Monarch of the Dark Night

Chapter 5

Both Xavier and Jaguar had proven they possessed the strength to rival the six kingpins, and everyone was eager to find out who was stronger.

At the edge of the yard, Viper, still somewhat disheveled from the earlier chaos, motioned for his men to retreat another 50 feet to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

"Haha, how could I miss such a good show? I'll join you guys and enjoy the show together." The handsome deputy warden, Mr. Gavin Hayes, said as he approached them with a group of prison guards.

From the colonel-ranking deputy warden to the lowest-ranking guard, every law enforcement officer at Apex Penitentiary took a stool and sat down to watch the match. They acted as if they were watching a football game.

Duke laughed heartily at the sight, saying, "So Mr. Hayes enjoys watching the spectacle just like us."

Mr. Hayes glanced at Duke and instructed the nearby guard, "Bring some stools for these gentlemen. Duke, Reaper, Titan, Iceblade, let's watch this match together, shall we?"

Responding to Mr. Hayes's invitation, Reaper, strong and stern-faced, Titan, six and a half feet tall, and Iceblade, with a serious gaze, approached them.

Viper sat down first. He chuckled and remarked, "Mr. Hayes, this fight will surely be exhilarating. It's rare for all of us to gather like this. I have a suggestion. Shall we make a wager on the outcome of the match?"

Mr. Hayes chuckled, "Alright. Since everyone seems to be in high spirits today, I'll put up two bottles of '82 red wine for a bet."

The eyes of the five kingpins lit up at his words. Duke said cheerfully, "In that case, we can't be too stingy. As death row inmates, we don't have many assets. We only have a bit of money stashed away. I'll put up $10,000, betting on Jaguar to win."

Viper chuckled, "Alright. Since you're betting $10,000, I'll match it, but I'll bet on Xavier to win."

Then, Reaper, Titan, and the others also placed their bets, each wagering $10,000.

Neither Jaguar nor Xavier made the first move. Although Xavier disliked being watched like an animal in the zoo, he had remarkable patience, restraining himself from making the first move. He knew that that Jaguar was not someone who could be easily defeated.

Jaguar locked eyes with Xavier, and slowly wiped the smile off his face. He straightened his hands slowly. Then, he extended his right hand forward and withdrew his left hand, assuming a strange posture.

Suddenly, Jaguar's entire demeanor changed. He no longer appeared wild and frenzied as before. Instead, he exuded a formidable sense of strength.

Everyone's eyes widened as they were eager to see Jaguar's next move.

A smirk played across Xavier's lips as he pointed his right hand flatly at Jaguar.

"Roar!"

After a thunderous bellow, Jaguar's feet pounded the ground fiercely. His body, already poised, sprinted a few steps forward before leaping into the air.

From above, Jaguar extended a powerful kick toward Xavier's neck with his right leg, delivering unmatched force. The immense power of Jaguar's kick ripped through the air, making a strange "whoosh" sound.

Xavier made no effort to dodge the attack. As Jaguar's flying kick approached him, he suddenly transformed his right hand into a vicious claw.

With a loud smack, their bodies collided. Xavier didn't flinch, while Jaguar shuddered, thrown back by Xavier's counterforce.

But Jaguar seemed to have anticipated this. Before his body could touch the ground, he slammed his hand heavily onto the floor. Sliding along the ground toward Xavier, Jaguar unleashed relentless ruthless kicks aimed at Xavier's ankles and knees.

Given the strength exerted by Jaguar, a kick from him would definitely result in a fracture!

Xavier sneered coldly as he lifted his left foot and retreated gracefully, evading Jaguar's aggressive flurry of kicks.

Jaguar's formidable strength and Xavier's agile movements immediately elicited cheers and applause from the watching crowd.

Jaguar roared fiercely, springing forward towards Xavier. He used his deadly fists and legs to unleash a furious onslaught, brutally striking Xavier's upper body.

Xavier's face bore a cold smirk as he stepped back, blocking Jaguar's attacks with his hands. Despite Jaguar's relentless punches and kicks, Xavier always managed to skillfully evade them.

While Jaguar possessed formidable strength, Xavier's evading strategy was straightforward. He redirected Jaguar's powerful strikes with subtle lateral force. That way, he could efficiently ward off Jaguar's heavy punches with minimal effort. Of course, achieving this required Xavier to have precise movements, an agile body, and greater speed than Jaguar.

Jaguar appeared to have discerned the secret behind Xavier's blocking technique. He roared in rage, his movements becoming even more erratic and unpredictable.

This time around, Jaguar's attacks carried immense force, and his movements were also exceptionally tricky. In his effort to break through Xavier's defense, Jaguar began relentlessly attacking with both legs, striking Xavier's palms and forearms in succession.

After a dazzling flurry of attacks, Xavier's sleeves were shredded, and his arms were swollen and bruised.

Other inmates in the prison watched in wide-eyed horror as the scene unfolded before them. If they were in Xavier's place, they would surely have been kicked to death.

Watching from the stands, Titan's expression grew solemn. "What incredible kicking skills! Each of his kicks carries immense power!"

Duke muttered, "Such terrifying force, such frightening speed. Is he even human?"

Viper asked in a low voice, "Mr. Hayes, who is this Jaguar? Why is he so terrifying? It seems even Titan can't compare to him."

Titan's eyebrows creased slightly, clearly showing displeasure at Viper's apparent contempt. Mr. Hayes simply gave Viper a mysterious smile, unwilling to divulge Jaguar's origins easily.

Duke also asked, "Mr. Hayes, spill it. Who exactly is this guy?"

Mr. Hayes raised a hand. "You know the drill. If you want information, you gotta sweeten the deal."

"Mr. Hayes..." Viper said in frustration, "Alright, I'll throw in two thousand dollars."

