Anna and Cammy’s match had the entire arena roaring. Mouths hung open, voices strained from screaming, and hearts raced even after it ended. The crowd was left so breathless, the matches that followed felt like filler episodes—nothing could match the sheer adrenaline Anna and Cammy delivered.
But then... the mont I’d been waiting for finally arrived.
The tension was thick. The air vibrated with excitent. Fans leaned over railings, eyes glued to the arena as the next match was announced:
"COMING UP NEXT! FRIEND AGAINST FRIEND—ADRIAN VS DERRICK!!"
The crowd erupted.
The two strolled onto the battlefield like cocky celebrities on a red carpet, hands in their pockets, smirks carved into their faces. They t at the center, a few feet apart, oozing confidence.
Derrick casually fluffed his hair and brushed his blazer with flair, earning a few whistles from the crowd.
Then he spoke, voice booming through the arena:
"Alright... since you’re weak and my friend, I’ll make it fair. I won’t move a step! I’ll fight right here!"
Laughter echoed from the stands. He was clearly putting on a show, aiming to mock and dominate.
Adrian, cool as ice, adjusted his glasses.
"Such a fool. Haven’t you heard the saying? Never underestimate your opponent."
The audience buzzed at the coback.
Derrick scoffed.
"Bruh... everyone knows your skill is garbage. I can use wind magic— and a few other tricks! You can’t hope to match against !"
I watched from the sidelines, lips twitching. Adrian, despite his reputation as a weakling, had a grin that spelled danger. There was sothing he wasn’t telling us. Sothing planned.
"LADIES AND GENTLEN!!!"
The comntator’s voice bood with excitent.
"LET! THE! MATCH! BEGIN!!!"
Cheers exploded.
Derrick, still smug, raised one hand, keeping the other in his pocket as he began to chant. Wind swirled around him dramatically. The crowd went wild, chanting his na.
anwhile, Adrian muttered under his breath, quiet, quick... and then—BAM!
A massive cloud of dark smoke erupted, swallowing the entire arena floor in inky blackness. The crowd gasped.
"AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"
A scream split the air. A scream from within Adrian’s smoke which made it difficult to see what was really going on inside.
Gasps burst from the stands. People stood, straining to see.
A swirl of wind magic appeared, trying to push the smoke away, but it was too dense.
"W-WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THERE?! WHO SCREAD IN PAIN?! WAS IT DERRICK? WAS IT ADRIAN?! WHO’S TAKING DAMAGE?!"
The comntator was practically falling out of the booth in suspense.
People argued in the stands—so swore it was Adrian, others defended Derrick.
Finally, after a long, tense minute, the smoke began to fade... and as it settled, we saw it:
Purple hair. Glasses gleaming. Adrian standing tall, untouched.
Derrick? Flat on the floor, beaten senseless.
The crowd exploded.
Adrian adjusted his glasses with a smug smirk.
"Never underestimate yours truly."
With that, he walked off, hands still in his pockets, while the dics rushed to carry Derrick away. The cheers were deafening. And there, in the crowd, I spotted Allan—Adrian’s little brother—screaming his lungs out with pride, sitting beside his twin, their mother, and their two fathers.
Adrian casually ca to sit next to .
I gave him a look. "How did you—"
He raised a brow, gulping water from his bottle.
"We’re in a tournant, rember? That makes us enemies. Might be a little rude to ask your enemy for their battle tricks."
I scoffed, but didn’t press.
I suddenly felt the urge to fight him next. I needed to know what trick he pulled.
As other matches continued, I shifted my attention to my next target for my own personal match, eyes scanning the VIP section.
There she was—Liloth Alvado, sitting beside the one person I hated more than anyone: The Duke.
I didn’t know why I had grown to hate him so much. I just... did. And seeing Liloth beside him made my blood boil. She used to be a fierce enforcer of the law, a woman of fire and authority. Now? She was just his shadow. Disgusting.
Eventually, the day’s matches wrapped up. It was a single elimination tournant, so the losers were out. No second chances.
We were heading into the Round of 16, where things would really heat up. Officials began setting the new match table, and we were given a break.
People scattered—buying food, gossiping about the fights, placing bets.
I stood up with Kira, ignoring the glances l got from my waifus. Thankfully, Sharon must’ve known if they ca to , they’d cause trouble since they are so shaless and kept them at bay.
We walked over to check on Baji with Kira.
"Hey..." I greeted, raising a hand.
"Hey sis..." Kira added.
Baji bead. "Hey guys! You crushed it out there! Keep it up—we want that prize money!!"
I laughed. There was big money on the line for the top three, and yeah, that was definitely part of my motivation. Money ant power. And I was hungry for both.
"Sorry I haven’t dropped by the shop," I said. "Been crazy busy."
She waved it off. "I figured. You’re always busy. The shop had a slow start. People weren’t ready for unfamiliar fruits. But then... I made wine from them. Told custors the wine ca from the fruits I was selling. Boom—people started buying both!"
I nodded, impressed.
Then she pulled out a chilled bottle from her cooler.
"Saved this one just for you."
I uncorked it. The rich scent hit instantly—fruity, bold, addictive.
One sip and bam—it raced through my veins, relaxing with warmth and nostalgia. I rembered late nights from my past life—bars, friends, escape from a bitter marriage.
From the taste, she must’ve made this from grapes. Definitely grapes.
I passed the bottle to Kira. He took a swig and moaned in approval. Within minutes, the two of us had downed the whole thing and were slightly buzzed, craving more.
"Guess this ans the business is growing," I said with a grin.
Baji nodded. "Big ti. But I’m out of stock."
I clapped her shoulder. "Don’t worry. We’ll get more."
If we were going to beco the best rchants around, we’d need a na for our shop. And more than that... I had plans. Big plans.
Mass-producing sli dildos, and maybe more sex toys.
Fruits and wines from my realm.
And then.... dominate the rchant world!!!....
TBC
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