The arena in which Zoe was standing was beginning to change rapidly. Roman, who had been watching from the sidelines, jumped briskly to Zoe's side. He did not want to remain in the domain of change. The ground shook beneath her feet, and the stands surrounding the arena began to blur and shift. Suddenly, the colors and shapes of the arena transformed, and Zoe found herself standing in a circular sumo arena with a large pit filled with scorching flames in the center. Zoe took a deep breath and prepared herself for the next challenge, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

 

Zoe continued to study the changing arena, her gaze shifted from the deep pits outside the circular sumo arena to the stands now filled with rowdy Orc hooligans. Roman took advantage of the changing arena and started talking to her.

 

"It was a good fight, by the way. I liked the skeleton hooligans a lot. Let's see who my current friends will be," he laughed. He checked the stands and said "Ooh this is way better. Orc Hooligans!"

 

"Yeah, you looked like you were having a lot of fun. It was almost like you wanted me to get beat," Zoe said sarcastically.

 

"Hey, I was just supporting my skeleton friends," Roman shrugged. "By the way, what reward did you get? Was it worth fighting for?"

 

"The Slow Motion card," Zoe replied. "It apparently allows me to slow down opponents. The Skeleton King also attacked me with it."

 

"Cool," Roman said. "You're using your cards sparingly, which makes sense since you have very few cards. This card looks like it will come in handy for the next fights."

 

As he spoke, the arena had completed its transformation, and Zoe knew it was time to face her next challenge. Roman wished her luck and returned to his seat in the stands, where the rowdy Orc hooligans continued to cheer and jeer, making it hard for Zoe to focus.

 

While Zoe waited for her opponents, she began to study the orcs in the stands. They were a rowdy bunch, dressed in mismatched armor and wielding makeshift merch like drums and flags. Some were sitting on the seats, while others were standing on the stairs, flapping their arms at each other even more eagerly. Some orcs had foam fan gloves in their hands. This mass was much louder than the skeletons.

 

Their faces were twisted into snarls and grins as they cheered and jeered, excited for the upcoming battle. They were loud and rowdy, making it hard for Zoe to focus on the task at hand.

 

It became clear to Zoe that these Orcs were not there to fight her, but rather to support their fellow Orcs in the arena. They cheered on their sumo wrestler brethren, pounding their drums and waving their flags, trying to will them to victory.

 

Zoe didn't want to use her katana for the first wave. She immediately canceled Pinky's spell and picked up the sword Flo had given her. Because of the pit around the arena, she understood that pushing her opponents out rather than trying to kill them seemed like a better strategy.

 

As Zoe prepared herself, the gates on the other side of the arena opened, and three massive Sumo Wrestler Orcs lumbered out. Their muscles bulged beneath their loincloths, and their green skin glistened with sweat. The Orcs roared as they entered the arena, making the stands shake with the force of their voices.

 

The tribunes rose up with great enthusiasm. Roman now had a drum in his hand, stirring up the crowd even more. The platform that brought in the sumo wrestler orcs magically disappeared. Now the fight was about to begin.

 

Zoe took a step back, surprised by their sheer size and power of her opponents. Each of the orcs were easily twice her size, and she knew that pushing them out of the ring would be no easy feat.

 

The Orcs glared at her with beady eyes, their faces twisted into snarls of rage. They were ready to fight, defend their honor, and prove their strength. The orc hooligans in the stands cheered even louder, pounding their drums and waving their flags as if trying to incite the sumo wrestlers to even greater heights of fury.

 

Zoe took a deep breath and braced herself, her grip tightening on her sword. She knew that this fight would be her toughest yet, but she was ready to face the challenge head-on. The Orcs charged forward, their massive bodies shaking the ground beneath her feet. Zoe prepared herself for impact, ready to fight with all her might.

 

She tried to dodge the orcs' attacks, but their sumo techniques were too powerful. They slammed into her, pushing her back and forth across the ring. Zoe gritted her teeth, trying to keep her balance as the orcs continued their onslaught.

 

She could feel the heat of the fire pit in the center of the arena, and she knew that she had to be careful not to fall in. The Orcs were relentless, their massive bodies slammed into her again and again. Zoe was struggling to stay on her feet, and she knew that she had to come up with a new strategy if she wanted to win this fight.

 

As one of the orcs charged toward her, she sidestepped, letting him pass by her. She saw an opening and took advantage of it, pushing the orc from behind. He stumbled, lost his balance, and fell into the pit out of the arena, letting out a roar of anger as he fell.

 

The remaining two Orcs roared in fury, charging once more. Zoe readied herself, trying to stay calm as they pushed her around the ring. She waited for the right moment, and then pushed back with all her might, using the orcs' momentum against them. They stumbled, and she saw her chance. She pushed them with all her strength, and they fell out of the ring, defeated.

