Chapter 249: "Good To See You Again"

The walk through the tunnel leading from backstage into the arena had always felt particularly long to Aren. The distance alone was considerable, but the darkness made it feel even longer.

The tunnel stretched far beneath the club, with barely enough light to illuminate the passage ahead. Most of the lighting was concentrated on the arena at the far end, leaving the approach almost entirely dark.

On ordinary fight nights, Aren made that walk alone. Tonight, however, Jeremiah accompanied her, offering his arm as they made their way through the dim corridor.

"Your boyfriends couldn’t make it tonight?" he asked, turning his head slightly toward her.

"I didn’t invite them," Aren replied. "As far as I’m concerned, it’s just another normal workday. They have their own work to attend to as well."

"I take it they’re both confident you’ll be safe fighting at the Pit now?"

Aren considered the question.

"Hmm. Something like that."

Ever since the fifteen-man fight at Cavallo’s club, both Caio and Jordan seemed to have grown more comfortable with her participation in increasingly unusual matches.

Jeremiah’s handling of that disaster seemed to have given them greater confidence in his ability to protect her, particularly when she was fighting at his own establishment.

Their conversations about Jeremiah, however, weren’t always flattering. In fact, those conversations tended to include a rather impressive collection of derogatory terms that Aren had no desire to repeat in his presence.

Fortunately, Jeremiah seemed satisfied with her answer.

"I’m glad," he said, smiling as they approached the end of the tunnel. "Well, here we are, my dear. Are you ready to steal the show again?"

"More ready than ever," Aren replied confidently. "Let’s defeat this Black Wolf and reach that impossible ten billion as quickly as possible."

As she finished speaking, a powerful spotlight swung toward the tunnel entrance, illuminating both of them as Jeremiah led her out into the arena.

Inside the cage, Hezekiah Castellano was already waiting, wearing a pristine black suit. Beside him stood Rovan Drask, whose appearance was considerably more intimidating.

The Black Wolf had arrived wearing a large wolf pelt over his head, its thick fur and imposing shape lending him the fearsome appearance his stage name suggested.

His behavior, however, was somewhat less theatrical. Rather than prowling around the cage, roaring at the spectators, or otherwise attempting to excite the audience, Rovan stood calmly beside Hezekiah with the disciplined posture of a soldier awaiting instructions.

The contrast almost made Jeremiah smirk. Rovan was dressed like a savage beast, yet he was behaving with more restraint than most of the fighters who’d entered this cage.

Jeremiah examined Rovan’s composed expression once more before lifting the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

"The wait is finally over!"

"Welcome to the first-ever showdown in the history of Castellano Club! Tonight, we bring you the event you’ve all been waiting for — the Ultimate Showdown!"

The response was immediate.

That evening, the arena was packed beyond its usual capacity, with additional seating installed to accommodate the extraordinary demand. Every level seemed crowded with spectators, and the moment Jeremiah announced the event, cheers erupted from all directions.

"THE BLACK WOLF AGAINST THE SWAN QUEEN!"

"BEST FUCKING FIGHT OF THE YEAR!"

"LET’S FUCKING GO!"

"COME ON! WE DIDN’T PAY THIS MUCH TO WATCH YOU TALK, CASTELLANO! GET THEM FIGHTING!"

Jeremiah laughed at the last remark, thoroughly pleased with the audience’s enthusiasm. With a graceful sweep of his arm, he directed their attention toward Aren.

"Now, perhaps the beautiful young lady standing beside me needs no further introduction! But I simply couldn’t forgive myself if I neglected to acknowledge how breathtaking she looks tonight."

"So, ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for the most beloved fighter in the Pit’s history!"

"Give one hell of a welcome to Ariana ’The Swan Queen’ Lombardi!"

The arena erupted all over again.

"Swan Queen! Swan Queen!"

"THAT’S OUR GIRL! SHOW THEM WHY YOU’RE UNDEFEATED!"

"SWAN QUEEN!"

"SWAN QUEEN!"

"SWAN QUEEN!"

Aren smiled as she accompanied Jeremiah toward the cage. She’d grown accustomed to hearing her name announced before a match, but she couldn’t remember the Pit ever being quite this loud for her.

By the time she and Jeremiah entered the cage, the applause had become so thunderous that she could scarcely distinguish individual voices. Jeremiah waited for the cheering to subside before raising his microphone again.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome the challenger you’ve all been dying to see!"

"Making a special appearance at the Pit tonight, and competing against our Swan Queen for the title of Ultimate Champion, please give one hell of a round of applause for Rovan ’The Black Wolf’ Drask!"

If Aren’s introduction had been loud, Rovan’s was almost deafening. Spectators rose from their seats throughout the arena, shouting and applauding with an enthusiasm that surpassed even the welcome they’d given her.

"AWOOOOOOO! WOOF! WOOF!"

"BLACK WOLF!"

"BLACK WOLF!"

"TAKE DOWN THE SWAN!"

"SHOW US WHAT A REAL FUCKING MONSTER CAN DO!"

Despite the overwhelming attention, Rovan seemed no more excited than he’d been a few moments earlier. He walked around the cage at an unhurried pace, waving to the spectators instead of roaring or attempting to intimidate them.

