Sanctuary Agency

〘Date: 2/10 - Sunday〙

〘Time: 11:30 AM〙

〘Location: Texas, San Antonio - Trinity Valley Dormitory〙

I began to storm my way down the halls, shoving everyone who stood in my way to the side, faint red lightning crackling around my hair, causing a few strands to stand. Behind me, Jade hesitantly rushed after me, apologizing to the few students who were pushed.

"Ryder!" Jade called out, hurrying after me and grabbing my wrist to stop me.

I grunted heavily as I pushed her off me, my back facing her as I stopped in my tracks. "Leave me alone, Jade...right now, I am not myself and I'm on the verge of snapping. I don't want to hurt you..."

Jade gulped lightly, taking a step back but her own conscious stopped her. Her heart began to beat faster, she began to bite her lip nervously, her gaze locking onto me. "I...I feel bad. I shouldn't have shown you that video...I should've—"

"Don't blame yourself, Jade. I chose to watch the video and I am now processing my response. But for now...just leave me alone," I said coldly, walking away from her to retreat to my own dorm.

Jade stood still in the halls, watching my retreating figure and listened to the soft whispers amongst her peers behind her. She let out a nervous hum, backing away slowly then quickly retreated back to her down, lowering her head to hide her face.

Matt heard the door close and looked up from his phone, noticing me walking into the room. He got off his bed, noticing my furious expression then walked toward me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Ry..."

I stopped, standing in front of Matt with my head held low, my fists at my sides balled up until the veins were noticable. "Answer me this one question Matt...Tony is the King of TVU currently, so do you acknowledge him?"

Matt understood the purpose of my question, having watched Tony's video then closed his eyes. He sighed deeply, raising his head and scratched the side of his head. "Ry...you know I'm a member of the Student Council as the Football Captain. I have to acknowledge him...but you're my brother and I will do anything for you."

I shook my head slowly, reaching up and to Matt and gently held his cheeks, similar to how the Sola Tribe would accept a close outsider into the tribe. I brought his forehead to mine, closing my eyes. "It's not good enough anymore..."

"Now, I need you to acknowledge me...I am done hiding, I'm done running. I have to make my stand now, and a new King needs an army. I love you, Matt, so that's why...I need you to see me at the schools underground fight club. So you can Acknowledge Me," I declared, pulling away from Matt then placed my hand on his shoulder.

Matt opened his eyes, staring at me with a bittersweet smile, understanding what I can doing. He noticed the faint glow of my tattoos, his eyes studying their unique designs. "Alright...and if you win, I will quit the council to join you."

I stared at Matt, noticing he had a sudden fire in his eyes and a resolute gaze. I could tell he knew he wasn't winning the fight, but he agreed out of the pure bond we shared. "Right...I'll see you in an hour..."

Matt watched as I walked away to the bathroom, his heart weighing heavy in his chest. He walked toward his bed, sitting down on it and grabbed his phone to make a call, putting it on speaker. "Yo, Terry...I need a favor from you.."

I set my phone down upon the countertop of the sink, turning the water on and splashing a bit of water on my face. I looked up at the mirror, my eyes filled with unshed tears, the scene of Tony burning a picture of Haku playing over and over in my head.

Phroa materialized next to me, placing her small hand upon my shoulder. "Master...are you sure you want to fight Matt? Don't you consider him a brother?"

"It's because he's my brother that I have to do this...if people don't realize how shit of a guy Tony is now, I will make them see. However, I can't do it alone... and I'm tired of asking for respect. You know, The Fortune was right...if I want something...I will take it," I declared, my gaze never leaving my reflection.

"Master, you—" Phroa began, covering her mouth in shock.

"Not in that way. I won't ruthlessly force people to recognize me as their King. I need people to recognize how a true King should move, how a real King should speak, should act...and I have a tool no other has real access to," I said, looking down at the back of my phone, the Love Sigil on the back gently glowing.

