Maybe it was the power of anger—Cake Dog suddenly burst out with the strength of a fourth-level Titan Spirit Method, and his kick was actually evenly matched with Jill Young. "Oh?!" Jill wasn't just surprised—she was fired up. The tension in the air was thick, every move charged with the news of Derek Cheng's death, and both fighters were desperate to prove something.
Jill Young had always fought against the odds, beating the strong with the weak—from Baldy to the Green Tyrant veteran, every single one was physically stronger than her. But Jill hadn't really met a worthy opponent yet; the T-Rex was scary, but not a real 'rival.' Today, meeting Cake Dog here, Jill's fighting spirit shot through the roof. Even as Cake Dog spoke in a defeated tone about Derek's death, Jill could feel the emotional weight pressing down on the fight.
After all, Jill Young wasn't the type to bully the weak. People say, the weak swing blades at those weaker, the strong roast the stronger. On her wild adventure, Jill cut down obstacles like veggies, but that didn't mean she liked endless hack-and-slash. A fighter's soul craves a challenge—Cake Dog might not be a true powerhouse, but he was enough for Jill to go all out! Even as the news of Derek Cheng's death hit, Jill put a comforting hand on Queenie's shoulder, her own heart aching but her spirit refusing to break.
Her gaze burned instantly. The tie holding her hair snapped with a pop, Jill's long hair flew wild as she stepped up and threw a punch. The moment was charged with emotion—Queenie sobbed quietly nearby, and Jill's determination seemed to set the air on fire.
Thud! Their fists collided—another deep, heavy sound—and neither stepped back. With Jill's fighting spirit rising, Cake Dog's face twisted, almost crazed. He threw his head back and howled, smashing a hammer-like punch down. Jill retorted with a cold shout, her fist rising like a dragon to counter. Thud! The third deep boom—they were still dead even. Piers glared at Cake Dog, accusing him of betrayal, the drama of Derek Cheng's death hanging over the warehouse.
"All of you are the same, every single one! Not even the little punks respect me!" Cake Dog went berserk, fists and kicks flying as he turned all his pent-up rage into raw power: "Those looks, those whispers—I know what you're saying! You stare, you gossip, you treat me like a freak, like some pervert, but what can I do? I never wanted this body—I just want to be a woman, deep down in my soul I want to be a woman!" His voice was calm for a moment, then broke again with pain.
"Hmph!" Jill didn't back down at all, meeting him head-on with fierce punches. She blocked Cake Dog's hook with her elbow, eyes narrowing. "So all your anger comes from something this boring?" The threat and accusation in her voice cut through the chaos.
"Boring?" Cake Dog was completely triggered, roaring as his muscles swelled even bigger, his punches growing fiercer. Veins bulged all over his face as his mixed male-female voice echoed through the warehouse: "You, born a woman, how could you ever understand me? You were always beautiful, always protected; shopping, buying clothes, makeup—all normal, all natural, all allowed and envied. But me? I want to wear a dress, I want to put on heels, but no one lets me! I should've been a woman, but I ended up a man—this messed-up gender, this soul-deep pain, how could you possibly get it—!" He collapsed emotionally, his words echoing through the warehouse.
At the peak of his rage, Cake Dog unleashed his strongest punch. It tore through the air with a sharp screech and savage gust, surging toward Jill like a crashing wave. Jill snapped, "Enough! Stop the arguing! Tell us the truth about Derek Cheng!" Her voice rang out, full of authority and urgency.
But in the next instant, Jill caught his fist with a single palm. "Huh?" Cake Dog's face changed—based on how the fight had gone so far, there was no way she should've been able to just grab his punch like that. She should've dodged, or met him head-on, but not just stand there and catch his fist. The fight paused, and Cake Dog's despair was palpable as he realized the truth of Derek Cheng's death in this cold, echoing warehouse.
Something had fired up her fighting spirit. A fierce aura spread from her, like an enraged lion.
"You think I don't get it? You think I don't understand what gender dysphoria feels like?" Jill Young lowered her head, chuckling in a way that made even the furious Cake Dog hesitate.
"Waking up and seeing a woman's face in the mirror... Waking up and your eight-pack abs have turned into... something else... Supposed to be a real tough guy, and suddenly, fate turns you into a soft girl... Who understands gender confusion better than me?" Jill muttered softly. Cake Dog couldn't quite catch her words, but the growing strength in her grip was real—the slender fingers were squeezing his fist so hard it started to hurt.
"But so what?" Jill suddenly looked up, her eyes burning into Cake Dog's soul. "Born in the wrong body, so what? Self-pity? Blame the world? Hide yourself away? Too ashamed to face people? That’s all coward stuff!" Her punch came out of nowhere, like a meteor, smashing into Cake Dog's chest. The force was way more than he expected—his eyes bulged as he slid back, slamming into the warehouse’s iron door before stopping.
