BATTLE FOR STARS

It was rare for a slave to be able to buy back their freedom in such a short time, and the remaining money needed was mainly to cover Mor’s redemption; Lina’s own ransom was not very high.

In recent years, Lina had an exceptionally high win rate and had earned considerable prize money, making her a popular mech gladiator star.

“There’s no way we can save enough in five years,” Lina said, glancing at Mor. “Haven’t you noticed? The number of competitions we’ve participated in over the past six months has already decreased, and the opponents have become particularly strong—especially your opponents. You’ve been injured several times.”

Lina’s heart ached as she looked at Mor’s leg, which had been completely broken in the previous match. Although it had fully healed, it had cost a lot of money. The master had paid part of the medical expenses, but for a full recovery to pre-injury condition, they had also spent a substantial extra amount themselves.

“You mean…” Mor began to understand what Lina was implying.

“The master won’t let us go easily. He will do everything he can to prolong the time, trying to earn more money.” Lina caressed Mor’s left hand, which had been seriously injured in a match six months ago.

“So I should earn a big sum myself. If I win, the prize will allow him to earn decades from me, making him willing to let us go. That way, we can gather enough money for both of our redemptions. If I don’t participate, we’ll have to wait another five years.”

“I see… I’ve been feeling the same,” Mor sighed. “But in this tournament, there’s Julia. She’s no longer the same as when you first met her. In the past two years, she hasn’t lost a match.”

“I know. Back then, she only lost to me once. Since then, she hasn’t lost again.”

“Are you confident you can beat her?” Mor asked.

“No.”

“And you still want to participate?”

“This tournament only happens once every five years. Each time, a surprise top contender may appear. Who knows if a stronger mech gladiator will show up in five years? Even if I’m not confident about beating Julia, she shouldn’t be confident about beating me either. She has progressed in these two years, but I haven’t fallen behind,” Lina said confidently.

“You’ve really decided to compete?”

“Yes.”

“Then… I’ll enter the sword gladiator competition too. That way, even if you don’t get first place, our total prize will be higher.”

“No. Your sword gladiator matches are far more brutal. The outcome always ends in death. You’re not top-tier in that field. If you go, it’s suicide!”

“Alright… just be careful,” Mor said after a moment of thought. He didn’t insist further; Lina was right.

With nothing more to offer, he picked up a piece of meat and handed it to her. “Eat more, replenish your strength.”

“Okay. You eat too,” Lina said, taking a bite.

“Ding---” The doorbell rang sharply, startling both Lina and Mor. Since moving here, visits were rare.

Lina got up and looked at the wall projection. A beautiful woman stood at the door.

“Joan, what brings you here?” Lina asked as she opened the door.

Although Joan looked about the same age as Lina, she was actually in her sixties. She was a friend of Lina’s master. Since the master’s passing, Lina had only met her a few times, and their interactions had been minimal. Why was she visiting now?

“Lina, long time no see. You’ve grown into quite a young lady,” Joan said, a hint of admiration in her voice. “I came today to tell you something important.”

“Come in. What is it?”

“It’s very important. It concerns your master. I’d like to speak with you alone.” Joan glanced at Mor. “Could the male intimate partner leave for a while?”

“I’ll stay here tonight anyway, so you can rest,” Mor said, standing to say goodbye.

Mor had kept a small dwelling in Zone D. Though the room was only slightly bigger than a coffin capsule, a few square meters, it was a common type of residence for slaves on this planet.

In this world, neither slaves nor masters had the concept of marriage. Since Mor lived with Lina, he was referred to as a male intimate partner, the counterpart being a female intimate partner.

This naming convention was universal across the galaxy and subtly indicated which party held dominance. Still, some saw it merely as a term: one could be someone’s female intimate partner while also having their own male intimate partner, and these roles could change frequently, making it essentially just a descriptive term.

“Alright, come in and sit. We’ll talk slowly,” Lina said, curious to hear about her master’s affairs, especially since she had been only twelve when her master passed away.

Lina led Joan to the circular sofa by the window and poured her a glass of water.

“Joan, what is it you want to tell me?” Lina asked, sitting across from her.

Though Joan was her master’s friend, everyone here appeared youthful. Without parents or siblings, traditional notions of hierarchy and family ties were largely irrelevant.

“Tomorrow is your birthday, right?” Joan asked.

“Birthday?” Lina had long forgotten the concept.

Slaves only had a creation date—the day their fertilized egg began development. They were never ‘born,’ so the idea of birthdays had vanished. Yet Lina recalled her master celebrating her birthday when she was very young. “How did you know?”

“I grew up with Allen in the orphanage. Later we were sold to different masters. A few years after, we met again and stayed in contact as friends… so your master told me a lot of things,” Joan explained.

Lina remained silent, watching Joan, uncertain what she intended to reveal.

“This is from your master. She instructed me to give it to you on your birthday ten years later. Since I couldn’t come tomorrow, I brought it today,” Joan said, retrieving a small black orb from her wristband and handing it to Lina. It was a storage device.

“This is what my master asked you to deliver?”

“Yes.”

“Have you looked inside?”

“No. Unlocking it requires your biological authentication, but… I can guess some of its contents.”

Lina inserted the storage device into a slot nearby. Soon, a projection appeared in the center of the room: a young, beautiful woman sitting on a chair. Lina immediately recognized her master, though she looked slightly weary in the projection.

“My dear Lina! Soon I’ll face their challenge. Today is the final day of the series of challenges. If I make it through today, I will achieve complete victory. But just in case, I’m leaving this recording for you.” Her master paused briefly before continuing.