Phroa looked down at the back of my phone case as well, a small smile forming on her lips. "Hm..~ The Art of Love...that is true. But, you can't use such arts irrationally..."

I nodded and looked back at myself in the mirror, my eyes glowing with pure ambition. "I know...but now, I'm ready to tackle an art that drives a Pawn into battle. The Art of Ambition..."

Phroa looked at me with a bit of excitement in her eyes, a soft melodic hum sounding from her throat. "The Art of Ambition..~ Alright, The Art of Ambition is a tough Art to master taken that overtime, your own ambition can backfire just like every other art has their drawbacks."

"I already know this. After all, I am my father's son. And just like him, I will rise beyond my adversaries...where there is Love, there is War. I can't find balance if I can't feel both Peace and War, and Ambition requires both," I said, turning to face Phroa and meet her gaze.

"Make the Mission...At 1 PM, I will have my fight with Matt and have him recognize me as the new King. And I won't stop until he stands fully with me. There's no more standing by me in private and acknowledging Tony in public," I continued, reaching out to gently fix her hair and gently held her in the palms of my hands.

"It's either they stand beside me fully and acknowledge me, or stand beside Tony and fall with his empire. Can you make the mission?" I finished, patiently waiting for Phroa's answers.

"Master, you know I will always stand with you no matter what. Plus, disrespecting your family is like disrespecting my predecessors, Lust-E and Suru! So as your partner, I will help you by making the mission!" Phroa agreed, nodding her head and meeting my gaze with her own determined look.

I nodded at her response, giving her a warm smile then allowed her to float in the air once more. "Alright, let's get ready for our fight."

〔Art of Ambition - Rising King〕

〔New Main Objective: Defeat Matt.〕

〔Task: Make Matt acknowledge you as the King of Trinity Valley.〕

〔Reward: Credi +3000, Ambition EXP +500〕

With that, I began to prepare for the events to come ahead. Before taking my shower, I decided to text Daphne to push back our outing to 5 PM and she agreed, informing me Juliet had important business to tend to which would hold her up as well.

With everything finally set and stone, all there was left to do was to mentally and physically prepare myself. I knew Matt was a rather strong individual with exceptional speed and power, so instead of going into the match with wrath, I decided to meditate with a bath, calming my mind and spirit.

〘Date: 2/10 - Sunday〙

〘Time: 12:50 PM〙

〘Location: Texas, San Antonio - Trinity Valley University: Valley Octagon〙

The time of the fight came around, most of the students of the campus showing up to watch the match between me and Matt. Journalist of the student body spent the hour promoting the fight, this fight making the headlines.

I sat in the locker room, looking at the headline on my phone. I scoffed lightly at the title, the corners of my mouth twitching as I read through the headline. "The Quiet Kid's Outburst, like are they kidding right now? I mean...how stupid can they really be to keep pushing me like this? Tony started this..."

〔Phroa: Yeah, this is outrageous...but focus on why we are here. To recruit Matt into your crew!〕

I nodded, lowering my head to look at the fingerless black gauntlet on my right hand. "Right..."

Soon, a knock sounded on the door, a head peeking through to look into the room. I looked up, noticing Jade at the door. Jade met my gaze hesitantly, gulping lightly and slipping into the room.

"Uhm...Allie, Paris, and Hannah are also in the stands. We came to support you... Look, I want to say I'm sorry for all of this. I really should've just listened to my instincts, but...part of me is glad that you saw it," Jade apologized, her head held low as she gently fidgeted with her cross necklace.

I walked to Jade, gently raising her head by her chin and gave her a warm smile. "It isn't your fault Jade...I needed to see that. The motivation to finally stand up. This is my chance...to fix this university."

Jade met my gaze, her tense body slightly relaxing as she began to listen to me. She didn't retreat from my gentle touch, her body subtly leaning more into it. "You aren't mad at me..?"

I shook my head and gave her a soft chuckle, letting go of her chin. "I'm not mad at you...but if you do want to make it up to me, I'm free after this until 5 PM," I offered, walking past her to leave the locker room.

