After giving Arthur a harsh warning before the match, Jess returned to his chair in the corner. No drunkard or customer dared to come within a meter of him.
Arthur swallowed, looking resentfully at the smirking Night Hawk, who was practically shouting with amusement. "Don't worry, if you're about to die, I'll step in." Night Hawk quickly patted his chest, trying to reassure the young Arthur, whose expression remained unreadable.
"Why don't you fight yourself?" Arthur rolled his eyes at the giant wolf and walked toward the resting room to change out of the overalls he'd worn from the White House. It wasn't until Arthur closed the door to the resting room that Night Hawk finally stopped laughing, muttering to himself, "Because if I step in, he'll die." He glanced over at Jess, and they exchanged knowing smiles.
This match was very different from the usual ones. There was no band or music to liven up the atmosphere. The crowd, though numerous, was eerily silent, watching with cold stares as if witnessing an execution. Combined with the flickering oil lamps, the atmosphere was distinctly unsettling.
Arthur stepped onto the sandy ring, wearing black tight-fitting sportswear that he and Katerina had bought from the West District market the day before. His excuse was that he needed to build his body to prepare for joining the logistics team. Looking across, he saw Jess, who had removed his white coat and was wearing a pure white long-sleeve shirt. He held three scalpels in each hand, preparing with some light warm-up exercises. Noticing Jess's cheerful smile aimed at him, Arthur waved his fist at Night Hawk, who was standing off to the side, clearly enjoying the situation.
After loosening up and settling into his stance, Arthur tried to ignore the overwhelming sense of dread brought on by Jess's reputation. "The Murderer" nickname, the sheepish but deceptive face, the tattered gloves from frequent use of scalpels as weapons... Arthur repeated these details in his mind until they faded. Slowly, his focus shifted entirely to the ring.
This time, Night Hawk didn't make an opening speech or appoint a referee. The entire underground chamber felt as though only Jess and Arthur existed.
"Shall we begin?" Jess was the first to speak. After finishing his warm-up, he lightly bounced on the spot, gesturing for Arthur to start, asking politely.
Arthur didn't respond but bent slightly at the waist, lowering his center of gravity and charging at Jess's lower body. This was a move he had seen in a previous fight: a short fighter attacking the legs of a taller opponent. It seemed perfect for this moment.
However, Arthur had missed one crucial detail—Jess was holding scalpels, not boxing gloves. As Arthur bent toward him, Jess quickly sheathed two of his scalpels up his sleeves, using only his right hand to thrust one down toward Arthur's back.
In a split second, Arthur dropped to the ground, barely dodging the strike. He quickly adjusted and lunged forward, aiming the back of his head at Jess's most vulnerable spot.
"Dirty tactics..." Jess thought, his expression souring. He leaped backward and, using the rebound from the ropes, closed in on Arthur. With his left hand, he drew out three scalpels, throwing one at Arthur's pants, pinning him to the sand, before launching two others at Arthur's eyes.
No mercy, even for a kid. Night Hawk, normally playful, now stood with arms crossed, watching Jess carefully, mindful of his past habit of letting his murderous instincts take over. The situation was becoming more intense.
Suddenly, the quiet room erupted in gasps. Night Hawk snapped back to attention and saw that Arthur had done something unexpected for someone his age.
Arthur had planned to remove his pants, but Jess's aggressive assault forced him to abandon that idea. The gleaming scalpels made him wary, and for a moment, he considered retreating. Jess, pleased, thought that Arthur had finally shown his fear. He changed his tactic, attempting a wrist strike with the scalpel.
But Arthur snapped back into focus. The moment Jess's strike came in, Arthur grabbed the blade with his left hand, the scalpel piercing his palm. With a grimace, he pressed on, launching a punch with his right hand toward Jess's side.
Jess, distracted by Arthur's audacity and the pain in his hand, failed to react in time. Arthur's fist landed hard on Jess's left cheek, forcing him to drop the scalpel, which rolled across the sand. Without hesitation, Arthur pulled the weapon free and charged at Jess's side, ignoring the pain in his hand. He took advantage of Jess's momentary disorientation and attacked with renewed determination.
"Guess I got cocky," Jess thought, realizing his mistake as his glasses slipped off during his roll. With his vision obscured, he now had to rely on his hearing. As Arthur closed in, Jess threw a punch, relying on sound to locate his target. The punch hit, knocking Arthur to the ground. Jess didn't follow up, instead retreating and leaning on the ropes, laughing maniacally.
"You're just a kid, but at least you have the will to fight," Jess said, his crazed grin widening. "Let me give you a bit of advice."
"First, use your strengths to exploit your opponent's weaknesses." He smiled, stepping closer to the groaning Arthur, his expensive shoes pressing down hard on Arthur's wounded left hand. Arthur screamed in pain but used the moment to roll away and catch his breath, gripping the ropes.
"Second..." Jess's laugh grew more unhinged as he approached Arthur, but just as he did, Arthur clamped his legs around Jess's ankle, using his weight to twist and bring Jess down. With a scream of pain, Arthur climbed on top of Jess, despite his bleeding hand, using the pain to fuel his rage.
"I told you," Arthur growled, his right fist raised. "If you're going to teach me something, teach me properly!"
Jess, momentarily knocked unconscious, lay there as Arthur's fist struck his nose, ending the brutal match.