A Leader (4)

Chapter 19

Elijah and the others had finally finished ordering the alcohol and furniture.

With everything set to arrive by tomorrow, they had one less thing to worry about.

As they walked back to their base, the mood was mostly calm.

Kai and Mai were talking amongst themselves, but Lucas remained quiet, his arms crossed as he walked slightly behind the group.

Elijah noticed but didn't comment. He was used to Lucas's attitude.

When they arrived at their base at the place which they did the underground fighting in the process of transforming into a bar—the changes were already evident.

The old wooden panels had been replaced, and soon, when the alcohol, tables, and chairs arrived, the place would be fully opened.

However, the underground fights had started slowing down—no one could defeat Kai or Lucas.

They had gone to the pool club, only to find it empty.

Normally, other gangs would have vandalized the place to leave a message, but thanks to Kai's plan to buy the property to Own the title deeds so that other gangs can't use the law to close them up.

If they found they can't beat them.

"Alright, we've done what we needed to do for today. What now?" Elijah asked, trying to hide his excitement.

Lisa had messaged him to meet up in an hour.

Before anyone could respond, Lucas stepped forward.

"I have something to say."

Everyone turned to him, surprised by his sudden declaration.

Lucas took a deep breath before locking eyes with Elijah. "I don't think you should be the leader."

The air grew tense.

Elijah sighed. "We've been over this already, Lucas."

"No, we haven't." Lucas stepped closer, his voice firm.

"I've been thinking about it, and honestly, I'm done holding back.

You're not fit to lead this gang. You're too soft, too hesitant, and not nearly as strong as you should be.

So, I'll take your offer."

Elijah frowned. "What offer?"

Lucas smirked. "You told me if I wanted to be the leader, I should take the position myself.

So, I will. We settle this right here, right now."

Kai's eyes widened slightly before he smirked. "Well, this just got interesting.

Let's take it downstairs.

We just finished fixing the place."

Mai, however, looked concerned. "Do you two really have to fight?"

Lucas ignored her, gaze locked onto Elijah. "If you win, I'll shut up and follow your lead. But if I win, I'm taking over."

A system notification popped up in Elijah's vision.

[Your authority is being challenged.]

[Win the fight and establish dominance.]

[Reward: 150 System Points.]

Elijah's frustration melted into something else.

A challenge.

An opportunity.

Kai was watching him closely.

He had already seen Elijah's hesitation—his reluctance to be part of this world.

This was a moment of decision.

Either fight and truly commit to the gang business, or walk away and let someone else take over.

"Fine."

The words left Elijah's mouth before he could second-guess himself.

If he wanted to protect those he loved, he needed to reach the top.

They descended into the underground space, the air thick with tension.

Kai and Mai stepped back to give them room.

Lucas rolled his shoulders, muscles flexing as he took his stance. "Don't hold back."

Elijah's red eyes gleamed as he exhaled. Then, the fight began.

Lucas moved first, launching a powerful right hook with the force of a sledgehammer.

Elijah barely dodged, feeling the wind of the punch graze past his cheek.

The sheer force behind it sent a shiver down his spine. If that had connected, he would've been seeing stars.

He countered with a sharp jab aimed at Lucas's nose, but Lucas reacted fast.

He blocked with ease, grabbed Elijah's wrist, and yanked him forward, driving a brutal knee into Elijah's ribs.

Elijah gasped, pain flaring through his body like wildfire as he stumbled back.

His arms instinctively wrapped around his side, but Lucas gave him no time to recover.

A powerful kick slammed into Elijah's midsection, sending him hurtling backward.

He crashed onto the ground, the impact rattling his bones.

Blood dripped from Elijah's mouth as he forced himself up, breathing heavily.

Kai smirked from the sidelines, his arms crossed. "Heh, he's taking a beating."

Mai, standing beside him, had a worried expression, her hands clutched together. "Should we stop them? This is going too far."

Kai chuckled but didn't look away. "Nah. If he wants to be a leader, he has to prove it. Besides, Lucas isn't going to stop unless he gets put down first."

