When Olivia left Leonhard to conduct his business, she moved around the secluded area for a while before giving up.


    She transformed to her human form and pulled out the paper Leonhard had given her.


    They were all influential people, politicians, CEOs of arms companies, mafia bosses, and even the current champion of the arena was amongst them.


    Olivia sighed.


    "I told Leo to trust me, but how do you even find people here, and what if they are not physically present?"


    She was familiar with their names and looks. Leonhard had also briefed her yesterday.


    And she was also a UNAS agent, an unofficial one, but still one. She had joined many briefings about influential people associated with the criminal world.


    "But still. This place is too big for its good."


    While she stood still, planning on what to do next, she sensed someone approaching her from behind.


    With one quick move, she turned towards the person.


    "Woah! Sharp as ever." It was a minotaur wearing a velvet suit, barely holding against his muscles, and his gilded horns adorned with gems.


    "Oh, it''s you." Olivia calmed. Dismissing the minotaur.


    "And just as dismissive, would it kill to be warm towards me? We fought in the arena before. We know each other."


    Olivia sighed but then smiled. "He could help." "Then, Minos, if we know each other so well, would you help this friend?"


    She knew the man. He was a decently reputable fighter who entered the underground after the crime family he worked for got purged.


    He was a recently promoted three-star.


    She had fun fighting against him during an annual Underground tournament, and his criminal background was somewhat acceptable, so her opinion of him was positive.


    "Hold your horses, girl. I said we knew each other, not friends." He stopped for a second, then smiled. "But then again, what you need."


    "Ah, the usual, need some payments." She reached for the paper and offered it to Minos. "You know where they are?"


    Minos took a glance and gave it back to Olivia. "Yeah, but it will take your whole day searching for them, but I might help you with it."


    "Not for free, of course?"


    "Bingo! So, what do you offer for a friend of yours'' services?"


    "What I can offer." Olivia caressed her chin. "I don''t have enough money or have information I can trade. I don''t want to owe anything to this guy either."


    She cracked her fingers. "Want to make some money?"


    "How?"


    Olivia pointed towards the arena. "They still allow bets, right?"


    "They do, but I doubt we will get favorable odds. You are still the old champion. Unless you fight against the current-" Minos suddenly laughed, only able to stop himself after a good minute.


    He wiped a tear from his eye and grinned. "I am in. So, what are the details."


    "You bet whatever amount you want. If you lose, White Rabbit will pay you your losses. If you win, I get a 10% cut, and you owe me one."


    "Looks like I win either way." Minos patted Olivia on the back. "Come, faster we go, faster I make my money!"


    Duo moved through the labyrinth of stands and reached the arena—the biggest building inside the forum grounds, a one-to-one replica of the Colosseum.


    "Beautiful as ever," Minos mumbled.


    "Yeah, some say this is the original, and they somehow managed to swap the two. Truly a marvel of engineering."


    "I don''t care about that. I care about the money. Did you know there are more money swapping hands here on big game days than the entire Vegas?"


    Olivia looked at Minos with disappointed eyes. "He truly knows no bounds for his greed." She recalled the semi-finals from three years ago when he fought against him. His love for money gave him the determination to stand against her.


    "I guess everyone has different motivations." Olivia moved forward.


    "Yeah, wait, what?"


    "Just follow me. It seems like the last match just ended."


    She pointed towards the giant flying screens, announcing the results.


    Duo approached the counter.


    The crowd waiting in the line first protested them cutting but quickly shut.


    And soon, excited mumbles were replaced by whispers of the old champion arriving.


    "Are you here to watch, bet, or fight-" The girl behind the counter lifted her head and saw the previous champion.


    "Oh, it''s you, ma''am, Black Rabbit! What we can do for you."


    "I was wondering if I could officially challenge the current champion."


    "Well, the rules have changed a little, and we can''t do this, but..." The girl quickly called someone from her handphone and smiled. "My supervisor says we can make an exception for you."


    Olivia turned to Minos. "Then see you after the victory."


    Minos smiled. "Oh, you are not going in there alone." He approached the counter. "I am sponsoring this girl."


    Olivia glared at Minos, but he didn''t budge.


    She sighed. "20%."


    Minos nodded. "Fine by me. I''ll probably make double if you win anyway."


    "Then let me call my boss so they can call the sponsor of the current champion." The girl reached for a different phone, and after a short talk, she closed it.


    About a minute later, the confirmation they needed arrived.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Good news, the current champion accepts the challenge! Please, to the fighters section!"


    Minos followed Olivia into the rest area, exclusive for the fighters. She approached a window-side table with a clear view of the arena.


