abcnovels
Chapter 53: What About A Bet?
Chapter 53: What About A Bet?
"Shouldn't we stop this? This is too much!"
Enji's voice was tense as he watched Haruto slam against the wall again, the brutal sound of impact echoing throughout the underground.
His expression tightened with urgency, fists clenched, but the rest of the crowd seemed indifferent, absorbed in the violence like it was a routine spectacle.
"You're the one who said he was ready," Kikuchi replied coolly, exhaling a slow drag from his cigarette.
"He knew the rules going in."
"No one's allowed out until one of them's in a 'dire situation,'" Nakamura added, crossing his arms.
His expression was cold, detached as if he were watching an ordinary sparring match.
"It's just Haruto being stubborn." Kikuchi sighed, blowing out another plume of smoke.
"I told him to play dead if it got too rough."
Enji ground his teeth, the strain was evident in his eyes. He hated feeling powerless, especially when his friend was on the line.
"This is just sick," he muttered, casting a dark look at the others.
Ren, leaning casually against a pillar across from them, snorted, his mocking gaze fixed on Haruto's battered form.
"Weaker than I expected. He's dead meat." he shook his head from disappointment.
"How about a bet?" He tilted his head, directing his sneer at the group.
Enji's eyes narrowed. He already despised Ren and his lot—they had the stench of filth and treachery about them, worse than any sewer rat.
Nakamura, undeterred, reached into his pocket, producing a thick stack of bills.
"How much?" he asked, his tone almost amused.
Ren glanced dismissively at the money, a smirk twisting his lips.
"Lame. Let's go bigger."
His gaze shifted to Arataki, and his eyes glinted with malice.
"How about your sister?"
Arataki's expression darkened, his fists trembling as veins bulged at his temple. "You filthy piece of shit! Our deal was settled!"
Ren only laughed, feigning an air of gentleness, though his words were laced with mockery.
"Come now, I've got a soft spot for her. A gentleman can't just let someone go that easily, can he?" His cronies chuckled, adding fuel to the taunt.
Arataki, unable to contain his rage, lunged forward, his intent clear. But Nakamura moved faster.
His fist connected squarely with Ren's jaw, sending him sprawling with a fresh trail of blood dripping from his nose.
"Speak her name again, and I'll end you," Nakamura hissed, pressing his foot onto Ren's chest with a chilling calm.
His weight pinned Ren down, leaving him suddenly quiet, a drop of sweat sliding down his temple.
The hit was swift, leaving Ren's lackeys momentarily stunned before they clenched their fists, ready to retaliate.
They took one step forward, but Daiki's voice broke through the tension.
"Ren! Bring me my gorgeous bat!"
Ren's two cronies hesitated, exchanging glances with uncertain expressions before Ren finally pulled himself up.
He shot a venomous glare at Nakamura but reluctantly complied, tossing the barbed-wire bat down into the pit.
"Let's just watch the fight," Kikuchi murmured, his tone carrying a warning edge as he locked eyes with Nakamura, silently urging him to let it drop.
Nakamura glared at Ren. It was a quiet concession, but he wasn't interested in crossing Kikuchi right now.
Ren muttered under his breath, brushing off the hands of his cronies as they tried to steady him, his pride bruised along with his face.
***
Haruto's bloodied face twisted into a fierce grin, his knuckles flexing around the metal buster still tight on his hand.
The sight of the bat, bristling with barbed wire, didn't make him flinch—it only sent a wave of adrenaline coursing through him.
He'd waited too long for this; there was no backing down now.
"Come on, then! End me if you can!"
Haruto spat, tasting the blood on his lips. His pain wasn't half of Haruka's pain and he swore to put Daiki in as much pain as his sister was.
With a savage growl, Daiki swung the bat in a wide arc, the barbed wire gleaming under the dim light before it crashed down toward Haruto's shoulder.
Haruto threw himself to the side, barely missing the brutal spikes that would have torn through skin and muscle.
He swung his knuckle-dustered fist, landing a vicious jab to Daiki's ribs, feeling the satisfying crunch of impact.
Daiki staggered but managed to stay on his feet, eyes wide and blazing with a twisted excitement.
"Oh, you're not half bad," Daiki taunted, licking a smear of blood from his lips. "This'll make it fun."
Before Haruto could respond, Daiki came at him again, this time feinting to the left before bringing the bat down at a cruel angle toward his side.
Haruto moved just in time, feeling the scrape of barbed wire slice his shirt and graze his skin. The pain fueled him, turning the burning sensation into fuel.
Without hesitation, he aimed for Daiki's face, smashing his knuckles forward and connecting with Daiki's cheek, sending him stumbling back.
"Fun?" Haruto laughed, his voice ragged. "I'll show you fun."
Daiki recovered quickly, a glint of sadistic pleasure in his eyes as he swung the bat upwards, catching Haruto across the side of his ribs.
The barbs bit into his skin, tearing flesh as they pulled away, as the blood splattered on the ground and Haruto staggered, breath catching from the sudden shock of pain.
'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! It's fucking hurts!' he scream inside his mind, he bit into his bloodied lips.
But he didn't retreat. Instead, he threw himself forward, ignoring the searing agony, his fist swinging in a brutal uppercut to Daiki's jaw, sending him reeling backward.
Blood dripped down Haruto's side, but he was too far gone, his mind too focused on beating Daiki into the ground.
"Fuck you Daiki!" he growled, lunging forward again.
They clashed violently, Daiki swinging the bat with reckless abandon as Haruto ducked, blocking and countering with sharp, bone-crushing jabs.
Each hit, each impact was answered with a sadistic smirk, a twisted enjoyment reflected in both their eyes.
They were past any semblance of restraint or fear; only the thrill of raw, brutal combat remained.
With two of them having a different reason to go crazy. One for revenge and one for fun.