Jade's cheeks slightly heated up, becoming a soft pink hue at my offer for her to go out with me. She slightly lowered her head, a soft smile curling on her lips. She cleared her throat softly, turning around to follow me out of the locker room as well.

〔Bond with Jade increased!〕

〔Date with Jade possible!〕

The crowd's cheering filled the underground stadium, their anticipation for the match reaching all time highs. Soon, my entrance music began to play, the crowd cheering from their excitement for the match to begin. The music playing was regal, intense, a song that was fit for a Rising King.

Allie looked watched the entrance, waiting for me to come out and glanced over at Paris and Hannah, who were also waiting for me. She turned her head, gasping softly as she noticed me walking out. "There he is!"

"Whoa...he looks intense...and insanely hot shirtless," Hannah complimented, purring softly as her eyes scanned my figure.

"Oh and you're the same girl who said you didn't see what we did," Paris teased, giggling softly at Hannah and continued to watch me walk down the ramp.

Matt leaned back against the ropes of the octagon ring, watching as I approached the ring. A smile formed on his face, his excitement to face me in a match peaking through the roof. "So, I guess I finally get to see the real Ryder huh?"

I slowly entered the ring, my gaze never leaving Matt's. I glanced over at the referee and the announcer then looked around the stadium at the crowd. "Not only will you see the real me...but everyone here will also."

The stage was finally set, me vs. Matt inside the Valley Octagon. The atmosphere within the ring was intense, the energy around us electrifying. Matt hopped up and down, energizing his body for the fight and kept an excited smile on his face.

I kept my gaze on Matt, slightly adjusting my gauntlet with a calm expression. I focused only on my goal, to defeat Matt and free him from the clutches of corruption.

The bell rang three times, the announcer holding up the microphone to her mouth. "This following contest is scheduled for one fall! The opponent, the man who stays to himself weighing in at 210 pounds, Ryder Dawn!"

There were a scattered few cheers within the crowd, mainly coming from Allie, Jade, Hannah, and Paris, but no pop came from the stadium. I wasn't expecting too much of a pop taken this was my first match, so I just kept a steady expression.

"And the—"

"Hold it there, Samantha. We all know who Matt is," Another voice sounded from within the stadium.

Matt and I immediately recognized the voice, our eyes scanning everywhere to find the source. As we searched, we both noticed at the top of the staircase within the crowd, stood Tony and a few of his friends.

Tony chuckled softly as he watched the two of us, holding up his microphone again. "Matt, you taking this challenge means you know what's in stake, but let's make it more intense. You think you can lose and acknowledge a false king and still hold my benefits?"

"No, no, Matt. Here's the thing, if you lose this fight and acknowledge him, you will be barred from all protection and benefits that you receive from me. That house you have? It will be gone! You and your sister can go back to the Bexar Province again to live with your redhead trailer mother," Tony threatened, looking down at the ring with dominance and arrogance.

After his threat to Matt, a few boos began to sound from different parts of the crowd. His threat began to cause an outrage, a few people who weren't already cool with him now beginning to hate him.

Matt lowered his head, wiping his face and closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. He knew he wanted to ultimately join my side, but he needed Tony's protection and benefits to continue to take care of his sister.

"The choice is yours, Matt. Join his side and crumble to the ground with him, or beat his ass here and continue being a mega star! Ring the bell!" Tony laughed, dropping the microphone and walking away with pure arrogance.

The boos only grew louder at the end of his interruption, the bell ringing shortly after his command. I watched as his walked off, my eyes glowing softly, my gaze oozing with animosity. Turning to Matt, I could see he was stuck between the crossroads, but my mind was set.

I had to break Matt out of Tony's hold. I absolutely needed to for my friend...and brother for life.

The two of us began to pace around the ring, sizing each other up for a moment. Matt stared at me with a hint of conflict in his eyes, his own soul torn between two sides. I eyed Matt up and down, reading his body language carefully.

