A fun read!
Giant mechs clashing in a golden arena over the most absurdly aristocratic reason imaginable. The absurdity of that setup is so good and the writing totally commits to it. The action sequences are genuinely thrilling, you can feel the weight of every impact!
But what really got me is Thomas, a man disgusted by the world he was born into yet still moving through it. The ending lands perfectly.
Great job on this one!!!