Joe could barely restrain his anger. His teeth were clenched so tightly they creaked, as if they might crack under the strain. His long nails dug into his palms, on the verge of tearing skin and drawing blood as he formed tight fists at his sides. He tried to keep the boiling rage contained, but even after unleashing some of it on his opponents, the fury in his chest refused to fade. It swelled and churned, threatening to burst free at any moment. He lifted his gaze and fixed it on the man responsible for it all.

  Big Dog.

  The fat son of a whore flinched the instant their eyes met, his pupils widening as the color drained from his face. Joe wanted nothing more than to smash his fist into the bastard’s face, to feel bone give beneath his knuckles. But there was something more urgent he needed to handle first.

  He drew in a couple of slow breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

  “And the winner of the Inter Prison Section Elite Tournament is… Inmate Joe of the East Section!” The announcer’s voice thundered through the hall, snapping the crowd out of their stunned silence as they erupted into deafening cheers for the victor.

  “Did you see that? He dropped four elites with a single strike each and won in less than ten seconds.” An inmate spoke to his friend, shock and disbelief clear in his voice as he struggled to process what he had just witnessed.

  “Yeah, it’s insane. People were calling him the weakest before the tournament.” Another prisoner replied, equally astonished. He had been certain Breaker would take the win because of his overwhelming strength, but Joe dismantled him so effortlessly that he looked no more threatening than a noisy fly. The man still felt as though he were dreaming despite watching the fight unfold with his own eyes.

  “Who the hell is he?” inmates from the other sections muttered among themselves. None of them had ever seen or heard of Joe before this moment.

  “I don’t know, but I can tell you this much. He’s an absolute monster. I thought Reaper was going to win the whole thing.” Another inmate spoke, frustrated that he had expected to witness Reaper claim victory. When Reaper had won the Battle Royal from his section in three seconds without even moving a muscle, it had seemed like a guaranteed win. No one expected the East Section to produce someone this terrifying.

  “Oh please, Reaper?” another inmate scoffed. “That piece of shit pissed himself before he was even struck. His loss didn’t just embarrass him. It trashed his entire section’s reputation. Now they’re all known as pussies.”

  The other prisoner could not deny it and only sighed in defeat.

  “And here I was thinking Chase would win because of his speed, but compared to Joe he’s no different from a statue. His title was nothing but a sham.” Another inmate spoke, impressed by the East Section champion yet disappointed in his own section mate’s performance.

  “Does anyone know what that nerd was doing in the ring? He nearly killed the whole atmosphere.” An inmate asked, confused about how Lars had even made it to the final four.

  “Who even is he?” a man who had never heard of Lars before questioned.

  “Who cares? That guy Joe is the real deal.”

  The prisoners continued talking among themselves, all of them still trying to grasp what had unfolded before their eyes. Each spectator silently vowed never to cross the man known as Joe. They would remember this moment for the rest of their lives. Admiration filled their faces as Joe secured the respect of the entire prison.

  “As the winner of the tournament, Joe will now have the opportunity to challenge his Section King, the invincible Big Dog!” The crowd erupted at the announcement. “And should he emerge victorious, he will not only claim the title of King for himself, but also earn the chance to battle the other Kings in an ultimate battle royal.”

  “Ultimate battle royal?” inmates murmured among themselves, hearing of such a thing for the first time.

  “A fight with all four Kings? That sounds insane!” Another inmate could barely contain his excitement.

  As the chatter continued to ripple through the hall, the announcer spoke again, drawing everyone’s attention. “The winner of the ultimate battle royal will earn the right to become the left hand man of the Emperor himself, Ace!”

  “What? No way. The Emperor’s left hand? Why haven’t we heard about this before?” another inmate exclaimed, sparking a fresh wave of heated discussion over the shocking reveal.

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  “Let’s now hear a few words from our champion, Joe!”

  At the announcer’s cue, a circular panel at the center of the stage slid open with a mechanical whir. A short metal pillar rose from the gap, about a meter high, stopping a few steps from Joe with a speaker mounted neatly on top.

  Joe approached it, but instead of picking up the speaker, he ignored it entirely. He stepped past the platform and strode toward the area where the Four Kings sat.

  A hush fell over the hall.

  He leapt down from the stage and stopped a meter away from them. But rather than address the Kings as expected, Joe shifted his gaze to Shelly.

  “Let’s go. I need to talk to you.” His tone was calm, steady, leaving no room for argument.

  Shelly’s brows lifted in surprise. A second later she turned her face away, shame flickering across her features.

  “Hey, if you’re going to talk to my girl, you’ll need my permission.” Big Dog spoke up, trying to lace his voice with authority, but it still trembled.

  Joe looked at him.

  The fat king stiffened under that stare.

  “Well? Can I?” Joe asked coldly, as if Big Dog’s answer meant nothing to him.