 

This fight had been easier than she had expected. Zoe attributed this to the inability of sumo wrestling orcs to use magic. “I have to be on the alert,” she thought. "I'm sure magic-using orcs will come in the next wave."

 

The Orc hooligans in the stands let out a deafening cheer, pounding their drums and waving their flags with rage. Zoe breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. She had won the first wave of the arena, and she knew that she was one step closer to winning it all.

 

Zoe was ready for the next challenge, even though she knew that it would be even harder than the last. As the gates on the other side of the arena opened, four massive sumo orcs entered. Two of them had strange glowing runes on their hands, and Zoe guessed that they were the ones who could cast ranged spells.

 

The orc hooligans in the stands were even more boisterous than before, their cheers almost ear-piercing. Zoe tried to ignore them and focused on her opponents, watching their movements carefully.

 

Two orcs charged at her, their massive bodies shaking the ground with every step. Zoe dodged their initial attack, sidestepping to avoid their charge. She realized that she couldn't take them head-on like before and that she would need a new strategy.

 

As the orcs approached again, Zoe used one of the orcs as a shield against the range spells. The orc, struck by the spell, looked confused and began charging toward his friends. He slammed his two hands together, creating a shockwave, and with this shock, one of the spell-casting orcs flew out of the arena.

 

The confused orc shook himself and came to his senses. He got very angry when he realized that he had thrown his friend out. He bellowed like a wounded animal. He turned towards Zoe, his eyes blazing. He charged quickly toward Zoe. Clapping his hands together once again, he sent out a powerful shockwave.

 

Flying back a few meters, Zoe activated her spider feet and plunged her into the ground. This saved her from flying out of the arena. However, the other orc who could cast range spells had turned his attention to Zoe. Seeing the spell coming towards her, Zoe had no chance of escaping it.

 

What she guessed to be the Confuse spell struck Zoe. But it had no effect on Zoe. Both the orc who cast the spell and Zoe were taken back. Thinking, I wonder if it's because of my high WILL, Zoe swung her sword on her back and transformed her legs back into human form.

 

She decided to take a more defensive approach, dodge the attacks, and wait for the right moment to strike. She activated the mantis blades. Unaffected by the Confuse spell, she decided to focus on the orcs who could use shockwave attacks.

 

The final orc roared in fury, charging once more. Zoe sidestepped his attack, and the orc stumbled, falling out of the ring. The orc hooligans in the stands were silent for a moment, surprised by the sudden turn of events. But then they erupted in cheers, pounding their drums and waving their flags in celebration. Zoe had won the third wave of the arena, and she was one step closer to winning it all.

 

Two orcs charged at Zoe, trying to overpower her with their massive size and strength. Zoe was quick, but their combined strength was too much for her to handle. She tried to dodge their attacks, but their shockwaves pushed her back.

 

As she retreated, she noticed a pattern in their attacks. They were predictable, always using the same moves. Zoe took advantage of this and waited for her moment. When the orcs charged at her again, she dodged their attacks. And then she bent down and used her mantis blades to strike one of the orcs’ feet and slashed his tendons.

 

The first orc fell to the ground, and Zoe kicked his massive body from the arena. She continued to dodge the other orcs' attacks, waiting for her next opportunity. When the orc charged her, she used his own momentum against him, stabbed him with her mantis blades, and threw him out of the arena with a well-timed push.

 

Zoe was calm now. She slowly approached her opponent to get some rest before moving on to the next fight. She easily dodged the incoming magic attacks and continued to move toward her opponent. With the last few meters remaining, she suddenly accelerated and launched a flying kick attack on her opponent. That flew him out of the arena.

 

The orc hooligans in the stands were in shock, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Roman was trying to cheer them up, but the orcs didn't seem to expect their friends to be defeated. They could not easily get over the shock. But Zoe didn't have time to celebrate. She had won this wave, but she knew that the final challenge would be the hardest of them all. Now she knew she had to fight a boss.

 

As Zoe caught her breath, the ground beneath her began to shake, and the air filled with an ominous aura. A massive sumo orc appeared from the shadows, his enormous size taking up nearly the entire gate. He was the boss of the arena, and he radiated power and strength. The orc hooligans cheered louder than ever, sensing the impending victory of their champion.

 

Zoe knew that this fight would be her toughest yet. Zoe immediately summoned Pinky to her hand. She understood that if she didn't do it now, maybe she wouldn't get the chance again.

 

The Sumo Orc Boss had a large club in one hand and runes glowing in the other. As he approached her, he began to cast spells. Zoe could feel the ground beneath her shake as the boss summoned a powerful earthquake spell. She was knocked off her feet, struggling to regain her balance. Zoe activated her spider legs as she stood up. I'll need this to stand on the arena, she thought.

