Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler

He moved fast. A leg sweep— SNAP. Harrison's leg bent the wrong fucking way.

"AHHH—!!" A scream ripped from Harrison's throat. The pain jolted him back to reality. He needed to escape. But—

He couldn't move. Axel's iron grip had his arm locked tight. Even as the force of it split open his skin— Even as his body struggled against the pressure— He wasn't getting free.

"ROAR!" Harrison bellowed, a desperate beast's cry. But this wasn't like before. This wasn't willpower, but was fear and desperation. His body thrashed, throwing wild, reckless attacks at Axel. Anything to break free.

But it was too late. Axel's hand moved— And like fucking magic, a gun appeared. No hesitation. No flair.

BANG.

A single, unremarkable gunshot. Just a quick draw— Gun to head. Trigger pulled.

Blood sprayed. A perfect red blossom against the night. Harrison's body went stiff. Then, like a puppet with its strings cut, he dropped.

The moment his body hit the ground, Axel finally felt the sharp, ripping pain of claws leaving his flesh.

His blood spilled onto the ring, but within seconds, the wounds began to close. Healing. Faster than any human should be able to.

In the stunned silence, someone whispered: "Harrison… is dead." And then— It was like a switch flipped. The entire crowd woke up. Gasps, whispers, chaos.

On the viewing platform, the three gang leaders sat frozen. Grayson looked shocked. Zachary's face twisted in disbelief. The Harrison had just been fucking executed. Right in front of him.

Declan, on the other hand— Grinned. "Not bad… not bad at all." His eyes gleamed as he studied Axel. They still didn't know how he had recovered— But one thing was clear as day.

Axel wasn't just brute strength. He was smart. Patient. A man willing to bleed, suffer, and wait for his moment to strike. And Declan respected that.

Meanwhile, down below— Wesley. Jade. The others. Fucking stunned. They had thought Axel was done for. They had watched him take hit after hit. And yet, he was the only one still standing.

But before the shock could settle, a cold voice cut through the air. "You bastard." A wave of killing intent slammed into him.

Axel barely had time to react before he felt it. Dangerous. Coming right for him. His body, still recovering, nearly buckled under the sheer force of it.

Fuck. His breath hitched, a fresh surge of pain threatened to tear through him. He almost spat blood.

Zachary. Standing before him, his face twisted in rage. Murder in his eyes. And just as that deadly hand reached for Axel, another figure moved, like they had seen it coming all along.

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"Zachary, calm down." The voice belonged to Declan, the leader of the Steel Serpents.

Zachary's eyes were bloodshot. He still couldn't wrap his head around it. Harrison had Axel on the ropes. Victory was seconds away.

Then, suddenly, Axel came back from the dead. Zachary couldn't accept it. His most capable fighter was gone, just like that. The rage boiled over, and he charged forward without thinking.

Right then, another figure stepped in— Grayson. He arrived unhurried, casting a brief glance at Zachary before shaking his head. Then, he turned his gaze elsewhere.

Zachary followed his line of sight and froze. The city guards were watching, their expressions weren't friendly. Just like that, Zachary's anger vanished.

The real power in Sin City wasn't any gang leader. It was Morris. He allowed the city to function under his rules, and anyone who broke them was wiped out without exception. One of those rules? Settling fights in the ring. Once it was over, it was over.

Zachary clenched his fists, shooting one last hateful glare at Axel. Then, without another word, he turned and left. This wasn't the end. He had killed Harrison, and the entire district had seen it. Zachary's gang had just lost face.

"You're strong," Grayson said, his tone light. "If you're interested, you can join Wolfclaw Legion."

Before Axel could respond, Declan chuckled. "Since we're being direct, I won't hold back. Kid, I like you. Steel Serpents would be happy to have you. Name your price."

While the two were talking, Axel noticed that Grayson kept glancing at Harrison who was lying on the ground, and there seemed to be some regret in his eyes.

Axel stayed silent for a moment, then nodded politely. "Boss, I appreciate the offers. But I need time to think. I'll make my decision after I get some rest."

He had already decided. But if he picked one side right now, he'd be insulting the other. He had already pissed off one gang leader. He wasn't about to make an enemy out of another.

Grayson shrugged. "If you hesitate, then don't bother." His tone was indifferent.

Declan, however, laughed and clapped Axel on the shoulder. "Grayson prefers people who are upfront," he said. "Especially guys like Harrison."

Axel got the message. He had won the fight—but not Grayson's respect. What was surprising was that a guy like Grayson had managed to rise to power in a place like Sin City.

Right now, there was only one path forward. Axel turned to Declan. "Then I'll be in your care, Mr. Declan."

Declan grinned. "Good. Go rest up tonight. Tomorrow, we'll welcome you properly." As he turned to leave, something crossed his mind. "By the way," he asked, "do you know those people?" He gestured toward Wesley and the others standing off to the side.

Axel had expected this question. Jade had spoken to him openly earlier, after all. "We just shared a ride into the city," Axel said, half-truthfully. "Can't really call them friends. They don't think much of me, anyway."

Declan narrowed his eyes, studying Axel for a long moment. The silence dragged. For a brief second, the air grew cold. Then, just as suddenly, Declan laughed.

"Relax. It's nothing serious." His gaze shifted to Elijah, Esme, and the others leaving. "But if they're not your friends, I'd suggest staying away from them."

"They're about to be in big fucking trouble." Outsiders walking into Sin City and killing people like they own the place? They really thought the gangs here were pushovers?

"One more thing—don't mess with anyone who owns private property in this city," Declan said casually. "I'll have someone pick you up tomorrow."

With that, he hummed a little tune and walked off, clearly in a **great mood.**

Axel didn't need the warning—he already knew. Owning property in Sin City meant one thing: Power. Those who could afford it were true elites—high-level Awakeners with no interest in today's fight.

"Axel!" Gabriel rushed forward, catching Axel before he could collapse. That last explosive surge had given Axel a temporary boost, but now the exhaustion was crashing down on him. His body felt like lead. Even so, his mood was light.

His eyes landed on something— A crystal on the ground. He bent down and picked it up. Green. But right next to it— A red one.

Axel's heartbeat spiked. An Awakening Skill Crystal. Could it be—Beast Transformation?! A powerful ability, no doubt. But… kind of ugly. And bad for clothes.

Gabriel whistled. "Damn, Axel! Who was that guy just now? What did he say to you?" Axel explained briefly.