Chapter 619
Episode 159. The Duel of the Two Kings (6)
After the shocking 22nd duel, both combatants remained unconscious for over a week.
During that time, Ban, the Fighting God, halted the progress of the Duel of the Two Kings. Normally, even if an accident occurred, the duel would continue without pause—but this situation was different.
Jin was the only hope for the Meiwang clan to break free from their confinement. His death would mean the end of the Meiwang clan’s history once again.
“O Two Kings brothers!”
“How are they? Are the brothers alright!?”
“Brothers? Hey, Eight Kings brother! Didn’t you see what the Sixteen Kings brother did to Jin after the match…?”
“The Sixteen Kings brother treated Jin like an enemy first. I’m not saying Jin was in the right, but if the Sixteen Kings brother hadn’t gone that far at the start—”
“Still, stabbing a brother in the chest and detonating his brain energy inside? That’s not an accident; it’s attempted murder.”
“Brothers, quiet down! Let’s hear what the O Two Kings brother has to say!”
Boras looked exhausted after the grueling surgery that had lasted over a week.
“…Both are unharmed. There will be no lasting disabilities, and their lives are not in danger. But they need extreme rest and stability. Don’t visit until I say it’s okay.”
The Meiwang clan members nodded solemnly.
Boras had separated their hospital rooms to prepare for any unforeseen complications, and the clan members took their places outside the rooms of the brothers they supported.
Even before the 22nd duel, the Meiwang clan had been divided into factions, constantly vying for dominance.
But whereas before the factions had been nearly evenly split, now the majority overwhelmingly supported Kaio.
It was understandable. Although Kaio had initially refused to acknowledge Jin, he never crossed the line.
Jin, however, had clearly overstepped.
Strictly speaking, Kaio had only insisted on following the traditions and principles of the Duel of the Two Kings.
Until Jin’s provocation, Kaio had never directly attacked him.
Guarding Jin’s room were Linpa, Beliz, and Garmund.
Even including the foot soldiers like Shaku, they numbered fewer than ten—clearly showing how most of the Meiwang clan felt.
Yet even those gathered around Jin did not blindly support him.
They believed Jin had committed a grave offense.
Still, they felt that as brothers, he should not be cast out. Most of the others, however, argued that Jin should be expelled, or even punished severely.
“Damn it… how did it come to this…?” Garmund pressed his palm to his forehead.
He felt the heaviest burden of responsibility for the incident.
If only he had fought properly, things wouldn’t have escalated this far.
“Stop blaming yourself… Garmund brother. This isn’t your fault.”
“Yeah, instead of dwelling on that, let’s focus on how to fix this. Hah, is this really the extent of our brothers’ unity? At this rate, we’re no better than the foolish other races we used to despise.”
Whether they wanted Jin expelled or not, the truth was there was no choice.
The absolute authority to decide lay solely with Ban, the Fighting God.
Ban had only paused the duel; he had yet to express any other opinion.
More than that, he had secluded himself with Lingling, refusing to meet anyone.
“The Fighting God brother should step forward and say something.”
“It’s the first time he’s been silent at a time like this. What on earth is he thinking?”
As the Meiwang clan’s worry and anger grew, Jin and Kaio both regained consciousness two days later.
Upon waking, Jin immediately declared his stance to the brothers who had rushed in with Boras’s permission.
“If the Fighting God brother does not personally discipline me, I will continue to participate in the Duel of the Two Kings as planned. If necessary, I will keep using the same methods I used to defeat Kaio brother.”
The waiting brothers were stunned.
They had expected Jin to reflect on his excessive actions and apologize to the enraged brothers.
“Jin brother, are you insane!? You’re going to do that again?”
Beliz’s voice trembled with anger, but Jin simply nodded.
“Yes. The Duel of the Two Kings is fundamentally a fight, not a sparring match, Seventh King brother. And in this fight, I will prove my will and right to succeed.”
“So you think it’s okay to do whatever it takes to win? Trampling on the trust and affection of your brothers—do you really think that’s honorable competition?”
“I can do worse than that. If you think that’s unfair, then brothers who want to fight me can do the same.”
“…Unlike Jin brother, the Sixteen Kings brother suffered injuries so severe he can no longer continue the duel. His brain energy exploded inside his chest! It will take at least a year to fully recover. Right now, he can’t even feed himself! Don’t you feel anything?”
“And I nearly lost my eyes to the Sixteen Kings brother. At the end, my entire head almost disappeared.”
“But it didn’t. Do you know why? Because the Sixteen Kings brother never fired on Jin brother in the end.”
