Before this, Maverick had only seen dealing with Sebastian as a bit of a laugh, something to do to back up Jake. But now, it was different; it was personal.
“Mr. Wilder, maybe you should just let Ms. Osborne go,” Joseph urged anxiously.
“That’s right. Mr. Wilder, please let her go. If you need a woman, I… I can take her place,” Zia offered, her face flushing with embarrassment.
But Sebastian remained unmoved by their pleas. His eyes remained fixed on the Sanders family that stood before him with a faint, mocking smile.
Sebastian wasn’t one to go looking for trouble, but that didn’t mean he was afraid of it. Their constant provocations had pushed him to his breaking point.
“I’m going to kill you!” Maverick roared as he charged toward Sebastian.
Maverick was the strongest of the group, having reached the late stage of grandmaster. His speed was astounding as he closed in on Sebastian in the blink of an eye.
He threw a lightning-fast punch, aiming straight for Sebastian’s head. It was powerful enough to pulverize anything in its path.
“Mr. Wilder, watch out!” Joseph and Zia both shouted in fear.
However, Sebastian maintained his smile. With a swift movement, he maneuvered, placing Yvette’s head directly in the trajectory of Maverick’s punch.
Yvette’s face was drained of color with fear-if that punch landed on her head, it would be like a sledgehammer smashing a watermelon.
Maverick was caught off guard and hastily pulled back his punch. But the abrupt reversal caused a severe strain, and he almost injured himself internally.
Enraged and frustrated, Maverick snarled, “What kind of man are you to use a woman as a shield? If you’ve got any guts, let her go and face me like a man, one-on-one.”
The bystanders chimed in, criticizing Sebastian for his cowardly tactics.
“I’ll agree to a one-on-one fight, but I have some conditions,” Sebastian said calmly.
“What conditions?” Maverick demanded.
“If you win, you can do whatever you want with me. But if you lose, you and your group must promise to never bother me again,” Sebastian declared.
“Alright, I promise you,” Maverick agreed without hesitation. He was confident in his abilities and had already planned how to humiliate and defeat Sebastian.
“You can’t make that promise alone. I need to hear it from everyone,” Sebastian insisted, gesturing toward Jake and the others.
“Maverick can represent all of us,” Jake answered quickly.
Satisfied, Sebastian released Yvette immediately.
“Step back, Ms. Osborne. I wouldn’t want you getting hurt. Once I’m done with this guy, we’ll celebrate to calm your nerves,” Maverick said gently.
“Thank you, Mav,” Yvette replied with a grateful smile. Her gratitude and smile filled Maverick with a heady sense of euphoria.
The crowd stepped back, giving the two ample space to fight.
“Who do you guys think will win?” someone asked.
“Isn’t it obvious? Of course it’s Mr. Maverick! I’ve heard he’s one of the top three young practitioners in the Sanders family and a late-stage grandmaster,” another answered.
“That’s impressive. Becoming a late-stage grandmaster at such a young age means becoming a divine grandmaster isn’t far off.”
The crowd, especially the practitioners, were in awe.
Becoming a grandmaster at Maverick’s age was rare, and becoming a divine grandmaster was almost unthinkable. This demonstrated the power of the Sanders family.
Sebastian and Maverick faced off about 20 feet apart.
Maverick’s expression was deadly serious, his eyes ablaze with determination. Meanwhile, Sebastian remained inscrutable behind his mask, his demeanor calm and collected.
Sebastian stood with one hand in front of him and the other stroking his chin, lost in thought. He seemed utterly unconcerned about the impending fight.
Maverick found Sebastian’s composure irritating. “I won’t even make the first move. You go ahead.”
“Maverick, you’re unstoppable!” a voice cheered from the crowd.
“This guy’s got guts challenging Maverick, but he’s just a fool. I bet he won’t last a minute.”
“I doubt he could even last a minute. If he makes it to 30 seconds, it would be a miracle,” another added.
“I’d say ten seconds is too generous. Maverick could knock him out with one punch easily.” The Sanders mocked and jeered by praising Maverick while belittling Sebastian. Sebastian was unfazed. “Hold on, let me think,” he said.
“Think about what? Realizing you’re outmatched and ready to kneel begging for mercy?” Maverick mocked.
“No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. I’m just deciding which hand to slap you with first,” Sebastian replied earnestly.
“How dare you!” Maverick shouted in rage. Maverick exploded in anger. Sebastian’s words were the ultimate insult.
“That brat’s just too cocky. He doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into,” someone in the crowd muttered.
“He’s just a smooth talker. He’ll be on the ground soon enough.”
The crowd couldn’t hide their disdain toward Sebastian.
“Stop wasting time and kill him already, Maverick. He’s too full of himself,” a member of the Sanders family shouted, his frustration evident.
Sebastian chuckled lightly. “Don’t be mad. I’m just appreciating the thought of a good slap. It’s a beautiful sound, especially when it lands on the faces of sinners like you. The crisp crack is music to my ears.”
“You bastard! I’ll end you!” Maverick couldn’t hold back any longer. He lunged at Sebastian aggressively.
“I’ve made up my mind. I’ll start with my right hand!” Sebastian replied with a grin.
