A sunny day. Another day for the final battle between the devil and the reigning champion.
"Yet again, the devil has called us here. With us today is Lucius, one of the world leaders, and I'm sure you recognize me. The rules of this match are simple: there are no rules. It's a fight to the death; you can't leave the stage, and you can't give up. Once you step onto the stage, you can only leave when your opponent dies. If you understand the rules, please step onto the stage, and let the game begin." As soon as the announcer finished, a loud roar filled the stage.
"You don't have to do this if you don't want to. Remember, once you're there, it's a fight to the death. You have to kill him to win. Now I understand why Albert hasn't challenged him all these years," John said, trying to hide his concern.
"I'll go. I'll only kill him if he attacks me with the same intention and proves that he's strong," Tahir replied.
"All right, then. It's settled," John said while moving to join the audience.
"Alright! The devil has stepped onto the stage, a clear declaration of battle!" the announcer said as another roar filled the square-like stadium.
A bulky boy, taller and bigger than Tahir, stepped onto the stage as the battle began.
"I'm Vin, and it's an honor to meet the one who defeated Arcane. But I'm not Arcane, and it's so sad that this will be the last time the world ever sees your face. Don't worry, after I kill you, I'll unmask you," Vin said with a smirk.
"Weak. You are weak. Arcane would have won if he had challenged me earlier," Tahir said, maintaining eye contact.
Vin's face began to twitch with anger. "Weak? You dare call me weak? I'll make you pay!" Vin screamed as he launched into action.
His punch slammed into Tahir, who didn't attempt to move. The punch pushed him back a little.
"More," was all Tahir said.
"Don't mock me!" Vin screamed as he rained punches on Tahir, who stood still.
"Why isn't he attacking?" The whole audience murmured.
"I see. This is how he chooses to die? I had high hopes for you, boy," Lucius said, leaning back in his seat.
Panting, Vin jumped away from the bloody Tahir.
"Give me more! Prove you're strong! Give me a reason to win!" Tahir screamed, word by word, maintaining his stance.
"Enough! Enough!" Vin screamed as he gathered his power into a punch and slammed it into Tahir's face, cracking his mask.
Tahir fell to the ground as Vin pounced on him, landing punch after punch on his face, and the entire stage fell silent.
"Kid, what's wrong with you? Fight back!" Shaw screamed in Tahir's head as he could see they were about to lose.
- 2 HP
- 2 HP
- 3 HP
- 8 HP
"Yes! That's it. Increase your power. I want to defeat you at your mightiest," The devil shouted.
The system was healing Tahir, restoring the HP he lost. But as more HP was restored, a system message appeared:
[Host will be hungry soon].
This was the message Tahir had been waiting for. He had hoped the system would reward him if Vin's bloodlust peaked, but unfortunately, to the system, Vin was just a weak boy.
"Playtime is over," Tahir said as the entire atmosphere shifted.
It was clear now that he was ready to fight, his aura seeping out.
Sensing something wrong, Vin jumped back. Moving at top speed, Tahir covered Vin's face with his palm and slammed it into the ground. Dragging Vin's face across the floor, Tahir tossed his body as it crashed into the ground.
Vin stood up, laughing loudly. "Tell me, devil, how do you intend to win when you can't even hurt me?"
That's where his confidence came from he was using equipment to create a force field around himself. His original power was healing. Tahir got this information using the system skill, God's Eye.
"If Arcane had fought you in awakened mode, he would've won. The equipment you depend on is as weak as you. But don't worry, I'll end it now," Tahir said, increasing his speed.
He used the same pattern he had used on the humanoid beast. Running circles around Vin, Tahir's punches grew stronger with each increase in speed. Vin was confused as the blows rained down on him. At first, the hits didn't matter, but as the fight continued, the force field started to flicker. Some of Tahir's punches were beginning to penetrate. Vin tried to move but realized he was trapped.
One of Tahir's punches slammed into Vin's face, sending him crashing into the ground. Tahir pounced on him, and all his punches connected. After ten blows, Vin stopped moving. The devil rose to his feet, the stage lights flashing on his bloody hands.
Rushing onto the stage, two doctors declared Vin dead.
"Once again, we have a new deathmatch winner, and his name is the devil!" the announcer declared as cheers filled the arena.
Tahir stared at his hands and then at the corpse, sweating. The scent of blood was almost overwhelming, pushing him to the edge of losing control. He could feel his fangs threatening to emerge. Turning away, he jumped off the stage, ready to meet John and his friends when the press stopped him.
"Hi, devil, it's me…" Before she could finish her introduction, Tahir cut her off.
"Sophie, right? Don't worry, I don't forget faces."
"Good. I'd like to ask a few questions, starting with this: between Arcane and Vin, who was your strongest opponent?" Sophie asked, passing the mic.
"The strongest was Arcane. He would've won if he'd ever challenged Vin," Tahir answered.
"Second and last question, are you the same devil who challenged the VR champion? If so, what were you thinking?" Sophie inquired.
"What can I say? I just love fighting," the devil replied before pushing his way out of the crowd.
"All right, you all heard the devil. He just loves fighting! It's me, your favorite reporter, Sophie," she said, facing the camera.