"Who are them?" Hermes said, asking the System. But before it could give a reply, the creaking sound of a door swinging open reached his ears.
The soft, orange glow of a lantern appeared, causing him to squint in response to the sudden light.
As the lantern drew closer, Hermes slowly blinked his eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness. When his vision cleared, he saw three women standing before him. They were dressed in traditional clothing, attire that seemed to hail from an eamra long before Earth had embraced modernity and technology. The dresses were ancient, filled with intricate patterns woven into fabrics that suggested a time when the world had been far less modernized.
"Ladies are guards?" Hermes asked, his voice bearing a hint of confusion.
Two among the three women had stepped forward. Then without a word, they proceeded to release the bindings on Hermes' feet, though his arms remained securely bound.
Then gently, the women pulled him to his feet, their hands firm but careful as they guided him out of the dark, confined cell room. As they dragged him forward, Hermes couldn't help but notice the cold metal bars of the other cells, each one holding a man inside.
He stopped for a moment, his mind racing with questions. Why were the males locked up? And why were the women acting as guards? The whole situation felt off, as if there were layers to this world that he hadn't even begun to understand.
Hermes couldn't shake off the feeling that something far more complex was at play here, and he was determined to find out what it was.
The women continued to drag him along the stone path, passing several more cells that housed other men, some of them unconscious, some awake, some of them staring vacantly at the walls or through the bars. None of them made any move to speak or ask for help, and the silence was almost suffocating.
It wasn't until they left the prison-like area that Hermes realized just how far from his cell he had truly gone. The air began to shift, becoming fresher, and as they approached a large courtyard, the faint sound of voices and the crackling of fire filled his ears.
They stepped out into the open, and Hermes found himself blinking against the sight of a giant fire at the center of the courtyard. The flames danced high, casting an eerie glow across the area.
Surrounding the fire were scores of women, who were all seated in neat rows. The flickering orange light illuminated their faces, showing an array of emotions; curiosity, excitement, and anticipation.
Hermes thought he might have been mistaken at first. Could he be seeing things? But when he asked the system to scan the area, it confirmed his suspicion: the courtyard was 100% populated by women. Not a single male could be seen in sight.
This realization had made him wonder out loud. What kind of place was this? Why were the men kept locked away and the women clearly in charge? The answer though, was something he's hoping to receive an answer to very soon.
He was dragged to the center of the courtyard, where he could hear the murmur of voices growing louder as he passed by the crowds. Hundreds of women were seated on either side of the open area, some discussing quietly amongst themselves, while others exchanged looks of curiosity and speculation.
The tension was evident in the air, and Hermes felt his pulse quickening, uncertain of what was about to happen to him.
At the front of the courtyard where a raised platform was present, a throne could be seen, placed in the center.
Seated upon it was a woman, her face obscured by an intricately designed mask. The figure exuded power, and despite the mask, there was an undeniable air of authority that seemed to emanate from her very presence.
To her right, sitting on a lesser throne, was another woman. She, too, wore a mask, though her demeanor seemed to be more reserved, perhaps even subservient to the woman in the center.
Both women were surrounded by attendants and female guards all dressed in white garment, their faces stoic and watchful as they stood beside the thrones.
Hermes's eyes flicked back to the crowd of women. They were all staring at him now, their gazes intense, assessing, and curious. The situation had escalated quickly, and Hermes couldn't help but feel the weight of it all pressing down on him. This was not just some random gathering. This was something much bigger, something deeply rooted in this world's strange, gendered power dynamic.
"Okayyy." Hermes muttered under his breath as he realized just how strange and complicated this world was.
Suddenly, a loud sound of a drum echoed through the air, reverberating in the courtyard. The rhythmic pounding continued, the beats coming at regular intervals, each one louder and more forceful than the last. The drumbeat sounded a total of seven times before it finally came to an abrupt stop, leaving a heavy silence hanging in the air. The crowd seemed to hold their breath, the tension palpable as everyone turned their gaze toward the source of the noise.
From the side of where Hermes was standing, a figure emerged, and he could barely believe his eyes. A woman, towering above the others, strode confidently toward him.
