.

"No way!" Zhang Yi objected immediately. "Your sword skills may be the best among us, but you still can't beat an orc."

"He's right." I nodded in agreement. "If we're going to die, we might as well fight together. Let's go with three-on-three!"

At this point, there was no way out. Suddenly, a surge of determination rose in my chest as I looked at Lu Xi and Zhang Yi. They, too, had resolute expressions and nodded at me.

"You three?" The blue-clad girl teased, "You'd be dead within three moves."

"So, what's the decision?" Tiger Might seemed to be growing impatient.

"Three-on-three!" I declared loudly.

"I'll do it." The blue-clad girl casually interjected.

This stunned not only the three of us but also Commander Tiger Might, whose expression showed rare surprise. Even the orc guards beside him, who apparently understood human language, exchanged incredulous whispers. A wave of murmurs rippled through the orc crowd.

"No." Tiger Might's face returned to seriousness.

"Why not?"

"Because," Tiger Might hesitated for a moment, "we do not fight girl."

"What kind of rule is that? What's wrong with girl?" The blue-clad girl stood up, puffed out her chest, her face slightly flushed—clearly unhappy with such a sexist notion.

"Chi Nu, is there such a rule?" She turned to the orc guard standing to Tiger Might's left.

"Uh…" Chi Nu hesitated, then lowered his head.

So, there was no such rule. Then why was Tiger Might refusing to let her fight? Could it be that she was actually very strong? But if she was that strong, why had she been captured in the first place?

"Are you sure about this?" Zhang Yi whispered to her.

"What a stupid question. If I couldn't do it, would I even volunteer?" she retorted impatiently.

"Fine, fine! If you're so confident, then go ahead!" Zhang Yi, fired up, was about to step forward, but she immediately shut him down.

"Oh, come on, don't be ridiculous." She walked directly ahead of us.

"Very well. You may choose your opponent." Tiger Might sighed in resignation. Whatever misgivings he had, he could not break the rules of the orcs. He repeated the statement in orcish, and the entire orc gathering erupted in cheers, as if the Battle of Honor was a sacred event to them.

Now, all that remained was for the blue-clad girl to choose her opponent. I scanned the crowd, hoping to spot a smaller, less muscular orc—preferably one without a weapon. But before I could make a suggestion, she had already made her choice.

"I'll take him." She raised her chin and pointed at one of Tiger Might's guards. "That one—Hei Nu."

The three of us gasped in shock, and the orcs erupted into another commotion. Tiger Might's expression grew more complicated—first surprise, then concern, and finally, an unreadable acceptance. He whispered something to Hei Nu in orcish. I caught bits of it but couldn't understand a word.

"No need to tell him to go easy on me. He might not even be my match." The blue-clad girl smirked at Tiger Might, her confidence both baffling and intriguing.

Who was she really? Not only did she know the orc commander and his guards, but she could also understand their language. And most puzzling of all—where did she get the audacity to challenge this massive, ferocious Hei Nu?

Tiger Might sighed and ordered Chi Nu to fetch a sword. Chi Nu disappeared into a nearby building and returned with an iron sword, about the same length as Lu Xi's bronze blade. He held it out to the blue-clad girl.

"I don't need that sword." She pointed to a massive greatsword hanging on the wall behind Tiger Might. "I want that one."

The greatsword had a dark, gleaming blade and was embedded in the ground. It stood taller than the girl herself and likely weighed at least fifty pounds. Just lifting it would be a challenge, let alone wielding it in battle. The orcs stirred restlessly, surprised yet again by her choice.

Chi Nu hesitated, still holding the iron sword. Tiger Might motioned for him to retrieve the greatsword. Though the weapon was large, Chi Nu lifted it with ease, looking quite formidable as he brought it over. He planted the sword into the ground before the girl and stepped back. She glanced at the sword but made no move to pick it up.

"Alright! The duel begins now." Tiger Might declared in orcish. The orcs eagerly stepped back, clearing a wide space in the center. Hei Nu, armed with a massive battle axe, strode forward. I turned to tell Lu Xi and Zhang Yi to move back as well when Zhang Yi suddenly spoke.

"Wait!"

Zhang Yi's sudden outburst drew all eyes to him. My heart skipped a beat—what was he up to now?

To my astonishment, he pulled a shoe from his pocket and walked up to the blue-clad girl. "This is your shoe, right? Here, take it."

I suddenly remembered. When we first entered the Greatwood Forest, we had found a cloth shoe. I glanced at the girl's feet—sure enough, one foot was bare.

Zhang Yi had not only remembered this detail but had also cleaned the shoe before returning it.

The blue-clad girl accepted it gratefully and put it on. Meanwhile, Hei Nu had stepped onto the battlefield. The three of us retreated to the edge, holding our breath.

The Battle of Honor was about to begin.