Claire could sense a bloodlust in the air, directed towards her.

"Ah! So that was it! She was merely a captured human who is going to fight in the arena!", someone who had seen Claire be taken through the village exclaimed.

"Still... won't this be a boring fight? What can a female human do against one of our own warriors?"

"If we wanted to see a real fight then we would just put her up against a child! Perhaps she would live a little longer then!"

The crowd was getting rowdy, and Claire was able to hear the insults of the lizardmen towards her this time.

A vein popped in her head, but she tried to focus on the current predicament. Even if she was insulted, there was no reason that she should be angered by their insults.

After all, those four had come barging into a village well and ready to be hated. If she was to help them, then this much was a given.

There seemed to be a higher stand far off for VIP's. A Komodo dragon stepped up the stairway leading to it, and stood tall, waving at the other lizardmen.

He wore a cape made from the skin of an animal, and even had a crown made of bones on his head. His skin was a dark brown, and his eyes were pitch black. He slithered his tongue and Claire heard some female lizards make noises that sounded like swooning- or at least a lizard equivalent to it.

The Komodo dragon sat down in a seat that was made of leather, and was immediately served a drink from what looked like a ceramic cup. These lizards were pretty sophisticated as far as technology and culture went.

He waved his hand and the servant who poured the drink bowed and walked away, however it was only after this 'king' had made his entrance that Arlo followed behind him, climbing up the stairs of the VIP room. He was followed by Hopkin, and his entrance commenced an even greater roar of applause, and the lizards began hooting and hollering as they saw him.

"ARLO!! ARLO!! ARLO!!"

The crowd began to beat their feet like drums and shouted his name over and over as if he were some sort of hero. It was a mesmerizing sight.

Still, Claire was someone grateful to see a familiar face... however, was Arlo really about to sit back and watch her battle this soldier? Perhaps he hadn't seen her yet, or perhaps he had great confidence that she wasn't in any danger after facing her and not being able to win, but still.... he seemed somewhat friendly when she met him at first, so was he really just going to sit back and watch the fight?

However, Claire didn't trust him perfectly. She knew better than to trust people that she had only met once- which was why she was still suspicious as to whether or not this soldier was actually going to make this a fair fight, or if they were going to plot some sort of trap... not that it would matter, as Claire couldn't be harmed, but she could not allow that to take over her thoughts. She had to act cautiously. If she let her guard down, she would regret it.

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Who knows? Perhaps that man had already spread his influence this far, and was plotting against her at this very moment...

Claire understood that this was likely paranoia, but it was better to be paranoid than deceived.

Arlo then looked over to the two standing in the arena, and his eyes went wide as he saw her.

Arlo grabbed something that looked like a megaphone molded from ceramic, and shouted into it.

"What is this!?! WHY IS THE DETERMINED FIGHTING IN THE ARENA!!???!!?"

Arlo seemed furious, and his voice bellowed across the crowd, leaving their ears ringing.

The guard seemed to be completely filled with shock as well.

He was looking at Claire, and then he looked back to Arlo, in complete disbelief.

"Her!?"

"The determined!??!"

"The legendary one who will lead the antiheroes in order to disrupt the order of the monster realm!!??"

"There's no way!"

"But Arlo said so! There can be no mistake!"

"That's true..."

Claire heard the conversations between the people in the audience, and Arlo seemed to be running down the stairs in a panic. The Komodo dragon who was sitting in the VIP stand seemed to be confused at Arlo's words and actions, and was speaking with one of the nearby servants trying to figure out the situation.

Arlo ran all the way down and into the arena. Hopkin had stayed up in the VIP stand and was standing there stunned with his jaw wide at Arlo's response.

Arlo ran into the arena, bulldozing his way across the stone pavement. He lifted up his arm, and the guard started holding up his hands, saying 'wait Arlo! I didn't know!'

Boom!

Thud!

The warrior went flying into the wall, and spit up blood on impact. Arlo seemed to be burning with rage and was breathing hard. He looked at Claire with eyes that were apologetic, and he did something completely unexpected.

He knelt to Claire.

He bowed his head to her.

The proudest, strongest warrior of the lizardmen, bowing his head- not to their king, Rocko, the military genius, but rather he was bowing to a woman who appeared to be some variation of a human.

To the lizardmen, this was unheard of. Completely unprecedented.

"I apologize deeply for the behavior of my kin towards you, O great Determined. I beg your forgiveness. If it is your wish, I will take the lives of the fools who angered you on the spot."

Arlo spoke this loud enough for the now silent crowd to hear.

Every single person was breathless for a moment.

The wave of bloodlust that was previously aimed at Claire turned to complete fear and reverence in an instant. Even the king seemed to be in awe of her.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

After 6 seconds had passed, Claire spoke up.

"Uh...NO! NO NO NO! We don't need to kill anyone! I just wanted to speak with your leader, I understand that it isn't such a simple request for a stranger to walk in and demand an audience with a ruler! There is no need to apologize!"

Arlo raised his head.

"Ah! So that is how it was! Even so, the fact that these fools were not able to recognize a ruler such as yourself is unforgivable... do you wish me to decapitate him here and now?"

"NO! NO DECAPITATIONS!!!"

"Oh. As you wish, Determined."

Arlo stood up looking somewhat disappointed and waved to Claire to come with him.

"Please allow me to take you to meet our leader. If it is for you, Determined, no task is too great."

And so, Claire, whose mind bobbled back and forth with thoughts and confusion from the events that had occurred, was lead up to the VIP tower as the lizardmen cleared out of the stands.

"That woman was the Determined!?"

"Are we really sure about that!?"

"You idiot! Arlo even bowed his head to her! Do you think anyone else could make Arlo submit to them!??"

"She must have been!"

"Do you think that he fought her?!"

"Who knows... what a crazy event this has been... still, I would have liked to see a fight."

Stretchers were carried out and the lizardman guard who had taken a beating was carried off.

"Ah! I didn't get to apologize to him...", Claire thought as she watched him being taken away from afar.