Endure

Aric's pride shattered like glass. His belief system was thrown into chaos as he felt helpless in the face of absolute power. Even when he had a breakthrough, it still wasn't enough to evaporate his troubles.

He looked at Dempsy who relaxed in the bleachers, eating popcorn with his legs crossed. He turned his sight towards Hugh, who watched the whole fight between them.

It was Hugh. Hugh was the reason why his ego was damaged to this point. That fat piece of punching bag watched him get destroyed. He was furious. Hugh should have taken the hit and endured like he always did, now he dared to retaliate like he was nothing more than a stepping stone.

He grabbed the soil in his hands and crushed it as flames turned it into cinders. He walked to Hugh who was sitting on the ground. He raised his hands and punched his face.

Hugh's cheek bled as it was punched by Aric with full force. He tried to activate his armor but it didn't work. His Desire was exhausted, drained from overworking as protection. His mouth bled as he felt numbness all over his body. Aric kept beating him up using his hands and his feet.

"Yeah, that's right. Know your place you piece of trash!"

Aric stepped on Hugh's stomach, making sure to strike the breath out of him. He had no choice but to endure the beatings. Hugh went into a full fetal position; this reminded him of those days where Aric and his friends would gather during lunch and smack him for sport.

"What's wrong? Where's your bravado?"

Aric lifted Hugh and punched his chest. Hugh flew across the room and collided with the bleachers. His chest and his back were in massive pain, indicating broken bones. He slumped down the ground, panting with heavy breaths and blood flowing from his face. His body was full of bruises as he had trouble even moving.

Aric walked towards him and sat down. He looked down on Hugh and lit one of his fingers on fire. He took his finger and touched Hugh's cheek, burning his skin.

"AAAAHHHHH!!!!"

Hugh screamed in pain as the smell of his own burning flesh entered his senses. Aric kept his burning finger in contact with Hugh's skin as anger flashed through his face.

Aric felt it wasn't enough. He lifted Hugh's head and smashed it in the bleachers, cracking his skull and cutting his scalp. Blood poured down the chair as Hugh almost passed out from his headache. Hugh couldn't open his eyes fully because his own blood tainted his eyes.

Hugh held on to his consciousness. He needed to endure until the arena kicks them out before things turn fatal. All this time, he tried activating his Desire with no results. He was truly spent.

Aric lifted Hugh, grabbing his throat while his hands burned Hugh's skin. He crushed Hugh's windpipe with a deadpan expression. He looked him right in the eyes and whispered in his ears.

"Think you're gonna get out of this one? I set the arena in a death-match mode. I can kill you right here, right now, without anyone interfering. The best part is, it's all legal."

Hugh's eyes opened in surprise and thrashed around in the air, gasping and trying to escape from Aric's grasp. He was anxious for his life.

Aric lifted Hugh and threw him in the air. He bent down and went on all fours and planted his feet firmly on the ground. His one knee was standing on the ground. As Hugh started falling from the air, he rushed to bulldoze him with the full intention of using all his force to break every bone in Hugh's body.

Aric's head collided with Hugh's gut and launched him up on the upper layers of the bleachers. Bones cracked as Hugh's ribs shattered from the impact. Hugh sustained internal injuries from his fragmented ribs spread through his bloodstream.

Dempsy watched the show with a smile on his face. He didn't care that Hugh was beaten within an inch of his life. He knew that Hugh was still hiding his power. He was curious to see to what degree of pain Hugh can take until he bursts out. If Hugh doesn't have a hidden power, then he dies; it's as simple as that.

Aric walked to Hugh and lifted him again. He threw him in the air and positioned himself to run Hugh over. If this hits, then Hugh will die. His body had already sustained multiple internal injuries, a concussion, and external injuries that a normal person wouldn't be able to endure.

Hugh saw the world in slow motion. This was a critical moment where he had to decide if he should bring out his transformation. Doing so would result in having another weak point that Aric could take advantage of. He decided to risk it.

Only a few meters left and Aric would collide with Hugh, effectively killing him. Hugh's body started to emit steam as sweat poured down his skin. His previous black hair turned into silvery white. His sharp jaws showed themselves after his fat disappeared from his face. Muscle fibers started to form beneath his body which hid an incredible amount of power. His skin constricted and followed the shape of the muscles beneath it. Just as his body shrunk down into a fit and healthy body, his uniform molded into a tight-fitting shirt that accented his muscles.

His pecs, his abdominals, and his deltoids grew with strength. It wasn't bulky, but it still exuded strength and did great for his proportions. He somersaulted in the air and landed on his feet without any vibrations or disturbances.

Dempsy suddenly stood up from his feet as he had to flinch away from the danger he felt exuding from Hugh's body.

Aric's eyes were bulging from surprise but his momentum prevented him from stopping. Hugh looked at Aric rushing towards him and he raised his hands. Aric's head collided with Hugh's arms and a smack sounded out through the arena.

Aric stopped completely but Hugh didn't move a millimeter. The ground underneath stayed the same, like the force exerted by Aric was completely negated by just one hand.

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FAT RESERVES

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Estimated time remaining: 1 min.

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Hugh held Aric's head in one hand and threw his whole body towards the bleachers, destroying the chairs and the wall behind it.

Hugh tilted his head as he dodged a surprise attack from Dempsy. His eyes wandered to Dempsy's blob of liquid and punched it. The liquid tried to bend and absorb the blow but the force was too great. The liquid sphere dispersed like popping a water balloon. Dempsy had to retreat and recover.

"HAHAHAHAHA see, you were hiding your strength. Tsk, if it weren't for these restrictions I would enjoy this fight even more."

Dempsy let out liquid from his body and formed a pool beneath his feet. This was the same technique he used to constrict Aric's movement and strangled him. Hugh let the liquid crawl all over him and formed a 2-meter diameter sphere that enveloped his whole body. He looked around the sphere he was in, uncaring and unperturbed. Dempsy raised his hand and the sphere started to shrink on itself. Hugh was being crushed inside the ball of liquid.

He looked at Dempsy and locked eyes with him. He deliberately let him see his movements. His hands touched the barrier of the sphere and he spread his hands. The liquid deformed and the liquid spewed out as the blob disintegrated. He kept eye contact with Dempsy throughout the action, letting him see the difference in power, letting him know who was superior.

Hugh grabbed Dempsy's collar and lifted him in the air. A resounding strike sounded out as Hugh broke Dempsy's cheekbones.

Dempsy smiled and started laughing, the blood on his mouth started spilling and it stained Hugh's face due to Dempsy's manic laugh.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA MORE!!!! MORE!!!!"

Hugh realized that Dempsy was a perverted man who loved to fight. He was bloodthirsty even if it meant that he was the one bleeding.

Hugh punched him once more in the face and threw him across the room, not giving him a second look. He felt the ground shake as he saw Aric back at his feet and rushing on all fours.

In Aric's eyes was arrogance, disbelief at the fact that the F-rank Hugh was able to have this kind of power. He felt that this was wrong. He was outraged that his rightful throne as the alpha was being dethroned by Hugh.

Aric rushed straight to Hugh but sidestepped when he was only a few steps away, hoping to catch Hugh off guard. It didn't work. Without even looking at Aric, he caught Aric's head, absorbing any force he exerted. He threw Aric's head on the ground indenting his face on the soil.

He then threw Aric towards Dempsy and their bodies collided as they suffered more injuries. He looked at them and finally spoke.

"Both of you. Come at me."