"Thank you very much! Thank you!" he called out warmly. "I appreciate such a wonderful welcome to Castellano Club The First tonight!"

Then, as though he’d finally grown tired of the wolf pelt resting over his head, he casually removed it and tossed it into a corner of the cage. He returned to his position beside Hezekiah without any further ceremony.

"All right. I’m ready."

Jeremiah acknowledged Rovan with a smile, although he couldn’t decide whether the man’s composure should reassure him or make him more concerned.

A boastful, hotheaded opponent would have been easier for Aren to handle. Someone who lost his temper could be provoked into making mistakes, creating openings for her to exploit.

Rovan, however, seemed neither arrogant nor easily excitable. His composure and humility suggested something far more dangerous: a man who understood his own abilities well enough that he had no need to advertise them.

Regardless, Jeremiah had never been fond of pessimism, especially when Aren had seemed so determined to take on this challenge. He pushed the thought aside and lowered the microphone before approaching Hezekiah.

"A pleasure to host this showdown with you, big brother," he said, extending a hand with a charming smile. "Ready to find out which of us will be attracting the bigger audience next quarter?"

Hezekiah accepted the handshake without hesitation. The pressure he applied, however, was far less friendly than his expression suggested.

"Oh, hell, believe me, little brother," he replied with an equally charming smile. "I feel as though I’ve been waiting my entire life for this moment."

Jeremiah had no intention of conceding this little contest. He tightened his grip in response, applying enough pressure to make Hezekiah’s expression twitch.

"Then it would be a terrible crime to keep you waiting," he replied pleasantly. "My queen isn’t particularly fond of waiting either. She’s got desserts waiting for her after the match, so why don’t we let her claim her title and go enjoy them?"

Hezekiah’s smile strained.

He attempted to withdraw his hand, only to discover that Jeremiah had no intention of releasing it quite so easily.

He pulled.

Jeremiah wasn’t letting go.

He pulled again.

Jeremiah’s grip tightened until it hurt.

After several increasingly forceful attempts, Hezekiah finally managed to wrench himself free, largely because Jeremiah let him.

"That’s quite a confident claim, little brother!" Hezekiah exclaimed, rubbing his hand. "Except it’ll be my Wolf walking away with that title! You just wait and see!"

He turned abruptly and strode toward the cage door, making no further attempt to conceal his annoyance. From there, he headed straight to the seating reserved for the two hosts of the Ultimate Showdown.

Jeremiah watched his brother storm away with considerable amusement. He turned back toward Aren, taking one of her hands before bowing his head over her knuckles.

"Good luck, my queen," he murmured. "May your reign continue for many years to come."

Aren gave him a small smile as he released her hand. She watched him make his way toward the exit, the heavy door closing behind him with a resounding clang.

He then proceeded toward the reserved seating area, where he took his place beside Hezekiah. Their seats were close to the cage, directly in front of the other spectators, offering an unobstructed view of the match.

When Aren turned back toward the center of the cage, Rovan had already moved into position opposite her. Without the wolf pelt, he looked much as he had in the footage she’d seen: broad-shouldered, composed, and entirely unconcerned by the enormous audience surrounding them.

"Good to see you again, Mister Drask," she greeted him politely, taking another moment to study his imposing build. "I’m looking forward to learning a great deal from you tonight."

"Good to see you again too, Miss Lombardi," Rovan replied with equal courtesy. "I’m sure there’s quite a lot we’re going to learn from each other tonight."

Aren faltered for a brief moment. There was something faintly different about Rovan’s expression now.

His usual composure remained, but a trace of amusement had entered his eyes. She noticed the slight change, although she had little opportunity to consider what it meant.

The referee stepped between them, looking more delighted than he ordinarily did when preparing to supervise a match.

"Ah, what a refreshing change! It’s wonderful to see some actual civility inside this cage for once, especially from the two strongest fighters I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing in my entire career."

He glanced between them before proceeding with the rules.

"Now, as always, no weapons, no interference from outside the cage, and absolutely no attacking the referee. Tonight’s Ultimate Showdown will determine the Ultimate Champion of Castellano Club. Are you both ready?"

Aren nodded, though a sense of unease had crept over her.

"I’m ready."

Across from her, Rovan smiled.

"Ready."

Around them, the spectators were growing increasingly restless. Cheers poured down from every section of the arena as the overhead lights gradually dimmed, leaving the cage illuminated beneath the glare of the spotlights.

The referee looked thoroughly satisfied with the atmosphere.

"Wonderful!" he announced, clapping his hands together. "Then, ladies and gentlemen, the Ultimate Showdown starts — Ghk!"

He never managed to finish the sentence.

Before the opening bell could sound, Rovan’s arm shot forward with startling speed. His hand closed around the referee’s throat, and in one swift movement, he lifted the man completely off the floor.

"Urk! Khh... khh..."

The referee’s hands flew toward the enormous fingers crushing his neck.

Aren’s eyes widened.

Around the cage, the entire arena stared in horror as the Black Wolf held the struggling referee suspended in the air, the match not even officially underway.