Noah pushed himself up, his breath unsteady as a dull pain lingered in his ribs.
Riku hadn't moved. He stood there, hands relaxed, posture unshaken—as if he hadn't even been trying.
Noah clenched his fists, trying to make sense of what was happening.
His body ached in places it shouldn't.
He had been blocking correctly.
Dodging correctly.
Attacking correctly.
And yet, he was the one getting pumled.
He ran through the fight in his head.
The first hit—he had blocked it.
Then why had he felt another impact imdiately after?
Maybe Riku was just insanely fast? Faster than his eyes could track?
No. That didn't add up.
Every counter had landed with unnatural precision.
Every block he made had failed.
If Riku was just fast, Noah would have at least seen so hint of movent. But there was nothing. No flicker of extra motion, no blur, no afterimage.
And worse—he was never actually seeing Riku adjust mid-fight.
It was like the hits were already preordained.
'What the hell am I fighting?'
The murmurs from the crowd were getting louder.
Noah ignored them.
Instead, he wiped the sweat from his brow, taking a long breath through his nose.
'Think. What's different from any other fight I've had?'
He was faster than Riku. That much was clear.
He was stronger too.
So why did it feel like every attempt he made was already accounted for?
His eyes narrowed.
Was Riku predicting him?
No, it couldn't be that. Predictions required reading an opponent's patterns, but Riku hadn't been reacting to his movents—his counters landed the sa exact way every ti.
Like a repeat of the sa sequence.
Noah exhaled sharply, shaking the thought away.
It didn't matter.
What mattered was stopping it.
He couldn't figure it out yet? Fine.
He just had to fight around it.
Be unpredictable.
With that resolve, he took a step forward—
And charged.
Dodging didn't matter. Blocking didn't matter.
He was going to get hit no matter what.
So?
Then he'd hit Riku harder.
Noah clenched his fists, chi flooding his limbs.
A familiar heat coursed through his body as his veins pulsed with energy, he could sense the power wrapping around his arms and legs. His system flickered in his vision.
[Health Points: 285/320]
He barely even looked at it.
'It doesn't matter. Keep going.'
With a thunderous step, he lunged.
Riku's eyes flickered in recognition—his body shifting to react—
But Noah was already swinging.
His fist, wrapped in golden chi, blurred through the air. The impact was imdiate—Riku barely managed to block, but the sheer force sent him skidding backward.
Noah didn't stop.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps—
He closed the distance instantly, twisting his body mid-step and driving a chi-powered knee straight into Riku's ribs.
A dull, sickening thud echoed as Riku gritted his teeth, forced to absorb the blow.
[Health Points: 270/320]
Noah felt another ghost-like impact ripple through his back, almost knocking him off balance—but he didn't stop.
'Pain is temporary. He's not untouchable.'
Riku's stance wavered for a fraction of a second.
That was enough.
Noah twisted his hips and sent a roundhouse kick straight into Riku's temple.
The air bood with the force of the strike, sending Riku tumbling to the side.
[Health Points: 255/320]
A sharp sting burned across Noah's ribs—another invisible hit landing out of nowhere. But he didn't even grunt.
He was too focused.
Too damn determined.
Riku staggered.
For the first ti in the fight, he actually looked surprised.
'Yeah. You're not the only one who can be a nightmare in close combat.'
Noah's fist shot forward again—
And the mont it connected, he felt it.
A shift.
Like sothing had clicked into place.
And then—the fight changed again.
'He's losing control.'
Noah narrowed his eyes as Riku swung at him in retaliation. But sothing had changed, Riku was...wild, reckless, imprecise.
A right hook. Noah leaned back.
A knee strike. He shifted his hips.
A spinning kick. He ducked low.
Nothing connected.
Noah's feet danced over the worn-out stone tiles of the combat ring. His body swayed with precision, evading every single strike by a hair's breadth. The crowd gasped as he bent at unnatural angles, flowing like water, moving like a shadow.
'He's getting desperate. That first exchange rattled him.'
Riku's breath ca faster. His attacks beca erratic, growing sloppier with each miss.
'He knows I'm faster. He's trying to overwhelm .'
Noah's heart pounded as he stayed on the defensive, analyzing every movent. He didn't counter yet. He couldn't.
'Not until I find the right opening.'
Lucas, standing at the edge of the arena, frowned.
'Why isn't he striking back?'
Noah could have ended this by now. He could have used a riskier approach with one of his more aggressive techniques. Yet, he was holding back.
Lucas's fingers clenched.
'Is he testing himself? Or does he know sothing we don't?'
anwhile, Sophie was barely breathing. Her nails dug into her palm, eyes locked onto every movent.
Lila, on the other hand, stood completely still, watching with her usual blank expression.
And Miss Brooks?
She simply folded her arms.
Waiting.
Observing.
Just like Noah.
Except then—
Riku suddenly stopped swinging.
Noah froze, frowning.
'He gave up?'
It made no sense.
'Maybe he's exhausted?'
But no.
Noah could see it. Riku's breathing wasn't labored. His muscles weren't trembling.
'Then why…?'
And then Riku snapped his fingers.
Noah's world shattered.
A fist slamd into his stomach.
Noah's eyes widened—but no one was in front of him.
Another impact. His ribs.
Then his shoulder.
Then his jaw.
He stumbled back, vision blurring.
[Health Points: 240/320]
A weightless mont of confusion crashed into him. What the hell was happening?
Then—realization dawned.
'He stored every attack.'
All those missed swings.
They weren't wasted.
They were banked.
And now, Riku had just released them all at once.
The force of dozens of invisible strikes hamred into him.
[Health Points: 220/320]
Noah coughed, staggering.
'How do I fight soone who can hit with past attacks?!'
Riku was smirking now, stepping forward, completely fresh, while Noah was already battered.
'This isn't just about dodging anymore. If he's storing hits, that ans I'm running out of ti. The longer this fight goes, the worse it gets.'
Lucas exhaled sharply.
'That's it. He needs to do sothing, or he's screwed.'
Noah gritted his teeth.
'Gotta find a way through,'
But Riku wasn't done.
Because he raised his fist—
And Noah braced for hell.
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