"I'm sorry, Ryder...but this is bigger than me now. I can't lose everything I have right now...maybe sometime down the road, we can try again," Matt said, stopping at a corner of the ring and met my gaze somberly. "Now, let's go.."

I stopped at a corner as well, rubbing my wrists gently, my gaze never leaving his. Without a word, I began marching toward him with purpose, adrenaline beginning to course through my veins. Matt also began to march toward me, meeting me at the center of the ring with a reluctant determination in his eyes.

The two of us grappled each other, locking up at the center of the ring. Matt groaned as my grip on him was stronger than he imagined, grunting as I began to drive him into the corner against the turnbuckle. I stared at him with a calm, yet angered expression, Matt grunting softly as he tried to break out of my hold.

"Hey, that's enough! Get him out of the corner," The referee exclaimed, beginning to count shortly after his warning.

One he made it to three, I gradually let go of Matt, shoving his hand down. The two of us stared at each other for a moment, the crowd's cheering slowly drowning by the thick emotions between me and Matt at the moment.

Matt began to slowly walk out of the corner, keeping his gaze upon me and shook his arms to get rid of any goosebumps he had. I turned around to face Matt, moving strands of my hair from my face.

"Is it me...or does Ryder seem more serious than normal..?" Hannah whispered to Paris and the others, silently chewing on rope candy.

"Yeah, I can definitely feel a shift in his energy. After all, his own reputation and his best friend's alliance is on the line," Paris replied, gently shaking her leg out of nervousness.

Matt and I had another staredown, the two of us sizing up one another one more before locking up in the middle once more. Just like the first test of strength, I began to drive him into the corner once more. With a great amount of strength, I grappled onto Matt, throwing him along the ring.

The crowd let out collective, "ohhs" as Matt rolled across the matt, recovering onto his feet and stumbling at a corner. Matt got off the ropes, panting softly and holding his elbow, his gaze never leaving mine.

I paced around the ring, adjusting my gauntlet and eyeing Matt up and down once again. I shook my head at him, the corner of my lip twitching with annoyance. "Just weak.."

"Nah, you just don't get it bro. It's not as easy to start a revolution as you're making it sound," Matt retorted, pacing around the ring as well.

"You know you always have a spot in my family with my biological mom and godmothers. It is always said that a man's true colors are shown when they are the most desperate," I responded, continuing to pace around the ring.

"Man, you're acting like we won't still be brothers even after this," Matt huffed, continuing his tracks around the octagon.

"We are still gonna be brothers after this! Man, enough talking, let's go!" Matt exasperated, getting into his stance and pulling his pants legs up slightly.

The two of us rushed toward each other, locking up in the middle once more. I began winning the test of strength for the third time, driving him into another corner. Once he was in the corner, I grabbed his arm, slinging him toward another across the ring.

Matt stopped himself at the corner, using his athleticism and the ropes to boost himself over my charge, landing behind me. He clapped his hands, counting to four with his fingers and held it up, getting a pop from the crowd.

I turned around slowly, the adrenaline in my veins starting to pump even harder. I moved a few strands of my hair from my face, staring at Matt with a mix of impress and annoyance.

I began to march toward Matt once again, preparing to grapple him once again, but Matt slipped under my attempt, grappling me from behind. I grunted within his hold, his experience as a football player allowing him great strength.

I wasn't going to let him get the upper hand, grabbing his wrists and breaking from his hold and getting behind him and wrapping my arms around his waist. I lifted him up going for a german suplex, but Matt resisted by kicking his feet.

"You ain't...getting me!" Matt grunted, panting his feet back onto the mat.

I began to drive him into another corner chest first, grabbing his shoulder and side, grunting and I threw him across the ring once again, the crowd exclaiming as Matt rolled along the mat. Matt slipped out of the ring from the bottom rope, panting softly and pulling his pants up.

"You got this, Matt!" One guy cheered from the crowd, patting him on his back.

