Chapter 90: Thrashing Senior
Solomon immediately closed the distance and abandoned his defensive strategy to launch a relentless offensive. Using Basic Footwork, he pivoted to Marco’s blind side, which left Marco entirely exposed.
Marco swung his right blade to intercept the attack. Solomon raised his left forearm, allowing the silver aura to act as a solid shield. The crimson steel crashed against the glowing fists and sent sparks scattering across the tiles.
Solomon stepped directly into the opening to drive a right hook into Marco’s stomach. Marco gasped and folded forward. Solomon quickly transitioned to Basic Grappling, grabbing Marco’s collar to deliver a knee strike directly to his chest.
Marco tumbled violently across the stone floor.
[GamerGuy]: pure stunlock! bro is treating him like a tutorial boss!
[1Fizzy]: punch his swords. break them.
[User12]: solo man is absolutely destroying him right now.
Marco pushed himself off the ground and channeled every ounce of his remaining aura into his twin shortswords. The crimson glow expanded to entirely engulf his forearms. Marco charged at Solomon with reckless speed and unleashed a chaotic flurry of slashes. Pushing his physical limits, Marco attacked from multiple unpredictable angles.
Solomon seamlessly blended Basic Boxing and Basic Evasion to weave through the glowing blades. He parried a thrust with his glowing fist and sidestepped a sweeping arc.
"I originally planned to punch you exactly three times for yelling at Jasmine," Solomon said while slipping past another horizontal slash. "You scared my little sister. I was going to pay you back for that."
Marco gritted his teeth and drove both blades downward in a vicious cross-slash. Solomon raised his crossed arms and caught the twin weapons against his silver aura.
"Suggesting a sanctioned duel was a massive mistake on your part," Solomon continued. He shoved the blades upward to break Marco’s guard completely. "Now I can punch you as many times as I want."
[GoonLord] gifted 500 Points: HE IS DEFENDING HIS SISTER!!! PROTECT THE FAMILY AT ALL COSTS!!!
[LazyCat]: lmao marco literally asked for this beating.
[BloodKnight] gifted 2000 Points: A true warrior always avenges an insult to his kin. Break his foundation.
[Skeptic101]: nobody blocks swords with bare hands. he is definitely cheating.
Solomon lashed out with a quick jab. The silver aura connected directly with Marco’s jaw. Marco spun from the impact and slashed blindly with his left sword. The blade grazed Solomon’s shoulder and sparked brightly against the protective energy.
Solomon stepped forward and drove a punishing hook into Marco’s ribs. The impact echoed through the arena and forced Marco to drop one of his shortswords as he fell to his knees.
Marco scrambled backward across the tiles. He abandoned his dropped weapon and gripped his single remaining shortsword with both hands. He slashed blindly upward to create some distance between them.
Solomon vaulted right over the glowing blade using Basic Acrobatics. He planted his boots onto the stone floor and immediately executed a devastating spinning heel kick. His foot slammed directly into Marco’s side.
Marco flew across the ring and crashed against the invisible arena barrier.
[BloodKnight]: Excellent pivot. A flawless execution of fundamental strikes.
[LazyCat]: marco is fighting for his life right now lmao.
[User12]: solo man needs to teach a martial arts class.
[1Fizzy]: kick him again.
Marco groaned and tried to push himself upright. His crimson aura flickered erratically before completely vanishing from the metal blade.
Solomon walked forward and grabbed the upperclassman by the collar of his uniform. He hauled Marco to his feet and delivered a right cross directly to his cheek.
Marco’s head snapped backward from the impact. Solomon released his grip and followed up with a knee strike to Marco’s ribs, chaining it smoothly into a left hook. Marco stumbled sideways and entirely dropped his sword.
Marco swayed dangerously on his feet. Bright stars exploded across his vision. The overwhelming physical pain entirely shattered his focus. His surroundings faded away, replaced by a sudden, vivid memory from his past.
A young girl with peachy pink hair looked up at him. She offered a warm, innocent smile that radiated absolute trust. It was his little sister. Her cheerful expression mirrored the exact same innocent curiosity Jasmine had shown earlier that day.
Solomon stepped into Marco’s guard and pulled his glowing silver fist back for a final strike.
Marco watched the fist hurtle toward his face. The beautiful image of the smiling young girl instantly twisted into a horrifying nightmare.
Marco felt the phantom weight of a small, lifeless body resting in his arms. He recalled the absolute despair of holding his dead little sister while his childhood home burned to the ground.
Solomon’s fist connected perfectly with Marco’s jaw.
The force of the blow instantly knocked Marco out. His eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed onto the stone floor in a motionless heap.
[GoonLord] gifted 1000 Points: YOU AVENGED HER!!! BEST BROTHER EVER!!!
[Skeptic101]: marco literally threw the match. so fake.
[GamerGuy]: KO! flawless victory!
The referee immediately stepped forward and raised his hand to officially signal the end of the match.
Solomon stood over Marco’s unconscious body. The silver aura entirely faded from his fists and retreated back into his core. He looked down at the defeated student.
"You claimed curiosity gets people killed," Solomon said. "Living exactly the way the world expects you to live is the real death sentence. Curiosity simply forces you to acquire the strength necessary to survive the answers."
The referee tapped the glowing screen of his tablet. The invisible barrier surrounding the combat ring immediately dissolved.
Kira and Jax sprinted across the arena floor and rushed directly to their fallen teammate. Kira dropped to her knees beside Marco and quickly checked his pulse. Jax stepped in front of her to physically block Solomon from moving any closer.
Jax kept his fists clenched at his sides. He clearly hated the brutal outcome, yet he offered no verbal argument. He knew perfectly well Marco had demanded this exact confrontation.
"We need a medical team down here!" Kira yelled toward the sidelines.
The spectator stands erupted into absolute chaos. Thousands of students screamed from the bleachers. Many viewers cheered wildly for the incredible upset. Others gripped their heads in pure despair over their ruined finances.
"I just lost my entire monthly allowance!" a student yelled from the front row.
"How did he block swords with his bare hands?!" another spectator shouted in absolute disbelief.
A loud electronic chime echoed across the stadium. The academy network finalized the gambling pool and automatically distributed the digital points. Massive holographic screens above the ring flashed with the updated wagers.
Since the vast majority of the audience had bet heavily on Marco, the payout for Solomon’s supporters yielded massive returns.
[User12]: WE ARE RICH!!! BRO ACTUALLY DID IT!!!
[LazyCat]: lmao everyone in the stands is literally crying over their lost points.
[BloodKnight]: A well-deserved victory. You controlled the entire pace of the engagement.
[GamerGuy]: max level loot drop! the payout multiplier is insane!
[1Fizzy]: I wish I had bet more lol.
[Skeptic101]: this whole academy is rigged. i am reporting this stream.
[GoonLord] gifted 2000 Points: YOU SECURED THE FAMILY HONOR!!!
Solomon checked his digital student account on his tablet. The numbers skyrocketed as his share of the winning bets flooded his balance. He turned his back on Marco, Jax, and Kira to walk calmly toward the arena exit.
