NOVEL NEXT Chapter 207: The Taste Of Pain
Ren's screams were raw, primal—like an animal backed into a corner, stripped of its defenses, left to suffer under the weight of its own helplessness.
His body convulsed with pain, the numbness from the drug fading fast, leaving behind a mountain of agony he wasn't prepared to endure.
Haruto didn't stop. He didn't hesitate. His knuckles slammed into Ren's ribs, and a sharp, wet crack echoed through the underground ring.
Haruto smirked, as he enjoyed seeing how in pain Ren was, 'He deserved it,' he thought, 'For what he did to Ayaka and what he did to Haruka in the past.'
Ren choked, spitting out a glob of red, his breath hitching as something inside him twisted unnaturally. His ribs were breaking.
Haruto could feel it—the sickening crunch beneath his fists, the way Ren's body jolted with every impact.
He didn't care. He wanted to break him.
A sharp knee to the gut sent Ren staggering, his hands clawing at the air, desperate for something—anything—to stop the onslaught.
His legs buckled, his arms trembled, and his chest heaved in ragged, gasping breaths.
Haruto grabbed him by the collar, yanking him up just to meet his eyes. "Where are the monsters now?" he mocked him, "What I see is just a fucking coward."
"Fight me you moron, stop screaming like a fucking girl," Haruto continue with a taunt.
Ren's face was a mess of blood and sweat, his swollen lips trembling, his right eye barely able to open.
Then—"F—Fuck you—"
A weak, pitiful curse.
Haruto's expression didn't change. His grip tightened, his fingers digging into Ren's bruised flesh as he pulled his fist back—ready to end this—but before his punch could land, Ren screamed.
Not from Haruto's strike, but from something else.
His hands shot up to his face, clutching his eyes as if they were burning.
His vision blurred, his ears rang, and his heartbeat pounded against his skull, suffocating him in a sea of deafening noise.
And then, deep within the haze of his suffering, a memory surfaced.
***
A dimly lit room. The stench of sweat and iron. A woman with a twisted grin, standing over him, blade gleaming under the flickering candlelight. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire
"You rich little shits think you own everything."
Ren was a child. Small. Weak. Helpless.
He screamed as the knife slashed across his eye, a searing pain exploding through his skull.
The world went red. He thrashed and wailed, the agony swallowing him whole.
And then—warmth. Not from his blood, but from her. His maid.
The one person who had always been by his side. She had shielded him with her body, arms wrapped around him protectively.
And the next thing he knew—she was on the ground. Lifeless. A pool of crimson spread beneath her.
He remembered reaching for her, shaking her, screaming for her to wake up. But she never did. Never would.
***
Ren gasped, his hands trembling against his face, nails digging into his own skin.
He could still feel the knife carving into his flesh, the hot rush of blood streaming down his cheek, and the cold, unblinking stare of the woman who had given her life for his.
And now—he was here, getting beaten to death, helpless again.
He was in pain, in a lot of pain, and that pain doubled when he remembered his nightmare.
A taste of pain he forgot how it felt now he remembers it well.
His head snapped up, eyes wild with desperation, darting across the ring—searching, pleading—until they landed on the one person who could save him.
"D-Daiki!" His voice cracked, barely more than a hoarse whisper. "H-Help me!"
The entire underground ring fell silent. The Red Fang members looking at Ren with horror in their eyes, looking at one of their members being beaten up as they couldn't do anything, was humiliating.
Arataki and Enji stiffened. Even Kikuchi, who had been watching with casual amusement, narrowed his eyes slightly.
Ayaka squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch anymore, her hands clutching her chest as her body trembled.
Ren gasped for breath, his broken ribs stabbing into his lungs. He reached out toward Daiki, his fingers shaking, his body barely able to hold itself up.
Daiki, who had been sitting comfortably above the ring, rested his chin on his knuckles, his lips curling into a slow, amused smirk.
"Help you?"
Ren nodded frantically, his voice cracking. "Y-Yes—please—"
Daiki sighed, stretching his arms lazily before nodding to someone behind him.
A few seconds later, one of his men threw something into the ring, it was long and heavy—a weapon.
A bat.
Ren's eyes widened with relief. The bat was wrapped in wire, thick and rusted, the sharp edges gleaming under the dim lights.
A weapon made to rip flesh from bone. Perfect. His trembling fingers reached for it, his breath shuddering with anticipation.
But just before he could grab it—Daiki's voice rang out.
"Not for you."
Ren froze. His fingers hovered inches away from the bat. His mind blanked. "W…What?"
Daiki chuckled. "I said—it's not for you." He tilted his head, eyes gleaming with amusement. "It's for him."
Ren's breath hitched. Haruto was still standing there. Still watching. Ren's stomach dropped.
"No—" His voice cracked, panic creeping in.
"No, no, no, no—" His head snapped back up toward Daiki, desperation clear in his eyes.
"Why?! WHY?!"
Daiki's smile widened. "Because…" He leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm. "The fight's more interesting this way."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Ren felt his world shatter. His lips parted, but no words came out.
Betrayal twisted in his chest, a fresh wave of panic spreading through his limbs.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Daiki was supposed to save him. Not hand the weapon to his enemy.
His breath quickened, his body trembling violently as he turned back toward Haruto—who was now gripping the bat tightly in his hands.
Slowly, deliberately, Haruto lifted the weapon, his fingers wrapping around the wire-covered handle, his gaze locked onto Ren's broken form.
His expression was unreadable, but his intent was crystal clear.