    "Since you are my sponsor, you can spill some information about this new champion."


    Minos moved next to Olivia and lay towards the table, his eyes locked on the current match. "A prideful bastard who sees himself as a god. I hate to admit it, but he is a good physical fighter." Minos held his chest.


    "Sounds like the champion I beat."


    Minos shook his head. "No, not even close. That guy had some codes, this one. He might make the right type, and his rights are pretty wrong to me."


    "Like what?" She turned to watch the match, wondering what Minos found entertaining in this.


    It was just two rookies. To her, it was like two drunkards punching the air with how badly they fought.


    "If I like it, it must be mine. I am above the law type. He is also a sexual deviant."


    Olivia turned to Minos. "Of all places, someone from here says they don''t like people seeing themselves above the law. Sure I didn''t give you permanent brain damage back then?"


    "Not like that!" Minos sighed. "Look, I know he killed a couple of fighters he didn''t like and, well, forced his way with a female fighter after defeating her. These are mostly rumors, but he works for a bastard who is known for his child trafficking jobs and had some confirmation he was first a customer of his. Sick bastard." He was clutching his fist the whole talk.


    "Really?" Olivia glanced at the poster of the current champion. "Say, what are the current arena rules."


    "Just don''t kill. If you do, you are counted as the loser and need to pay a fee, but other than that, it''s fair game." Minos smiled. "So, have it your way."


    "I will."


    Minos''s smile faded. "Why are you so calm."


    Olivia turned around. "Looks like they are calling for me."


    "Hey!" Minos shouted to Olivia just before she left the room.


    She glared at him. He felt the anger behind the emotionless mask.


    "Just don''t kill him."


    "Don''t worry, I am not that merciful." Olivia left the room and quickly moved to her entrance.


    When the staff opened the door and allowed her to enter, spectators greeted her with applause.


    "Kill him!"


    "Beat her!"


    *A set of incomprehensible screeches.


    She felt flattered but hid her emotions and quickly focused on her opponent.


    At first glance, he was just a muscular guy in his thirties. He had good-looking hair and an athletic body, more like a pro fighter than a criminal.


    But she saw enough monsters to see through the disguise.


    "You." Olivia stepped forward. "Are the rumors right?"


    The champion grinned. "You don''t even ask my name? Or how I got some nice cash from your sucker twin."


    Olivia sighed. "Do you always talk this much? I, really, and I mean, really don''t care."


    "Well, I will have to make you care then." He licked his lips. "At least you look good."


    Olivia released some of the mist towards her side of the arena, covering the ground with a thin layer.


    When the bell rang and the battle started, the champion quickly closed the distance, his punch aimed straight at Olivia''s face.


    "Gotcha!"


    Olivia quickly transformed into mist and glided away from the attack.


    But the champion was quick to follow. He immediately followed the attack with a reverse kick, which promptly got dodged.


    "Since you are at least worthy of escaping my attacks, let me tell you something." The champion smiled, continuing his flurry of attacks.


    "All those rumors were right, including the children!" He dashed forward once more with a punch.


    Olivia stopped and watched as the man approached her.


    "Slow." She grabbed the punch.


    The champion''s eyes opened widely. "How- Agh!" An agonizing scream echoed through the arena.


    Hooligans fell silent.


    Olivia snapped the man''s forearm with ease and threw him away.


    The champion cried in agony, holding his arm, his bone sticking out of his flesh, and blood rained down like a fountain. "You monster!" Blinded by the adrenaline, he tried to throw a kick at Olivia.


    "Pathetic. All that guy did was to ruin my suit." Her eyes were on the bloodstain on her jacket.


    Olivia sent two lightning-fast tentacles and grabbed the man''s femur and fibula before the kick reached her.


    "No-"


    Olivia smiled, and with the snap of her finger, tentacles twisted the bones till the tissue connecting them snapped.


    The champion tried to escape, skipping on his last leg, trying to gather the strength to scream for forfeit, but Olivia grabbed him by the collarbone, her fingers sinking deep into his skin. "I only left you alive because I will come back to you. Again, and again, and again. You will want to die, but I won''t let you escape that easily."


    She threw him away like a used rag. He rolled on the dirt, unable to move even a single limb.


    Medical teams rushed in to take the old champion away.


    "Still alive."


    "Bring morphine!"


    She didn''t look back and left the arena as the horrified crowd finally recovered and cheered their new champion.


    "Black Rabbit!"


    "Black Rabbit!"


    They screamed out of their lungs.


    Then, their voices muffled and disappeared as Olivia entered the corridors leading to the resting area.


