Absolute Soul
76. The Final VII

"Is that all you're capable of, Haikal Alendra?!" Jack landed a powerful blow on Haikal's stomach that sent the black-haired young man once again thrown to the other side of the arena, creating a huge crack in the stadium wall.

Haikal, who had been beaten to the ground by Jack, fell to the floor in a limp condition, and did not even have the energy to groan in pain.

"Isn't this too much?"

"I don't think Jack is this kind of mean guy...."

"Has he been as cruel as Edward from the beginning?"

The audience couldn't stop wondering about Jack's drastic change in attitude. Whereas in previous games Jack was very generous smile, but now he is almost no different from Edward when torturing Salvia in the quarter-finals last.

"Ja-Jack, can't you stop being so mean?" The host commented persuading Jack, he was unable to see Haikal tortured continuously. He asks Jack to stop his actions or at least dispel Haikal's consciousness quickly.

Jack glanced at the host and pointed to him, "There are no rules against participants doing so. The match will only be completed if one of the participants gives up or loses consciousness, right?"

"That's true, but this is a little...." The host looked at Haikal who was currently lying weakly on the floor, seemingly unable to continue the fight but he could not stop the fight because of the victory requirement of only two.

"Then just shut up and look at it" Jack said, not caring about the host's words. He stepped closer to Haikal with the pressure of the soul energy that did not even decrease, "How I won the match it is not your right to comment."

"But, it's my duty to comment on every match," the inner host smiled wryly but did not dare to voice his protest. He chose to remain silent and looked into Veindal's room, hoping that the middle-aged man would be able to temper this ominous sight.

Jack stopped his steps as soon as he was only a few meters away from Haikal. He raised his chin to look at Haikal with a look of unsightly eyes, "Stand up, Haikal. I know you still have backup power to prepare a surprise attack on me."

Haikal's body trembled for a moment, he then used both hands to push the floor and tried to get up from his prone position. Haikal smiled dryly enduring the pain all over his body, "Why do you know my plan?"

"Simple, though the sheer pressure of your soul energy is still felt," Jack replied, "After all, I know the ability of the man who can defeat Edward is just this much."

Haikal gave no answer for a moment other than a wry smile, "Maybe you're the one who's too strong. The proof is that you can even beat me up like this." The light in Haikal's eyes faded slightly when he said so.

Jack squinted in response to Haikal's words, "You seriously said that?"

"What do you mean?" Haikal raised an eyebrow not understanding Jack's question.

Jack is seen grinding his jaw before kicking the floor darting towards Haikal in an instant, then once again landing a crushing blow on Haikal's stomach, again throwing Haikal into the stadium wall.

"Gurgh!" Haikal could feel extreme pain all over his body, he was unable to move freely due to these injuries so that he could not avoid it. Not to mention his soul energy that was sufficiently drained after exerting the Void Breaker and Berserker Plate earlier.

Jack was not very concerned about Haikal's painful reaction, he just walked up to Haikal without caring as much as the condition of the young man before him, but this time there was a look of pity on his face when he looked at Haikal.

"I've heard some things about you from Verna, Haikal. Including the reason you wanted to be a Blazer," Jack said, "You want to find out the truth about your father's death, right?"

"It doesn't mean that I don't accept your reasons for being a Blazer, I also have the same reasons for being able to stand in this place."

"Then—"

"But I don't like the way you use that excuse to cover up your biggest reason for being a Blazer." Jack's tone suddenly rose with the look of his eyes that became colder and sharper.

Haikal widened his eyes for a moment to hear Jack's predictable remark pointing to where, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Jack full of anger, "You also heard that from Verna?"

"Don't blame him. Verna just asked me to help you because she felt unworthy." Jack shrugged at Haikal's reaction, "He felt really guilty about it, you know."

"That's wrong!" Haikal exclaimed loudly until the entire audience who was still conscious heard the cry, slightly surprising Jack and the audience in the arena.

"Verna did nothing wrong that day!" Haikal stood up with great difficulty ignoring the pain all over his body, but Haikal straightened his back as a drop of tears fell from his cheek with a look of sorrowful eyes, "If anyone makes a mistake, let him be sure that he will not, then I'm the one."

Jack's face softened a little at Haikal's grief, he knew the outline of what was the reason for Haikal's tears to come out so he felt they were all natural.

"Not anyone else, I'm the one who killed him." No more water or eyes of sorrow, now everyone can see Haikal's gaze filled with a burning anger.

***

"You asked for it?" Salvia could not help but be surprised to learn that it was this girl before her that asked Jack to act so cruelly at Haikal. Salvia is confused not to understand why Verna asked such cruel things against her own best friend.

Verna smiled slightly as she could tell Salvia's confusion, "I'm not asking you to understand, but I'm asking Jack to do this for Haikal's sake. Please don't interrupt their fight."

After saying so Verna released the clutches of the stone hand holding Salvia's ankle, then turned around to return to where she came from, but Salvia did not let her go that easily.

Salvia mustered her snow against Verna's ankle, even she had already created several snow spears that were ready to be thrown at any time. His soul energy had recovered in part so the position of the two was now reversed.

"Don't think you could just walk away after saying all that, Verna."

Verna herself sighed already expecting Salvia would not just let herself go without giving clarity. He turned around, "Then, what do you want me to do?"

"Tell me everything. All your intentions behind doing this for Haikal's sake," said Salvia seriously accompanied by the pressure of soul energy flaring around her, intent on throwing her snow spear if Verna refused.

Verna looked into Salvia's eyes deeply before glancing at Haikal on the arena grounds who was currently charging Jack with no success for a while.

He then sighed with a faint smile, then looked back at Salvia, "Sorry, but it's not time for you to know that yet." Verna then jerked her black stick to the floor.