When Briar and Kael stepped into the ring, the crowd erupted into deafening cheers, louder than at any other point that night.
Both men were equally remarkable, and equally striking in appearance. However, their styles were completely different.
Kael entered the ring with a cold, serious expression, his demeanor that of a calculating assassin. Briar, on the other hand, wore a warm, easygoing smile. As the audience roared around him, he waved at the crowd, reigniting their enthusiasm with a simple gesture.
“Wow, Briar is such a gentleman,” Evelyn said to me.
“Yeah, he seems like a nice guy.”
“Who do you think is more handsome, him or Kael?” Evelyn suddenly leaned closer, teasing me with her mischievous expression.
“I…” I hesitated for a moment.
Kael’s looks were undeniably captivating-my instincts favored him. But I couldn’t deny that Briar was also incredibly handsome, and his kind personality made him even more appealing.
My thoughts wandered back to the night we met at the bar. Briar was so different from Kael. Despite being surrounded by beautiful women asking for his contact information, he turned them all down. That left a positive impression on me.
Later, when he realized I was looking for a part-time job, he even introduced me to his club. Although things didn’t work out, I still felt grateful to him.
Smiling, I replied to Evelyn, “I think they’re both very handsome.”
Evelyn looked disappointed by my answer. “Both? If I were Kael, I’d be heartbroken hearing that.”
At that moment, the referee called for the match to begin, and the crowd fell silent.
The two best fighters of the night stepped into the ring, starting their battle for supremacy. Unlike the earlier matches, this one was set for twelve rounds.
As soon as the referee signaled the start, Briar launched a sharp jab. Kael stepped back, dodging it with precision.
Briar retreated a few steps, increasing the distance between them. Kael quickly closed in, throwing a straight punch aimed at Briar’s face. Briar stepped back again, forced to block as Kael followed up with a swift two-punch combination.
This was the first time I’d seen Kael unleash such explosive power right from the start. Usually, he would spend the first couple of rounds observing his opponent. Tonight, though, he went on the offensive immediately, giving Briar no chance to catch his breath.
Kael’s rapid punches kept Briar on the defensive. Then, just as Briar was blocking, Kael threw a right hook. Briar shifted to dodge, but Kael’s punch wasn’t aimed to hit-he used it to break through Briar’s guard. With Briar’s right arm out of position, his head was left exposed.
Seizing the moment, Kael spun and delivered an uppercut that knocked Briar down.
It was a clean KO.
Kael won the first round.
The crowd erupted in cheers as Kael’s fans celebrated wildly. I couldn’t help but cheer, too, shouting excitedly toward the ring.
To my surprise, Kael’s gaze found mine in the crowd. Our eyes met, and my cheering didn’t escape his notice. He smiled, then brought his hand to his lips and blew me a kiss.
The girls around me screamed in excitement.
After a one-minute break, the second round began.
This time, Kael changed his strategy. He didn’t attack aggressively like in the first round. Instead, when Briar threw a straight punch, Kael stepped back, dodging with ease.
Kael’s movements were all defensive-retreating, blocking, and evading.
Briar, perhaps fueled by the frustration of his first-round loss, launched a relentless offensive. He was determined to overpower Kael. However, no matter how fast Briar’s punches were, Kael’s movements always seemed faster.
As the round neared its end, Kael suddenly landed a powerful punch on Briar. Despite Briar’s attempts to defend, Kael’s speed and strength overwhelmed him. Briar staggered and fell to the mat.
In the following rounds, no matter how hard Briar tried, the outcome was the same-Kael dominated, knocking him out every time.
It was clear Kael took this match very seriously. Briar had improved significantly since their last fight, but even so, he couldn’t match Kael. Kael had grown stronger, faster, and more focused.
I thought back to Kael’s intense training sessions. He often practiced against multiple opponents at once, pushing himself to his limits. All the hardships he endured had prepared him for this moment.
Tonight, Kael didn’t just surpass Briar-he surpassed his former self.
At the award ceremony, Kael held the gleaming gold trophy as the crowd gave him a thunderous ovation.
Meanwhile, Briar, ever gracious, waved to the audience. Despite his loss, he remained composed and dignified.
Kael, surrounded by his teammates, celebrated his victory with joy and laughter.
“Looks like there’s going to be a party tonight,” Evelyn said, turning to me. “Seraph, are you coming?”
I paused, then replied, “I don’t think I want to go.”
Parties had never left me with a good impression.
Just then, my phone rang.
It was Kael.
Standing amidst the crowd, he held his phone to his ear, looking directly at me. “See you at the celebration, okay?” he said.
His gaze was intense, his eyes filled with warmth. My heart raced uncontrollably.
“Okay,” I finally said.
I agreed to go.
Evelyn turned to me in disbelief. “Kael called you? And you said yes?”
“Yes, he called, and I said yes.”
“You-you-you! You’re such a traitor! Ditching your friends for a guy!” Evelyn playfully slapped my shoulder.
“Well, have fun. Judy and I won’t wait for you,” she said, linking arms with Judy.
“Wait for me!” I called out.
“I’m not waiting. Let Kael wait for you,” Evelyn teased as she and Judy disappeared into the crowd.
I sighed. Looked like I’d be going to the party alone.
The celebration was being held at the Eagle Club, a decent distance from here.