Almost a dozen men, none of whom were contestants or fighters, stepped into the room one by one. Their eyes locked onto Kendrick, filled with fire and fury, as if they were ready to tear him apart. The tension in the air thickened. These men were not here for conversation. They were here to fight. Maybe even kill.
The fighter stepped forward and pointed at Kendrick with narrowed eyes.
"Give it back to me," he demanded, his tone heavy with threat.
Kendrick took a slow step back, the corners of his lips curling into a smirk. His calmness only made the atmosphere more dangerous. A fight was bound to happen. If Eclipse were here, she would have loved every second of this.
Seeing that smirk, the fighter’s face twisted in irritation. Without a word, he gestured to the men around him, signaling them to capture Kendrick.
The moment they surrounded him, ready to strike, five others suddenly burst into the room. They were not part of the group. These were the same five men Zephany had secretly assigned to protect Kendrick. They had been following him in silence, waiting for the right moment.
But before they could move, Kendrick made his move first.
He rushed forward with lightning speed, his movements sharp and precise. His fist landed straight into the chest of the first man, sending him flying backward into the wall. In a blink, he spun and elbowed another man’s jaw, then delivered a punch to a third man’s gut. The trio collapsed in pain.
Another came at him swinging a baton, but Kendrick caught the weapon mid-air, twisted the man’s wrist until it snapped, then slammed him against two others charging toward him. One by one, they all fell.
Even the five men who came to help were caught in the storm. They tried to step in, but Kendrick’s power was too overwhelming. They, too, were knocked down to the floor, groaning in pain, unable to keep up.
The entire room was filled with wails and groans. Men laid across the floor, shocked and breathless. Kendrick stood at the center, calm, untouched. His presence was terrifying, like a demon that had surfaced from the depths of the underworld. His aura was so powerful, it felt like it was eating away at their very souls.
Kendrick walked slowly toward the original fighter, whose legs were now trembling.
"No. No. Do not come any closer," the man stuttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "You... You are a devil."
He fell to his knees, looking up at Kendrick in fear.
He could not understand it. Those men were enhanced, stronger than average humans. Yet Kendrick defeated all of them in just a few minutes. A normal human would not be able to defeat even one of them within an hour. But Kendrick made it look easy. Impossible. He was a devil in disguise.
Kendrick crouched down and looked him in the eye.
"Would you still want it?" he asked.
The fighter quickly shook his head, voice trembling.
"You can keep it. You can keep it."
Kendrick patted his head like a child and said coldly,
"Good. Good."
The five men who had been assigned to protect him lay on the ground, stunned and groaning. Their eyes were wide with disbelief.
Why did Miss Zephany ask them to protect this man?
This Kendrick did not need anyone’s protection. If anything, they were the ones who needed to be protected from him. No, not just him. Even Zephany. The two of them were monsters in human skin. Their presence alone was suffocating. Their aura was too strong, too overwhelming. It felt like it could swallow their souls whole.
Kendrick suddenly looked at them and narrowed his eyes.
"You?"
One of the five men quickly raised a hand in panic.
"We do not know them. We are not with them. We were sent to protect you, but... it seems like it is the other way around."
The intensity in Kendrick’s expression slowly faded, replaced with a blank, unreadable look.
He needed protection? From whom?
The five men exchanged glances, unsure what to say. Should they tell him? Could they even hide it from someone like him?
One of them finally gathered the courage to speak.
"Miss Zephany asked us to protect you."
As soon as he heard her name, something shifted in Kendrick. A faint smile pulled at the corner of his lips.
Zephany. His wife. She was worried about him?
He did not expect that. But why would she care?
Then it hit him. She must have thought some of the fighters tonight would target him, knowing his background as a former martial arts champion. Maybe she thought he would get cornered.
A wave of warmth passed through him.
He suddenly wanted to go back to Zephany’s side.
He looked at the five men and spoke firmly.
"Do not tell Zephany about this."
His voice was low and cold.
They gulped and nodded quickly, not daring to question him.
Kendrick turned to leave the room. But just before stepping out, he paused and looked back.
His gaze swept across the beaten men. Silent and frozen, they did not dare breathe too loud, terrified that he might change his mind and come back. His stare alone was enough to warn them to stay down.
He looked back at the five men and said,
"Follow me."
They forced themselves up and followed him, their bodies sore and bruised.
Once outside, Kendrick locked the door, then turned to them again.
"Keep an eye on them. Do not let them leave. I have a gift for them."
Then without another word, Kendrick walked away with a smile on his face. He was heading back to the main stadium.
He could not stop thinking about Zephany.
For the first time outside of his family, he felt what it was like to be cared for. To be protected. That small gesture from her meant something. It warmed something in him that he had long buried.
Now, more than ever, he found himself curious about his so-called wife.
She was full of surprises.