Wang stood at the center of the arena, completely still. His claws were still bleeding from where Jack's sword had cut him during their earlier clash.But then something strange started happening.
The wounds on his claws began to close up. Slowly at first, then faster. The torn flesh pulled itself back together like invisible threads were stitching it shut. Within seconds, the cuts were completely gone. His claws looked perfect again, like he'd never been hurt at all.
Jack's eyes narrowed as he watched this happen. He muttered to himself under his breath. "He can heal wounds?"
The crowd went completely silent. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen next.
Then Wang smiled.It wasn't a friendly smile. It was the kind of smile a wolf gives before it attacks.He took a stance, his body lowering into a crouch. His muscles tensed up like springs about to explode.
Jack knew immediately what was coming. He raised both of his swords and held them down low in front of him. His eyes were sharp and focused, watching Wang's every move.
Then the dust kicked up from Wang's position.He blurred out of sight, moving so fast he became almost invisible. All anyone could see was a streak of motion heading straight toward Jack.
The crowd gasped collectively, thousands of people sucking in air at the same time.
Jack reacted instantly.His blade moved through the air from below upwards in one smooth arc. The steel caught the light as it traveled.Then contact was made.
SLASH!
Jack's blade intercepted Wang's movement perfectly, slicing through flesh and muscle. The sword cut deep into Wang's chest, opening up a massive wound that ran from his left shoulder down to his right ribs.
Wang stumbled backward, his feet dragging across the ground. Blood sprayed out from the cut, painting the arena floor red.According to history according to every single tournament that Wang had ever participated inthis was the first time he had ever been injured.
Blood spread out from his chest like a crimson waterfall. Wang screamed, a sound that was part pain and part something else. Something wild. He began breathing hard, his chest heaving up and down.The wound was deep. Really deep.So deep that his heart was visible.
It was right there, exposed beneath the torn flesh, beating rapidly like a drum. Everyone could see it pulsing with each heartbeat thump, thump, thump.
The commentator grabbed his microphone and screamed at the top of his lungs. "HOOOOYAAAHHH! UNBELIEVABLE! FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, WANG HAS BEEN INJURED! JACK THE REAPER HAS DONE THE UNTHINKABLE!"
The crowd erupted into complete chaos.Some people were cheering so loud their voices cracked. Others were standing on their seats, waving their arms in the air. This was what they loved most the brutality of the event, the raw violence of it all.
Some fans were shocked, their mouths hanging open. Others were chanting Jack's name over and over. "JACK! JACK! JACK! JACK!"
But then something unbelievable happened.
Wang began to laugh.It started as a low chuckle, then grew louder and louder until he was laughing like a madman. His head tilted back, blood still pouring from his chest, his exposed heart still beating for everyone to see.
One fan in the stands shouted, "This is insane! He's going to die!"
From the VIP section where the Hunter scouts sat, Feng the A-Rank Hunter from the Shadow House leaned forward slightly in his chair. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"So he can bleed after all," Feng murmured to himself.
Up above in Room 10, where all the participants were watching, Sebi pressed his face against the glass wall. His jaw was hanging open. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates.
"Did I just see…" he stammered. "His heart? His actual heart?"
He turned to Lee and grabbed his arm, shaking it. "That's not normal! That guy is supposed to be dead! Is his heart battery-powered or something?"
Lee smirked and leaned casually against the wall with his arms crossed. "Relax, kid. It'll be me and you next down there, and that might be what I do to you." He chuckled. "But the fun is just starting."
"Fun? FUN?!" Sebi's voice went up an octave. "You call this fun? That's some medical malpractice going on down there!"
Down in the arena, the crowd continued to chant Jack's name. "JACK! JACK! JACK!"
Jack stood there, breathing hard. Sweat dripped down his face. He gripped his swords tighter and prepared to advance. This was it. He was going to finish what he started. One more strike and Wang would be done.
He moved one foot forward.Then he tried to move the other.But he couldn't.His body froze mid step, like someone had pressed a pause button on him. It felt like a seizure had taken hold of his entire body. His muscles locked up. His joints refused to move.
His swords slipped from his hands and clattered to the floor, bouncing once, twice, then going still.
"What is happening to me?" Jack's mind was racing. "I can't move. I have no control over my own body. Move, dammit!"
He tried to scream, but no sound came out. His voice was trapped inside his head. All he had was his thoughts.
The commentator's voice boomed through the speakers. "WHAT IS HAPPENING TO JACK?! JACK ISN'T MOVING! IS THIS FATIGUE? WHAT'S GOING ON?!"
In the glass section of Room 10, Lee's calm voice carried across the room. "Ah. So that's his play."
Sebi turned to him, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Wang's a blood user," Lee explained. "He manipulates blood. He lets himself get cut on purpose."
"Why would he do that?" Sebi asked. "That doesn't make any sense!"
Lee continued. "When he got cut, pieces of his blood escaped from the wound. He controlled them telekinetically to get onto Jack. Take a look at Jack's right hand. His left cheek. His legs. You'll see some drops of blood there. They belong to Wang. A risky move, but it worked."
Sebi's eyes went wide. "Wait. WHAT?" He turned to Lee. "Are you telling me he wanted to get cut on purpose? Who does that?!"
"Wang does," Lee said simply. "Blood manipulation at his level lets him connect his blood to anyone else's. That little cut was all he needed to trap Jack like a puppet. It's risky, but it's genius."
Sebi shook his head. "Well, isn't that against the rules of the tournament?"
"Nope," Lee said. "Whatever means necessary for you to win is what matters. Call it whatever you want, but Wang is about to win."
Down in the arena, Wang straightened his posture. He completely ignored the blood dripping from his chest wound. His voice carried across the stadium with a cold, cruel edge.
"Blood Manipulation: Mutation Technique Complete." He muttered
The crowd fell silent.Wang raised his right hand and waved it over his injured chest. The wound began to close up gradually, the flesh pulling itself back together until there was nothing left but smooth skin.
He walked slowly toward Jack, who could only watch helplessly. Jack could see everything happening, but he couldn't move or do anything. He was completely unable to defend himself.
Wang crouched down and picked up one of Jack's swords. He examined it for a moment, turning it over in his hand.
"You fought well," Wang said quietly. "But this is the end."
Without hesitation, he moved his hand with the sword and plunged the blade straight into Jack's chest.Blood dripped out, staining the ground beneath them.The crowd erupted into absolute madness. People were screaming, jumping, crying, cheering all at the same time.
The commentators were screaming into their microphones. "WANG HAS DONE IT AGAIN! WHAT A MIND BLOWING DISPLAY OF POWER AND STRATEGY!"
Up in Room 10, Sebi took one step back from the glass wall. His eyes were wide. His hands were shaking.
For all of his years watching the tournament on television back home with his grandmother, he'd never seen anything like this. But seeing the brutality at close range, in person, right in front of his eyes it was mind-blowing. It was terrifying.
Lee smirked as he watched Sebi's reaction. "Scared already? You might as well leave now if you can't even handle watching."
Sebi looked at him and crossed his arms. "I'm not scared."
At the far end of the glass wall, Draven stood completely still. His eyes were locked on the tournament battle scene below. He didn't blink. He didn't move. He just stared.
Lee decided to change the subject. He turned to Sebi. "Alright, let's get serious. How much Shen can you manifest?"
Sebi blinked. "How much what now?"