"Go, Matt!" Another cheered loudly, her tone filled with excitement and energy.

"Matt's definitely feeling the pressure from Ryder...Ryder has been calm and calculated this entire time, and yet the others don't see a complete dismantling in the process," Jade commented, her hands gently fidgeting with the zipper of her jacket.

Allie nodded, her eyes never leaving the match with a nervous gaze. "That's because you're seeing a different Ryder entirely. This is the Moji side of him coming out.."

I continued watching Matt pace around the outside of the ring while the referee counted to ten for Matt to return into the ring. "You can't play both sides here. How you gonna call yourself my brother, say you're family and side with the one bastard who disrespected us, huh?"

"This is my livelihood, man! You are still gonna be my brother, mahoe," Matt said, looking up at me from the ringside, trying to get me to see his side.

"You don't get to call me that...until you get in here and acknowledge me," I said, cutting the small talk short and moved my fingers in preparation.

Matt let out a frustrated huff, pacing back and forth for a moment. The referee's count reached seven, causing Matt to rush forward and hop upon the side of the ring. I rushed toward Matt to strike him, but he countered my attack by driving his shoulder into my midsection.

I groaned softly in slight pain, stumbling backwards. Matt entered inside the ring, the cheers of the crowd fueling his adrenaline and strength. He struck my cheek with a powerful right hand with an exclamation, staggering me slightly. He struck me again, stunning me once more with a stinging slap.

"Yessir, let's get it!" Matt shouted, grabbing my arm and pushing me toward the rope.

He tried to swing me to the other side, but I countered by sending him to the ropes. Matt rebounded back, running toward the other side to build momentum. I tried to catch him with a closeline mid route, but he ducked under my attack and rebounded off the other side.

As he charged toward me for a tackled, I intercepted with a devastating leaping closeline, driving my forearm across his collarbone and sending him down onto the mat. The crowd roared from the devastating attack, the stadium a mix of cheers and boos.

I stood up over Matt as the referee began to count to ten, looking down at him and adjusting my gauntlet. "There ain't no neutral game no more. You have false protection with Tony. You know the right path..."

Matt grunted softly as he slowly began to recover onto one knee at the count of five, using the second rope as support, stopping the referee's count. He coughed lightly, letting out a soft groan as he recovered the wind back into his body.

I walked toward Matt, grabbed him by his hair and picking him up. Matt turned around in my grasp with a powerful slap, the impact sounding out and causing the crowd to exclaim loudly. I rubbed my jaw lightly, my tattoos briefly glowing red in response.

Immediately, I countered back with my own slap, the sound even louder than Matt's and completely knocking him down. Matt grunted as he slowly recovered onto one knee, letting out soft groans of pain from his stinging cheek.

"You already know the situation, and yet...you choose to remain complacent?" I asked, looking down at Matt with disappointment.

Matt heard the crowd chanting his name, his supporters fueling him to keep making a fight. "It's not just about me...but about my supporters, their dreams to see me rise. It's not just about loyalty!"

Matt rose up with a strong uppercut, but I leaned back, perfectly dodging his strike. His eyes slowly widened, time seemingly slowing down for him. 'What..? Has he always been able to—'

I countered with a powerful right hook, sending him into a daze then grabbed his arm and swinging him to the ropes. Matt rebounded off the ropes, running back toward me. I leaned down to grab him for a powerslam, but Matt kicked my face, causing me to lean back upward.

With the crowd roaring for him, Matt began to rally, building up the strength he needed to make a comeback. He landed a kick to my midsection, causing me to hunch over in pain then delivered a swift left hook to knock me back.

I stumbled backwards against the ropes, leaning back to slingshot my way back toward Matt at full speed, surprising him. I leaped forward, driving my shoulder into his midsection and to the mat, standing up with a pop of my own.

The entire stadium was filled with roars and boos all around, the sounds of whistles bleeding through the collective exclaims. Allie, Paris, Jade, and Hannah also cheered within the crowd, surprised by my shutdown yet again.

