The moment Nathan stepped into the arena, a wave of sound crashed over him.
The people of Minami Kyoto greeted the fighters with thunderous cheers that rolled through the stands like a living storm. Voices overlapped into one vast roar, full of excitement, hunger, and the crude delight of a crowd that had come to watch men break each other in the sand. The noise pressed in from every side, rising from tier after tier of spectators packed tightly into the surrounding seats.
Nathan walked forward with the others and let his gaze travel across the arena floor.
Under his feet, the ground was loose and sandy, already marked by the first trails of sandals dragging across it. The shape of the place felt familiar at once. For a brief moment, he was reminded of Rome, of the many times he had stepped into arenas there under the eyes of masses eager for violence. The memory came easily, but the comparison did not last long.
This was not Rome.
