Due to their lack of decisive power, Zafar instructs Cestvs and his companions to train all day every day by digging with pickaxes. Though his companions complain, Cestvs regards Zafar's word as his only ray of hope and continues digging. Meanwhile, a pair of messengers arrive to announce a fighting tournament held by the emperor. Emperor Nero himself has ordered that Cestvs participate. He seems to be unable to escape him... With indescribable uncertainty in his heart, Cestvs participates in the qualifier in order to win his freedom. However, the arena is a wooden structure resembling a run-down cage.
Wooden arenas rotted away 
and were abandoned,
تعفّنت الحلبات الخشبيّة وهُجرت
Arenen aus Holz verrotteten irgendwann
und wurden aufgegeben
Las de madera se abandonaban
y se pudrían
Las de madera se abandonaban
y se pudrían
Celles en bois, abandonnées,
se décomposèrent
Le arene di legno marcivano e venivano abbandonate,
Arenas de madeira apodreceram
e foram abandonadas,
Деревянные же сгнивали, пустовали.