As the night settled in, warriors moved swiftly to prepare the arena for the final event of the day. They already knew what was to come, and long wooden poles were carried into the makeshift battlefield, each topped with a torch soaked in oil.

Though these were modern days, tradition was never forgotten. They secured the poles into the ground, spacing them evenly around the circular arena. Sparks flew as one of the warriors lit the first torch, and soon, the entire circle was ablaze.

With the ...