One year later, Daisy stripped butt naked, getting into her new gladiator armor with Everton standing guard behind her. Everton watched the entrance to the chamber without turning around, protecting her from curious eyes.

"I can't believe how fast time flies. I hope Carter and everyone else is doing okay!"

"I wouldn't worry about your lover or anyone else right now. Some old friends managed to send me a message. We need to survive the event today!"

"I understand, but I'm just worried about something! And I know it's stupid, but-"

"But what?"

"What if Carter moved on with a woman more beautiful than me? Everton, there are thousands of them!"

"Daisy, as much as I dreaded having this conversation with Evelyn!” Everton groaned. “You are a beautiful young woman, and any man who meets you would-"

Everton spotted some curious individuals walking by the chamber. Two male gladiators caught a glimpse of Daisy's naked body. They closed in for a better look, but Everton picked up a large rock and crushed it with one hand! It was a warning to tell them to move any further and lose something precious! And as they saw his warning, they both ran away in fear!

As Daisy finished dawning her armor, she ran to Everton and hugged him. "I'm ready for action, teacher!"

"I hope so!"

A few minutes later, the sun shined brightly over the Colosseum. It overflowed with spectators, but in the Ima cavea, there were two special ones. Cymbeline was a tall, skinny, light purple nemesis. He was one of the primary generals in the Nemesis army and the grand overseer of the colonies like Placentia. He looked close to death with his thin body, but his eyes filled with life as he guided his guest, Morana, to her seat beside him. As he saw Morana wearing the blue dress Daisy made, he couldn’t help but look at her from top to bottom.

"By the emperor, she's even more beautiful than usual today!" Cymbeline thought.

Morana saw Cymbeline staring at her, and she made him look her in the eye, giving him a sultry smile.

"Cymbeline darling, it's rude to stare at a lady!"

"I'm sorry, but you look even more gorgeous than usual. I think it's your blue dress. You should take care of whoever made it!"

"Why, thank you!” Morana giggled, believing Daisy was dead, killed in combat, or raped by the gladiators.”And rest assured I did!"

Cymbeline pressed a button on his seat, and holographic panels with the gladiator's faces appeared before him and Morana.

"Well, my friend, let's have some fun! These panels have all the information you need to bet on a gladiator. So who do you think will win?"

"I'm not exactly a gambling woman, but I would say-"

Morana looked at her panel, and shock swept her face as she saw Daisy's picture among the gladiators! In a flash, she grabbed Cymbeline's neck, crushing his windpipe, and forced him to gaze at her picture!

"What is the meaning of this? Why is the slave girl still alive? What type of Colosseum are you running?"

"S-she rose through the ranks somehow, but if I knew you wanted her dead, I would have done it myself! I'll correct this mistake right now!"

Morana let go of Cymbeline's neck, growing a sinister smile. "No, let's see how this plays out. What plans did you make for this event?"

"Well-"

"Because they don't matter. I'm in charge now!" Morana interrupted.

Later, the gladiators marched onto the Colosseum field. And they gathered around a big pile of weapons. Daisy grabbed a circular shield from it while Everton took a battle axe.

"Everton, please remind me. What is this event about again?"

"We will be fighting a havoc ghoul! Whoever lasts the longest against the creature will be deemed the Colosseum champion!"

"H-havoc ghoul?"

"A ghastly abomination of creation. The best advice I can give you is to be wary of the poison spikes!"

A holographic display appeared in midair and showed Cymbeline and Morana to everyone. As they saw them, Daisy and Everton shared a look of shock!

"Morana?"

"Daisy, this changes everything! The ice hag will never let you leave this event alive! You'll have to fight to kill to survive!"

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"No, Everton! Pa always said when you make a promise to yourself or god, you better follow it! And no matter what she throws my way, I won't disregard what he taught me!"

Feedback from a microphone traveled through the air, and Morana began to speak for all to hear.

"Dear citizens of Placentia, my dear friend Cymbeline has granted me control of the festivities. I know you were looking forward to a battle with a havoc ghoul, but I had a brilliant idea. Instead of one horrible beast, why not all of them?"

A pair of gates on the Colosseum field hastily opened, and pupils of every shape, size, and color pierced the darkness inside. Beasts of varying shapes and sizes charged at the gladiators with savage bloodlust! But as Daisy saw the murderous horde charge, her face was devoid of fear, and she stood ready to meet the challenge!

The gladiators and the beasts met in a violent impact! The two groups shredded each other with savage fury. Bodies flew all over the field as they struggled for survival!

An ape-like beast swiftly pounced on Daisy. As large spikes sprang from its fists, like knuckledusters, Daisy hid behind her shield. The spikes pierced the shield and nearly stabbed her in the face, but the beast got stuck in it as it tried to pull free. Daisy forced the beast to the ground, where it flailed violently to escape, but she knocked it unconscious with a punch to the face!

