Chapter 89 - 88: Just Business

Chapter 89: Chapter 88: Just Business

While Myli was walking on the road with both hands in the pockets of her coat, the face of Caesar’s glare surfaced in her mind.

Myli paused and remembered the faces of the Mizukais, leading her to tilt her head down.

"The Mizukais... Though I haven’t met them in actual person, I have heard and learnt what they can do." Myli said in her mind, "And what I learned was nothing short of horrifying.

My bosses... Though I’m a junior investigative reporter, I have gotten a couple of successful reports in just three months... Even more than my colleagues, yet they keep telling me to stay away from anything Mizukai."

Myli sighed and continued walking.

"I’ve exposed things and made differences before." Myli said in her heart, "Cases like shady businesses, corrupt officials and abusive homes, yet I keep getting warned that this is something bigger.

How? It’s only bigger because no one wants to speak about it."

"Still though... Her eyes." Myli said in her heart as she recalled the glare from Caesar at the time she smashed her fist against the wall, "That was the look of fear, rage, exhaustion.

How can she choose to live like that? Even if it’s for her brothers, this act is doing nothing more than bringing a disservice to the Mizukais victims."

"Before I wanted it to be just one of those successful headlines I made but now, this feels deeper than that." Myli continued as she closed her eyes, "She said the Mizukais own everything... From the media to the courts down to my bosses, exposing them through the conventional means won’t work, I have to think of something else.

Regardless, I will bring them to justice... First I need to find their first EBW coerced victim, Kaezan.

The only problem is there has been no trace of him after he stayed in the hospital with Caesar. Regardless, I will find him and get him to open up more about their cruelties.

Surely getting him to cooperate would be easier than Caesar.

I will save those two and expose the Mizukais to the world for deep their rot is."

"Whether she wants it or not.". Myli said with a determined glare.

Meanwhile in the city of Manuwuge, outside the EBW stadium, AJ Zero who was wearing a dark blue hoodie and grey joggers, having his gym bag wrapped across his shoulder, stared at the screen of his phone which had a screen saver of himself smiling nervously with two dark skinned female beastfolk children with long brown hair, yellow irises and brown squirrel ears as well.

AJ smiled warmly at the screen before he placed his phone back in his pocket.

Later inside the stadium as AJ was walking, he took notice of how different male and female ero-wrestlers were staring at him; some with a devious smile, some with ice-cold glare, some with a crazed smile and some with a wolfish glare.

Feeling the intense pressure from those people, AJ couldn’t help but gulp and resume walking like nothing happened.

Arriving in the men’s locker room, AJ noticed how many of the men were gazing at him, making him feel more uncomfortable.

As he was gathering stuffs from his locker, he overheard two male ero-wrestlers speaking to each other at a corner.

"That’s AJ Zero. The online fans call the slayer."

"He beat the loan shark Magoi in an unsanctioned match... Her fucking playground. I think he earned that."

"Yeah but everyone knows she was barely trying."

"Should we jump him?"

"What?"

"The guy is getting a massive spark right now. Severely ero-wrestlers are trying to get a shot at him. Fuck, Sol Quinn has already gotten her match with him."

"Exactly why we shouldn’t jump him now. He already has a match. You know... With the aces of spades Sol Quinn."

"So after his match, we can jump him?"

"Yeah. EBW is usually intergender 1v1’s but we can make it work with a multi-man match by getting one or two females involved."

"That sounds nice. The one who pins, submits or gets points from Zero gets to take the momentum he has... Just so you know, I’ll be pinning him."

"Like hell you will."

AJ gulped harder and quickly left the locker room.

As AJ was walking away, he continued to notice the gazes of other ero-wrestlers, leading him to quickly turn his face away.

"It was inevitable." Caesar’s voice played in AJ’s head, "A company filled with desperate people. People who are ready to give up their pride and dignity just to provide for the ones they care about or to put food on their tables. Do you think if they see any small opportunities, they wouldn’t take them?"

"You’ll definitely be hunted by both sides." Caesar’s continued as AJ took more notice of the countenance of other ero-wrestlers.

Arriving at a certain room, AJ noticed how empty it was, having not a single person in there except for him and the furnitures.

Seeing this, AJ leaned against the wall of the room and exhaled.

AJ slowly slid down to the ground, sat on his bottom and started breathing steadily. In the course of doing this, he took notice of his hands shaking.

