2026-01-03 00:22:25
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Chapter 60
Slowly, his head turned. His gaze drifted away from Jabber in the ring, traveling across the intervening space, moving upward to the third row of benches where…Asta was standing at the edge of the seating area, gripping the railing in front of him, his whole body leaning forward as he stared down at the ring with an expression of intense worry and confusion. His brown eyes were wide, his face were pale, his knuckles white where they clutched the wooden rail.And he wasn't reacting. Not with recognition, not with understanding, not with the kind of dawning horror that should accompany witnessing his friend's possession by an ancient dragon's flame. Just... worry. Normal worry, the kind any friend would feel watching another friend in distress.Kael studied Asta's face for a long moment, his old eyes sharp despite their cloudiness, reading every microexpression, every subtle shift in body language, every indicator that might tell him what was going on inside that boy's head.Nothing. N
Chapter 59
High in the official seating area, Roderick,the higher official sitting beside Old Man Kael,was leaning forward in his seat, his knuckles white where they gripped the armrest. His voice came out strained with barely controlled panic, each word pitched with rising curiosity that was really just fear wearing a different mask."What is happening?" He demanded, his eyes fixed on the ring where Jabber stood with those burning purple eyes and that too-wide smile. "Why are Jabber's eyes flaming up with purple fire? Is it... is it some kind of hidden flame technique from the Sun Arising Clan? Something they don't teach publicly? Some secret manifestation that only appears under extreme stress?"His voice was getting faster, higher, the questions tumbling out as his mind tried desperately to find a rational explanation for what he was seeing. "I've studied flame manifestations for twenty years,every clan, every technique, every variation. The Sun Arising Clan's flame is golden-orange, some
Chapter 58
But then the smoke began to clear.Not naturally,not dispersing gradually like smoke usually did. It was being pulled away, sucked back like something was drawing it in, revealing the ring beneath.And as the smoke cleared, shapes became visible.Two figures, standing close together.One was Brick, his massive frame still wreathed in flames, his right fist extended forward in the follow-through of his devastating punch.The other was Jabber, still standing in the same position as before, head down, smoke rising from his body.And Jabber's hand,his left hand,was wrapped around Brick's extended fist, holding it. Stopping it. The flaming punch that should have demolished him was caught in Jabber's grip, held completely still like it had hit an immovable object.The crowd's noise cut off like someone had physically severed it. Total, absolute silence as hundreds of people processed what they were seeing, their minds refusing to accept it because it was impossible, it couldn't be real, it
Chapter 57
A pause, and then: "Are you sure about that?"The tone was thick with curiosity,genuine curiosity, like he was asking a legitimate question rather than making a statement. Like he honestly wanted to know if Brick really believed he'd won.High in the official seating area, Old Man Kael had been sitting relatively relaxed until now. But at Jabber's words, at that changed tone, he suddenly leaned forward in his seat. His cloudy, nearly blind eyes had gone wide,wider than Asta had ever seen them and he was staring down at the ring with an intensity that suggested he was seeing something that terrified him.His gaze was fixed on the smoke rising from Jabber's body. That thick, dark, wrong smoke that was getting denser, more pronounced, spreading around Jabber like a living thing."That smoke." Kael muttered to himself, his weathered hands gripping his walking stick so hard his knuckles had gone white. "I know that smoke. I've seen it before. But where? When?"His mind was racing, flip
Chapter 56
In the ring, the referee was turning away from Jabber's prone form, walking toward where Brick stood. The big man had moved to the center of the ring, no longer wrapped in flames, just standing there with his hands on his knees, breathing hard. The fight had clearly taken a lot out of him despite his victory.The referee stopped beside Brick and raised one arm, preparing to make the official announcement. His voice rang out across the training yard:"The winner is…""Winner?"The single word cut through the air like a knife, stopping the referee mid-sentence. It was Jabber's voice,Jabber's voice, coming from Jabber's supposedly unconscious body.But the tone was wrong. It wasn't weak or painful or trembling. It was normal. Conversational. Almost curious."But I haven't quit." The voice continued, still in that same unsettlingly normal tone. Blood was running freely from Jabber's nose, dripping onto the dirt beneath him, but his voice didn't reflect any pain or distress. "Or been de
Chapter 55
"Yes."The figure said softly, almost gently. "And then you were sent to the labor section. And your father wrote you that letter. Three sentences. 'We are disappointed. We expected better. Don't write again until you have something worth reporting.' The letter that made you realize your family had given up on you. That made you stop hoping someone would save you."The figure stood, looking down at Jabber's crying, broken form. "And now here you are. Age twenty. Still can't control your flame. Still getting beaten up. Still failing. Still disappointing everyone who ever believed in you. Still weak.""I just..." Jabber's voice cracked completely, sobs wracking his body. "I just want to be a son my family and clan can be proud of. I don't want to be a disappointment anymore. I don't want to be the one everyone whispers about, the failure with the prestigious flame who can't use it. I just want... I just want to be enough."The dark space fell silent except for Jabber's crying. He kn
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