The crowd still hadn’t calmed down. Jaden walked across the bloodstained arena floor like none of it mattered, like folding a ten-palm monk into the wall was just another Tuesday.He was heading back toward the prep tunnel when he heard rapid footsteps.“Boss!”Hope.She dashed across the arena, ignoring the guards trying to wave her back.Her cheeks were flushed, her ponytail bouncing behind her.“That was insane,” she said, stopping in front of him, breathless. “You completely dismantled him. He looked like a master until you turned him into practice material.”Jaden raised an eyebrow. “Hope. Don’t hype me up for that.”“What? You—”“That wasn’t a fight,” he said flatly. “That was warm-up cardio. These guys keep throwing wolves in a pit, but all I see are dogs with bad tempers.”Hope blinked. Her grin faded a little. “Right. Yeah… I guess you’re just on another level.”“Not guessing. I am.”Before she could reply, another voice cut through the noise.“Jaden!”Fate Scarface came runn

The crowd hadn’t settled from Lucian’s non-fight when the announcer’s voice came blasting again, slicing through the tension like a whip.“Round Two! Representing the Winston Family… Jaden Rift!”The stadium roared.And then—“His opponent… from the Titanblood Clan… representing the Aldrith family… Brutus Krowe!”A towering hulk of a man stepped forward. Shirtless, body shimmering with oil and muscle. His chest flexed, arms thick as steel pipes. Veins bulged like ropes. Every step made the ground thud.But no one cheered.Not a single damn soul.Instead, the crowd booed.“Steroids can’t help you here!”“That’s the guy who flinched when Jaden snapped his fingers last round!”“Just a protein shake with legs!”Brutus tried to keep a straight face, but his eyes wouldn’t stay still. They kept flicking over to Jaden. He was sweating and the fight hadn’t even started.Jaden stepped into the arena like he was going for a stroll. Calm. Unbothered. That lazy half-smile on his face. The crowd le

Inside the elite prep chamber lined with reinforced screens and war-grade tech, Lucian Thornfell leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, watching the broadcast in silence.Jaden’s fight was still echoing across the ship — the image of Rafe’s unconscious body and that terrifying one-hit finish frozen on screen. The cheers hadn’t died yet, but Lucian was already calculating.His lips curled.“So… you’re one down.” His voice was cool, precise. “Interesting. I guess it’s bound to be me and you in the final, Jaden.”No one else in the room said a word. No one dared.Lucian Thornfell didn’t talk often. But when he did, you listened.---“Next battle! Lucian Thornfell versus Kael Stormhart!”The lights dimmed again.Lucian stood and walked out slowly. Unrushed. Controlled. Like the outcome had already been written, and he was just showing up to sign the paperwork.Across the arena, Kael Stormhart was already waiting. Robes swirling. Sword sheathed on his back. His energy buzzed in the air — t

The announcer’s voice cut through the silence, the electric tension thick in the air. “And now... the final round of the Bloodborne Trial! The two most feared fighters in Ravenmoor—Lucian of the Thornfell family, and Jaden Rift. Who will rise? Who will fall?”A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd, but the atmosphere was different this time. The anticipation was heavy. It wasn’t just any fight. This was the battle for supremacy, the collision of two titans. Jaden and Lucian locked eyes, each man standing still, sizing the other up, both with a quiet yet overwhelming confidence. They knew the stakes.The crowd shifted uneasily, murmurs spreading like wildfire. Why weren't they moving? Someone from the stands yelled, "They’re just waiting, they’re both too proud to make the first move!"A nearby voice joined in. “They're trying to read each other, figure out the other’s weaknesses. The first one to make a mistake is done for."It felt like time itself was holding its breath, the tensi

Meanwhile back at the arena.The crowd leaned forward in frozen silence as Lucian charged. His attacks were relentless, a blur of speed and power few could even track, let alone match. Jaden blocked and parried, but it was clear—Lucian wasn’t playing anymore.He was out for blood.And Jaden? He was still standing.Lucian’s footwork was a dancer’s. His fists, sledgehammers. He threw a spinning kick, a knee, a jab combo that ended in a brutal elbow—only for Jaden to duck, pivot, and counter. But this time, Lucian didn’t pull back.He snapped.“ENOUGH!” Jaden bellowed.A sudden burst of energy surged from his core. In a blink, he twisted his body, cocked his fist back, and drove it straight into Lucian’s chest.The impact was thunder.Lucian’s body flew across the arena like a missile. He hit the ground hard, bouncing once, twice, then skidding on his back as a trail of blood followed.The crowd gasped.Then silence.Whispers broke the quiet like cracks in glass.“…Did he just…?”“Lucian