The Killer Queen

Ready to throw a punch?

She didn’t need skill to channel the rage and pent–up agony that now erupted within her.

Malvina had been stifled for twenty years, a fire that couldn’t simply be quenched.

Arthur’s blatant scheming, her father’s favoritism, the shameless Yates and his mother, Walden’s leering

gaze…

Noella felt Malvina’s fists, wild and untrained, but ablaze with fury and hate! This was the kind of raw power the underground fight clubs craved.

“Good, now control your arm’s point of impact, put some oomph into your calves.”

“Aim a bit to the left, come on, target my face.”

“Malvina, when faced with the bastard that killed your mom, is that all the strength you’ve got? Don’t you want revenge with your own hands? You’re too weak for the Shadow Dragon Society.”

“All of your mother’s hard work, just handed over to someone else.”

Malvina clenched her teeth, tasting the metallic tang of blood, unaware of when she’d bitten her lip. Her eyes bloodshot, yet her fists now packed a punch under Noella’s guidance!

One solid hit, caught firmly in Noella’s grasp.

Breathing heavily, drenched in sweat, Malvina’s arms spasmed uncontrollably, yet it felt unexpectedly exhilarating.

Noella said lightly, “Would a tie be acceptable? If I were to admit defeat, you might end up in trouble.”

If the Demon King, undefeated in the ring, were to lose, it would be evident that she had intentionally let her opponent win. Then, those people probably wouldn’t harm the fight club or Noella, but they could cause trouble for Malvina.

“Will a draw cause you any trouble?” Malvina panted. Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

“It’s fine.”

At least she didn’t throw the entire match in that case.

Nodding, Malvina stumbled off, caught by Nolan below and carried back to the locker room.

The draw incited rage in the crowd, but Noella beat several fighters in a row, quelling the anger as bodies

hit the floor.

“Tonight’s champion is… Demon King!”

Insults and cheers mingled beneath her, but atop the ring, Noella stood as the world’s sole conqueror.

Malvina, too weak to lift her, arms, gazed at Noella descending from the ring, looking effortlessly cool.

“Damn, you’re so cool! You’re my hero!”

“Can you even walk?”

Malvina shook her head earnestly. “Not a chance. How can you not be tired?”

14:40

“I am, but I never show it.”

Noella adjusted her breathing beneath the mask, appearing unfazed, a feat of strength in Malvina’s eyes.

“Think you could teach me to fight? I want to learn!”

“Sure, but I’m a tough coach. You might not handle it.”

“I’ll manage!”

She wanted to be like Noella!

Noella nodded, her attention drifting back to the cage.

“Whoa, isn’t that your brother, Ulrich, in the ring?” Alioth exclaimed. “Is the Schnabel family going broke? Why’s he fighting?”

Fighters could earn a decent sum depending on the match and rank.

Noella’s bouts had quadrupled the club’s earnings.

Frowning slightly, Noella ordered, “Get him a level one fighter. Don’t let him get hurt.”

Was Ulrich so pressured that he resorted to fighting? But why choose this fight club out of many in Imperial City?

Malvina sat up, mask off, watching Ulrich trade blows with a muscular opponent on screen.

“Does the Schnabel family have a boxing tradition?”

Why did her brother step into the ring just as she had returned?

Ulrich’s boxing style was filled with malice, sharp and precise, targeting his opponent’s vulnerabilities.

Noella knew it was a doctor’s instinct, knowing the body’s weak spots, his style eerily similar to hers.

Alioth was stunned. “Boss, your brother’s style is risky; he’ll get hurt.”

Noella glanced up. “You go, knock him out and drag him off.”

Knocking out Ulrich without hitting his weak spots was a job for a Polaris Star.

“On it, but he’ll probably get some bruises. I’ll try to spare his hands!”

Twenty minutes later, Ulrich collapsed in the ring.

Malvina’s heart eased. “Thank goodness, I thought Dr. Schnabel was a goner.”

Noella exhaled in relief. “Don’t tell Ulrich I was here,” she instructed Malvina.

“Sure!”

Malvina was sharp enough to know what to keep secret. Noella’s desire for anonymity meant her lips were sealed.

Leaving the fight club with Malvina, Noella had Alioth toss Ulrich into the car, waiting for him to come to among the reeds.

“Where am I? Noella? What are you doing here?”

Ulrich moved his sore body, quickly assessing his injuries. He realized his opponent, despite aggressive punches, seemed to deliberately avoid certain spots.

14:40

Even underground fighters had ethics?

“Dr. Schnabel! Noella came for me, and you were just thrown out by the club. What were you doing fighting? The Schnabel family would flip if they found out!”

Malvina sat close to Ulrich, her gaze locked on him.

Ulrich shifted uncomfortably away. “It’s nothing, just blowing off steam from work. Noella, don’t tell anyone, they’d worry.”

Noella eyed Ulrich. “Tell me the real reason, and I’ll keep quiet. Otherwise, I’m spilling it to Mom.”

Work stress was a flimsy excuse. Ulrich had been a doctor for years; why would his job suddenly drive him to fight?

Back in the day, when he was a doctor at the borders, the pressure was immense, yet he never set foot in the makeshift fight clubs that seemed to sprout up along the border like wildflowers.

Ulrich hesitated, stumbling over his words.

Under Noella and Malvina’s intense gazes, Ulrich rubbed his face in a gesture of resignation and turned to Malvina.

“I heard that to get the Shadow Dragon Society to listen to you, you’ve got to win a fight. So, I want you to fight with me. I’m a doc, you won’t get hurt fighting me–at least you’ll live to tell the tale.”

Malvina’s eyes widened in astonishment!

Was Ulrich on the same wavelength as sweet Noella? Were they both plotting to help her by first securing a win in the ring before throwing the fight in her favor?

Malvina murmured to herself, “Are all the Schnabels this kind–hearted?”

Noella leaned back in her chair, her mind racing with the thought that she and Ulrich really were cut from the same cloth. Except her brother’s skills were sorely lacking. He had the strength but not the technique; facing off against seasoned fighters, he was like a lamb to the slaughter.

Malvina’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she looked at Ulrich. “Thank you, Dr. Schnabel! But I’ve already earned my stripes. You really shouldn’t be so kind, sticking your nose in everyone’s business!”

Ulrich lay back, his hand covering his face. “I’m not meddling in just anyone’s business… Oh well, consider me a busybody then!”