July part three

There I was, staring out the window, and Aoi—the Empress—laying in her bed… or rather, our bed.

“So, how much longer do I have to keep doing this?” I asked the beautiful woman.

“Two weeks, just like we agreed. We’ll make a fortune on the bets. People won’t trust you at first, so they’ll bet against you. And once they stop doing that—ha, that’s when the real plan begins. You might even become the new champion. Fufufu,” she said, covering her laughter with the sheets.

There it was again—those greedy eyes that always believe they’ll get what they want. I saw them now, and I saw them when she kissed me. But she needs to learn an important lesson—one I hope to teach her: you don’t always get what you want. Especially in this world. You have to learn to live in it, not try to own it.

“What’s this about a champion?”

“Oh, it's the title for the top fighter in the arena. With it, you get access to everything Paradise Castle has to offer, free of charge. But right now, the throne is empty.”

“What happened to the last one?”

“He retired. Now he works for me.”

“Ah, I can guess who it is.”

Santos’ maniacal grin flashed through my mind.

“It’s not Santos. He’d never stoop to this. It’s Paul—the butler.”

“That creepy bald guy?!” I couldn’t hide my shock.

“You’d be surprised how strong he is.”

A chill ran down my spine, and I silently prayed he wouldn’t become my problem.

“Hey, it’s been a long time since I liked a man this much. What if you become the champion, take your nephews back to their mother, and then return here so we can spend the rest of our days together?” she asked, emphasizing her figure beneath the sheets. “You could dedicate yourself to what you do best—killing ultramutants.”

It was hard not to look at her body, but I lifted my eyes and cleared my mind. Being a soldier was all I’d ever known. And once I got my nephews back to their mother, my mission would be complete—and a new one would need to begin. This place was the perfect stage for what I did best. But I saw those eyes of Aoi again—hungry, wanting me forever. I remembered what the general once told me, that I only had one purpose in this world, and it wasn’t to survive. Still, I thought, to hell with it. I’ll make this old witch regret creating such a disgusting place like DreamCastle.

“I’ll think about it,” I said, hiding my real feelings.

And so time flew by. Every day, I fought in the cage. Each ultramutant more arrogant than the last, thinking I’d finally fall. But none of them were any match for my wit and my revolvers. Actually, I’m not even that smart—it’s just that they’re incredibly dumb. That’s how I became the new champion and earned the public’s respect. After each fight, Aoi would throw herself at me. Sometimes I resisted; sometimes I didn’t. Don’t judge me—I’m just a man with uncontrollable needs. But it’s true she sometimes drained all my energy.

The rest of the time, she was glued to me—no guards, as promised. She’d talk about her past, her family, and her son, Kazuyoshi, who clearly resented how much time she spent with me. If there was one small joy in all this, it was watching that fake samurai’s irritated face. And thank god I didn’t see Paul again—he probably went off to hide in some cave drinking blood like the vampire he looks like.

As for my nephews, they were finally happy after such a long time. I visited them all the time, and they ate with us. We played video games together and watched old VHS movies. They ate like kings, something they hadn’t done in ages. It felt good to see them enjoying life like normal kids—at least one last time. But sooner or later, our painful journey would have to continue.

Luckily, Santos—still a complete enigma—kept his word. He never let them outside, where chaos and savagery ruled. The only thing they ever saw were my fights, which they loved—watching me shut people up with style. Even so, it was a bit uncomfortable being with them because Aoi had to be there too. She was a constant nuisance, never letting us enjoy our time as a proper family. She acted like their aunt already, but I always tried to stop her—because the disgusted looks on my nephews’ faces could be seen from the heavens. Forgive me, boys… I’ll make it up to you later.

And just like that, the two weeks were up. I was now the champion, and Aoi was thrilled—too thrilled. The night before my final match, we were lying in bed together.

“Sorry, but tomorrow… you’ll have to lose,” she said bluntly, lying beside me.

“Huh?” I sat up quickly, despite being drained.

“Yes. All the bets are in your favor now. It’s the highest amount ever recorded in the history of Paradise Castle. If you win, we’ll go bankrupt. But if you lose—fufufu—I’ll be able to fund new projects with the earnings.” There it was again—those eyes. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fighting in a non-lethal match, so no weapons. Your opponent’s already been informed, so yes, the fight will be staged.”

I didn’t know how to feel. On one hand, I was relieved this work exploitation would finally end, and I could take the boys back to their mother. On the other hand, I saw it in her eyes—the queen of the castle was growing more and more corrupt. A bigger monster was forming. What a dilemma. Well, everything would sort itself out tomorrow.

Fight day arrived, and after it, I was planning to leave for good. The cheers around the cage grew louder—people loved me now.

“You better win! I bet all my supplies on you!!”

“Too bad you don’t have your pistols this time, but I’m sure your fists hurt more anyway!!”