"Pressure starting to catch up?" A feminine voice asked.

AJ turned to the direction of the voice and saw Sol Quinn without her face mask, leaning against the door, wearing her wrestling gear.

Her gear consisted of a split coloured midriff top of black and lilac.

Round her arms were black elbow pads and black wraps on her hands.

On her waist down were a lilac tights that only covered her right leg while her left was covered with a black thigh-high stocking.

At the centre of her lilac gear rested a large spade symbol.

And finally, her legs were covered with black boots that had lilac coloured spades residing on her shins.

AJ in seeing her, became slightly startled but Sol sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Relax. I’m not going to beat you up like I did in the streets." Sol said.

Sol walked away from where she stood, grabbed a chair, sat in front of AJ and crossed her legs.

"So... Feeling the tension of your victory last week?" Sol asked.

AJ kept quiet for some seconds before reluctantly nodding his head to answer.

"That’s good. You should." Sol said, "You should be feeling it to know and understand what’s waiting for you.

How you are now the prized-prey of the talents back there."

"I know and I understand... But what I don’t get is... Is everyone that desperate?" AJ asked, "Is everyone... I get I beat one of the biggest names in this company in a stipulation many people are scared to face her in, but does it warrant me being marked like this?

I barely survived the match!"

"Then you haven’t understood anything." Sol replied, "If you have, then you wouldn’t still be talking like this. You wouldn’t still be whining about barely surviving.

I’m going to put it to you in the simplest way you can possibly understand..."

"No one cares." Sol said as she tilted her head to the left, "No one cares if you survived or ’barely’ survived the loan shark.

All we care about are opportunities in front of us, and right now, the current opportunity is you."

"AJ Zero... The slayer." Sol continued as AJ brought his head down, "The rookie who was once 0-3 until he did the unbelievable and beat one of the scariest bastards in the company, making him a 1-3."

"I checked it. A lot of us checked it, and right now, your name among the Wednesday rosters has filled so many seats." Sol said as she leaned back on the chair, "That victory alone has made you one of the most over competitors in the company whether you like it or not."

"You’ve seen it... The stares from the others. The ones who want to get a shot at beating you in the ring." Sol said as AJ clenched his fists, "I thought it would only be the females that would target you since EBW is usually intergender but it seems the guys want a piece as well.

And it’s just as I told you before when we met alone in the streets... It’s a cut throat business."

"You entered into this business for your ’sisters’, right?" Sol asked as she picking her fingernails, "Well, that means nothing to any of us because majority of us stepped in for a family or friend.

I should be chasing a title but I know before I get one again, it will take a long time but with you, I don’t need to bother about relevance even if it is temporary because beating the guy who beat Magoi will heat me up in the market and give the pay I need to support ’my’ family."

"So here’s what’s going to happen." Sol said as she narrowed her eyes.

In a flash, Sol moved towards AJ, leaned her arms against the wall and stared down at him.

"In our match, I will hurt you... I’m going to hit you as hard as I can hit, and I’m going to take that momentum away from you." Sol said, "If I have to beat you to a bloody pulp to go for the pin, then that’s what I’m going to do. If I break your bones in a submission hold, then I will do it. If I have to wring you dry for an ero-capture, then it will happen ."

"And if I have to stain your face or fill up your mouth for a marking point..." Sol said as she quickly grabbed the back of AJ’s head and pushed his mouth against her clothed folds, "Then that’s what will be done.

Anything to get that money and spotlight."

AJ tried to pull his head back but Sol’s grip power was quite strong.

"Back in the streets, after I had beaten you up, I was about to mark you but I decided not to because I wanted to save it for today’s match." Sol said, "So just you know, when I mark you, I’m going to make sure you remember the flavor... the taste of the one who was first in line... The one who took your momentum, and you ’won’t’ have to worry about being hounded anymore."

Sol removed her grip from AJ’s head and stepped back, leaving him to use his arms to support himself and gasp for air.

AJ raised his head and saw Sol walking away only for Sol to halt and look over her shoulder.

"Just so you know, kid... This is just business. Nothing personal." Sol said.

Sol resumed walking, leaving AJ to watch her slowly fade from his sight as she continued to walk forward.

After Sol had left, AJ stared down at the ground, conflicted and muttered.

"Just business."