"What?" Cake Dog stared at Jill Young, shocked by her strength—and even more by her words. Then, humiliated and furious, he roared, lunging at Jill: "Big talker! Who are you to lecture me?"
"Because I'm stronger than you—not just physically, but in spirit!" Jill didn’t dodge, just kicked out straight, her foot landing on Cake Dog’s chest like a phantom and sending him crashing right back where he started.
Jill Young sprang forward, reaching Cake Dog in an instant. Her slender frame hit with a ferocity that outmatched any muscle-bound brute.
"Male or female, that’s just nature’s label for you—" Bam! Left hook. Cake Dog swung to block but couldn't hold back the force, his back slammed into the iron door, rattling it and shaking dust loose.
"Morals and rules, that’s just society’s label for you—" Bam! Right hook. Cake Dog raised his arm to block, but the wild power ran right through, banging his head against the door like a bell.
"So how do you define yourself? Born in the wrong body, then what? Does it change who I am? Male or female is just a code, just a name—it doesn’t define your true self!" Jill kept talking and punching, her fists raining down like cannonballs. Cake Dog could only defend, no chance to fight back, the door behind him shaking nonstop. "I say what I want, do what I want, become who I want to be—that’s what people like us should do. And what’s that got to do with gender? So what if I’m a woman? Doesn’t stop me from standing tall!"
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After the storm of punches, Cake Dog staggered, his steps shaky and body trembling, but he still kept his guard up—refusing to give in.
"Oh, you’re still standing after all that? I respect your grit and spirit." Jill turned and walked three steps away, stopping with her back to Cake Dog. "But if you’re just stuck on this shallow problem, then your potential’s pretty limited. If you keep denying yourself, then your anger means nothing. Your soul is dust. Your life—meaningless."
"You..." Cake Dog’s eyelids were swollen from the beating, struggling to open as he stared at Jill’s back. This woman seemed to have been through something. She wasn’t like the others—those who either despised him, feared him, or kept their distance. Her words, hammered in with each punch, echoed through his bones. "You’re saying... gender... doesn’t matter?"
"Heh," Jill let out a cold laugh, her head bowed. "Bold of you to question me even now. Fine, I’ll be generous and give you one last answer—" Jill suddenly spun around, accelerated, and charged. Her wild grin flashed as she launched a tail-whip kick right at him—
Boom! With a thunderous crash, the battered iron door finally broke free from its frame, slamming to the ground and sending Cake Dog flying with it. The door stopped, dust swirling, and Cake Dog weakly lifted his head toward the entrance. There, Jill Young strode in, platinum hair blowing in the wind.
Thud—a foot landed on Cake Dog’s chest. Jill looked down at him, her gaze intense as she spoke each word clearly: "A true hero—has nothing to do with gender!"
"I..." Cake Dog stared up at Jill, then let his head drop back onto the door. "I lost..."
In every sense, Cake Dog was totally defeated.
Later that night, Cake Dog was brought to Jill Young’s ex-boyfriend’s room. In that rundown place, Cake Dog slumped to the floor, his energy completely drained.
"What did you just say?!" Queenie glared, shrieking as she grabbed Cake Dog’s collar. "Derek Cheng is dead? No way, that’s impossible! He can’t be dead! You’re lying!"
"It’s true." Cake Dog wasn’t tied up, but he didn’t even try to resist. Getting knocked down is one thing, but being defeated in body and soul is another. Cake Dog was in total despair now, barely able to speak: "Derek Cheng didn’t walk off that flight alive."
"No, it’s not true, it can’t be!" Queenie shouted, frantically hitting and kicking Cake Dog. He took it silently, not reacting at all. But after three punches, Queenie stopped. "It can’t be..." she murmured, lost, looking desperately at Jill Young. Jill walked up wordlessly and wrapped Queenie in a hug.
Queenie clung to Jill Young like she’d finally found something to hold onto, gripping her clothes tight. She didn’t cry, didn’t sob, didn’t shed a tear. But her body trembled, and she couldn’t say a word.
Pierce stepped up, grabbing Cake Dog’s collar and roaring: "You did it, didn’t you? You killed Derek Cheng, didn’t you?"
"Wasn’t me." Cake Dog’s voice was totally calm.
"Still playing tough, huh? Who else could’ve done it on that plane but you?" Pierce pulled out a gun, pressing it to Cake Dog’s head, snarling: "Fess up, or I’ll make you wish you were dead!"
"Life or death, I don’t care anymore." Cake Dog looked like his worldview had collapsed. "I said it wasn’t me, and it wasn’t. I didn’t kill Derek Cheng."
"Enough! Everyone shut up!" Jill Young snapped, cutting off the endless arguing. "Talk. What really happened?"