Chapter 94: The Burning Fist and the Golden Promise
The air in the prison cell was charged with a violent static. Joni's roar echoed against the damp, stone walls, a sound of pure, unadulterated ego being challenged. He had ruled Block 4 with an iron fist for five Beraos, and he wasn't about to let a "kid" with a high kill count make him look weak.
"No one insults me in my own cage and lives to tell about it!" Joni spat, his massive chest heaving.
Without another word, he lunged. Joni wasn't just big; he was surprisingly fast for his size. His fist, the size of a sledgehammer, swung in a tight arc. Ren, still trying to suppress his Vane energy and stay calm, didn't dodge in time. The punch connected squarely with Ren's face.
The impact was brutal. Ren's head snapped back, his heels lifting off the ground for a split second. He felt the warm, metallic tang of blood filling his mouth, and a dark crimson trail began to leak from his nose.
Joni laughed, a jagged, cruel sound. "Is that all the 'Butcher of Sector 7' has? I've seen toddlers take a hit better than that!"
Joni didn't stop. He threw a second, even more powerful punch, aiming to crush Ren's ribs. But this time, Ren's instincts—the 50% Feral blood screaming in his veins—took over. Ren blurred to the side. Joni's fist missed its target and slammed into the solid stone wall behind Ren.
CRACK!
The sound of stone fracturing echoed through the block. Dust and small pebbles rained down as deep cracks spider-webbed across the wall where Joni's fist had landed.
Ren felt a surge of heat in his chest. The anger he had been trying to hide, the frustration of being framed, and the fear for Hana's future all boiled over. He stopped thinking about the "avoid fight" rule. His Vane energy, dark and volatile, surged down his arms.
His hands began to glow with a faint, flickering energy that looked like black embers. The skin on his knuckles tightened, becoming as hard as diamond.
Ren stepped in. He didn't use a flashy move; he simply delivered a single, straight punch into Joni's solar plexus.
The sound was like a cannon going off. The Vane-enhanced impact sent a shockwave through Joni's massive body. The bodybuilder's eyes bulged, the air leaving his lungs in a wheezing gasp. His feet left the floor as he was propelled backward, crashing into the three other prisoners who were standing behind him. They went down like bowling pins, a tangle of limbs and groans.
Ren stood there, his chest heaving. His knuckles were raw, the skin slightly charred and burning. Using that much raw Vane energy without a proper conduit or weapon was like holding a hot coal—it burned the user as much as the target.
"GET BACK! ON THE GROUND! NOW!"
The heavy steel door was kicked open. Three guards rushed in, their stun-batons crackling with blue electricity. They had been watching through the slit, but the moment they saw Ren use Vane energy, they knew they had to intervene. A prisoner with 173 deaths using magic was a disaster waiting to happen.
"Handcuffs! Both of you!" the lead guard shouted.
Ren didn't resist. He let the energy fade, feeling the sharp sting of the burns on his hands. He knelt on the floor, allowing them to snap the heavy, Vane-suppressing cuffs onto his wrists. Joni, still gasping for air and clutching his stomach, was also restrained and dragged to his bunk.
The guards didn't leave. They stood right outside the bars, their hands on their rifles, their eyes fixed on Ren.
Ren... what is wrong with you? Ren thought, staring at his trembling, burnt hands. Why did I get so angry? I didn't come here to be a gladiator. I'm here to wait for Sunday. If I keep using my Vane energy like this, the Higherups will see me as a 'Feral Threat' and kill me before the trial even ends. I have to stay invisible. I have to avoid the fight.
The Sanctuary of the Prince
While Ren sat in the cold silence of his guarded cell, the atmosphere in Prince Enoki's mansion was vastly different.
The bedroom was decorated in gold and deep velvets, a place of peace and luxury that Hana felt she didn't deserve. She was sitting on the edge of the massive bed, her eyes fixed on the floor. She had changed into clean clothes, but she felt more like a prisoner here than she did in Rollv 13.
The door creaked open, and Go walked in. He wasn't wearing his royal robes now—just a simple black silk shirt. In his hands, he carried a tray with steaming soup and fresh bread. He placed it on the nightstand beside her.
"Eat," Go said softly. "You haven't touched anything since the courtroom."
Hana didn't look up. "How can I eat while my brother is eating prison slop? He's there because of me, Go. He lied to the whole world to save a sister who can't even stand on her own two feet."
Go pulled up a chair and sat across from her. His yellow eyes were calm, but they carried the weight of someone who had seen too much. "Listen to me, Hana. I've known Ren for a long time. He didn't do this because he was forced to. He did it because you are his entire world. He wants you to have a good life—a life where you aren't looking over your shoulder. If you starve yourself or give up, then his sacrifice means nothing. You'd be wasting the very thing he's in jail for."
Hana looked at him, tears finally spilling over. "But 173 deaths... Silas said it's the death penalty. I can't let him die, Go. I can't."
She reached out and grabbed Go's hand, her grip surprisingly strong for someone so frail. "Promise me you are ren friend. You have money, you have power. Promise me you'll get him out of there. Please."
Go looked at her for a long moment. He thought about the 5 knights he had killed the night before, and the shadowy war brewing between King Zero and the Kara Group. He knew that saving Ren wasn't just a matter of money—it was a matter of war.
He squeezed her hand back. "I promise you, Hana. I will not let Ren die in that cage. I have my ways, and I have my people. Whether it's through the law or through the back door, I will bring him back to you. You have my word as an Enoki."
Hana let out a long, shaky breath, some of the tension finally leaving her body. She picked up the spoon, her hand shaking. "I'll live. I'll stay strong... for him."
Go nodded and walked toward the window, looking out at the city lights of Athelgard. Don't worry, Ren, he thought. Stay alive until Sunday. After that... the real game begins.