The stadium echoed with gasps and terrified murmurs as the spectators watched in horror. Avoi stood frozen for a moment, staring at the monstrous figure that Moron had become. The once mighty martial artist was now unrecognizable—a towering demon cloaked in darkness, with jagged black scales covering his body and glowing crimson eyes that gleamed with malice. His body pulsed with dark energy, and thick smoke surrounded him like a living shadow.
Lila clutched her seat, paralyzed with fear, as the crowd began to scatter. The people, once roaring in support of their favorite fighters, now hid behind seats or scrambled toward the exits. The demon stood still for a moment, its grotesque chest rising and falling with each breath, then it suddenly let out an ear-piercing roar that shattered the windows of the stadium.
"AVOI!" Lila screamed, panic in her voice.
Avoi's heart raced in his chest, the sound of his name echoing in his ears. But before he could react, the demon charged toward him at a blinding speed.
Avoi barely dodged as the demon leaped toward him, rolling across the cracked tiles of the ring. The demon's claws scraped the ground, throwing sparks into the air. Avoi quickly stood up, breathing hard, his muscles aching from the earlier matches.
With no time to think, the demon rushed at him again, snarling. Avoi saw it coming and sprinted toward him, diving under the demon's legs at the last second. The demon skidded to a stop, confused for a moment. Avoi spun around, summoning all the strength he could, and began delivering rapid punches to the demon's side. Each fist landed like thunder—but it felt as if he were hitting solid steel.
"Why won't you fall?!" Avoi growled, frustration seeping into his voice.
The demon turned, unaffected, its lips curling into a sinister grin. Avoi clenched his fists and took a deep breath. This time, I'll hit him with everything I have, he thought. He leaped into the air, drawing back his fist and focusing all his strength into one blow.
"HYAAAAAA!" Avoi roared, slamming his fist into the demon's jaw.
The impact cracked the ground beneath them, sending dust and debris flying. The crowd gasped as the floor tiles shattered in all directions. For a brief moment, silence fell over the arena, and Avoi stared into the demon's eyes, hoping to see a hint of pain.
But instead, the demon... laughed.
Avoi's heart sank as the monster grinned wider, unfazed by the devastating punch. Before Avoi could react, the demon shot its arm forward, landing a brutal punch square in his chest.
"AGH!" Avoi gasped as he was launched into the air, his body crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.
The world spun around him as the demon pounced, fists raining down on Avoi in quick succession. Each blow felt like a hammer driving nails into his bones. Blood trickled from his lips, staining the cracked tiles beneath him.
A group of guards and police stormed into the stadium, armed with guns. Among the panicked crowd, Moron's mother screamed and begged the officers. "No! Don't hurt my son, please! He's still my boy—don't kill him!"
The police hesitated for a moment but then raised their guns. They had no choice. "We have to stop this thing!" one officer shouted.
The crack of gunfire echoed through the stadium as they fired a volley of bullets toward the demon.
Avoi watched helplessly, his vision blurry. But something horrifying happened. The bullets disintegrated the moment they touched the demon's skin, dissolving into sparks and smoke as if they had never existed.
"What the—!" one officer gasped, eyes wide with fear.
The demon's eyes glowed red with fury, and it opened its mouth, releasing a beam of searing energy from its eyes. The beam struck several officers, sending them flying backward. Some hit the ground motionless. Screams erupted from the crowd, and people began fleeing in a mad panic.
Lila, frozen in fear, stared at the carnage unfolding before her. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest. Avoi was lying helpless, bloodied and beaten. She knew he couldn't last much longer. I have to do something! she thought, clenching her fists.
Ignoring the shouts of guards and the terrified screams around her, Lila dashed toward the ring.
"STOP! Don't go there, silly girl!" a guard shouted, trying to grab her, but she slipped past him.
"LILA, NO!" someone screamed from the crowd.
She reached the ring and charged straight at the demon, fists raised. "Let him go!" she cried as she swung her fist at the monster.
The punch connected—but it had no effect. The demon slowly turned its head toward her, its glowing red eyes locking onto hers. A cruel smile spread across its monstrous face.
Avoi coughed, barely conscious, as he watched in horror. "L-Lila... get away..." he muttered weakly, but his voice was too faint.
The demon released Avoi, letting his limp body fall to the ground with a heavy thud, and stalked toward Lila.
"Stay away!" she shouted, but fear quivered in her voice as she took a step back.
Before she could react, the demon lunged at her with terrifying speed, seizing her by the neck and lifting her off the ground. Lila gasped, kicking her legs helplessly as the monster's grip tightened around her throat.
"No... let... go..." she wheezed, struggling for breath.
Avoi's eyes fluttered open, blurry from pain, just in time to see Lila being thrown into the seats with brutal force. She crashed hard, and her body lay still among the shattered chairs.
"NO!" Avoi roared, forcing himself to stand despite the searing pain in his body. Blood dripped down his face, and his muscles screamed in agony, but he didn't care. He staggered forward, eyes locked on the demon.
The demon turned its gaze back to Avoi, grinning. It seemed confident that Avoi had nothing left. But something was stirring deep within the young martial artist. A flicker of energy sparked inside him, and the air around him began to hum with power.
A soft white aura shimmered into existence around Avoi's battered body, growing brighter with every passing second. The ground beneath him trembled, and the broken tiles shifted and cracked. The stadium shook as the aura expanded.
The demon took a step back, momentarily startled by the sudden surge of energy.
"That's... not possible," it hissed, its voice a low growl.
Avoi clenched his fists, feeling the power flow through him like a river unleashed. His pain faded, replaced by a fierce determination. I won't let this monster hurt anyone else. Not again.
He stepped forward, his white aura now shining like a beacon. "You've hurt my friends... You've hurt everyone." His voice was calm but carried a weight that made even the demon pause.
"You want a fight?" Avoi growled, his eyes blazing with newfound power. "Then come at me."
The demon roared in fury, charging at Avoi once more. But this time, Avoi didn't run. He stood his ground, ready for the real battle.
And this time, he wasn't going to lose.