Crushing Victory

"Is Ethan serious? He's really going to fight that mutated lobster alone?"

"No way... that thing is a monster! We barely survived the first one with everyone working together!"

"Maybe he's sacrificing himself to buy us time to escape?"

People murmured in fear and confusion, their gazes locked on Ethan as he strode toward the second mutated lobster. Some were frozen in indecision—others were ready to run.

"Ethan, let me take over for a bit. You can get out of here!" Ned called out, his face pale but determined.

Ethan turned to him, a grin tugging at his lips. "I've got this, Ned. You get everyone else out of here. Trust me."

Despite his fear, Ned nodded reluctantly. "Fine... but don't you dare die on me."

With a nod of thanks, Ethan gave Ned a shove toward the exit. Most of the classmates, after some hesitation, began making their way out of the banquet hall. Few had the courage to stay behind. They admired Ethan, sure, but admiration didn't mean they wanted to risk their lives.

In their minds, if Ethan fell, they would honor his sacrifice by donating to his family or holding memorials in his name. After all, what else could they do against a creature like this?

In the hall, only Lynn and Ned stayed behind, watching from a distance. Ged, after a moment of indecision, chose to leave as well. He didn't believe Ethan could survive, and he wasn't going to risk his life over it. If anything, he saw Ethan's potential death as convenient—removing an annoying rival once and for all.

"Why... why does Lynn stay with him?" Ged thought bitterly as he left. "What does she see in that guy?"

Back on the battlefield, the mutated lobster let out a deafening roar. Its massive claws slammed into the floor, sending tremors through the building.

"Still here?" Ethan called over his shoulder to Lynn and Ned, dodging a claw swipe with ease. "You're supposed to be gone by now!"

Ned shrugged awkwardly. "We... uh, figured we'd cheer you on?"

Ethan sighed, shaking his head. "Fine. Stay and watch the show."

His posture shifted. No more dodging. Instead, he charged forward, his body low like a raging bull. His fist gleamed with golden energy.

Great Strength Bull Demon Fist.

CRACK!

Ethan's punch collided with the lobster's armored carapace. For a moment, there was a stunned silence. Then, with a sickening crack, the lobster's armor shattered. Blue-green blood sprayed out, splattering across the floor.

"Whoa... no way," Ned whispered, his eyes wide. "That's insane! Ethan, you just punched through that thing's armor like it was paper!"

Lynn's eyes narrowed in surprise. She had already been impressed by Ethan's speed and power earlier, but this... this was on another level. "He's been holding back," she thought. "How much power does he really have?"

The lobster screeched in pain, thrashing wildly. Both of its claws came down toward Ethan like a collapsing building.

"Come on!" Ethan taunted, dodging effortlessly with the Microscopic Movement Technique. His body blurred, weaving between the lobster's strikes with impossible speed.

BAM!

He circled around to the creature's side and launched another punch. More blood sprayed as his fist tore another hole in the lobster's armor. The creature roared in fury, its movements becoming frantic and sloppy.

"Keep it up, Ethan!" Ned shouted from the sidelines. "Make that seafood regret being born!"

Ethan chuckled, his adrenaline surging. "Time to finish this."

He didn't hold back. Each punch was stronger than the last, the Bull Demon Fist pushing his body to its limits, drawing out every ounce of latent power. The hall echoed with the sound of fists slamming into armor, like a relentless storm.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The lobster's once-imposing form was reduced to a battered, blood-soaked wreck. Large, gaping wounds covered its body, and its movements slowed. Ethan's fists didn't stop until the creature could barely lift its claws.

With a final leap, Ethan soared into the air, his body twisting like a meteor crashing to earth.

"This is it!"

His fist came down like a thunderbolt, slamming into the lobster's head with devastating force.

SPLAT!

A geyser of warm, blue-green blood sprayed across the hall, splattering onto Ethan's face. He wiped it away, smirking as he hopped off the now-dead monster's corpse. His body was covered in blood, his stance commanding—he looked like a war god.

A notification echoed in his mind.

"Mutated lobster killed. Rewards acquired..."

Ethan barely noticed the message. He turned to see Ned and Lynn staring at him, their expressions a mix of awe and disbelief.

"Dude... you just turned that thing into a punching bag," Ned whispered, his voice filled with reverence. "Are you even human?"

Lynn took a deep breath, finally regaining her composure. "You... didn't use your full strength before, did you?"

Ethan shrugged. "Gotta keep some tricks up my sleeve, right?"

Ned let out a nervous laugh. "Man, remind me to never piss you off."

The tension in the room finally broke, and a sense of relief washed over them. The threat was gone, and they were still standing.

Ethan stretched, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, who's up for some lobster soup?"

"Too soon, man," Ned groaned, though he couldn't stop laughing.

Lynn smiled softly, her gaze lingering on Ethan. "He's... more than I thought," she mused.