I Was Born With A Bloodline That Ended The World-Chapter 104: Filth

"Cough!"

The sound of Nick Nickleson’s cough was the only thing that cut through the heavy silence.

The entire arena had gone still, the weight of what they had just witnessed hanging thick in the air.

Nick was sprawled in the middle of the arena, half-sitting, half-collapsed, one hand pressed to his chest as he gasped for breath.

His face was pale, his lips bloodied. He looked like he had no idea how he had gotten there, or how Rhian had torn through him so easily.

Rhian stood a few paces away, his breathing calm and measured, his shoulders loose and his expression unreadable.

He had walked into the fight with an edge that none of them had seen before. Not against the other students. Not even in the intense matches he’d had so far.

Rhian didn’t say a word. He didn’t look at the crowd, didn’t acknowledge the whispers that were already starting to stir.

His gaze was locked on Nick, watching the boy struggle to stand, to find his footing again.

It wasn’t personal. But Rhian’s mind was still back in the last match, still seeing Nia walk away with her head down, her shoulders slumped. He’d felt helpless then. Powerless to do anything.

The announcer’s voice boomed, but it sounded confused, as if he didn’t know if he should even call it. But he did. "Winner, Rhian Locke."

Rhian turned without waiting for the referee to finish. He didn’t need to hear it. He walked back to the edge of the ring, his expression still calm but his jaw tight, a cold fire simmering in his eyes.

Nick slumped further to the ground, finally admitting defeat. The healers moved in to tend to him as Rhian stepped off the platform.

He didn’t look at the other students as he passed. He didn’t want to see the fear, the curiosity, or the doubt. Not right now.

His mind was already somewhere else, still in the echo of Nia’s stubborn fight, and in the quiet promise he made to himself as he watched her get broken.

He wouldn’t let it happen again.

Rhian was about to walk past Justin when he heard the quiet voice, calm and deliberate. "You’re lucky they let your kind in here at all," Justin said, his tone soft but sharp.

Rhian paused, his head turning. Justin’s eyes were on him, cool and disinterested, like he was talking about a stray animal.

"Back in my father’s day," Justin said, his mouth curling slightly, "we didn’t let filth like you mix with real carriers. You were left in the gutters where you belonged."

The words cut deep. Rhian’s fists tightened at his sides, but he didn’t move. He just stared back, his jaw clenching as Justin kept talking.

"I see how you look at her," Justin said, his voice dropping a little lower. "You think you’re like us. You’re not. You’re just a broken little thing wearing borrowed power. You don’t belong here. You never will, soon this city will be clean of your filth."

Rhian didn’t flinch. He didn’t look away. But the weight of it sat heavy in his chest. He had heard it before, from whispers and rumors, but never this clear, this direct.

Justin didn’t wait for a reply. He turned and walked past Rhian, his shoulders loose and relaxed. He didn’t look back.

Rhian’s eyes followed him, his mind calm and cold. He didn’t let himself show anything.

But as Justin disappeared into the other side of the arena, Rhian’s shoulders squared.

He knew what this was now. It wasn’t about the tournament anymore.

Rhian paused, the words echoing in his head, twisting around in his thoughts. "Soon the city will be clean of filth."

Filth. That’s what Justin had called him. Not even a real person, just something that shouldn’t be there.

Rhian’s breath caught for a moment, the weight of it heavy on his chest. But what did Justin mean? Was he just another bigot, or was there something more?

He thought about Miss Liane and what she had said, how she was always cautious, always watching for signs of something bigger than petty hatred.

He thought about the attack in the portal, how the others had died, from what beard from Miss Liane.

The portal expedition. The deaths that happened there weren’t just random. They couldn’t have been. Only students had gone in. Only those who were supposed to be there.

Rhian clenched his fists. If Justin was behind it, if he was the killer or working with whoever was, then it was no mistake that he would come for him and Iris... and from what he showed, it seems anyone related to them would not be spared.

His mind felt like it was splitting open with the weight of all those pieces coming together.

The tension in his chest built until it was hard to breathe.

He took a slow breath and forced his body to relax.

This wasn’t the place to act, and he couldn’t let Justin see how deep those words had cut.

He would deal with it. He would find out the truth. But right now, he had to stay calm. He had to stay in control.

Rhian watched as the event took a break before the final match. The noise of the arena dulled to a low hum, students shifting around to find a seat or a better view. He could feel the tension in the air, but his mind was elsewhere.

He was honest with himself, he didn’t know how he was going to beat Justin.

He could see the gap in their strength, and it wasn’t something he could close just by pushing harder. Justin was a D rank, maybe even close to C. Rhian wasn’t that deluded.

He had always been strong enough to hold his own against people at his level, but this was something else. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

He wanted to make Justin pay for what he did to Nia. He had watched it happen, seen her pushed down and broken.

That rage burned in his chest, but he knew better than to think it was enough. Rage didn’t make you stronger if you didn’t have the skill to use it.

He clenched his fists. He had seen Justin’s style, felt how he moved, how he fought.

He was precise, controlled, and his teleportation ability... that was the real problem.

Rhian knew if he couldn’t figure out how to counter that, the fight would be over before it even began.

The purple fire was another level entirely, and he couldn’t afford to take a direct hit from it. He had to be careful. He had to find a way in, and fast.

For now, he pushed those thoughts down and walked off the platform. He was going toward Nia. She had fought hard, and he wanted to see her before his match started.