    And just as she was about to open the door to enter, she stopped and turned around.


    An old man with a very long beard adorned with beads made from precious materials stood at the other end of the corridor, eyes closed, wearing a green hanfu.


    He smiled upon being discovered and began clapping. "What a splendid display of power."


    "What master of the arena, Qu Lin, wants from me?"


    "Underground''s first champion, Yan Qu Lin, the old monster." She recalled her memories. Leonhard had warned her about this man in the past.


    "Leo said he is from the hermit kingdom, though they deny his citizenship. His masters banished him for being too dangerous, so he slaughtered them and the divine beast protecting the martial arts school he was from."


    Qu Lin stroked his beard. "This old man is curious about you." He approached Olivia and opened his eyes. He had ember-colored eyes and verticle pupils like a snake.


    "His eyes, not a good sign." Olivia prepared herself. "And this old man wonders what?"


    "You must know, vile as that guy was, he made me good money."


    Olivia prepared herself to strike. Her mist slowly covered the entire corridor. "And?"


    Qu Lin''s pupils shook as he finally got close enough to Olivia.


    "Strenght of that monster!"


    For a moment, he tried to decide between running and striking but managed to stop himself before he did anything.


    "Nothing." Qu Lin closed his eyes and turned around. His heart beat this fast after decades.


    "Are we done here?" Olivia asked, still releasing her mist. She approached Qu Lin. "If he wants to pick a fight."


    "We are. The old man learned what he wanted to learn. I hope you won''t ditch the arena like the last time and put a strain on our business." His image splintered, and he vanished away, leaving no traces behind.


    Olivia sighed and pulled her mist back. "Well, that was weird." She mumbled before finally entering the resting area. Minos waited for her with stacks of cash surrounding him, grinning and pointing toward her share.


    Olivia grinned as well. "At least I made some pocket change."


    ***


    J.N Smith, CEO of Cloud shipment and sponsor of the now dethroned champion, fumed in anger at his temporary office in the Underground.


    He barely held himself together, his fingers clawing through the armrests of his chair.


    "Sir, please-" His assistant tried to calm him, but it only made him explode.


    "Shut your mouth!" He suddenly rose from his chair, pushing the woman away. Still fuming, he turned to his bodyguard standing next to him. "I want that bitch dead today! How dare she humiliate me."


    "Such vulgar words. My sister is an angel. Don''t slander her name." A mocking voice cut the tension.


    J.N. turned towards the door to his office. "You."


    It was Leonhard.


    "How did you enter here without my permission?"


    "Some favors here, some bribery there, but it''s not our topic. I am here to have some chit-chat with you." Leonhard approached J.N''s table and pulled himself a chair to sit down.


    "You are brave coming here alone."


    "You are stupid thinking you can kill anyone inside the Underground."


    J.N. looked at his bodyguard, but the man shook his head.


    "Sorry, boss. The master has eyes everywhere."


    "Useless bastard." J.N. calmed down a little and sat down. "What you want."


    "I was here to congratulate you. I heard your wife gave birth after so long. And good choice buying that home in Newfoundland, experts say cold helps to develop a strong immune system."


    J.N.''s eyes opened wide. He slammed the table and got up. "How did you-"


    But Leonhard shut him by putting his finger on J.N''s lips. "Sush. I am here to congratulate you as a friend."


    "I doubt that. And what other things you are here for?"


    "You know, to collect debts. Your champion took a hefty credit from our Gray.CO''s bank. He is yet to pay, you know?"


    "Your stupid sister crippled him for life, he can''t pay no more."


    Leonhard nodded. "I know, but you, as his sponsor, are to take his debt."


    "And for why?"


    Leonhard got up. "J.N., dear, you either pay the money, plus the extra fee for all the vulgar words you used on my sister, or you know. We have to handle things dirty way."


    "You can''t threaten me!" J.N. opened his drawer, pulled out a pistol, and aimed at Leonhard''s head.


    "I will kill you!" He shouted.


    "No, you will not." Leonhard turned to J.N.''s bodyguard. "William, please?"


    The bodyguard quickly snatched the weapon from J.N.''s hands and put it away.


    "You!" J.N. turned to William.


    The man said nothing to him.


    Leonhard put his hand on J.N.''s shoulder and approached him. "I give you 24 hours to deposit the 20 million your guy owed me, plus another 20 for slandering my sister''s name. And if you are late, even by an hour." Leonhard chuckled. "Better keep it a secret." He whispered to him.


    J.N. stood still, frozen. His face was pale as if he just saw a ghoul.


    Meanwhile, Leonhard left the man''s office whistling.