She was extraordinarily tall, her frame imposing and powerful, almost as if she were carved from stone. The way she moved was graceful, yet there was a weight to her steps, like each one could shake the ground beneath her.
The guards who had brought Hermes into the yard, seeing her approach, immediately released the bind on his hands, leaving him free to stand on his own. His arms tingled from the sudden freedom, but the sight before him made his senses sharpen. He was now standing face to face with the giant of a woman.
"I know I'm of medium height, but must you mock me with your giant stature?" Hermes said, trying to mask his unease with humor. His voice was laced with sarcasm, but the words had barely left his lips when he saw a smirk visible on her face.
Her lips twisted upward in a sly, almost amused expression. But it wasn't at the words said by Hermes, but instead at something else.
From the way the crowd was reacting, cheering and whispering amongst themselves, it became obvious to Hermes that the two of them would be facing each other in a fight. The giant woman, who was clearly the focal point of this arena, had earned a reputation, and it was evident in the way people revered her. It also made him aware of her name which was Ragar.
"Ragar." Hermes muttered to himself, the name sounding quite strange to him. "Such a weird name. I can't believe I'll be fighting against a giant human being after just recently dealing with thousands of non-human ones."
The crowd's chatter began to die down, and a hush spread across the courtyard. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the center of the yard, where the fight was about to begin. Hermes couldn't help but feel a little nervousness creep into his chest, though he quickly dismissed it. He was no stranger to combat, but facing a giant like Ragar was a different situation entirely.
At that moment, a figure stepped forward from the crowd. And almost instantly, the crowd had fell silent as the person began to speak, announcing the rules of the upcoming battle. Hermes tried to focus on the words, but despite his best efforts, he couldn't make sense of the language. It was as though the words were foreign, jumbled with sounds that he couldn't decipher.
[Currently identifying the language said, translating and transforming into English for the user to understand]
Thanks to the system for clarifying things, within seconds, the foreign words had became clear, changing into English, a language he could now understand.
The rules were simple enough, but the clarity they provided made the anticipation even more intense.
"The first person to bring the other to the ground will be declared the winner." The announcer's voice rang out, loud and clear. "The victor will receive the rewards as promised."
Hearing this, Hermes couldn't be more excited. This would definitely be a piece of cake for him. Though he couldn't use his full abilities, his physical stats were still formidable enough to overcome someone like Ragar.
[Strength: 56/100]
[Speed: 52/100]
[Endurance: 50/100]
'This will do.' Hermes thought to himself as he took up a fighting stance, positioning his body in preparation for the fight. His muscles tensed, his eyes locked onto Ragar, and every sense in his body was active.
Ragar, on the other hand, stood tall and unbothered, her gaze unwavering as she sized him up. She didn't move, didn't even flinch as the crowd held their breath in anticipation. For her, this fight was just another challenge to conquer, another victory to claim.
She had never been defeated, especially not by any man, and her arrogance seemed to drip from every step she took as she shifted into her own combat stance. Her muscles rippled beneath her clothing, and she looked as though she could crush anyone who dared to face her.
In the back of her mind, she could already picture the rewards she would claim when she won. The feeling of victory was a familiar one for her, and she was eager to add another win to her long list of triumphs. The thought of defeating this man, who seemed so small in comparison to her, was almost a formality.
The stage was set, and the tension between them was almost suffocating. There was no turning back now. He'd have to face Ragar head-on and prove that size, no matter how imposing, wasn't everything.
And so, with a single, sharp breath, Hermes prepared to clash with the giant of a woman who was about to test his limits.
The horn blared loudly, cutting through the air with its deep, resonant sound. The crowd went silent, anticipation thick in the air as Ragar, the massive woman, charged forward. Her towering frame surged toward Hermes, her powerful arms extended and ready to wrap around him. The force behind her movements promised that when she caught him, he would be tossed to the ground with the force of a boulder.
But Hermes remained calm, his eyes narrowing as he studied her approach. He did not flinch, neither did he move an inch. He had to time everything perfectly.
As Ragar closed in, her hands reached out to grab him, but Hermes stood still, clenching his fists tightly.
