Chapter 62: Beyond The Point of Victory

Kladirex winced as his body twisted from the impact. He barely had time to regain his footing before Arthur stepped in again.

Kladirex raised his mechanical arm to defend himself, but Arthur caught the wrist with one hand. His grip tightened.

A panicked look momentarily appeared on Kladirex’s face.

...This doesn’t make any sense. How is he this strong?!

With a sharp twist, he redirected Kladirex’s arm away from his body. Arthur’s other fist came crashing into his ribs again.

BANG!

CRACK!

More of Kladirex’s ribs got broken.

Kladirex staggered sideways, coughing as mind-numbing pain shot through his body. He tried to retaliate with his remaining arm, but Arthur was already inside his guard. Arthur caught the punch, drove his elbow into Kladirex’s chest, then seized the mechanical arm with his free hand.

He tightened his grip.

"Wait..."

Kladirex’s eyes widened.

Arthur twisted.

CRACK!

The mechanical arm bent at an unnatural angle.

A metallic snap echoed through the arena.

Kladirex stared at his damaged limb in utter disbelief.

"Y-you... You are a monster... You freak. Destroying an implant with your bare hands is not something a human can do!"

Arthur released him.

"One."

Kladirex stumbled backward, clutching the ruined arm.

"You..."

Arthur advanced.

Kladirex’s expression hardened. Despite the pain, he activated the remaining systems in his other arm. The mechanical components whined as power surged through them.

"You think breaking one arm means you’ve won?"

He swung.

Arthur ducked beneath the punch.

Kladirex immediately followed with a kick.

Arthur stepped aside.

The kick missed.

Kladirex spun and attempted to bring his elbow down onto Arthur’s head.

Arthur caught his elbow.

For a moment, the two stood there.

Kladirex’s breathing was heavy.

Arthur’s was steady.

Then Arthur twisted.

CRACK!

The second mechanical arm gave way.

Kladirex’s eyes widened.

Arthur shoved him backward.

The boy stumbled several steps before dropping to one knee.

The crowd had gone completely silent.

Nobody was cheering anymore.

Nobody was laughing.

They were simply watching in shock and confusion.

The system suddenly appeared above the arena.

〘Victory Condition Met.〙

〘Opponent Incapacitated.〙

〘Winner: Arthur Von Ashbourne.〙

Arthur stared at the notification.

The fight was over.

He knew it.

Everyone knew it.

Kladirex was barely standing.

Arthur should have walked away.

Instead, he clenched his fist.

Kladirex looked up at him.

"Arthur..."

Arthur stepped forward.

BAM!

His fist slammed into Kladirex’s face.

Kladirex crashed onto his back.

A murmur spread through the crowd.

"He’s already won..."

"Why is he still attacking?"

Arthur grabbed Kladirex by the collar of his uniform and hauled him upright.

"I want to hear it from your lips... Yield."

Kladirex’s eyes were unfocused.

Blood stained his lips.

He coughed... But he managed a smug smile.

"In your dreams, 81. Over my dead body..."

He then spat on Arthur’s face.

Arthur punched him again.

BANG!

Kladirex’s head snapped sideways.

"Yield."

Kladirex’s body slumped.

Arthur let him fall.

For several seconds, he simply stood there.

Then Kladirex moved.

Barely.

One trembling, bent hand pressed against the floor.

He tried to push himself up.

Arthur’s expression darkened.

"You still don’t understand?"

He walked toward him.

Kladirex raised his head.

Arthur grabbed him by the collar.

"I told you to yield."

His fist came down.

BOOM!

Kladirex’s body slammed against the floor, Arthur then sat on his torso.

Arthur hit him again.

And again.

And again.

BAM!

BANG!

BOOM!

Kladirex’s head snapped from side to side with every blow. The sound of each strike echoed through the arena.

Kladirex stopped trying to defend himself.

His mechanical arms were already useless.

His body could barely move.

Yet Arthur kept going.

Blood sprayed from his nose and mouth, splattering across the floor beneath him.

One of his teeth flew loose.

It bounced once against the arena floor before disappearing beneath the edge of the ring.

The crowd stared in horror.

Kladirex’s face was beginning to swell.

Blood covered his lips.

His eyes were barely open.

All while Arthur’s fists rose and fell with frightening consistency.

There was no technique anymore.

No calculated counterattack.

Just anger.

Years of frustration that had nothing to do with Kladirex were being poured into every strike.

Every failure.

Every setback.

Every time Arthur... No, Seo-jun had struggled to move forward.

All of it came crashing down on one person who had simply said the wrong words at the wrong time.

"Everything..."

BAM!

"...was..."

BANG!

"...handed..."

BOOM!

"...to me?"

Kladirex coughed violently.

Blood spilled across the floor.

Arthur raised his fist again. The cadets around them could no longer watch this.

"Arthur!"

"Stop!"

"He’s already down!"

Arthur didn’t even look at them.

His fist came down again.

BANG!

The cadets finally started shouting louder.

"CADET 81, STOP!"

"He’s incapacitated!"

"You’re going to kill him!"

Arthur’s fist stopped.

For the first time, he looked toward the crowd.

His expression was completely cold.

"What?"

The cadets fell silent.

Arthur slowly stood.

Blood dripped from his knuckles.

He looked across the crowd.

"You want me to stop?"

Nobody answered.

Arthur took one step toward them.

"Then come here."

Silence.

His eyes narrowed.

"Any of you."

Nobody moved.

Arthur spread his arms slightly.

"Come down here and take his place. Come and pay for the things he just said."

The cadets exchanged nervous glances.

Not one of them answered.

Arthur waited.

One second.

Two.

Three.

His expression became colder.

"That’s what I thought."

Nobody dared speak.

Arthur looked back down at Kladirex.

Then he glanced at the cadets one last time.

"Shut the fuck up and watch."

A mechanical voice suddenly echoed through the arena.

"CADET 81!"

Arthur turned around.

An instructor had stepped into the ring. It was a man with black hair and yellow eyes.

The man’s expression was stern.

"That’s enough."

Arthur remained motionless.

"Step away from him."

For several seconds, Arthur turned and stared down at Kladirex.

Arthur looked at his fist.

He slowly opened and closed them.

Then, with a casual flick of his hand, he sent the blood splattering onto the floor.

The droplets scattered across the metallic surface.

Nobody said a word.

Arthur turned and began walking toward the exit.

He made it several steps.

Then stopped.

Arthur glanced over his shoulder.

Kladirex was barely conscious, his eyes only half-open.

Arthur looked at him for a long moment.

"Maybe I haven’t suffered as much as you have."

Kladirex’s eyes moved slightly.

Arthur’s voice was quiet.

"I don’t know what you’ve been through. I don’t know how hard your life was."

He paused.

"But don’t you ever... dare say that everything I have was simply handed to me."

His eyes hardened.

"You have no idea what I’ve been through."

Silence.

Arthur turned away.

"We’re done here."

Then he walked out of the arena.