Tier 2 Professional

"Looks like the Red Side I bet on is going to lose me money this round."

With "Red Demon" Golon facing Grade A Fugitive "Shadow Scorpion" Aberk, Suren's first instinct was that Aberk would win.

After all, both were Tier 2 Professionals. One was a notorious fugitive with unquestionably formidable real combat experience, while the other was merely an obscure bodyguard.

No matter how gifted it was, a well-fed hunting dog raised in a greenhouse could never match a starving mongrel that hunted across the wastelands.

Yet this match completely overturned Suren's understanding.

Normally, after both gladiators entered the arena, the referee would ring a bronze bell and declare the match begun.

But this one was different.

Aberk had no intention of following the rules at all. The instant several burly men with Mechanical Arms released his restraints, he seemed to perform a magic trick, producing two pistols in his hands and pulling the triggers. Bang! Bang! Two shots flew toward the burly man in the suit across from him.

He clearly understood that only one person would leave this arena alive today.

No fucking Rule mattered more than staying alive!

Since he was close enough to the ring, Suren could even see the cold mockery on Aberk's face. The man embodied the word "treacherous" to perfection.

This was an unrestricted fight. The combatants could use whatever weapons they excelled with, so guns were naturally allowed.

Only then did Suren understand why the Blast Shield had been raised.

But watching a dignified Tier 2 expert launch a sneak attack, his expression instantly turned strange. "Th-This guy has no sense of honor!"

The cool, ruthless image Suren had just formed of Tier 2 Professionals immediately crumbled.

Still, he felt that such a devious personality was better suited to surviving in this cruel world.

A true villain, without pretense.

No wonder he had committed crime after crime and still lived this long.

Everything happened too quickly. In less than a tenth of a second, he had fired.

To anyone watching, the situation was extremely unfavorable for the suited bodyguard.

Those two shots were viciously timed and impossible to evade.

If they hit, even if they did not kill him, the injury would cost him the initiative.

The gamblers who had bet on "Red Demon" Golon were just about to curse their opponent's treachery when the reversal came with astonishing speed.

As muzzle flashes erupted, before the shock could even appear on the gamblers' faces, they suddenly saw a blur of hands before the bodyguard in the suit—followed by two flashes of sparks.

Only then did the two gunshots—Bang! Bang!—and the metallic clangs—Clang! Clang!—reach everyone's ears almost simultaneously.

For a moment, the entire venue fell silent.

The packed hall of gamblers stared, dumbfounded.

Even Suren was stunned as he watched the two men facing off in the arena.

It was as though time had stopped for an instant before his thoughts began functioning again.

Looking at the short blade that had seemingly appeared in the bodyguard's hand from nowhere, Suren finally realized what had happened, though he still seemed to doubt his own eyes. "He... he cut bullets out of the air?"

The sound of people swallowing filled the surroundings.

No one had expected the burly man in the suit to catch those two sneak-attack bullets with nothing but a knife!

He stood there without expression, as calm as a cold stone.

The next instant, the entire fighting arena erupted in tidal waves of applause and cheers.

"Red Demon!"

"Red Demon!"

"Red Demon!"

"..."

The gamblers' emotions instantly reached a fever pitch.

This high-level match had opened by treating everyone to a visual spectacle, fiercely stimulating their nerves.

The battle between two Tier 2 Professionals opened everyone's eyes!

"So strong!"

Suren narrowed his eyes and fixed his full attention on everything in the arena, unwilling to miss a single detail.

At that moment, "Shadow Scorpion" Aberk's expression changed slightly as well.

Only experts of the same tier could truly grasp just how strong their opponents were.

He had not underestimated his enemy, and he had anticipated that the two bullets might fail to injure him. But he had never expected his opponent to deal with them so effortlessly.

Then, a sharp glint flashed through his eyes, and he moved again!

Aberk flicked his cloak, and a string of sharp throwing knives suddenly shot out with a whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks flashed as Golon once again casually knocked aside the throwing knives with his short blade.

But Aberk clearly had not expected the throwing knives to hurt his opponent. In that instant of flying sparks, he had already appeared behind Golon like a ghost!

Like a phantom, he drew another pitch-black dagger and slashed it toward Golon's neck.

He was so fast that it seemed like teleportation, utterly unbelievable.

Seeing this, the gamblers below grew excited as well.

"So fast! Is that "Shadow Scorpion" Aberk's speed? As expected of an Assassin Class Professional!"

"I heard that bastard awakened Talent C-009—Flash Step. It gives him the ability to burst forward over short distances. Within twenty meters, his opponents do not even get the chance to fire."

"A Grade A Fugitive truly lives up to his reputation."

"..."

As Suren listened to the gamblers' awed remarks, before he could even process them, the two men in the arena had already exchanged several more rounds.

Aberk's movement speed was extraordinarily fast. He was like a ghost, as though his shadows filled the entire arena.

If Suren's eyesight had not been enhanced severalfold, he would not even have been able to make out that the two men had already exchanged thirteen blade strikes and blocked two elbow blows.

And clearly, Golon was stronger.

Against an attack as dense as a raging storm, he still swung his short blade expressionlessly, blocking every strike with immaculate precision.

"When that guy fights, he is so calm he is practically a machine..."

Suren watched closely. Throughout the entire fight, "Red Demon" Golon had not moved his feet once. He merely stood where he was and swung his blade to block.

Their clash looked ferocious, but... on closer inspection, even his suit had not been rumpled.

"Are the bodyguards of those Inner City big shots all this strong?"

Suren found it hard to believe.

Aberk's ghostly footwork was enough to ensure he could not be defeated. And whether it was his marksmanship or blade work, both were distant, top-tier techniques in the eyes of Suren, who only possessed Advanced Combat Beginner.

Yet he simply could not hurt his opponent.

Suren had never imagined that a bodyguard could be this strong.

And what he had not expected was still to come!

The battle between the two Tier 2 Professionals on the stage was extremely fierce, but ordinary gamblers could only watch the excitement.

"That Golon has been getting pressed the whole time. Why isn't he fighting back?"

"If he wants to fight back, he has to be able to keep up with Aberk's reactions first. Aberk is so fast—being able to block is already impressive."

"Hehe, you people just don't understand. That is the smart response. Aberk has the Flash Step talent, so catching him is nearly impossible. But using that talent in bursts consumes a great deal of energy. He cannot possibly sustain attacks at this frequency for long. The best response is to remain still and adapt to every change. Golon is not foolish at all—he is actually very smart. Just watch. Before long, Aberk will start panicking."

"Tch, I do not see what is so impressive about that big guy. I still think Aberk will definitely win. That movement technique is too Anomalous."

"..."

Most of the gamblers were ordinary people. They only cared about their bets.

Only a handful could understand the rhythm and techniques of the fight in the arena.

Yet without anyone noticing, Scarlet Bunker's gambling hall had already drawn many experts from the area. Even Captain Kai and a group of Cross Society veterans had come after hearing the news to watch this thrilling death match between Tier 2 Professionals.

Beyond the gamblers' sight, in the private boxes on the second floor, the Inner City's influential figures also stood before the one-way glass with great interest, watching this bloody death match.

They were the true protagonists behind this match. The massive bets placed on the two gladiators were the most important reason this fight had happened.

Beside the arena, Suren muttered, "The probing is over. Are they finally getting serious?"

He knew the real excitement was only beginning.

After all, they were two Alchemists!