"I told y'all what I gonna do to everyone who is apart of Queen Tony's kingdom! I'm gonna smash everyone!" I exclaimed, pacing around the ring as the referee counted in the background.

Matt groaned softly in pain, clutching his stomach and coughing heavily. He began to crawl toward a corner, propping himself up and recovering, stopping the referee's count at 7.

I looked over at Matt, leaning against a corner across from him and moved my hair from my face. I shook my head slowly at him, rolling my shoulder slowly. "You just don't get it do you? You think I want to hurt you specifically, Matt?"

"You're my brother, but also as your brother, it's my right to tell you when you're wrong. When your logic is flawed," I continued, watching him stand up onto his feet.

Matt panted heavily, keeping his gaze upon me and noticed I had barely broken a sweat. He chuckled softly, staring at me and noticing the tribal anger in my eyes. "I can't believe this is the one thing we can't see eye to eye on.."

"That's because this situation is completely black and white," I said, pushing myself off the corner and making my way toward Matt, each stepped filled with purpose and determination. "And if I have to dismantle you to make you open you eyes, I will..."

Matt pushed himself off the corner as well, cracking his knuckles. "Let's skip the wrestling and box it out. Fisticuff if you shall."

"Bring it on, Matt..." I said, my tattoos subtly flashing a light blue hue.

Matt rushed toward me with a straight punch, but I swift evaded his strike, countering with a knee strike to his gut. Matt wheezed in pain, my strike knocking the wind out of him. I followed with another slap to knock him back, rushing forward with a flying knee to his face.

Matt recovered quickly, blowing my flying knee strike then stepped back to create space between us, launching a speeding right hook. The right hook connected, Matt immediately following with a left and landing his strike as well.

I licked the inside of my jaw lightly, letting out a soft chuckle before retaliating with another stinging right hand across his face. "Do your supporters also support a manipulating bastard who also gives them the false pretense of protection?"

Matt groaned as I struck his gut with a powerful punch, falling down upon one knee and coughing heavily. He reached up, placing his hand upon my chest, trying to stand onto his feet. I huffed loudly, trying to catch his breath.

I pushed his hand off me, standing up and striking his jaw with a Superkick, laying him flat onto the matt and falling to my knees beside him. The referee went to count, but I held my hand out to stop him, keeping my gaze down on Matt.

"You still think you can claim to be one of my own, and still side with him...because you're too scared to take a risk that could save your career better than how he's doing it," I began, shifting my position to kneel on one knee.

I looked up at the referee, noticing him watching me and Matt, wondering why I'm not either pinning him or letting him count for the knockout. "Are you ready? Too bad, I'm not ready yet..."

"C'mon, Ryder. You've made your point. Just pin him," The referee advised, trying to reason with me on ending the match.

I ignored the referee, looking down at Matt and placing my hand on his chest to force him to lie on his back as I kneeled next to him. "Acknowledge me...Say it and this match will be over. Tell me...let everyone know that a second king is rising.."

Matt panted heavily, groaning softly in slight pain, listening to the crowd continuing to rally behind him. He began to push himself up onto his knees, coughing lightly, noticing me stand up then closed his eyes with soft, deep pants.

"I..." Matt began, panting softly and opening his eyes to look at me. "I can't..."

A few gasps erupted from the crowd, Allie, Paris, and Hannah gasping the hardest. I stared down at Matt, shaking my head and staring down at him with deep betrayal.

"I have too much to lose and—"

Without letting him finish, I struck him with another Superkick between the eyes, knocking him down once again. I stared down at Matt, walking over him with a silent wrath in my eyes. Matt groaned as he slowly rolled onto his stomach, holding his face.

"You don't want to acknowledge me..? You don't want to stand against the very person who's running this university off fear and manipulation. And you dare to use the Art of Love?" I seethed lowly, staring down at him with a tribal fury.

"This what you want, huh?" I question, launching a clubbing strike to the back of his head with a roar.

