Seta, with a look of acknowledgment, smiled slightly. It was a smile that mixed respect and challenge. He assumed a combat stance, keeping himself light and alert.

"You're really surprising, Yan Qing. Let's see how far you can go."

I knew I had no chance of beating Seta, but this fight was no longer about winning. It was about enduring.

The second round began with Seta advancing more aggressively. He was no longer holding back, each of his movements was precise and loaded with strength. I dodged and blocked as best as I could, but every blow I avoided or stopped left a new mark of pain on my body.

My adrenaline seemed to be reaching its limit, and I would soon fall.

Despite the blood running down my face and the pain that grew every second, a smile formed on my lips. I was really enjoying this feeling, fighting with everything I had, against a formidable opponent.

Seta launched a high kick, which I managed to block with my arms. The force of the impact nearly made me stagger, but I stood firm. I counterattacked with a straight punch, which Seta skillfully dodged.

"You have an incredible spirit, Yan Qing. That's rare." Seta spoke, his eyes shining with a mix of joy and seriousness. The fight club would gain another member. And this one seemed interesting.

Our movements became a brutal dance on the tatami, a ballet of strikes and dodges. I knew I wouldn't last much longer; each movement required tremendous effort, but I continued, driven by the remaining adrenaline and the desire not to give up.

Finally, Seta found an opening. He delivered a series of rapid blows, ending with a right kick to my chest. The impact threw me backward, and I fell, gasping and exhausted.

I lost…

Seta approached, extending a hand to help me up. "You fought well, Yan Qing. Better than many who have passed through here."

I accepted his hand and got up, feeling every muscle in my body scream in pain. I looked around with my right eye and saw the club members watching us, expressions of respect and admiration on their faces.

They weren't admiring my fighting skills since I had none. They were admiring my determination.

"You may not have won the fight." Seta said. "But you've earned our respect. Welcome to the club."

I smiled, leaning on Seta for balance. I had lost the fight, but somehow, I felt as if I had achieved much more.

As I leaned on Seta, trying to catch my breath and regain my composure, I noticed Ippo approaching. He had a mischievous smile on his face, a contrast to his usual serious look.

"Impressive, Yan Qing," said Ippo, clapping slowly. "You showed more than courage today. You showed tenacity and an indomitable spirit. I believe you deserve a place among us."

There was a murmur of approval from the other members. I looked at Ippo, still panting and tired, but proud.

"First and foremost," Ippo continued, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "let's talk about the club rules. The first rule of the club is… you do not talk about the fight club."

There was a moment of silence before everyone in the club started to laugh. Ippo's usual seriousness dissolved into a wide smile. "Just kidding, just kidding. We are not that clandestine. But seriously, we do have some important rules here."

Ippo began to list the actual club rules, each focusing on mutual respect, safety, and personal growth through combat. But the way he introduced the first rule helped break the ice and made me feel more welcomed.

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The pain in my body was still intense, but the warmth of acceptance and respect from the club members enveloped me. I knew my journey in this new world was just beginning.

At first, I didn't want to be isekai'd, but after just one day, I felt that it was the best thing that had happened to me.

Thinking about this, a rare smile appeared on my face. Since coming to this world, I had only managed to smile when fighting against Seta. Maybe I'm a battle addict…

As the adrenaline started to subside, an intense and overwhelming pain took over me. Every bruise, cut, and hematoma seemed to scream, reminding me of the harsh lessons from the fight.

My knees were trembling, and I could barely stand, even with Seta's help.

That's when Machio, one of the club's managers and also a teacher at the school, stepped forward.

"Let me help you, Yan Qing," said Machio with a calm and concerned voice. "I'll carry you to the infirmary. You need medical attention."

I looked at him, surprised and somewhat skeptical. Machio, with his modest stature and slender body, seemed hardly fit to carry someone of my size, even though I only weighed 62kg, it still seemed too much for Machio.

But before I could protest or question his ability, something astonishing happened.

The moment Machio approached and lifted me, his body transformed in an almost magical way. Beneath the simple clothes he wore, his muscles expanded, tearing his clothing and revealing a sculpted and imposing physique that rivaled that of an elite bodybuilder. It was as if he had hidden his true strength under a facade of frailty.

I barely had time to be astounded by the transformation before being gently lifted from the ground.

Machio carried me with surprising ease.

As I was being carried, I looked at the other club members, who just smiled, as if they had gone through the same situation in the past.

Machio, with his unexpected revelation, carried me through the school corridors with ease. I thanked God that most students had gone to their respective clubs, otherwise, I wouldn't know where to put my face.

We arrived at the infirmary. Upon entering, the school nurse, a middle-aged woman with a maternal but firm look, lifted her eyes from her papers and widened her eyes upon seeing me in such a state.

"Oh, heavens! Another one?" she exclaimed, hurrying to help Machio place me carefully on one of the beds. "Are you a new member of the fight club?"

I just nodded, still panting and feeling every fiber of my body protest. The nurse sighed, shaking her head as she began to examine my injuries.

She then turned to Machio, her expression mixing concern and a slight reprimand.

"Machio, you really need to reconsider the intensity level of these fights. If students keep showing up here in this state, parents are going to start asking difficult questions. And, honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the club gets disbanded because of this."

Machio, now back to his usual appearance.

Yes, he had put his clothing back on, which concealed his muscular body.

He nodded respectfully.

"I understand your concerns, nurse. I assure you we will discuss this in the club. The safety of the students is our priority."

Me, lying on the bed, didn't know what to say at that moment. The safety of the students? This is a damn fight club, how could anyone be safe? Moreover, by the way Machio spoke, it wasn't the first time he brought someone to the infirmary.

It's likely that every day, students from the club come to the infirmary to treat their wounds.

Machio, after seeing that I wasn't in any life-threatening condition, seemed relieved.

"With the state you're in, it will be hard to participate in the club for the next few days. Please rest. Once you recover, I'll introduce you to the places only club members can enter."

After saying this, Machio left the room, mentioning that he needed to inform the other club members that I would be fine.

As soon as he left, I was alone with the nurse, who seemed to be preparing to take care of me.

I noticed that when the nurse started treating my injuries, she seemed to use magic, yes, magic.

It was almost imperceptible, but somehow I noticed.

I knew the extent of my injuries. It would be difficult to recover quickly. But somehow, as she applied some ointments and wrapped the bandages, I felt my injuries healing faster and faster.

If I had to say, the healing speed of my wounds seemed to have tripled.

Could she be someone from the supernatural? Well, it wouldn't be surprising, this is a school controlled by devils.

Since she didn't say anything, I pretended not to notice.

Sometimes, the best thing to do was to keep silent. I didn't know how she would react if I asked if she knew how to use magic. She might just confirm and everything would be fine, or she might suspect that I belong to the supernatural and report me to the devils controlling the city.

That would be the worst-case scenario. Since I didn't want to get involved with the devils until I had enough strength to at least run away if necessary.

Even the bones in my left eye, which was closed, showed signs of opening.

"That's also good… if my face continued to be swollen, I would have to postpone my lunch with Reya… speaking of which, what reaction will she have when she sees me in this state? Will she try to close the club? Or will she just ignore it?"

Sighing, I closed my eyes to rest for a while.

The school would be open until evening, so when I woke up, I would go home.

There were many things I wanted to test and do.