With a sudden surge of motion, Ragar's massive hand swung towards him, but Hermes was ready. The instant her hand was within range, he unleashed his own attack.
With the speed and precision of a striking serpent, his fist collided with her arm, knocking it backward with an explosive impact. The strength behind his punch caused Ragar to stumble back, her face briefly contorted in surprise.
She hadn't expected that level of force. For the first time, doubt flashed in her eyes. The woman who had never been bested was now being pushed back by a single blow from a man who seemed to be nowhere near her size or strength. The look of surprise on Ragar's face quickly shifted to one of fury. She wasn't going to lose to him, not now, not ever.
But before she could recover or come up with a counterattack, Hermes seized the opportunity. He moved with startling swiftness, his feet barely touching the ground as he darted in.
Grabbing Ragar by the arms, he used her own momentum against her. In a single fluid motion, he lifted her off the ground, his hands digging into her arms, and then threw her over his shoulder with surprising ease.
Time seemed to slow as Ragar flew through the air, her massive frame twisting in an attempt to regain control, but it was too late. She crashed into the ground with a deafening thud, the sheer force of the impact tearing through the floor beneath them. A massive crater formed where she landed, the stone floor shattering around her, sending dust and debris flying into the air.
Hermes stood over her, breathing steadily, a smirk curling on his lips as he wiped his hands together. He glanced at the now-silent crowd, his eyes scanning their shocked faces. There was no applause, no cheer. The silence was so deep that it felt like the whole courtyard had been frozen in place.
"Oops, sorry, but I win." Hermes said nonchalantly, his voice carrying across the stunned courtyard. He took a step back, standing tall, his arms crossing casually in front of his chest as if the battle had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
The crowd were still in utter disbelief to what just happened, their eyes were wide with surprise and astonishment. Ragar, the unbeatable champion, had been taken down so effortlessly, and not just that, she had been thrown to the ground with a force that shattered the very earth beneath her.
It was unheard of. The invincible giant, defeated in a single move by someone who, by all appearances, should have been outmatched.
Still, the silence persisted. It was a strange and heavy silence, one that filled the air like a thick fog. No one knew how to react, not even the women standing around the perimeter, their faces etched with confusion and hesitation.
Hermes, ever the curious one, raised an eyebrow and muttered to himself, "Why is everyone so quiet? Did I do something wrong?"
His words broke the spell, but the response was not what he was expecting. A harsh, commanding voice rang out from the side, cutting through the tension like a whip. One of the women standing near the thrones shouted, her voice full of venom, "What are you waiting for? Kill him!"
The command hung in the air, making Hermes' blood run cold. His instincts flared, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. A group of six guards, all women, suddenly appeared from every direction, their movements swift and synchronized.
They raised their hands, a glowing red energy appearing in their palms, their eyes locked onto Hermes with a deadly intent.
Hermes stood his ground, trying to remain calm, but soon something strange started to happen. His body felt as if it was being constricted, his veins tightening under his skin. The sensation was like a vice clamping down on his chest, and his breath grew shallow and ragged. His heart began to race, but it felt as though there was no blood flowing properly to it, the pressure was mounting inside of him.
Pain shot through his body, sharp and sudden. He dropped to one knee, clutching his chest as if he might implode from the inside out. His vision blurred, and the world around him seemed to tilt.
The guards closed in, their red energy swirling ominously, but all he could focus on was the unbearable ache that seized his body.
"P-please... d-don't kill m-me.." Hermes whispered, his voice barely audible, it was more of a plea than a demand. The words felt like they were being wrenched out of him, his body too weak to do anything but give in to the overwhelming pressure.
At the thrones, one of the masked women turned to speak with the other woman, her voice low but urgent. The woman on the higher throne gave a slight nod, signaling her agreement. Without a word, the first woman stepped forward, her commanding presence drawing the attention of the guards.
"Stop!" She ordered sharply, her voice cutting through the air like a blade. Her gaze fixed on the six guards, who immediately lowered their hands, the red energy in their palms flickering and dissipating into nothing. And then she slowly removed the mask on her face.