Lucas was relentless, closing in with another punch. Elijah barely raised his arms in time to block, but the sheer force of the blow sent him staggering. His bones rattled, his muscles screamed, but his mind sharpened.

Lucas scoffed, his lips curling into a smirk. "See what I mean? You're weak."

Elijah wiped the blood from his lip and inhaled sharply. The pain was real. The fear was real. But so was his will.

[Burst activated.]

[All stats increased by 50%.]

His vision sharpened. His body felt lighter, stronger. As Lucas rushed forward again, Elijah dodged at the last second, twisting around him and driving his elbow into Lucas's ribs with bone-crunching force.

Lucas grunted but retaliated immediately, swinging his leg in a wide arc.

Elijah barely had time to react before the kick connected with his side, sending him tumbling.

He gritted his teeth and rolled with the impact, springing back to his feet just as Lucas charged again.

The two clashed in the center, exchanging brutal blows. Elijah threw a right hook—Lucas ducked.

Lucas aimed an uppercut—Elijah sidestepped. Fists met flesh, bones collided, and pain erupted with every strike.

Elijah slammed his fist into Lucas's gut, making him stagger.

But Lucas retaliated with a sharp knee to Elijah's sternum, knocking the air from his lungs.

Elijah gasped, but instead of retreating, he grabbed Lucas's shirt and drove his forehead into his opponent's face.

Lucas stumbled back, blood trickling from his nose, but he refused to fall.

He roared and lunged forward, tackling Elijah to the ground.

The two wrestled, rolling over each other, fists slamming into ribs, elbows cracking against jaws.

Elijah managed to get on top and raised his fist, but Lucas used his legs to flip him over. Now Lucas was on top, raining down punches.

Elijah twisted his body, barely dodging one fist but taking another straight to the jaw.

His head snapped to the side, his vision going blurry for a second.

His body begged him to stay down, but he refused.

With a snarl, he swung a punch at Lucas's temple, knocking him off balance.

Both fighters scrambled to their feet, panting heavily.

Their bodies were covered in bruises, cuts, and blood.

Mai took a step forward, her voice anxious. "They're going to kill each other!"

Kai, still watching intently, shook his head. "Not yet. They're still standing."

Lucas took a deep breath and rushed in again, his fists a blur. Elijah met him head-on.

They exchanged punch after punch, each hit harder than the last.

Elijah struck Lucas's ribs with a sharp hook—Lucas countered by driving his knee into Elijah's stomach.

Elijah coughed violently but slammed his fist into Lucas's side in return.

Lucas swung another kick, but Elijah caught his leg and yanked him forward, smashing his knee into Lucas's chin.

Lucas fell to one knee, blood dripping from his mouth.

But with sheer willpower, he forced himself back up and launched a desperate haymaker.

Elijah ducked just in time.

With his last bit of strength, he twisted and delivered a devastating uppercut straight to Lucas's chin.

Lucas's head snapped back. His eyes rolled up, and his body gave out as he crumpled to the ground.

Silence filled the air.

Elijah stood over him, barely standing himself. His knuckles were raw, his body bruised, blood trickling down his face. He extended a hand.

With a grunt, he took Elijah's hand and pulled himself up.

"You lost," Elijah said, his voice rough.

Lucas smirked, though every movement sent pain flaring through his body. "Yeah, seems I was wrong about you and also this was Kai's plan."

"Hey, bro." Kai shouted.

Elijah smirked and said, "I knew,"

Kai sighed and smiled, "Elijah I knew your were hesitating, so I just wanted to give you an out."

Elijah moved toward them pain in every movement. "And...."

Kai added "You didn't, but why. You could have just left and no one here would have stopped you. So why."

Elijah then Punched Kai slightly "To reach the Top."

Kai smiled widened "To reach the Top."

[Challenge completed. Authority established.]

[Reward: 150 System Points.]

As the system notification faded, Elijah exhaled.