*****Jazzy’s brewing rage and madness vanished completely the moment he heard Xavier’s words and felt the deadly seriousness in them. Before he could process the words, however, he saw Xavier taking a single step forward.It was just a single step—harmless, unhurried, and casual—but in the next moment, Jazzy felt as though an immense, crushing force that could break through earth had been unleashed upon him, like an overpowered hydraulic press trapping his hand beneath it.For a brief second, his mind, body, and soul went utterly blank, lost in numbness. But then following this—indescribable, soul-searing pain—tore through him.“Rah!!!”The unbearably agonized scream of someone who felt as if their skin was sharply peeled off echoed through the hall, making everyone feel strong goosebumps run amok on their skin.Jazzy had never known this level of torment before in his life. No, he was certain he hadn’t experienced pain like this even in his past lives if such a thing existed.
*****If a blind person were to stumble into the arena right now, they might be convinced it was completely lifeless, despite the presence of dozens.The silence was so thick, that it suffocated the air, as though even the tiniest sound feared to make an appearance despite how long had passed.Everyone stood frozen, staring lifelessly at the lifeless body of Jazzy lying on the ground with a look of terror, unwillingness, despair, and shock still present on his face.Moments ago, he was still a titan and a dominant force in the underground world who hadn’t taken Xavier seriously and was still planning to move to the higher ground, defeat his boss, and replace him. Now, however, he lay completely still, unremarkable—like an ant who had been crushed under the feet without being able to give even the slightest resistance.The disbelief in the air lingered, everyone’s minds continuing to struggle to process the reality before them—the reality of how Jazzy, an E-ranked fighter, among t
*****“What—what did he just say?!” murmurs rippled through the crowd after a long moment of silence, then they exchanged bewildered glances, their disbelief palpable.“He—he really did just say that?” someone whispered in shock, their hearts pounding nervously in their chest, but realizing that the Lion King had really demanded what he just did and it wasn’t them hearing things, they all struggled to breathe, feeling terrified to the core.‘Has he gone crazy?!’ Several of the gangsters thought speechlessly.‘He already has the upper hand, why not ask for something more practical?’‘Why not just give him back his parents in exchange for him to leave us be? Why try to push him to the wall?’They felt like sobbing, knowing that Xavier would only be a fool if he were to take his life like the Lion King had demanded.‘Ah!!! What a deluded fool!’ Some of the thugs thought, feeling utterly weak and helpless. They wished to speak sense into the Lion King, but understanding how foolish
*****The Lion King, still not realizing anything flew like a bullet after Xavier’s attack and then crashed to the ground with a loud and heavy thud—right next to Jazzy’s carcass.Xavier’s body immediately moved instinctively, ready to pounce and tear him apart for his disrespect toward his mother. But then his gaze fell on Laura, and instantly, something inside of him seemed to shift.Her expression which was still filled with dread, helplessness, apology, and exhaustion made him stop, unable to care about the Lion King again for the time being.“Mother…” he called out with a softened voice, the fiery madness that had consumed him moments ago shattering like fragile glass.He took a step toward Laura, and as he did, the frozen time around them resumed.Everyone in the arena shuddered violently the next second, gasping as if they had just surfaced from drowning.Some of them nearly fainted in the next second as they finally reacted to the first surge of aura that had erupted fr
*****With all that had transpired, one might think an eternity had passed since Xavier had slipped out of the hospital, but that wasn’t the case. In reality, just a little over an hour had gone by which was little, considering the distance between the hospital and the underground fighting club.Presently, inside a dark-colored vehicle parked quietly some distance adjacent to the lively underground arena, the one-armed, heavily bandaged Frosh Junior and his elder brother were seated in the back, staring vacantly at the scene outside in complete stupor.The two brothers still couldn’t believe what they were witnessing, no matter how long had passed. In fact, they refused to accept it.They had reached the fighting arena before the authorities. But just as they were planning to gather together and barge in to demand Xavier, ready to destroy Jazzy's club in the process, law enforcement showed up, making them stop even though they weren't scared.…“But why would cops come into that
*****For a moment, Frosh Junior did not know how to react, hearing his brother and hearing the melancholy in his voice, but then his eyes narrowed and he quickly locked his gaze on Frosh, his breathing turning labored.“So, now that we know that jerk, who did this to me has such a close connection with a member of a second-rank family, does that mean that my revenge is only a mere fantasy?” he suddenly asked, his eyes reddening with frustration and unwillingness, dumbfounding Frosh for a moment.“That was not what I meant,” he hurriedly clarified, seeing his brother verging on panic. Before he could continue, however, intending to assure him, a soft knock tapped against the car’s windshield, startling the brothers.Frosh quickly rolled down the window beside him, recognizing the person— his newly promoted assistant from the previous day who presently appeared shocked and scared as though he just saw something scary.“What did you find?” he quickly asked, eager to know the truth
***** Frosh was dumbstruck for some time after hearing his brother and feeling the pain and desperation heavily laced in his voice, then he shook his head and released a soft sigh. “Why do you say that?” he asked, staring at him in confusion. He instantly saw the anguish on his brother’s face and understood his fear. The following second, Frosh couldn’t help but laugh, even amid the unsettling situation. “You—you think that weakling, whom even I, an F-ranked fighter could easily crush with a snap of my fingers, was the one who killed Jazzy?” he laughed so hard that tears sprang to his eyes. “How is that even possible? Do you know what it takes to become a ranked fighter, let alone an E-rank, which requires a miracle and divine intervention? Then the level above?” “But…” Frosh Junior began, only to be interrupted. “If truly Jazzy has reached the E-rank and was still
*****“Is something the matter?” Laura, whose mind was still in turmoil from all that had happened and the second near-death encounter she had had in just two days, suddenly blurted, gazing at Xavier, who had come to an abrupt stop, staring intently in a specific direction.“I…” Xavier blinked, startled back to his senses by his mother’s voice. He then shook his head in response to her question before his brows furrowed again, subconsciously glancing back at the departing black vehicle.‘Who could have been releasing that much murderous intent and hostility toward me?’ he wondered, his rarely wrong intuition alerting him of looming trouble that he deliberates on solving right there and then.Just as he was about to step forward, however, David’s concerned voice sounded beside him, breaking through his thoughts. “Are you sure you’re alright, son?” he asked, and only then did Xavier tear his gaze away from the car, deciding to dismiss the threat and intention to act, nagging at his