Chapter 73

They ascended up the steps of the cage. The noise grew louder, the cheers and jeers becoming like background music. Nearing the entrance, Owen tightened his gloves. Masafumi, on the other hand, had his hands in his pockets. The inspector had already checked him for weapons. Lethal weapons like guns and knives weren't. Luckily, Masafumi made it clear he was only bringing his phone along. To the inspector, it was the same as bringing brass knuckles and thus allowed it.

Their first opponents were already in the cage—a burly man with a shaved head and tattoos covering his arms, and a lean, wiry guy with quick, darting eyes. Neither of them were particularly tall.

'So weight class is in my favour.'

The announcer's voice boomed over the speakers. "In this corner, we have the newcomers, Masked Marauders! And in the other corner, the reigning champions of Panama City, Thunder and Lightning!"

Owen gave Masafumi a nod, and they stepped into the cage. The door clanged shut behind them, and the crowd's noise became a tinge duller. They could still hear them but their voices were sliced from the fence in between. Owen walked ahead, centering himself. This was it. He was doing this for Isabella and Mary, for the money they desperately needed.

"I'll leave it to you then, best buddy." Masafumi proceeded to sit cross-legged in their corner, his phone in hand. He looked completely relaxed, even as the crowd's anticipation grew to a fever pitch. 

"It appears that Masked Marauder Two isn't too keen on fighting," said the announcer.

The referee was concerned. Owen waved him off and gestured to begin. After a couple glances, the referee relented and gave the signal, and the fight began.

Thunder, the burly man, charged at Owen in loud stomps and aimed a massive fist at his head. Owen ducked under the punch, countering with a quick jab to Thunder's ribs. He felt the satisfying impact of his fist against flesh and Thunder flinched. 

The wry Lightning circled around, contemplating attacking Masafumi. Owen made the decision for him, body-slamming him into the cage. He avoided his flailing punches to deliver his own. A flurry of punches that were so fast and concise that Lightning could do nothing but receive. 

Masafumi was engrossed in his game, fingers tapping away at the screen, and glanced up. "You got this, Owen! Woo!"

Bam!

The final punch caused Lightning to spew blood, hunch over, and fall to his knees with his eyes rolled back.

Bam!

Thunder attempted to land a heavy blow to Owen's side but was interjected by a roundhouse kick that sent Thunder sprawling. Just in case, Owen bashed Lightning's face into the metal fence before heading to fight the big man again. 

Thunder growled and lunged at Owen, but Owen was ready. He sidestepped the attack and grabbed Lightning by the arm, using his momentum to throw him to the ground.

The crowd erupted in cheers, the noise deafening. Owen didn't let up, straddling his chest and then burying his fist repeatedly. Bam! Bam! Bam! Owen went slower, being almost casual in his delivery. Bam! Bam!

Thunder tried to see through the blood and the pain. In the end, it was futile. A few more well-placed punches, and Thunder was down for the count.

The referee raised Owen's arm in victory, and the crowd went wild. Masafumi got up, still not looking up from his phone.

Owen didn't smile. This was boring. Regional champions were always hit or miss. Some were sincerely great while others, like Thunder and Lightning, were overrated as fuck. 

Outside the cage, theyvwere showered in praise. Even Masafumi was forced to pocket his phone and pay him on the back to pretend that he did something. "Thank you, thank you! If you people want place bets, please do so! Ya see, this guy here?" Masafumi jabbed a thumb at Owen. "He's actually weaker than me."

"Ohhhh!"

"Seriously!?"

"Wow…!"

Nice. Now the mystery factor was played up. Masafumi grinned and carried himself dramatically. That was when more questions flooded in from the crowd.

"Do you think you can beat Ronaldo?"

"We're talking about the former Captain, Ronaldo."

"Didn't he get kicked for being weak?"

"I think so. The Royal Lions have a high threshold for fighters."

"Ronaldo, Schanaldo, doesn't matter who it is. We will win!" Masafumi declared.

'Ronaldo, huh?' 

That name sounded familiar…

The second and third matches went by flawlessly. The crowd became rowdier with questions. The final match of the night was called, and Owen and Masafumi entered the cage. This time, their opponents were a duo known for their ruthless tactics—Ronaldo and his lackey Marky.

Standing there across from them, Owen was glad he was wearing a mask and anonymous.

'Oh, right! This is the weird guy that I beat up! Former Captain of the Royal Lions, yeah, yeah, yah. Weird that I run into him so often. Well, this will be easy.'

"A clash of two upcoming legends. A Captain ripped from the road of destiny and a newcomer that is following the path he once stood in. This will be a final for the ages!" The announcer riled up the crowd who began chanting.

Ronaldo grinned. "Hear 'em? Try not to be too pissy about losing money, masked boys."

Masafumi was standing, both hands on his phone. "Uh-huh."

Ronaldo's jaw clenched, veins throbbing on his temple. Talk about anger issues. 'I suppose against him, I can go all-out.' 

The bell rang. Ronaldo ran Owen like a freight train.

Owen stepped in close and knocked him back in a single punch.

"Oh."

Correction: knocked him out. The force of his punch combined with Ronaldo's momentum was like running into a brick wall. Ronaldo toppled on his back, blood splattered and lips groaning.

"Well, nevermind," said the announcer. "The former Captain is done for."

Marky was left quaking in his boots. One punch was all it took.

His legs trembled and Owen was on him in an instant. A quick sweep of the leg sent Marky to the ground, and Owen pinned him with a knee to the chest. He cocked a fist back—

"I-I give! I give!"

—and was able to stop an inch from his forehead. The battle was over. The tournament was over. He had won.

The referee called the match, and Owen's arm was raised in victory once more. The crowd's cheers were deafening. Owen glanced over at Masafumi, who was still engrossed in his game.