SSS Ranked Beast Tamer: My EP increases with girls-Chapter 22: CH 0: Forfeiting the match

Tasha could see Ajax inching his way toward the ring, and with each step, her confusion deepened. She couldn’t understand why he was here. He was still injured, his head wrapped in bandages, his movements sluggish and cautious.

She had assumed he’d be resting, recovering from the brutal defeat he had suffered at Dave’s hands. But instead of resting, Ajax was walking toward the ring, determination etched on his face. Why? What was he thinking?

As Ajax got closer to the ring, Tasha’s concern grew stronger. He was clearly still in pain, his injuries far from healed. She wanted to rush to him, but for some reason, she stayed in her spot, confused and slightly worried.

Finally, Ajax reached the ring. The referees, seeing the state he was in, helped him climb into the ring, supporting him as best as they could. Ajax immediately raised a hand, signaling that he had something to say, which only added to Tasha’s mounting anxiety.

Tasha hurried toward him, her protective instincts kicking in. As soon as she reached him, she grabbed his shoulders, steadying him. Her voice was filled with concern and confusion.

"Ajax, what are you doing here?" Tasha asked, her eyes scanning him for signs of worsening injuries. "You should be in bed, treating your wounds. You don’t have to be here. Not now. Not like this."

Ajax, despite the pain that must’ve been gnawing at him, shook his head. His expression was serious, even a little urgent. "Aunt T, you have to stop this fight."

Tasha frowned, perplexed. "What do you mean? I’m doing this for your sake," she whispered, leaning in. "Can’t you see what that bastard did this to you. I need to teach him a lesson. I’m going to make him pay for humiliating you."

But Ajax’s eyes held a deep, painful concern. He leaned in closer, his voice quiet but insistent. "Aunt, you don’t have to do that. It’ll only make things worse for us. Can’t you see? He took down Sonya and the others with ease. If he does the same to you, it’ll be a double embarrassment for us. We can’t risk it. Not like this."

Tasha’s resolve wavered. She was so sure of her abilities. She was a seasoned fighter, a black belt in Taekwondo, someone who had trained for years. Surely she could take Dave down, right? But Ajax’s words struck a nerve. He was right, Dave’s power was no joke. She couldn’t risk it, especially not with the entire crowd watching.

"No, don’t say that, Ajax," she snapped, her voice rising with frustration. "I’m capable of defeating him. I can make him regret ever crossing me. Just wait and see. I’ll humiliate him the same way he did to you."

But Ajax was firm. His hand gripped her arm tightly as he looked into her eyes, urgency in his voice. "Aunt, I know you’re strong. I know you’re a black belt, but whatever that guy’s got, we don’t want to deal with it. Not here, not now. It’s just not the time." His voice softened a little. "Listen Aunt, I have a plan. You know I always get back at my enemies. But you need to trust me. Please. Stop the fight. Let me handle it."

Tasha’s mind raced, her heart conflicted. She had been preparing for this moment, determined to show Dave that he couldn’t walk all over her family. But Ajax’s words weren’t just words of concern, they were practical. He was right. If Dave could take her down the way he had done the others, it would only make things worse for them both.

With a heavy sigh, Tasha relented. She couldn’t ignore Ajax’s plea, not when he was in this much pain and asking her to stop. "Okay," she said, her voice quiet with resignation.

Turning to face the crowd, Tasha made her decision known. Her voice was loud and firm as she addressed everyone. "The fight has ended. I forfeit the match."

The crowd immediately began buzzing with confusion and surprise. Whispers spreading through the arena, but Tasha didn’t stay to hear them. Without another word, she exited the ring, her eyes scanning the crowd as she made her way out of the place. This was her choice.

Ajax had soon followed after her, but not without briefly flicking his eyes toward Dave’s direction. For a split second, his gaze had met with his, and the silence between them was thick with unspoken words. Ajax said nothing, but the look in his eyes made it clear that this wasn’t the end. There was more to come.

Hearing Tasha announce that she forfeited the match sounded absurd to the crowd, almost like a joke. The spectators couldn’t believe their ears, they were certain that it had to be some kind of mistake or miscommunication.

That was until the announcer’s voice boomed over the loudspeakers, confirming Tasha’s claim, that the crowd started to grasp what had actually happened. The announcer, with his usual flair, repeated the declaration, claiming the end of the highly anticipated special evening match.

The arena went silent for a moment, as the realization sank in. The shock of it all hit everyone like a wave. People had been eager to witness the confrontation between Tasha and Dave, and now it was over before it even truly began.

Whatever Ajax had whispered to Tasha had caused her to call it off, and that was enough to keep the match from taking place. The crowd was left in stunned confusion, unsure of how to process what they had just witnessed.

The buzz began almost immediately, as conversations and theories erupted among the onlookers. "What did Ajax say to her?" people murmured, speculating wildly.

Some thought it was an act of caution, others believed Ajax might’ve been trying to protect her from a humiliating defeat. Everyone seemed to have their own opinion, but no one knew the exact details. The only thing certain was that the fight, which many had been waiting for, had ended without a single punch being thrown.

Whispers filled the air, but the one thing that became clear was that Tasha had forfeited without hesitation. It was a decision that would fuel gossip for days to come, but no one could say for sure why.

In the end, Dave stood victorious by default. The match had never truly started, but he was still declared the winner. As a result, his position as an executive member was cemented. There was no real competition, just a forfeited fight that led to his unchallenged victory.

With his reputation already on the rise after the previous showdowns, Dave’s notoriety had grown exponentially. The crowd, once divided, now seemed to tilt in his favor. Those who had once doubted him, even spoken against him, were slowly turning into his fans. It wasn’t that they necessarily liked him, but they respected his power, his ability to dominate effortlessly.

Only a few individuals remained skeptical, still holding on to their reservations, but they were few and far between. Yet, despite the growing admiration, Dave seemed unfazed.

There was something else on his mind, something far more pressing than the outcome of the fight. His gaze was distant, focused on the system message that had popped up above his face.

[You have not completed your mandatory daily quest]

[Quest: Tame ten beasts in a day]

[You have less than four hours left to complete the quest, otherwise, you will be penalized]

...

Mass release coming up soon, anticipate!!