  Big Dog swallowed. He still believed he was stronger, yet beneath Joe’s crushing gaze his confidence wavered. It felt as though a single refusal would provoke the boy to tear his heart straight from his chest. The thought sent a chill crawling down his spine.

  “S-Sure…” he forced out, managing a strained smile.

  Joe turned back to Shelly. “Let’s go.”

  She did not respond. Her eyes remained averted.

  Joe exhaled sharply and closed the distance between them. He seized her wrist, startling her into looking up at him wide eyed. Without a word, he turned and began walking, dragging her along.

  “Hey, what are you doing? Stop it. Let go of me!” Shelly protested, tugging against his grip.

  Joe remained silent, his expression unreadable. His hold was iron tight, her arm refusing to budge no matter how hard she pulled. He ignored her protests as if they were nothing more than background noise and continued dragging her away.

  Big Dog exhaled deeply, relief washing over him as Joe walked away. It felt as though an oppressive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He wiped his forehead and realized he had been sweating without noticing. Even his back was slick, and his heart continued to pound relentlessly against his ribs.

  ‘What’s wrong with me? That bastard is just another weakling.’ He tried to steady himself, irritated by the dread that had crept into him under Joe’s gaze.

  “Are you really going to let him take your girl like that?” Carl asked, glancing at Big Dog before drawing from his blunt.

  “He can do whatever he wants with that bitch. I don’t give a fuck.” Big Dog’s voice was thick with resentment.

  “That boy isn’t just strong, he’s cute too. Why didn’t you tell me you had someone like that in your section, sweetie?” Merry said, sounding openly charmed.

  “Even I didn’t expect him to be that powerful. That bastard was hiding his strength.” Big Dog replied darkly, his eyes locked on Joe’s back.

  “What? Where’s he going?”

  “Isn’t he supposed to give a speech?”

  Confusion spread through the hall as inmates watched Joe and Shelly disappear into the tunnel.

  “Let go of—”

  Joe cut her off by slamming her against the wall. Shelly froze, shock flashing across her face.

  “Sit.” Joe pointed to the ground with his finger.

  Taken aback by the cold authority in his tone, Shelly did not argue. She slid down the wall and sat on the cold stone floor.

  Joe reached into his pocket and pulled out a small container of ointment before crouching in front of her. “I’m sorry,” he said gently as he opened it and smeared a small amount onto his finger.

  “What?” Shelly blinked, confused.

  “It’s my fault. I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance. Now you’re hurt because of me.” His jaw tightened. “Don’t worry. I’ll fix it.”

  He pressed his finger to the wound around her eye. Shelly winced.

  “Sorry,” he murmured, easing his touch as he carefully spread the ointment across her bruised skin.

  “You don’t have to do this. I’m fine. I can handle myself. I don’t need you fighting my battles.”

  Joe said nothing. He continued applying the ointment with steady focus.

  “Hey. Are you even listening to me?” she complained when he ignored her.

  He finished and leaned back slightly, meeting her eyes with a warm smile. “There. That should help with the swelling.” He rose to his feet. “Sit tight. I’ll be back.” He flashed her a grin before turning and heading toward the hall.

  Shelly’s heart fluttered violently in her chest. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she watched him disappear.

  When Joe stepped back into the hall, murmurs rippled through the crowd.

  “He’s back.”

  “Finally. Just give the speech already. I’m exhausted.”

  “I wonder what he’s going to say.”

  Joe ignored the pillar holding the speaker and walked straight toward the Kings.

  “Hey, where’s Shel—”

  Joe’s fist smashed into Big Dog’s face, silencing him mid sentence. He grabbed him by the collar, hauled him out of his seat, and hurled his massive body into the ring. Big Dog crashed into the metal pillar, snapping it clean in half before tumbling across the stage.

  Joe stepped calmly into the ring.

  The hall fell silent, stunned that a King had just been assaulted in front of everyone.

  Big Dog staggered upright. “What the fuck do you think you’re—”

  Another punch slammed into his face. Joe followed with a brutal barrage, fists hammering into his body and jaw without pause.

  Yet something felt wrong.

  Instead of the sharp crunch of bone he was used to, his strikes felt muted, as if he were punching into thick padding.

  Big Dog suddenly drove his knee into Joe’s midsection. The impact forced Joe backward, sliding across the floor and creating distance between them.

  “Do you have any idea who you’re fucking with, you bastard?” Big Dog roared, fury twisting his features.

  Joe’s eyes widened slightly. Despite the flurry of blows he had landed, Big Dog looked untouched. No broken nose. No shattered teeth. Not even a bruise. It was as though he had never been hit.

  ‘What the hell?’

  Big Dog caught the look on his face and smirked. “You’ve noticed, haven’t you? Your attacks don’t do shit to me.” He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck as confidence poured back into his stance. “I’ll make you regret laying a hand on me. I’ll show you what it means to be invincible.”