1,000,000 Karma: My Reward Is a Quiet Life-Chapter 70: The Spear Hand

"Wait, seriously?" Rain said, listening to the story from Astrid. "So, you’re saying those gauntlets that guy is wearing, they’re...?"

"Prosthetics," Astrid confirmed with a nod.

"I remember hearing that story when we were kids, though," Otto recalled. "The way Father talked about it, it was something that happened centuries ago. So, if that really is the same Lamore, he’s been alive for some time now."

As the dust settled in the arena, this time it was the demi-human’s feet that clung right to the edge of the boundaries. The gi worn by the martial artist had its fabric blown away at the point of impact, exposing the deep bruising now left on Ju-Nao’s stomach, though no sign of pain was on display from the fighter.

As both the exiled elf and demi-human shared a look, they reunited in the center of the arena. The swift first step led Ju-Nao’s striking first, and Lamore responded with a duck, countering with a left swing. Both initial attacks missed, leaving each following up, and each evading in their own way.

Amidst the roaring of the cloud, the only thing either competitor heard was their own heartbeat as their fists clashed. A stalemate driven by counters and evasion until–

Ju-Nao’s spear pierced the defense of the banished elf.

"Pyuh–!" Lamore spat out.

No less than a sharpened javelin, the fingers of the demi-human sank inches deep into the abdomen of the elf. It wasn’t just being stabbed–the force behind the masterful spear-hand rippled through Lamore’s internal organs like a chime.

Shrieks came from the fans of the beloved elf, and the silence of those in support were just as inspired by dread.

"HE’S...HE’S BEEN HIT! A CRITICAL WOUND–LAMORE MAY NEED TO CONCEDE NOW, OR HE COULD BE IN TERRIBLE DANGER!"

In that brief moment, the elf exhaled as blood dribbled at his lip. When it came to sitting down and accepting defeat, or continuing on, the choice came easy as the exiled warrior raised his knee, sharply striking at the demi-human’s arm from below.

He dislodged the spear-hand, swinging his gauntlet, only for the careful martial artist to slip back without letting the blow land. It was back into neutral territory, only that Ju-Nao’s bruising was in miles better condition than the gushing wound left on Lamore’s stomach.

["I’ve been through Hell already. Everything else...is an afterthought. So, what am I even fighting for anymore?"]

In the reaches of the exiled man’s mind, memories forever seared into his brain surfaced. Hundreds of years in the past, yet so fresh they felt as though they happened the day prior.

Sitting in his house consumed by flames, he held the woman he loved in his arms, watching everything crumble around him. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

["I wasn’t even allowed to weep for my family. The tears evaporated right off my face."]

The fire brought down the walls, leaving the house reduced to nothing but piles of burning firewood as he sat there. Swallowed in the merciless, azure flames, the village was filled with smoke and the agonized screams of those caught in the disaster.

–

As the crimson fluid seeped down his abdomen, the elf was brought to a knee, looking down at the puddle of his own essence that had pooled beneath him. In that puddle of blood, he saw his reflection; a scarred man with nothing resembling life in his eyes, yet they burned with resolve.

He slammed his fist down into the crimson pool, cracking the stone as the chatter of the crowd was silenced. With quivering knees, the wounded elf rose to his feet, smacking his blood-stained gauntlet against his own body as if to put himself in check.

"HE’S...HE’S ON HIS FEET! LAMORE IS GOING TO CONTINUE FIGHTING! WHAT UNBREAKABLE RESOLVE, BUT...WHAT CAN HE DO WITH A WOUND LIKE THAT?!"

["Ever since that day, I’ve hunted down the man responsible for what happened. Hundreds of years, wandering this world...I’ve come close, but never enough. If I fall now, what’s been the point of any of it?"]

"I would advise you to give up," for the first time, adamant words were spoken by the towering demi-human. "I avoided targeting your vitals, but the bleeding will only get worse."

Lamore lacked any pressure from the suggestion, calmly responding through a passing breath, "I’d worry about yourself. I’m just getting warmed up."

This time, the demi-human dashed in without any restraint, crossing the gap in an instant while thrusting both hands forward this time. Perhaps it was clarity as his essence seeped from a hole in his gut, but the elf reacted this time, turning his head to the side as the sharpened fingers missed their mark.

At the same time, he caught the other hand between his side and his left arm, trapping it. The concept of "trapping" one of the giant demi-human’s limbs felt pointless, as in a direct contest of strength, it was moot.

