The concept of a 'fair fight' was not something Gannicus was familiar with. Executions ad gladium, between several gladiators and maybe one or two chained prisoners, would probably be unfair in modern eyes - but the blame was removed from the shoulders of the gladiator. In the Arena they were told to kill, without choice, and here it was much the same. Necessity, survival, murder - absolute terms that muddled in to one in the fog of this new arena.

He didn't quite agree with Nasir's words, no - but his was the assessment of an outsider. Nasir was many fine things, but he wasn't a gladiator. Gannicus laughed - a dark, rolling chuckle that didn't sound quite as amused as it pretended to be - and he shifted the grip of his lead pipe in one heavily bandaged palm.

"The mistake is yours, in your intent to lay claim to a brother's life," He explained to Venus as he circled to one flank. "Would you not do the same for one of your own?"