Sometime later...
"So, do you guys have any questions before you both sign these contracts?" Gen said after reciting everything of importance to the fighters of today's match.
"Nope," replied Pharaoh nonchalantly as he knew in the end, he would be taking the win home. Plus, while the match was relevant, it still was not as important or as crucial as Artemis securing that cyberchip.
[... 60%... 62%... 64%... 66%... 68%... 70%...]
'Hey, Artemis, how much longer do you think it's going to take you to retrieve that cyperchip?' asked Pharaoh as their time here was coming to an end.
[Two minutes, sir.]
'Hmm, is it possible to take that time down to 30 seconds?' asked Pharaoh as time was of the essence, as they only had a few hours before his and Zinc's match started.
[Yes, but I would soon have to enter a brief period of inactivity for 10 minutes.]
'I see... well, considering, I don't know when we will come across another opportunity like this, Artemis. I would advise you to do anything in your power to secure that cyberchip.'
[... sigh, will do, sir.]
'Thanks for your understanding, soldier, and I'll see you once you wake up.'
[!@#$%^&*()]
[!@#$%^&*()]
[!@#$%^&*()]
[!@#$%^&*() retrieved and secured.]
[Initiating Assimilation!]
[0%... 1%... 2%... 3%... 4%... 5%...]
"Hmm, well, since you both don't have any questions, I guess we can go forward with these contracts being signed," Gen said as he handed the contracts to Rin and Zinc, which were attached to the match details.
"Actually, I have a quick question, cousin," Zinc said as he raised his hand.
"Sigh, what is it, Zinc?"
"Nothing major, cousin, but let's say following the defeat of our opponent, we were to humiliate them, would that be plausible?"
"Yes, however, in what way?" Gen asked curiously, as there were limits to how far someone could embarrass their opponent, lest they receive a heart demon or worse suffer a relapse in cultivation.
"Let's say maybe my opponent will be begging for me to stop, haha." Zinc smiled while side-eyeing Rin with lust as he licked his lips in anticipation before biting them playfully.
'Just how weird and disgusting can a person be? Truly, this can't be my cousin?' Gen thought as he closed his eyes and deleted every inappropriate thought that flashed through his mind in the last couple of moments.
"Bro, just how down bad are you to think of doing something like this?" Pharaoh had to ask, as this was beyond disgusting and downright grotesque.
"Hey, I was just asking a question... It's not as if I was really planning to do something like that! A... A-And who's to say, I was even planning on doing what you guys were thinking about." Zinc replied with a stutter as he tried to mask the guilt and shame written all over his face.
'Yup, he was definitely planning to do something outrageous.' Rin and Gen thought simultaneously as they shook their heads in disbelief.
"Zinc, just don't take it too far, nor do whatever you were thinking in that pea-sized brain of yours. But anyway, sign these contracts and head over to the cafeteria to get something to eat before returning to your cells to prepare for your fight at 12 pm."
"Sigh... I won't do anything crazy, cousin, you have my word," Zinc muttered with frustration.
"Thank you," Gen said with relief as he handed Rin and Zinc each a copy of the contract his assistant created.
'Hmm, so I can't kill him... but I can cripple him and cause him to live with PTSD for the rest of his life,' thought Pharaoh after reading the contract and signing it as he muttered, "Boring."
"Huh? Did you say something, brat?" Zinc asked as he glanced at Pharaoh.
"Nope. But even if I did, it wasn't for you to hear," Pharaoh replied as he handed the signed contract to Gen and left the lounge to get some breakfast.
"Hey! Get back here, you brat, and repeat what you said!" Zinc shouted as he quickly signed the contract and threw it at his cousin before running after Pharaoh.
'Sigh, just when will this kid learn? Maybe death isn't so bad an outcome after all for Zinc... but then again, I guess that won't be something he'll be suffering from today.'
Gen thought as he could imagine the amount of headaches his cousin's death could save him from, and with that, the whole fight that was about to take place.
Between a knuckhead and an annoyed kid, who had more ammunition than he knew what to do with.
***
Sometime later...
"What do you want?" Pharaoh asked with annoyance as he side-eyed the exhausted Zinc, who was panting like a tired dog in need of water.
After, he wouldn't stop shouting his name all the way from the lounge to the cafeteria.
"... you know what I want. Stop playing dumb, Rin," Zinc said after catching his breath and stealing a glass of orange juice from someone's tray and downing it in one gulp.
"You truly are persistent," muttered Pharaoh after selecting everything that looked edible and decent in his opinion from the serving line and placing them onto his tray.
Which now resembled a rainbow of colors from its only blanket gray canvas.
"Welp, while I would love to tell you, Zinc... sadly, I'm not in the mood to converse at the moment since I don't want my food to get cold. But considering you were so persistent and tenacious, I'll inform you of what I said when we enter the ring and fight."
"Tsk, I guess that could work. But anywho, enjoy your meal, for it may just be your last, brat," smirked Zinc as he scrutinized Rin before walking away and getting something to eat as well.
'Thank God! He's finally gone; now let's enjoy our kid's meal before checking up on Artemis and seeing how he's doing.'
Pharaoh thought as he found somewhere to sit and eat as time ticked away, and it eventually came time for their fight.
And with that, let's see if Zinc can pull an uno reverse, or if Rin will win after all...