CHAPTER 42: I WILL TAKE ANYTHING I WANT FROM YOU

"Let’s go," Jian Ci said, hopping out.

Yu Xi followed, the car sealing shut behind them. Jian Ci grabbed his wrist and tugged him through the crowd, straight to a sleek elevator guarded by security drones. He scanned his communicator and the doors slid open.

"Perks of being a VIP member," Jian Ci said with a wink.

Yu Xi blinked. "A VIP member of what?"

The elevator answered for him. When the doors reopened, they were greeted by the thunderous clash of metal.

Two colossal mechs battled in a glowing arena, their strikes shaking the walls. Below, the crowd roared jeering, cheering, alive with electric energy. Yu Xi’s eyes widened.

"Come on, let’s go," Jian Ci said, his voice buzzing with anticipation.

Yu Xi followed him through a sleek corridor into the VIP lounge perched high above the mech arena. The moment they stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted, luxury wrapped around them like velvet.

Plush white seating lined the room, each chair angled toward the panoramic glass wall that offered an unobstructed view of the battle below. Tables gleamed with polished chrome, set with crystal glasses and folded napkins like origami.

The ambiance was warm, and indulgent. Soft lighting, subtle music, and the distant roar of the crowd blended into a surreal harmony of thrill and comfort.

Jian Ci dropped into a seat with practiced ease. Yu Xi sat beside him, still absorbing the opulence.

"Do you like it?" Jian Ci asked, tapping the floating screen embedded in the table.

Yu Xi nodded. "It’s really nice."

"Want anything?"

"Just water is fine."

Below, the red and white mech raised its arms in victory, its opponent crumpled on the ground, one leg torn off. The crowd erupted and the energy was electric.

A waiter arrived, placing an array of snacks and drinks before them. Jian Ci handed Yu Xi a glass and grinned. "The one we came for is the next match," he said, his voice tinged with excitement.

Yu Xi took the glass, his gaze drifting back to the arena. He could feel the pulse of the city in his chest.

Jian Ci tapped the floating screen, eyes gleaming. "It’s between Gigento and Razor. The most anticipated match tonight... well, at least to me."

Yu Xi leaned forward, intrigued. "Are they the best mech fighters?"

Jian Ci shook his head. "Not even close. But they have been antagonizing each other for years. Gigento’s never lost a fight."

Yu Xi opened his mouth to ask how they had antagonized each other, but paused, sensing eyes on them. He turned slightly and spotted two beautiful girls about their age watching from across the lounge. His stomach flipped. He quickly looked away, silently praying they wouldn’t come over.

"They are starting," Jian Ci said, pointing at the arena, his expression lit with pure excitement.

Yu Xi took a sip of his water, cool and crisp, and glanced at Jian Ci from the corner of his eye. The way he leaned forward, completely absorbed, made Yu Xi’s chest tighten with something he couldn’t name.

The arena roared. Gigento stepped into the ring, his chrome-plated frame gleaming under the floodlights, hydraulic limbs hissing with anticipation. Towering at twenty meters, undefeated in seventeen brutal matches, he was the people’s titan. Every chant, every flag and every heartbeat pulsed in his name.

Across from him, Razor emerged. He was leaner and sleeker, his matte-black armor etched with scars from past wars. He didn’t have the crowd. He didn’t need it. The signal blared and the battle began.

Gigento lunged first, a seismic punch that cracked the air and sent Razor skidding across the arena floor. Sparks trailed behind him like comets, lighting up the crowd in a frenzy of cheers and flashing banners. Razor rolled, recovered, but Gigento was already on him, blades unsheathed, fists hammering with brutal precision. A shoulder plate flew off Razor’s frame, clattering against the wall. Then a knee joint buckled, metal shrieking under pressure.

Gigento was relentless, tearing through armor like paper, driving Razor into the wall with a thunderous crash that shook the viewing platforms.

But Razor didn’t fall. He ducked, dodged, absorbed. Every blow he took was calculated, every retreat a trap. His systems rerouted power, cooling his core, recalibrating his stance. Beneath the punishment, he was preparing.

Jian Ci leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "It’s already decided. Gigento is going to win."

Yu Xi didn’t look away from the fight. "No, he’s not."

Jian Ci turned, their shoulders brushing. "How do you know?"

Yu Xi’s voice was quiet but firm. "Gut feeling."

Jian Ci’s grin widened. "How about a fun bet?"

Yu Xi nodded. "Sure."

"If you win," Jian Ci said, "you can ask for anything I own."

Yu Xi raised a brow. "And if you win?"

"I will take anything I want from you," Jian Ci said, voice low, teasing.

Yu Xi’s heart thudded. The arena roared again. Razor was rising.

Yu Xi’s mind wandered, unbidden, to that damn poster in Jian Ci’s closet. It was the one of the woman with the perfect jawline, perfect smirk, perfect everything. Every time Jian Ci asked him to get something, she stared back at him as though mocking and tauting him that he would never be her. That digital poster had to go. Pronto. The amount of vinegar he had guzzled just looking at her was enough to pickle his pride.

"Okay," he muttered, more to himself than to Jian Ci.

Below, the crowd was still roaring, drunk on Gigento’s dominance. The titan had been pummeling Razor for minutes, and the audience was already celebrating the slaughter. But Jian Ci’s eyes narrowed having noticed that something was wrong.

Gigento’s frame began to shimmer not with glory, but with heat. His core was overheating and no one noticed.

Until Razor struck. It was sudden. A blur of motion, a pivot and a massive counterstrike. Razor’s claws ignited with plasma, slicing through Gigento’s arm like butter. The titan staggered. Razor didn’t hesitate. He leapt, drove a blade into Gigento’s chest, twisted, then tore upward.

Gigento roared, systems failing, sparks vomiting from his core.

The crowd gasped.

Razor spun, delivered a final blow to the head unit, and Gigento collapsed in a heap of shattered steel. There was silence, then chaos.

The arena exploded in a frenzy. Half in disbelief and half in awe.

Razor stood over the wreckage, chest heaving, eyes glowing. The underdog hadn’t just survived. He had dismantled a legend.