Crippled

After the match, Vahn left the arena and back to Marco's room.

Opening the door, he saw Marco staring at him,

"Hey, are you sure you haven't awakened, but you don't just know?" Marco asked with a skeptical look on his face. Each time Vahn came here to try and awaken his ability, he was always finishing his opponents faster than the last.

"I'm sure I haven't," Vahn shook his head, he would have felt different if he had awakened, however he still, felt human.

"Hmm…" Marco put his hand on his chin as he thought of it.

"Hey, why don't I fight a D-rank next," Vahn's eyes widened as he brought up the suggestion.

"What?" Marco reacted fiercely.

"Hear me out. People need intense emotions to awaken, but I don't get that while fighting E-rank, so what if I feel it with when fighting a D-rank."

"Vahn, D-ranks are different from E-ranks. They are more adept in using their abilities, they are faster and their bodies are more durable, tell me how do you get past all of this." Marco revealed a serious face.

"And those are exactly what I need, those helpless situations that can reveal my emotions and desires, I don't need to win."

"Hmm…" Marco groaned. Vahn really didn't give up, so with a grumble he continued, "If you later become crippled, it's on you." After saying that he left the room.

'Thanks…' Vahn smiled lightly. Though Marco spoke and left like that, he still helped him in his own way.

…

"Crimson witch?" The masked woman blurted out the title of the woman wearing red.

"Oh, you know me?" The crimson witch giggled lightly at the masked woman.

'Crimson witch, Assumed to be a higher B-rank and the leader of the Crimson Corsairs.' The masked woman reiterated the information she had on her.

'What could she be doing here?' the masked woman mused and not wanting to hold it in, she asked? "Why is the Crimson witch in a place like this?"

"Curious? Actually, I just heard about it in the passing and came to check it out." The Crimson witch seemed to be telling the truth as she said. Then she looked at the masked woman and asked, "Now, let me ask, is this how the famous 'Void collective' gathers their information?"

Whoosh...

The hidden guards behind the masked woman came out and were about to move, but the masked raised her hand to stop their advancement. 

"…" She didn't say anything and just kept staring at the Crimson witch.

"Oh right? Can you find more about this 'Underdog' for me?" Like that, the Crimson witch focused back on the fights going on.

…

After about three hours of about 20 matches, it was Vahn's turn to fight again?

-AGAINNNN, OUR VERYYY OWNN UNDERRDOOGGG

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Upon getting to the area's ring, the announcer continued,

-OUR UNDERDOGG IS SOO HELLBENT ON AWAKENING, SO FOR HIS NEXT MATCH, D-RANK HEAVY BREAKERRRRR

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Maybe because of the absurd situation and the difference in the levels, the skates in the betting were raised and the spectators didn't care,

"Take 1,000 silver"

"Take 1 Gold"

"Hey, move away, take 10 Golds"

They began shoving their currency card to the smiling faces of the betting officiators.

Entering the ring after Vahn was a huge man, over 2 meters. He was shirtless and just wore a helmet.

Before long, they were facing each other.

-READYYYYYYY….GOOOOOOOO

The match had started,

And without wasting time, Heavy breaker immediately jumped to the air and spread his body wide,

-IS HE ABOUT TO USE HIS HEAVY BREAKER CRUSHING STRIKEEE...HOW WOULD OUR UNDERDOGGG HANDLE IT.

 And he was falling back to the ground.

'Leaving the ring will get me disqualified but this attack will leave me half-dead no matter where I run.' Vahn's brain was speedily thinking of a solution.

'Then, let's risk it.' With that last thought, he watched the heavy breaker landing without moving and put his back foot backwards.

-HAS OUR UNDERDOGG GIVEN UPP

"Moveee"

"Idiot…"

"What is he trying to do"

The spectators were screaming at him to stop his madness and move, well most were getting annoyed because they had bet on him, however he drowned all of their shouts. He only focused on Heavy breaker landing on him with extreme focus.

The speed of the descending Heavy breaker wasn't to be underestimated as he was a above him.

'Now,' Taking a sharp step back with his already prepared back foot he lifted himself off the ground and with a front flip, his body was over the Heavy breaker, who was also landing on the ground.

BANGGGGG…

POW…POWW...POWW…

The ropes bounding the ring tore apart and the ring itself caved inwards and cracked all around it.

 "Urghh…" Vahn grunted. Though he had made it over the heavy breaker, the impact on the ring shook every part of his body, his body was still like a regular civilian after all.

His bones and muscles screamed in pain, however these were the emotions he needed to awaken and without waiting for the heavy breaker to get up, he formed his both palms in a pounding motion and swung down continuously.

TUU…TUUU…TUUU

And after a while he decided to stop.

"Haa…Haa…Haa"

He got off the heavy breaker and began panting.

-T-T-THIS IS….

The announcer was lost for words.

Likewise the spectators, their mouths were wide opened in shock.

…

In the VIP area,

CLANG…CLANG…

CRACK…

Half of the VIPs dropped their glass drinks on the floor in shock.

The Crimson Witch was already standing, and the Masked woman's expression literally showed through her mask.

What Vahn had just done was incomprehensible, No one would have thought of that.

-T-THE WINNER-

"Gahhhhh…" The announcer was interrupted by Heavy breaker scream as he stretched his hand and gripped Vahn's leg.

'What?' Vahn looked wide eyed as he was gripped by the leg. As one could guess, Vahn's fighting style involved dodging all attacks, because each of them could harm him.

However, a grip like this was,

The last thing he remembered was his back hitting hard against the floor.

BANGGG…

Silence….

The silence that followed the last sound was loud.

Eyes were about to pop out at the situation, mouths were left hanging at the absurdity.

How did the situation reverse in an instant?

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The crowd shouted more and cheered to the top of their lungs. This was the kind of plot twist they spent their money for, and although it was sad underdog might be crippled after this as they had brought stretchers to carry him. It was among the risks people took to become awakened and powerful.

In the VIP area,

"T-That was…" Crimson witch could literally feel her blood boiling at the intensity of the fight she just watched.

However the masked woman was frowning,

'Underdog will become a cripple after today. He isn't an ability user, he can't survive that kind of fall.' She shook her head and sighed in pity.

Just as he had been important to her few hours ago, he was now useless to her.

In this world of ability users, a crippled was even worse than a non-ability user.