Yet, the exiled one leapt up, equalizing their height as he cocked his head back. Ju-Nao in that single moment didn’t process whether he should pull away or not, only making a decision a moment too late–

Their heads clashed, with the elf slamming the top of his dome right into the bridge of the martial artist’s nose. There wasn’t any elegant technique to it, though it was certainly effective–

Ju-Nao’s nostrils spewed blood, while the elf only landed on his feet with a slight stumble, leaving both competitors in a daze.

Even in the VIP room, the very fact that the elf, half the size of the demi-human giant, managed to keep up physically was hard to believe.

"How’s he doing that?" Ogatrina called out. "Ju-Nao’s body is as tough as they come! Lamore’s built like a twig compared to him–so how’s he hurtin’ ’em?!"

While Noah had the same question, he figured it out just by watching the movements of the silver-haired fighter.

"It’s magical reinforcement," Sylvan answered in a calm fashion compared to her rowdy self with a huff. "We all do it, but that guy’s on a different level with it."

In the heart of the arena, the tides began to shift as the repeated strikes performed by Ju-Nao entirely missed now, leaving him open to counterattacks from the elf. After ducking past one piercing attempt, Lamore threw his fist upwards, landing a nasty uppercut right into the rhino man’s stomach.

The strength behind the devastating blow lifted even the giant off his feet, leaving Lamore rolling his shoulder to follow through with the hit. As a result, a perplexing sight was observed by the colosseum: Ju-Nao was sent into the air, drooling from the force of the uppercut.

"WOAH, WOAH WOAH...JU-NAO IS...AIRBORNE?! THE FOUR-HUNDRED KILOGRAM MARTIAL ARTS MASTER HAS SURELY NEVER EXPERIENCED A HIT LIKE THIS–!"

With a crash that kicked up a swirl of dust, the thick-skinned fighter came back down to the arena. Lamore used the opportunity to catch his breath, looking down at his wound, keeping his carved abdomen flexed to reduce the bleeding.

By the time he readied himself, the dust was pierced by the emergence of the rhino-man. Ju-Nao had abandoned the top of his gi, exposing his body that looked chiseled out of granite. The dash came quickly, though the elf was already prepared for it, slamming his gauntlets into the ground.

Like the stomp of a giant’s foot, the monumental force rippled through the stone, displacing chunks of the arena.

"THAT’S THE POWER WE’RE FAMILIAR WITH IN LAMORE’S FISTS...! HE’S THROWN OFF JU-NAO’S APPROACH ENTIRELY!"

With complete refinement, the masterful goliath pushed his foot forcefully, forcing the uprisen pieces of the arena to be pushed back into place. The moment the footing of the martial artist was centered, the precise timing a pebble landed–he dashed like a bolt of lightning.

Through the hail of falling sediment, the rhino-man arrived in front of the elf, though his unbreakable spear failed to reach his opponent.

"That speed of yours is impressive," Lamore complimented. "But, you can’t exactly react while moving like that either."

Only then as he coughed out blood, Ju-Nao discovered he had run straight into the extended fist, self-delivering a brutal impact to his gut. Another blow to the bruised stomach made those in attendance wince, though only a grunt escaped the demi-human’s lips.

Enough power was packed behind the gauntlet to push the half-ton fighter back halfway across the battlegrounds. This time, Lamore ruled the offense, sprinting in without letting up. The brawler kicked off the ground, bursting while leading with his right first just as Ju-Nao caught his balance.

Only enough time for the martial artist to shield with his arms was afforded, though the unrelenting force possessed by the elf cracked even the demi-human’s sturdy bones.

"THE TIDES HAVE TURNED COMPLETELY! JU-NAO IS ON THE ROPES NOW–!"

Again, the defended strike left Ju-Nao’s large frame sliding back as if being pushed by a torrent of wind. Already as thick as tree trunks, the fractured forearms of the thick-skinned man were swollen and bruised, yet an adamant look remained in his eye.

The elf smelled blood in the water, sprinting in with full intent on finishing the bout–

As Lamore’s fist was thrown forth, the air hissed.

Blood gushed from a new hole opened in the pale chest of the elf. It defied logic, though there was no denying reality as Lamore was shoved back by the unseen attack.

"WHAT...JUST HAPPENED?! LAMORE HAS BEEN HURT, BUT HOW?!"

In his unchanging stance, the refined martial artist held his spear-hand forward, huffing quietly, "I had hoped to save this technique for the Championship round, but you left me no choice."