 

The boss continued to chant and summoned a powerful gust of wind, sending Zoe flying across the arena. She landed hard, her head spinning from the impact. As she tried to stand up, the boss charged at her, swinging his massive club. Zoe dodged his attack, narrowly avoiding being crushed under his weight.

 

The boss now had two glowing runes on his hand, and Zoe realized that he had access to three spells. She knew that she had to act fast and come up with a new strategy. Zoe stayed on the defensive, dodging the boss' attacks and waiting for her opportunity.

 

As the boss charged again, she dodged the attack and used her Slow Motion card to slow down his club. His swing became sluggish, and Zoe used this opportunity to strike, attacking him with all her power. She made a cut strong enough to separate his hand holding the stick from his body.

 

Clasping his severed hand with his other, the sumo boss cried out in pain. The shocked audience suddenly started cheering for Zoe. This surprised Roman, Zoe, and even the sumo boss.

 

He tried to retaliate with his spells, but Zoe was too quick for him. She dodged the gusts of wind and the earthquakes, her reflexes honed by the previous fights. And when the boss charged at her once again, she dodged his attack and struck him with a powerful counter-attack.

 

As she charged forward, Zoe swung her sword with incredible speed, unleashing a flurry of cuts that sliced through the air. Her movements were so fast that it looked as though she was cutting the air itself into a thousand pieces. The Sumo Orc Boss tried to defend himself, but Zoe's attacks were too fast and too relentless.

 

With each strike, Zoe felt the satisfaction of her blade slicing through the orc's flesh. She knew that her training had paid off, and she was in her element. Her movements were fluid and precise, and she felt a sense of clarity and focus that she had never experienced before.

 

But the Sumo Orc Boss was no pushover. He managed to summon up his magic and unleash a blast of dark energy at Zoe. The blast hit her, sending her tumbling backward. She managed to roll to her feet, but she knew that she couldn't afford to let her guard down again.

 

Zoe charged at the boss, dodging his attacks and unleashing a new barrage of cuts. The orc boss tried to summon up his magic again, but Zoe was too fast and used her [Slow Motion] once again. She managed to strike him before he could unleash his spells, and he stumbled backward, his strength fading.

 

Finally, with a mighty yell, Zoe plunged her sword into the orc boss' chest, ending the fight once and for all. The arena fell silent as the orc hooligans looked at each other in disbelief. Zoe had the final challenge, and she emerged victorious.

 

Zoe stood there, panting and sweating, but triumphant. She had conquered the arena and emerged as the ultimate champion. The orcs in the stands cheered for her, acknowledging her as the strongest fighter. Zoe also raised her sword in response to the celebrations. The hooligans got even more excited.

 

Zoe's attention shifted from the defeated Sumo Orc Boss to the loot lying on the ground. She crouched down and picked up the two cards, examining them closely. She turned them over in her hand, studying the intricate designs etched into the surface of the cards. The light from the arena was reflected on the card’s shiny surface, casting faint lights on the walls.

 

Roman, who had been watching from the stands, couldn't contain his curiosity. He jumped down from the stands and ran over to Zoe. He craned his neck to get a better look at the cards.

 

"What did you get?" he asked eagerly, trying to peek over Zoe's shoulder.

 

Zoe held up the cards for Roman to see. Both cards were rare. Roman read them intently, his eyes growing wider as he realized the power of the cards.

A Rare Ritual/Morph/Utility Card: Transmutation Ritual This card is an upgrade card that allows the user to transform an uncommon card into a rare one. The Transmutation Ritual card is a powerful tool for those who wish to enhance their existing card collection. By performing the ritual, the user can unlock the full potential of their uncommon utility cards and transform them into rare ones. The usage limit of this card is only once.

A Rare Elemental Card: Shockwave Shockwave is a rare elemental card that generates a powerful shockwave that can knock back enemies and deal damage. When activated, it sends out a wave of energy that radiates outwards, pushing back anything in its path. This card can be used both offensively and defensively, providing the user with a tactical advantage in battles. This card's power scales with its user's INT stat. The usage limit is 10 times in an hour.

 

Zoe pocketed the upgrade card and installed the Shockwave card into her cyberdeck, the arena began to shift and change once again. The stands disappeared before her eyes, and the floor beneath her feet morphed into marble flooring. Stone columns appeared, stretching up to the ceiling, casting deep shadows across the arena.

 

In the distance, two dark figures were moving toward them. Zoe and Roman locked eyes, an understanding passing between them before they turned to face their new opponents. Roman spoke when he figured out what the oncoming shadows were.

 

"I said I wasn't going to help you, but I guess I have to fight in this round too." His eyes flicked toward the shadows, and Zoe could feel the tension thrumming in the air between them.