Ethan's bold statement sent a wave of shock through the crowd.
Until this moment, every spectator believed they had already understood Ethan's intentions. From the very beginning, it was obvious—at least to them—that Ethan had no intention of killing Derek. Instead, he had been calmly dodging every single attack, forcing Derek to exhaust his stamina little by little.
And since Ethan hadn't even touched Derek throughout the entire fight, the Punishment Department would have no justification to intervene.
Even Ivan, who was famous for his sharp intellect and accurate judgment, had reached the same conclusion. And Ivan was rarely wrong. Because of this, most people believed that Ethan would end this matter peacefully—by humiliating Derek without laying a finger on him.
That was the wisest approach.
But now…
Ethan had just said that he wanted to kill Derek.
The sudden shift left everyone stunned.
If Ethan truly intended to kill him, then why wait until now?
Why dodge Derek's attacks for two entire hours?
Why deliberately avoid counterattacking when so many openings had appeared?
The spectators couldn't understand his reasoning at all.
Even Ivan frowned deeply, his brows tightly knit. For the first time since the fight began, he found himself unable to predict Ethan's next move.
Among everyone present, the person most shaken by Ethan's words was Derek himself.
He had never imagined that the man who had avoided killing intent for so long would suddenly declare such a thing. His heart pounded violently in his chest as fear crept into his veins.
"You… don't even… dare to think about… hurting me," Derek said, his voice trembling with both rage and terror.
"My grandfather is the Chief Elder of the Union's Punishment Department! If you cross the line, they won't let you go!"
Seeing the situation escalate dangerously, Ivan immediately stepped forward.
"Please listen to reason, brother," Ivan said sincerely.
"You've worked hard to reach this point. Don't throw away your life so recklessly. If you go any further, the consequences will be irreversible."
Derek seized the opportunity, forcing out a hoarse laugh despite his labored breathing.
"H–Ha ha ha! You hear that?" he sneered.
"Listen to him and step aside wisely… or you'll die for no reason."
Ethan looked at Derek quietly.
His expression was calm—so calm that it made people uneasy.
"So what you're saying," Ethan replied casually, "is that if I let you go now, you'll never come back to cause me trouble using your grandfather's political power?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Do I look like a four-year-old child to you?"
Ivan froze.
He opened his mouth to argue—but then stopped.
After thinking carefully, he realized that Ethan's words carried undeniable logic.
Everyone here knew Derek's character. Arrogant. Vindictive. Narrow-minded. A person like him would never let today's humiliation pass. Even if he lacked the strength to win personally, he would surely rely on his grandfather's authority to retaliate.
And when that happened, Ethan would be the one crushed.
Ethan continued speaking, his voice steady and composed.
"When the fight started, I didn't want to get involved with the Union at all. But then a thought struck me."
"Even if I let you go today, you won't stop here. You'll use every possible means to make my life miserable. In the end, I'll be the one who suffers."
He looked straight into Derek's eyes.
"If that's the case, then why should I let my enemy live when my death is inevitable? If I'm going to die anyway, I might as well take my enemy with me. What do you think?"
Silence fell over the crowd.
No one dared to speak.
Judging by Derek's past actions, it was clear that Ethan's reasoning was sound. Derek would absolutely seek revenge. And with the Punishment Department backing him, Ethan's chances of survival were slim.
If Ethan spared Derek, Derek would live—and Ethan would die.
So who would have the last laugh?
If death was unavoidable, then taking one's enemy along was not madness—it was resolution.
The spectators finally understood Ethan's thinking.
And many of them, to their surprise, felt that he was right.
Derek stood frozen.
For the first time in his life, he felt genuine fear.
He realized that this man was not bluffing.
I might actually die today…
The thought struck him like a thunderbolt.
He couldn't accept it.
His grandfather had just become the Chief Elder of the Punishment Department. His future was bright. Power, wealth, authority—everything was finally within his reach.
How could he die here?
No!
I can't accept this!
I still have so many dreams I haven't fulfilled!
Derek clenched his teeth, his mind racing. He was ready to beg. He was ready to retreat. As for revenge, that could always come later—with the Punishment Department behind him, destroying Ethan would be easy.
But just as he was about to speak—
"Heh heh."
A light chuckle escaped Ethan's lips.
"Just kidding," Ethan said casually, as if talking about the weather.
"Relax. I won't waste my time messing with trash like you. Goodbye."
The words struck harder than any punch.
Before anyone could react, Ethan picked up his belongings and walked away, leaving behind a crowd of stunned onlookers.
The spectators felt sick.
Just kidding?
What kind of joke was that?
There was no humor in it. None at all. Instead, it made their hearts ache.
As Ethan's figure disappeared into the distance, the crowd slowly turned toward Derek.
In the past, they would have secretly enjoyed seeing him suffer. But today was different.
Today, they felt pity.
Ethan hadn't struck him once.
Not even a single touch.
Yet the damage to Derek's heart was catastrophic.
In moments like this, arrogance became one's greatest weakness. The higher the pride, the deeper the wound.
Even the spectators felt like vomiting blood after hearing Ethan's final words. As for Derek—the one who endured it directly—the humiliation was unbearable.
Since childhood, no one had ever treated him like this. Everyone either feared him or flattered him. Except for people like Young Master Robin, no one dared to offend him.
But today…
Today, someone crushed him completely.
He had always humiliated others publicly. Now, he tasted that same humiliation himself—a humiliation he would never forget for the rest of his life.
"Just kidding. I won't waste my time messing with trash like you."
Those words echoed endlessly in Derek's mind.
He wanted to forget them.
He couldn't.
His chest tightened violently.
Pfft!
A mouthful of blood burst from his lips.
Derek collapsed onto the ground, his vision going dark as consciousness slipped away.