“Come on, champ!! Show us your strength one last time!!”

I waved to the crowd with a smile. Honestly, it was hard not to enjoy how they screamed my name with such passion.

“Here he comes—the undisputed champion—for his farewell match, which will be non-lethal!” the announcer started. “Will he be just as strong with only his fists? Let’s find out!! He is Jason Carson!! And in the other corner, we have the sensation rookie with animalistic strength—literally—it’s Peter the Beast!!”

A tall young man entered the cage to a chorus of boos. He had monkey-like hair, leopard spots on his skin, gorilla-sized arms, and kangaroo-like legs. Yeah, his powers were animal-based—why did that sound familiar? But what bothered me the most was that despite all those animal features, his face was perfect, and his bright white smile drove the women wild. How annoying.

“It’s an honor to meet the champ in person,” he said, offering his hand with that gleaming grin.

I spat in it and gave him the meanest look I could muster. He wiped it off and took a fighting stance.

“Paint the cage red!!” the announcer yelled as the bell rang.

As soon as it did, I went straight for what I’d wanted since the start—that damn smile. With an uppercut he never saw coming, I shattered those teeth forever. It had been a long time since I enjoyed a hand fight that much.

He held his cheek and looked at me, confused.

“That… that was a real hit. You knocked out one of my teeth.”

“Sorry, man. The crowd’s gotta believe it.”

I guess he thought the whole match would be a show. Peter got angry and started bouncing off the cage walls, hitting me with those gorilla fists. I let him land the blows—after all, that was the deal. I fell to the ground, and he tried to pin me into submission. The crowd cheered, trying to lift me up, but I refused to be swayed. And just when the match was about to end, I heard small voices that hit me straight in the heart:

“You can do it, uncle!!!”

Who was I kidding? Who would disappoint their nephews like that? Not me. I couldn’t let them see their uncle like this—even if the fight was fake. I got up from the ground and kicked Peter into the cage’s metal wall. He just stared at me, confused. Then he turned to look at Aoi in her VIP box. I looked too—and saw her jaw drop at my betrayal.

I stepped closer to Peter and broke his legs so he couldn’t jump away again. Then I stomped on his hands so he couldn’t use them either. I raised my fist, aiming again for those perfect teeth.

“Wait—Not the smile!! I surrender!!” he cried like a little kid.

How disappointing. You really waste your powers.

I froze with my fist in the air. I couldn’t believe it. The entire crowd erupted in joy, celebrating the money they’d just won. Everything moved in slow motion. I raised my fist in victory and saw Aoi smash her pipe in rage.

Sorry, Aoi. But like I said in the beginning, your whole business disgusted me. I couldn’t let it slide, so I tore it down from the inside. Maybe if we had met before you built your criminal empire, things could’ve worked between us. But now… now you’re just an old witch. I blew her a kiss goodbye and ran out of the cage.

I couldn’t stop coughing as I ran—completely out of breath. Hundreds of guards were chasing me from behind.

Damn it. I should’ve never started smoking.

Far away, the Empress stood in her box, scanning the area.

“Santos!! Where are his nephews?! Did you let them escape?!” she yelled furiously.

“What can I say… the man earned my respect,” Santos replied with a smirk, adjusting his hat.

“Kazuyoshi, you were right. I should’ve never trusted a man again. Make your mother proud and take away what he loves most… just like he did to me.”

She turned to her son, and he gave her a satisfied smile and nodded.

At the castle gates, I was running toward a van. There was Paul, waiting with my nephews. I ran to them and pulled them into a hug. 

-You were amazing uncle.

-Yeah, as expected of you.

-I was only lucky that the opponent was a narcissist of his smile.

I cheked on Paul.

“So… Santos really is trustworthy. And you? You’re okay with this?”

“Something like that. I got tired of the Empress’s leadership. Here—take the keys,” he said, placing them in my hand.

We got in the van, but this time, obviously, I wasn’t the one driving. That was Andrew. And no, I’m not an irresponsible adult. He learned how to drive from Chuck back in DreamGuard—with one of those armored war vans.

I laid down in the back during the trip and remembered when Santos knocked on my door the night before, while Aoi was sleeping.

“What do you want?” I asked, annoyed as I opened the door.

“Hey, sorry—didn’t mean to interrupt. Just wanted you to know… if things go south tomorrow, you’ve got my full support. I won’t let anything happen to your nephews. You have my word.”

I didn’t trust him—I just stared him down. It felt like he suspected my real thoughts about the fixed match and what I truly felt about this place.

“What, are you turning against the Queen? Seriously, what do you really want?”

“I just want a change in how this world is run,” he said, stealing the cigarette from my mouth with his hand. “Pff… these smokes suck. Ever thought about switching brands?”

Man, what a mysterious guy. Glad It's all over.