Mr. Hayes nodded with a smile. "Haha, deal. Jaguar arrived the day before yesterday, escorted in a light armored vehicle, with eight fully armed soldiers on board."

Iceblade exclaimed in surprise, "An armored vehicle? Even Reaper didn't get that kind of treatment."

"You guys don't need to worry about that... I'll tell you, either take down Jaguar or go to hell," Mr. Hayes chuckled softly. He's a ticking time bomb in Apex Penitentiary."

The five kingpins simultaneously narrowed their eyes, their gazes fixed intently on Jaguar.

Moments later, Titan asked with an emotionless voice, "Can you tell us anything about Xavier? I think he is not any weaker than Jaguar in terms of combat prowess.

Mr. Hayes shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Xavier? Beats me. I don't know much about him. He's just a guy who showed up here unexpectedly."

***

Back in the yard, Jaguar had successfully broken through Xavier's defense after a series of flying kicks.

Jaguar sidestepped and delivered a fierce elbow strike to Xavier's head. Due to the short torque, the elbow's force would be stronger than a fist. A hit to Xavier's head would shatter it on the spot!

Even in this critical moment, Xavier remained remarkably calm.

He caught Jaguar's elbow with his palm and pulled it back in one smooth motion.

Jaguar's elbow strike came close to hitting Xavier's head, but Xavier's agile action pulled him back instead, almost causing him to trip.

Yet Jaguar's frenzied punches forced Xavier to let go of him, pushing him back with a frown.

Everyone watching felt their hearts tighten. Though they weren't facing Jaguar's attacks like Xavier, they could still sense the explosive power in Jaguar's strikes.

Jaguar's constant lethal attacks filled everyone with an innate sense of dread. Faced with Jaguar's relentless attacks, Xavier simply defended passively, showing no intention of attacking proactively.

Despite the prisoners' admiration for Xavier's perfect defense, he seemed somewhat weak compared to Jaguar's imposing and commanding aura.

Just as they wondered why Xavier wasn't being more proactive, he finally began his own attack.

"Crack!"

Xavier suddenly lunged forward, his movements was so fast that his figure blurred with speed.

His hands gripped Jaguar's tendons like iron clamps, digging deep into the flesh of his arm. Xavier's fingers harbored immense strength, preventing Jaguar from unleashing his power.

Xavier locked eyes with Jaguar and sneered, "Your kung-fu is impressive. I don't know where you learned them. But unfortunately, your opponent is me."

Xavier's fingers tightened in a grip with astonishing force, leaving ten bloody holes in Jaguar's arm.

Not only that, Xavier also raised his hand and struck toward Jaguar's shoulder.

Jaguar managed to dodge the strike aimed at his right shoulder, but Xavier's blow landed on his left shoulder with a loud snap, instantly tearing his clothes and leaving his shoulder a bloody mess.

Jaguar staggered back involuntarily from the successive injuries, but Xavier pressed on without relenting.

Xavier leapt high into the air, his right foot viciously lashing out at Jaguar's back.

"Ahhh!"

Jaguar let out a piercing scream as his entire body was thrown horizontally, crashing into a large tree.

However, Xavier was even faster. Moving at lightning speed, he surpassed Jaguar, suddenly appearing in front of the tree. Using his foot to step on the tree trunk, Xavier catapulted himself into the air and delivered a punch towards his opponent, who was still airborne.

"Thud!"

Jaguar's body took a heavy blow from that punch, causing him to spit out a large amount of fresh blood from his mouth. Soon, his entire body was covered in crimson.

Even if Jaguar was heavily hurt, Xavier knew that the dangerous man still had fight left in him! Xavier continued pressing his attack on Jaguar, launching a powerful kick with incredible force from his right leg.

Despite his injuries, Jaguar's reaction remained incredibly swift. He crossed his arms to block, perfectly intercepting Xavier's flying kick.

"Snap!"

Sounds of bones cracked from Jaguar's crossed arms as Xavier's kick's force transferred onto Jaguar's sturdy body, kicking him backward. Jaguar's back slammed into a tree trunk, causing the tree to violently shake and leaving a deep, jagged mark.

A few seconds later, the entire trunk snapped in half.

All the inmates and guards watched the match closely, their hearts racing. They remained silent as if they had lost their ability to speak.

Mr. Hayes stood up with widened eyes, disbelief written all over his face. 'He actually managed to snap a tree in half. His strength is too terrifying.'

At that moment, all the prison guards unanimously marked Xavier as the most dangerous inmate in the Death House!

Jaguar glanced at Xavier, swaying as he struggled to stand up. He flexed his arm and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Then, he flashed a bright grin that revealed his bloodstained teeth.

Xavier frowned as he looked at Jaguar. He hadn't expected Jaguar to still be standing after enduring barrage of heavy blows.

Jaguar peeled off his tattered shirt, exposing his well-built muscular physique. With a menacing grin on his face, he exuded a ruthless aura that sent chills down everyone's spines. He chuckled, "Xavier, you are indeed impressive. Your speed and combat skills are superior to mine, but defeating me won't be that simple."

After a roar, Jaguar unleashed a punch directly at Xavier, without any flashy or elaborate techniques.

Jaguar knew he couldn't match Xavier's speed, so he relied on sheer strength to win the match.

Xavier effortlessly dodged Jaguar's punch and simultaneously delivered a powerful kick to Jaguar's thigh with his right leg. His fiery kick shredded Jaguar's pants and left his skin bloodied and bruised.

However, Jaguar appeared unfazed by the pain, his eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty gleam.

Xavier's heart skipped a beat as he sensed the impending danger.

However, it was too late. Jaguar's had launched a vicious strike at Xavier's chest with his left hand.