The Inter-School Martial Contest was over.


    And Ash Atsuyuki stood victorious.


    The energy in Titan Coliseum refused to die down. The roar of the crowd was deafening, a mixture of exhilaration, disbelief, and sheer madness. Fans waved banners emblazoned with the Shirogiri crest, while holo-screens looped replays of Ash''s victory over Rei from every possible angle.


    Every network, every social platform—they were all talking about him.


    The World Reacts


    "HE WON! ASH ATSUYUKI IS THE CHAMPION!" Hina X practically exploded on her live stream. "This is the most insane tournament finish we''ve ever seen! Rei was augmented beyond regulation, and he still took her down! The Shirogiri heir just did the impossible!"


    Her chat flooded with reactions:


    "The legend is real!"


    "Shirogiri supremacy!"


    "Rei was robbed, she should''ve won!"


    "Ash is just lucky. He won''t last against real-world fighters."


    Meanwhile, combat analysts tore into the match.


    KuroKen scoffed. "Look, I''m not taking anything away from Ash''s win, but let''s be real—he''s reckless. His style only works because he adapts faster than his opponents. That won''t hold up forever."


    Takumi Sato smirked. "You mean it won''t hold up until he adapts again? Face it, KuroKen—he broke your precious ''perfect'' fighters. Ash doesn''t follow your rules, and that''s why he wins."


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Debates exploded across networks. Was Ash a genius, or just a survivor?


    The Champion and the Betrayed


    Ash barely registered the chaos as he walked through the underground halls of the coliseum. His body ached with exhaustion, but his mind was sharp. He had won.


    Then—a voice.


    "You should have lost."


    He turned. Rei stood in the shadows, still in her battle attire, her augmented body twitching from the overuse of enhancements. Her eyes burned with something between anger and recognition.


    "You ruined everything," she whispered. "I was supposed to come back stronger. I was supposed to show everyone that I was unstoppable."


    Ash met her gaze. "And yet, here we are."


    Rei''s fists clenched, but her shoulders slumped. "I gave up everything to win. And I still lost."


    For the first time, Ash saw something beyond the rage—something broken.


    "They pushed you too far," he said. "Whoever gave you those augments… they didn''t do it to help you. They did it to use you."


    She exhaled sharply. "Don''t act like you care."


    Ash didn''t reply. Maybe he did.


    Rei turned away, voice softer now. "You better be ready, Ash. This world isn''t done testing you."


    Then she was gone.


    The Price of Victory


    In a private lounge above the arena, Kenshiko grinned at the numbers flashing across the screen.


    "Transaction complete."


    Kaito sat across from her, arms crossed. "How much?"


    She stretched. "Enough to rebuild the Shirogiri three times over."


    Kaito whistled. "That''s a lot of people who bet against him."


    Kenshiko chuckled. "And now? They''re his biggest investment."


    The Shirogiri name wasn''t just back in whispers—


    It was a financial powerhouse.


    A New Path


    Ash stepped onto the balcony overlooking the coliseum. The city lights stretched before him, a world that had once ignored him but now couldn''t stop watching.


    He had won the tournament.


    But this was just the beginning.


    Power had shifted.


    The Shirogiri Clan was no longer a relic of the past.


    They were a force rising from the ashes.