Chapter 16 – The Battle for the Throne
The Whistle Blows
The arena erupted with cheers as the whistle signaled the start of the fight.
Nathan and Adrian stood across from each other, locked in their battle stances.
Adrian remained completely calm, his arms relaxed at his sides, as if Nathan was no threat at all. Meanwhile, Nathan held a solid boxing stance, his hands up in a tight guard, breath steady, eyes sharp.
Lucien stood outside the ring, watching intently. He knew how much Nathan had improved through their grueling training, but now came the real question—was it enough?
---
Without warning, Adrian launched forward.
A jab, too fast for the eye to catch, shot toward Nathan's face. He barely dodged in time, but Adrian wasn't done. A hook and a cross followed immediately, forcing Nathan to step back, keeping his guard tight.
Nathan retaliated with a straight punch to Adrian's chest—only for Adrian to slip past it effortlessly, his movement smooth and efficient.
Then, a powerful punch landed squarely on Nathan's shoulder, sending a dull shock through his arm.
The crowd roared in excitement.
Nathan clenched his jaw. He's faster than I expected…
---
But he wasn't about to lose so easily.
Nathan adjusted his posture, eyes narrowing as he studied Adrian's movements.
As Adrian came in for an uppercut, Nathan sidestepped and countered—a crushing right hook aimed at Adrian's ribs.
SMACK.
Adrian staggered slightly, his eyes widening in surprise.
Then, he smirked.
"Oh… you've changed," Adrian remarked, his tone almost amused. "But that's still not enough."
---
Everything changed in an instant.
Adrian switched his stance—from a casual approach to something sharper, deadlier.
Nathan instantly felt the pressure double.
Adrian's strikes became faster, more unpredictable.
A jab slammed into Nathan's stomach.
A left hook followed—Nathan barely blocked it in time.
Then, a straight punch drilled into his solar plexus.
"Ugh—!"
Nathan hunched over slightly, pressing his hand against his chest. It felt like a sledgehammer had just struck his lungs.
Adrian took a step back, observing him.
"You've gotten stronger," Adrian admitted, his tone playful. "But strength alone won't win against me."
---
Lucien, standing outside the ring, narrowed his eyes.
"Get up, Nathan."
Nathan clenched his fists.
He glanced at Lucien, seeing the cold yet unwavering expression on his face.
No. He couldn't lose.
He forced himself to control his breathing, straightened his posture, and lifted his hands again.
"I'm not done yet."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."
---
Nathan shifted strategies.
He didn't just throw punches blindly—he started analyzing.
Adrian threw another straight punch—Nathan dodged more efficiently this time.
A right hook came next—Nathan caught Adrian's wrist mid-air, twisted his body, and delivered a counter elbow straight to Adrian's jaw.
BAM!
Adrian stumbled back slightly.
The entire arena went silent.
Then, Adrian chuckled.
"Heh… this is getting fun."
He lifted his hands again, no longer underestimating Nathan.
---
The fight turned brutal.
Nathan and Adrian traded blows at a rapid pace.
Every punch was sharper. Every move was faster. Every strike held purpose.
Nathan was lasting longer than anyone had expected.
But Adrian still held the upper hand.
Nathan was strong, but Adrian had more experience, better speed, and superior technique.
Then, Adrian saw an opening.
A spinning back kick.
Nathan reacted a second too late—
BOOM!
Nathan was sent flying backward, crashing onto the ring floor.
The entire arena fell into silence.
Lucien clenched his fist. Is this it…?
The referee started counting.
"One… Two… Three…"
Nathan gritted his teeth. No. It couldn't end like this.
He tried to stand, but his body felt too heavy.
"Four… Five… Six…"
Nathan squeezed his eyes shut, remembering all the brutal training he had endured.
He forced his muscles to move.
"Seven… Eight…"
Just before the count reached 'Nine', Nathan rose to his feet.
The crowd exploded.
Adrian let out a small laugh. "You're stubborn, huh?"
Nathan stood tall, his breathing heavy but his eyes burning with determination.
"We're not finished yet."
Adrian exhaled through his nose.
"Alright then…" He lifted his fists again.
"Show me what you've got."