Daisy broke free of the beast but spotted another charging at her. Its horns aimed straight at her heart. Daisy ran from the beast at top speed, but it closed the distance in seconds. However, she ran towards a wall, and inches before it impaled her with its horns, she backflipped over the creature off the wall! The beast ran into the wall, plunging its horns deep inside, getting stuck. And Daisy bashed her shield in its face, knocking it unconscious!

Daisy took a moment to relax, but it quickly ended as she saw her fellow gladiators run away in fear. She soon learned what could instill such terror into hardened warriors as she met the havoc ghoul!”God, help me!” A giant bat-like creature, covered in hundreds of spikes, shook the Colosseum field with one stomp of its foot, knocking Daisy down.

"Good god," Daisy said.

The havoc ghoul swiftly picked Daisy up in its claws, opening its hideous mouth, preparing to consume her! But as she neared her doom, Everton hit the back of its head with a stone support beam! It dropped her to the ground. And Daisy gave Everton a thumbs up, but as the havoc ghoul became steady, he directed her to her shield.

Daisy dashed to her weapon.”Right!”

Daisy quickly grabbed her shield and used it as a refuge from the rain of the havoc ghoul's spikes. But as the projectiles stopped, Daisy charged at the creature. However, the havoc ghoul readied to strike her with its claw. But Everton disoriented it with another blow to the back of the head with the support beam!

Daisy jumped up the havoc ghoul to its face, hitting it in the eye with her shield! The combined efforts of her and Everton’s attacks finally knocked the creature unconscious. She dropped to the ground, struggling to stand up, but Everton came, helping her. And Daisy hugged him as thanks, he reciprocated, but the happy moment was interrupted as the holographic display appeared, and they saw Morana.

Morana looked at the aftermath of the battle, her face seething with rage as she saw Daisy still alive. But her anger quickly changed to a wicked smile.

"Dear citizens of Placentia, after watching the incredible performance of our gladiators, I think they deserve a special treat. A new contest where the survivors here will battle each other, and I will judge the winner to decide what prize they deserve, starting now!"

As Morana started the new contest, Everton saw a gladiator charging Daisy with his sword. He shoved her out of the way before she could be decapitated! But as the gladiator kept swinging his blade at her, Everton got punched in the face and knocked away from aiding Daisy by another gladiator.

The gladiator swung his blade wildly at Daisy, and she narrowly dodged each strike. But Daisy swiftly broke through the flurry of deadly blows and bashed the side of his face with her shield, knocking him out. However, another gladiator tackled her to the ground!

Everton struggled to break free of his opponent's headlock. But as he saw the gladiator holding his blade over Daisy about to stab her, he elbowed his opponent in the stomach! And as Everton broke free, he punched him unconscious, lifting him like a rag doll.

"Daisy!" Everton shouted with desperation.

As Daisy heard Everton and saw him hold up his opponent, she put her feet on the gladiator's stomach, kicking him forward. And before he could do anything else, Everton tossed his opponent at him, knocking him unconscious!

Everton ran over to Daisy, and the spectators screamed as they came together.

"Fight, fight, fight!" The spectators screamed in unison.

As Daisy heard the spectators, she looked around the Colosseum field and saw the bodies of her adversaries, either dead or unconscious.

Daisy grew a look of bewilderment. "Everton, who do they expect us to fight? There's nobody left!"

"Daisy," Everton said, telling her to acknowledge the obvious answer, each other.

Daisy gazed at Everton, realizing the answer. "No, I won't do it, not even for my freedom E-"

Everton signaled Daisy to stop talking. And he clutched his chest in pain. He dropped to the ground, and Daisy hurried over to aid him.

"Everton, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Daisy. The injuries from our battles are just taking their toll!” Everton gave Daisy a playful wink. “And since you outlasted even me, you won. You are the Colosseum champion!"

A look of shock swept her face as she heard Everton, and her jaw dropped in disbelief as she saw the spectators celebrating her victory!

"Champion, champion, champion!" The spectators screamed in unison.

In the Ima cavea, Cymbeline shared a look of shock with Daisy at her victory, but it quickly turned to rage.

"Silence! General Morana still hasn't made her judgment!"

As the spectators became as quiet as a grave, all eyes went to Morana.

"Morana, what prize do you deem the human worthy of?"

"Death!" Morana shouted.

As they heard Morana, the spectators went crazy, booing and moaning as they started throwing food in her direction.

"Let her live! Let her live! Let her live!" The spectators screamed in unison.

On the Colosseum field, Daisy trembled with anxiety.

"Everton, if I want to see my loved ones again, I'll have to fight through Morana and half her army, won't I?"

Everton stood up, kindly rubbing Daisy's head. "No child. We'll have to fight through her and half her army. So much for my old friends!"

Suddenly, a flash of light happened over their heads. Two Nemesis ships came crashing onto the field, exploding, and a black plume of smoke swallowed the Colosseum. Everyone shared a look of shock at the spaceship as the smoke dissipated. It hovered before the Ima cavea as it unloaded its ammunition at Morana and Cymbeline in a brilliant blaze of glory!

"Everton, what in god's name is this?"

"I believe, old friends, making good on a promise!”