“That’s right. I don’t know if he truly couldn’t bring himself to shoot, but either way, the Sixteen Kings brother lost, and I will win the next duel as well. Saying ‘he’s a brother, so I can’t kill him’? Starting a duel with the excuse that accidents can’t be helped—that’s the real problem.”
“What did you say…?”
“And do you really think the Sixteen Kings brother didn’t shoot me because he cared for me? No, it’s because if not me, the brothers’ only hope of leaving this place disappears.”
Beliz raised his arm as if to slap Jin’s cheek, but then his hand trembled and he lowered it.
“I want the brothers to treat me properly. If you truly accept me as a brother, you shouldn’t deny my succession of Sigmund just because another possibility has arisen.”
“Not all brothers feel that way.”
“But many do. Even the Fighting God brother didn’t stop that sentiment. And what’s the result? The brothers are already divided, with most supporting Kaio. In a way, it’s not even division. It’s more like unity born from the chance to reject my succession, which they never liked in the first place.”
The brothers nearby clenched their teeth at Jin’s venomous words. It was hard to believe this was the Jin they had known.
“…Maybe we misjudged Jin brother.”
“I was never truly part of the ‘we’ of the Meiwang clan. Now even you will turn your backs and stand on the other side. After all, a bow always bends inward.”
Beliz turned and left the room, followed by the foot soldiers. Linpa and Garmund lingered a moment longer, looking down at Jin.
“Jin brother… why are you like this…?”
“Jin brother! No matter what, this isn’t right. It started with my mistake, but now Jin brother is clearly in the wrong! The Sixteen Kings brother was rough, but don’t you think he didn’t shoot you just because he wanted to leave?”
“Please leave.”
Jin closed his eyes, and the two stood silently for a while.
“…Jin brother, just know this. If you keep this up, all the brothers might really… turn away from you.”
Meanwhile, Kaio’s hospital room was heavy with tension.
Everyone silently suppressed their anger. If the brain energy had exploded just a little closer to a vital spot, Kaio’s heart could have been shattered, leaving him crippled.
“He must be expelled.”
“Exactly! Jin brother—no, that guy, who I don’t even want to call brother anymore—has crossed the line. This is clearly attempted fratricide.”
“If we expel him, we’ll never get out of here. But we can’t just stand by.”
Kaio silently swallowed the gruel that Old Eight King Baba fed him.
“Just now, the Fighting God brother gave an order!”
Mouka shouted as she entered the room.
“What did he say!?”
“He said the Duel of the Two Kings will resume as soon as Jin brother fully recovers.”
Sighs echoed throughout the room.
They had expected Jin to be punished, but instead, the duel would continue. It was hard to accept.
Resuming the duel meant excluding Kaio.
He was no longer in a condition to participate.
“…It’s clear now. The Fighting God brother has no intention of disciplining Jin brother personally.”
But the Meiwang clan did not see this as favoritism.
They believed Ban was giving them a ‘choice’—what to do with Jin. Or perhaps, giving Jin one more chance.
To see how he would act in the next duel, how he would treat his brothers.
“The Fighting God brother must feel the same. Even if it means we can’t leave, he won’t let this slide.”
“Right. If he never intended to punish Jin, he would have ordered us not to seek revenge.”
“Jin brother is unworthy of succeeding the Fighting God. Not only is he weak, but he even tried to kill the Sixteen Kings brother, exploiting the fact that if Jin dies, we lose our chance to escape.”
“When the time comes, I will take the Sixteen Kings brother’s place and deal with him…”
Some Meiwang clan members showed murderous intent, and Baba set down the gruel.
“But Jin brother didn’t kill the Sixteen Kings brother in the end. Everyone, calm down a bit.”
“Old Nine King brother, are you saying we need to reconsider?”
“When the Eight Kings brother acted recklessly, the Sixteen Kings brother was furious because of Old Nine King brother. You’re not unaware of that, are you?”
Old Nine King Baba.
Until the clan’s downfall, most believed that the one to succeed Ban would ultimately be Baba.
The Two Kings, including Kaio, had spent their entire lives struggling to surpass her.
Even in the last Tournament of Kings held before the downfall, the final victor was Baba.
“Sigh, I know. I get it. But are you really saying you want to kill Jin? It could just be a mistake. Besides, even if everyone talks tough, no one actually has the heart to exile or kill Jin.”
“Baba…”
At last, Kaio cleared his throat and lifted his head, drawing everyone’s attention.
With eyes wide open, he said firmly, “If… Jin makes another mistake, then… you’ll be the one to put an end to it.”