With great difficulty, I took a fighting stance.
My body trembled from the pain gnawing at my bones, and my breathing was broken, struggling just to draw air.
I had no choice but to resist.
I threw a front kick toward the ordinary man's waist, hoping to catch him off guard—but he dodged it with blinding speed.
In a fraction of a second, his fist was already heading toward my face, like an invisible lightning strike.
I tried to dodge.
But I couldn't.
Boom!
The sound of the impact rang in my ears as my head snapped back violently.
It felt like my nose had shattered, and blood poured out heavily, covering my mouth and filling it with a foul metallic taste.
I grabbed my nose and staggered backward, my mouth full of blood.
This hurts… far more than anything I imagined—even in my worst nightmares.
But the referee shouted with manic excitement:
"Oooh! The match is heating up!"
The crowd roared louder, their voices like a hungry beast chanting my opponent's name:
"The ordinary man! The ordinary man!"
I coughed, trying to regain myself as dizziness overwhelmed me—but the ordinary man didn't give me the chance.
He threw another punch toward my head.
This time, I managed to block it using an upper block, an old defensive karate technique.
For a brief moment, I felt relief.
Then he attacked my stomach—I quickly blocked it with a lower block.
The referee raised his voice again, waving his hands excitedly:
"Oooh! It looks like the match might turn in favor of the right team!"
The crowd began chanting:
"The right team! The right team!"
It was as if even my small resistance was enough to excite them.
At that moment, the ordinary man's calm smile vanished.
His eerie composure disappeared.
He looked at me and said in a cold, dangerous tone, as if I had awakened something inside him:
"So… this is how you're going to fight?"
Suddenly, he leapt into the air and launched a flying kick toward my head.
I barely dodged it—despite the pain coursing through my body.
He landed and said calmly, like a sudden thunderclap:
"I think… I'll start taking this seriously now."
"What…?" I croaked, not even realizing I had spoken.
Then—
Boom!
…Why am I on the ground?
Why does it hurt so much?
Why is something warm and sticky running down my face?…
Right…
I remembered.
I'm being beaten.
Everything happened in an instant.
The moment I said "what," he punched my face at incredible speed—I didn't even see it—and I fell to the ground.
The rough arena floor pressed against my back.
Then the blows rained down on me like a storm.
A punch to my face.
Another to my stomach.
I coughed blood, trying to defend myself with weak arms that could barely do anything.
And still… I was being beaten.
I tried to defend myself—but it was useless.
His punches were too fast for my eyes to follow.
Every blow landed before I could react.
The crowd's cheers grew louder.
And with them, my sense of humiliation.
This… hurts so much.
It feels like I'm being burned alive.
Like thousands of nails are being driven into my body.
I feel like I could die at any moment… like my soul is about to leave my body.
Through the pain, I forced myself to look around.
The crowd… was cheering.
How… how can they cheer like this?!
Someone is being beaten to death right in front of them!
This… hurts.
Not just physically—but mentally too.
I can't fully describe it… but it feels like deep disappointment.
Is this what Visper and Zairos felt…?
I looked toward Aureus with difficulty while being beaten, and I saw the employer arguing with him—angry, pointing toward me.
Is he… angry because he can't stop the match?
Even if it's just an assumption… it comforted me a little.
Meanwhile, Sirion avoided looking at me—probably because he couldn't do anything to help.
And still… I was being beaten.
Still trying to defend myself while lying on the ground, the ordinary man above me, striking my face, then my stomach.
I looked at the left team.
Hontar, as usual, wore an arrogant smile.
Beside him, the mysterious woman avoided watching—as if she couldn't bear to see this tragic sight.
My face… is probably completely disfigured by now.
This hurts… so much.
So much that I can't cry, scream, or even speak.
Then suddenly—
Boom!
"Ughhh…!"
I coughed blood.
My face turned pale, and I was on the verge of losing consciousness.
This… hurts even more than before.
I shouldn't have joined.
Then suddenly—
The crowd went silent.
No one shouted.
No one spoke.
Only the sound of painful blows remained.
That's strange… why did they suddenly stop?
I looked at them with difficulty.
Their faces showed fear… and pity.
Even the referee, who had been smiling the entire time, now looked uneasy.
He said hesitantly:
"This… looks harsh!"
Ah…
I understand now.
They pity me.
How miserable… how pathetic…
Even the crowd that enjoyed blood stopped cheering out of pity.
Should I just surrender?
I feel like I could die at any second.
Pride?
Dignity?
Forget it.
What's the point if I die?
This hurts…
I should just surrender.
Even the employer tried to stop this—at least, that's what I think.
I can't endure this anymore.
It hurts too much.
So much that I'll take any excuse to surrender.
…
I almost did.
Yes… I almost surrendered.