The battle raged on.
Nathan stood his ground, chest heaving, body screaming for rest.
He had pushed himself beyond his usual limits, yet Adrian remained standing—unshaken, unreadable. Every exchange had drained Nathan's stamina, while Adrian still fought with near-perfect precision.
With each passing second, Nathan's punches slowed. His blocks became weaker. His footwork turned sluggish.
Is this it?
The thought crept into his mind.
For the first time since stepping into the ring, the idea of surrendering crossed his mind.
And then—he saw him.
Sitting in the VIP section, watching intently.
Denis Cole.
Nathan's breath caught in his throat.
His father.
His fists clenched. His exhaustion faded. His vision cleared.
Something inside him ignited.
The thought of giving up shattered.
He wouldn't lose. Not now. Not in front of him.
---
Nathan charged forward.
Adrian's eyes flickered with surprise, but he reacted instantly—a straight punch shot forward.
BAM!
It landed. But Nathan didn't stop.
Another punch—Nathan took it.
A brutal hook—Nathan absorbed it.
Yet he kept advancing.
The crowd fell into silence.
Nathan's body should've collapsed.
But instead—he kept moving forward.
His breathing became steady. His movements sharpened.
Adrenaline had taken over.
Adrian furrowed his brows. "What the hell—"
Nathan exploded.
Jab.
Straight.
Left hook.
Right hook.
Uppercut.
The final blow landed clean.
CRACK!
Adrian's body whipped backward—his legs gave out.
KO.
Silence.
Then, the arena erupted.
Nathan stood over Adrian's fallen form.
His hands trembled. His chest rose and fell erratically.
And then—he roared.
A primal, victorious cry, louder than the cheers of the audience.
A cry of triumph.
And the moment he finished—
His body collapsed.
---
When Nathan opened his eyes, the ceiling of the infirmary greeted him.
A deep, familiar voice followed.
"You fought well."
Nathan slowly turned his head.
His father, Denis Cole, stood beside him.
Nathan sat up, his body still aching.
"…What are you doing here?"
Denis simply crossed his arms. "Watching my son fight."
Nathan exhaled sharply. "Didn't expect that."
Denis chuckled lightly. "Neither did I. But you impressed me."
Nathan blinked. He wasn't sure how to respond to that.
Then, Denis' expression turned serious.
"You've done what you needed to do here."
Nathan's heart skipped a beat.
"You're sending me back?"
Denis nodded. "Your time here is over. But I have one condition."
Nathan waited.
"You go back—but Lucien stays with you."
Nathan's breath hitched.
Lucien?
"…Why?"
Denis' gaze darkened slightly. "That boy is more important than you think."
Nathan glanced at Lucien, who stood near the door, silently listening.
Lucien's face remained unreadable, but something flickered in his eyes.
Nathan turned back to his father.
And nodded.
"…Alright."
---
Before leaving the academy, Nathan stood on the rooftop, looking over the campus one last time.
He heard approaching footsteps.
Adrian.
Despite their brutal fight, he looked at peace.
Nathan smirked. "Didn't think you'd want to see me after that beatdown."
Adrian chuckled. "I've never enjoyed a fight more in my life."
They stood in silence for a moment.
Then, Nathan exhaled.
"I don't want the title."
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"The throne? The top spot? It's yours," Nathan clarified. "I was never meant to rule this place. I'm going back to my country."
Adrian's expression softened.
"You're a humble guy, Nathan." He smirked. "Annoyingly so."
Nathan laughed.
Adrian extended his fist.
Nathan bumped it without hesitation.
"No matter where you go, don't lose that fire," Adrian said.
Nathan grinned. "You either."
---
The airport was busy, people rushing in all directions.
Nathan and Lucien walked side by side, luggage in hand.
Nathan glanced at Lucien.
Lucien, as usual, was calm and composed.
"…Guess we're leaving together now," Nathan said.
Lucien nodded. "Seems that way."
A pause.
Nathan chuckled. "Man, life's weird."
Lucien smirked slightly. "It is."
Nathan took a deep breath, looking forward.
A new chapter in his life was about to begin.
And this time—he wasn't alone.
---
End of Chapter 16.