Arachnostratagem

Amaris's eyes widened in horror as his arm inched closer to her chest. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, a rapid thump echoing in her ears. Yet, the inevitable did not come to pass. Instead, Amaris's third eye on her forehead ignited, emitting a dazzling white glow that enveloped the arena.

The air crackled with an otherworldly energy, a faint scent of cobwebs filling her nostrils. Without warning, a strange power surged from within Amaris, an unseen force propelling Xuco backwards. The sound of his stumble and fall echoed in her ears, accompanied by a mixture of anger and surprise etched on his face.

Amaris, on the other hand, felt a sluggishness as she tried to process what she was witnessing. The world around her appeared like a massive spider web, intricate and interconnected, the movements of those around her illuminated by shimmering strands that flashed in her vision. She could even sense the delicate vibrations of these threads, allowing her to manipulate them at will.

Xuco regained his composure and swiftly leaped to his feet, preparing to unleash Byakko once again. Suddenly, Amaris's eyes locked onto a thread of light encircling his body. With swift and precise movements, she reached out and seized it. Instantly, Xuco froze, his power dissipating into nothingness. The look of shock in his glazed eyes mirrored the astonishment that surged within Amaris.

"You... What did you do?" His voice wavered, fear lacing his words. Amaris' third eye lit up with brilliance, and Xuco felt his body being controlled like a puppet and the world around him seemed to be her playing field. Thinking about this, Xuco got angry knowing he's being toyed with.

"You bitch!" Xuco roared, and unleashed his mana, sending shock waves into the air. The webs that Amaris was manipulating were destroyed, and a huge backlash of power sent her flying. Xuco took this chance and unleashed Byakko on Amaris. Five disc-like blades materialised again and hurled towards Amaris.

Still recovering from the previous brutal assault, Amaris summoned every ounce of strength within her to evade the onslaught of incoming blades.

With astonishing agility and unyielding determination, she rolled to the side, narrowly escaping the lethal assault. The blades sliced through the air, leaving behind a haunting whistling sound and a faint metallic scent that lingered in the aftermath.

As the settling dust obscured the surroundings, Amaris rose to her feet, her body throbbing with a mixture of pain and adrenaline. Despite her waning energy, she adamantly refused to surrender.

Fixing her unwavering gaze upon Xuco, her eyes burned with an unwavering determination. In a surge of power, Amaris tapped into her newfound abilities, feeling the threads of shimmering light that once encircled Xuco now enveloping her as well. With each thread, an invisible force coursed through her veins, granting her unparalleled control over her opponent's actions.

Extending her hand, Amaris compelled Xuco's body to respond involuntarily, rendering him helpless and unable to resist. He became a mere puppet, forced to turn his own attacks against himself. Each punch and claw strike inflicted excruciating pain upon his own body, the agonising screams reverberating throughout the arena, intensifying the visceral atmosphere.

"You brought this upon yourself," Amaris said, her voice filled with conviction. She refused to let fear consume her, channelling her strength into every movement.

But Xuco, fueled by rage and desperation, unleashed another surge of mana, the crackling energy filling the air with a faint scent of burnt ozone. The invisible webs of control that bound him shattered with a resounding snap, freeing him from their grasp.

The sheer force of his power sent Amaris hurtling through the air, her body twisting and turning before crashing into the ground with a bone-rattling thud. As Amaris struggled to regain her composure, the taste of blood filled her mouth, a metallic tang that matched the searing pain in her side.

Xuco seized the opportunity, his laboured breaths punctuating the tense silence, and the five disc-like blades materialised once more, hurtling towards her with terrifying speed.

Amaris's heart pounded in her chest, her adrenaline-fuelled senses urging her to escape the deadly trajectory of the blades. But Xuco was faster, his movements a blur as the blade sliced through her side, leaving a deep gash that painted the air crimson.

Amaris yelped in agony, her cry echoing through the arena as blood streamed from her wound. She clutched her side, the warmth of her own blood seeping through her fingers, mingling with the dirt beneath her.

Xuco, fuelled by his waning mana reserves, took this chance and materialised Byakko one last time, sending the ethereal creature hurtling towards

Amaris. With little strength left in her body, summoned her last reserves, her desperation manifesting as a condensed black shooting star that she unleashed towards Byakko. The resulting explosion shook the very foundation of the arena, a deafening roar that reverberated in their ears.

Xuco, though battered, was not severely injured, his determination unyielding as he charged straight for Amaris. In a last act of defiance, Amaris used her web strings one last time, the faint scent of her magic hanging in the air, as she manipulated them with precision.

She dashed to the side, the ground beneath her feet shifting with each step, allowing her to pull on the string that Xuco unwittingly stepped on.

His balance lost, Xuco tumbled, his body crashing against the unforgiving "plain" that offered no support. As he struggled to rise, the realisation dawned upon him that he was weightless, suspended in mid-air.

Panic set in as he tried to lift himself, only to find his efforts futile. It was as if he was flying, his body able to move in all directions but unable to touch the solid ground.

Amaris smirked, her triumph clear, as Xuco fought against the crushing force of the string that now hovered above him. With each passing moment, his body weakened, his breath grew shallow, and his vision blurred.

The lack of oxygen took its toll, his body giving up in a last act of surrender. Xuco's neck snapped under the relentless pressure, his life extinguished.

As the glow faded from Amaris's eyes, her body went limp, collapsing onto the ground in a silent victory.

Xylothar and the announcer saw this, and the announcer declared, "Winner is Amaris!"