I continuously struck him with forearm strikes, tears beginning to form into my eyes. Matt groaned from each attack, holding the back of his head to guard against my strikes. Though I was angry at Matt for his cowardice, I shouldn't shake off the shattering feeling within me to have to beatdown Matt in the center of the ring.

As I continued striking him, the crowd began to exclaim as a familiar figure began to rush down the ramp with a white towel in his hand. I looked up from the commotion, looking over to see Jaiden approaching the ringside and wiped my tears.

Jaiden reached into the ring, grabbing the beaten Matt's hand and held it tightly. "I'm throwing this in, Matt. I'm throwing this in, you hear me!? I'm throwing this in, man..!"

Matt groaned softly in response, looking up at Jaiden and coughed lightly. "Don't do it, bro...don't do it..."

"I'm throwing this in, man! You don't need to fight for Tony anymore, it's alright man! The fame, the status ain't worth it if it's gonna end our brotherhood," Jaiden protested, keeping a strong hold on his hand.

I listened to both Matt and Jaiden, looking down at him and sniffled lightly. After listening to their debate for a moment, I decided to speak up. "Jaiden...you come in here and acknowledge me as well."

"Jaiden...it isn't worth the risk in the end. You know what connections Tony has," Matt spoke tiredly, panting softly upon the Matt. "I'll endure this...for however long I need.."

Jaiden's lip quivered as he glanced between me and Matt, clutching the white towel tightly in his hand. He began to breathe heavily, the fate of Matt resting entirely on his shoulders. "C'mon, man..."

"Don't do it...this is bigger...than us," Matt protested, continuing to lay on the mat.

I looked down at Jaiden, noticing his own hesitation and pointed down at Matt. "You're...gonna listen to him? You're gonna listen to him? The pact we made, inviting you two into my family...and you're gonna listen to him."

"C'mon, Matt, I'm throwing it! I'm throwing it, Matt," Jaiden plead, grabbing Matt's hand again.

"Don't you do it, Jaiden," Matt argued, squeezing Jaiden's hand in response.

Seeing Jaiden's indecision, I grabbed Matt's leg, dragging him away from Jaiden then mounted on top of Matt, laying down blowing upon him. The stadium began to erupt into gasps and shock as I began beating down Matt once again.

Jaiden watched nearly helplessly, not knowing what to do in this moment. He completely froze, witnessing a potential fallout Infront of his eyes.

"Jaiden, throw in the towel already!" Allie screamed out, wanting him to save Matt from being cemented as one of my enemies.

Allie's voice reached Jaiden's ears, causing Jaiden to take action. He climbed into the apron of the the ring, throwing in the towel immediately. The referee called for the bell to be rung, the timekeeper ringing the bell repeatedly.

Despite the bell being run, I continued beating down Matt out of pure desperation, frustration, and sorrow. Jaiden yelled for the referee to get me off Matt, but the referee was too afraid to get caught in the cross fire.

Soon, Jaiden slid into the ring, pushing me off Matt and covering his body with his own. "That's enough, man! Alright? That's enough..! You got it, alright? We're brothers, man! Is this what you want?"

"You're the King... alright? I acknowledge you as the King of TVU, okay? Just chill," Jaiden said, acknowledging me while holding a beaten Matt in his arms.

I moved strands of my hair from my face, blinking hard to stop my own tears from flowing. I wiped my face slowly, slowly backing away and leaving the ring. Allie and the others watched as I left, Jade and Allie choosing to follow after me while Paris and Hannah opted to stay behind.

The referee got down on the mat to check on Matt, calling in a few university medics to come out and help Matt to the infirmary. Tony watched with a bit of spite in his eyes, knowing all it took was one acknowledgement to throw the entire board off balance.

〔Art of Ambition - Rising King〕

〔New Main Objective Complete: Defeat Matt.〕

〔Task Ongoing: Make Matt acknowledge you as the King of Trinity Valley.〕

〔Reward: Credi +3000, Ambition EXP +500〕