The word "I surrender" was right on my lips—
But before I could say it…
Images flashed before my eyes.
My family.
My promise to reach my goal—no matter the cost.
Visper… enduring pain for a draw.
Zairos… refusing to fall, fighting until the very end.
All of it played before me.
How could I betray them?
How could I betray myself?
Those thoughts stopped me.
Even as the blows continued, I realized—
I couldn't let them down.
So despite everything…
I didn't say it.
I didn't surrender.
But… how will I win?
That question remained in my mind as I continued to be beaten.
I can't even block his punches.
How can I defeat him?
The ordinary man loomed over me, striking without mercy.
I looked at him—
And instantly regretted it.
His once ordinary face had become terrifying:
A twisted smile.
Eyes burning with savage excitement.
A true monster hidden behind that former normality.
… it feels like every part of my body is broken.
The crowd remained silent.
A heavy silence pressing down on me.
The employer still struggling.
Hontar still smiling arrogantly.
It was a scene of expected defeat.
So… I have to win anyway.
But how?!
Then—
I remembered something.
Something my exhausted mind nearly forgot.
Right!
The Rapid Response Ability!
An ability that only activates when the body reaches the brink of death.
I'll win using that!
…Wait.
That means I have to endure until I'm nearly dead?
…Darn it.
I can't even move.
So my only choices are—
This madness…Or surrender.
What should I do?!
But… what about all our efforts?
…
Alright.
I'll wait.
Until the ability activates.
And this… might be the worst decision I've ever made.
Time passed like a century.
The crowd remained silent.
And I kept getting beaten.
The pain was no longer sharp—it became rhythmic, like something breaking me from the inside.
I looked again toward the employer.
The guards were restraining him as he struggled, clearly furious.
What…?
Why are they restraining him?
Aureus saw it—but remained seated.
Ah…
I understand.
He tried to stop this… but they stopped him.
Even if it's just my assumption… it gave me hope.
That I wasn't alone.
Time passed…
And I truly felt like I was going to die.
My eyes were exhausted.
My body was broken.
Everything hurt.
I'll just… close my eyes for a moment…
Just a moment…
Before I did—
I saw Sirion trying to enter the arena, but the guards stopped him too.
I didn't care.
I ignored it.
And as I was about to fully close my eyes—
Suddenly—
Boom!
…What just happened?!
The ordinary man…Was bleeding from his nose.
Because of my punch.
Before I could process it—
Boom!
My second punch struck his stomach.
His body trembled, and he coughed blood, saying hoarsely in shock:
"So… you were hiding your true ability all along."
I couldn't respond.
He threw a punch—
My hand blocked it instantly.
Another—
Blocked again.
Then suddenly—
My head moved on its own and struck him.
What… is happening?
Why is my body moving on its own?
The referee shouted excitedly:
"Wooooow! The tables have turned! The man in his thirties is now in the lead!"
The crowd came back to life:
"The man in his thirties! The man in his thirties!"
Is this… the Rapid Response Ability?
But it's supposed to be weak!
I looked at Aureus, the employer, and Sirion—they were shocked.
Hontar… no longer smiling.
I thought this ability was useless.
But I was wrong.
Suddenly—
My body moved again.
I stepped back—
Whoosh!
I turned—
The ordinary man staggered, coughing in pain.
Did he try to ambush me?
And my body countered automatically?!
What an incredible ability!
The referee shouted:
"How did he do that?! He struck him without even seeing him!"
The crowd roared again.
Alright…
I don't know how long this ability will last.
I need to finish this quickly.
I rushed toward him.
He was on the ground, coughing blood.
I laughed mockingly:
"Hahaha… I didn't expect my chance for revenge to come so quickly."
Fear appeared on his face.
He tried to speak—
But I didn't let him.
I struck him repeatedly.
Face.
Stomach.
Just like he did to me.
He looked like he might pass out.
The referee laughed:
"Hahaha! What goes around comes around!"
But…I felt nothing.
No satisfaction.
No joy.
Only guilt.
Even though he started it.
I stopped.
Left him lying there.
He finally managed to say:
"I… I… surrender…"
The crowd erupted.
The referee raised my hand:
"The match is over! The winner is—the man in his thirties!"
The crowd shouted:
"The right team! The right team!"
I looked at the left team.
Hontar looked annoyed.
Then my team—
Relief.
The employer still looked angry—but calmer.
Sirion sat down and smiled softly.
Aureus looked proud and delighted—likely because he had defeated Hontar in this battle.
I smiled slightly and waved to the crowd as they chanted:
"Victory to the right team! Victory to the right team!"
Then—
Before I could leave the arena—
A sharp pain surged through my entire body.
I collapsed.
Everything hurt.
My head throbbed.
I coughed blood.
"What… is… this…?"
Then—
Everything turned blurry.
And black.