Ch. 43 - A Beautiful Defeat
Shivana first looked toward Black Snake.
She had seen clearly from the watchtower—this human's martial prowess far exceeded anyone she had ever encountered.
It was precisely for this reason that she had deliberately chosen to observe.
She wanted to see if he could take Babaya's life before the [Skyrim Giant Tortoise] arrived.
Unfortunately, this human was helpless against magic.
He allowed Babaya to delay for time and successfully call for her aid.
She couldn't possibly let this old prophet die in front of her tribesmen.
However...
Now that Babaya had been captured, it was enough to disrupt the upward momentum of her supporters.
If she herself could resolve 'the human that Babaya couldn't handle,' that seemed like a way to consolidate her authority.
Her considerations were partly influenced by [Friendship], but also rooted in her laziness about overthinking things.
Who cares if she could win?
Fight first, ask questions later.
Orcs were savage, yet they were extremely fond of ritualistic behaviors.
Gladiatorial combat and death hunts were skills that had to be mastered from childhood, from the moment they could wield a wooden stick or crude blade.
Children unable to endure combat would be expelled from the tribe's main body.
Even to become chieftain required emerging victorious from fair combat—
Want to prove yourself? Let's have a fight.
Eager to claim breeding priority? Let's have a fight.
Bored out of your mind? Let's have a fight.
Shivana reached out and clenched her fist.
The giant axe that had fallen on the orc's back seemed to answer her call, spiraling back into her palm.
With a "boom," Shivana stomped the axe blade into the ground:
"Then come and defeat me—
If I win, hand over the old thing in your grasp and your lives too.
If I lose, stay or go as you please!"
Since she wanted to reclaim Babaya and prove to those tribesmen behind her that she was far more reliable than this old prophet—
Then she absolutely could not lose.
Tang Qi stepped back two paces and pointed at Black Snake, who stood ready with his blade:
"My subordinate is enough to deal with you."
"Then what use are you to me?"
Shivana despised cowards, so she sneered coldly.
"I can order him around. That's enough."
Black Snake frowned and turned his head.
Tang Qi couldn't care less about his sidelong glance and signaled for Kuru to cover the old goblin's ears in his hands.
He instructed quietly:
"Remember what I'm telling you—no matter whether you can win or not later, you must lose beautifully, understand?"
"Lose? Why?"
"Counting on orcs to keep their word? You might as well count on Kuru to summon its ancestors to help us."
Tang Qi swept his gaze around at those fierce, battle-hungry orcs.
"Winning or losing isn't that important.
If you beat her and make this chieftain lose face in front of her tribe, do you think she'll spare us in her fury?
I'm guessing this tribe made some deal with the big shots in Longgold City to reach this forest.
That means she can at least be reasoned with.
Taking mercenaries and adventurers prisoners instead of killing them outright proves she doesn't believe in leaving no survivors.
As long as you fight her evenly, then at the critical moment hold back one move and narrowly lose—
The watching orcs won't be able to tell, but how could she not know you're deliberately giving her face?
By then, we'll still have an excellent hostage in hand. We won't lack leverage to negotiate."
Black Snake gave him an odd look:
"The academy taught this too?"
"Of course, *One Thousand and One Praises* by Ulasan."
"Another book you haven't written?"
"This textbook actually exists."
He had to admit, although Tang Qi also felt that Instructor Ulasan couldn't be called particularly learned—
The textbook he compiled could indeed serve as a model for flattering nobles.
"Orcs aren't nobles. Doing this will only make her feel humiliated." Black Snake was somewhat skeptical.
But Tang Qi said: "Didn't you hear how that old goblin shouted before—'The tribe will remember how you treated me.'
I think compared to her own glory, she cares more about what her tribesmen think of her.
Or rather, she cares more about whether her position is stable."
Tang Qi patted Black Snake’s shoulder.
"In any case, lose beautifully."
"Don't act like you trust me."
"I do trust you."
"Hm?"
Black Snake turned his head back, only to see that Tang Qi had already put away his usual smile.
He was surprisingly serious:
"You're someone who walked out of the Great Wasteland. I believe you can lead me out of here."
Black Snake felt somewhat uncomfortable. He brushed Tang Qi's hand off his shoulder with a cold laugh:
"Hey, hey, you're not actually believing in a scoundrel, are you?"
He wouldn't make any promises.
Those things always got people killed.
On the road of adventure, he'd seen plenty of people say similar things—
A priest once mentioned that after this one last job, he'd go back and marry the woman he loved.
Ha, turned out he died in the ruins moments later, and they couldn't even recover his body.
Besides, why should he necessarily lead this poet out of here?
If things really went south, these orcs couldn't stop him anyway.
The only reason he still cared about him was because he coveted that ability to see through illusions—
Since the orcs' destination was Starberry Town, he needed to get back early to warn people to evacuate.
"Lose spectacularly? You think I'm some performing artist in a circus troupe?"
Too lazy to bother with the poet behind him, Black Snake rotated his wrists, estimating how much stamina he had left.
Shivana hefted the giant axe—as tall as a person—onto her shoulder and stepped forward.
The orcs' war cries rang out in unison by her ears, echoing through the forest:
"Huh, ha!"
"Huh, ha!"
"Huh, ha!"
Even the tribal children in the shacks and tents on the Skyrim Tortoise's back were drawn out.
They clung to the precarious wooden planks, their eyes filled with anticipation for the gladiatorial match.
It seemed some goblins had even placed bets, but without exception, all the tribe's members wagered on their chieftain—
The reason she could serve as this leader rather than being a mobile womb wasn't because the tribe advocated matriarchy.
Shivana couldn't stand the dawdling appearance of the human before her. The axe had been on her shoulder for only a few seconds when, seeing he had no desire to make the first move, she simply roared.
Dragging the giant axe, she charged forward fiercely, like a running tiger or leopard, instantly leaping more than ten feet.
She swung the giant axe high. The bloodstains on the axe face that hadn't been completely washed away drew a dark red blood moon before his eyes.
The axe handle was extremely long. Black Snake understood that simple retreat wouldn't increase the distance between them.
He arched his back and bridged. The axe blade whistled past just above his waist and abdomen.
But Shivana's assault didn't stop. Seeing the giant axe swing through empty air, she used the centrifugal force to pivot her body and spin for another slash.
Black Snake couldn't dodge in time. He pushed off the ground with one hand and leaped, barely evading the crimson axe blade.
While maneuvering in mid-air, he flicked his wrist. The blade concealed its edge in the night, slicing across her forearm and splashing up a spray of blood.
But orc skin was tough, with strong endurance.
This small wound couldn't even cause Shivana pain.
She still hadn't released her momentum. Her arms exerted force, bringing the potential energy of two rotations into a fierce downward chop.
The wind blade she swung whooshed past like a growling bear, kicking up the damp mud and sand beneath her feet!
Black Snake twisted his stance and turned his body sideways, narrowly and perilously avoiding the axe blade.
His right hand reversed, blade edge down, positioned before his left ear.
Taking advantage of the moment when Shivana couldn't release her strength and was gripping the giant axe with both arms raised high—
He controlled the blade tip and thrust straight toward her right eye!