Chapter 107 - Death's Touch

Well over forty years ago, a certain child was born into the world. The doctors were left speechless at the child's birth. noticing how the child seemed to be triple-jointed all over. Yet with no noticeable harm in the child, the doctors labeled him as the miracle child. The parents were surprised but felt proud of their child as he became the highlight of their lives. John and Belle Gouda treated their child as kindly as they could, hoping that the child would become the star that they knew he would be. When the child was five years old, he enjoyed playing outside, the parents were happy with the child's curiosity of the outside world. One day, however, the parents noticed an increase in animal corpses in their backyard. Initially, they expected it to be predators that had wandered close to their home. Fearing for their child, Belle and John kept him inside to keep him safe. One of these days, John decided to check on his son, and fear enveloped him as he saw his son playing with the severed head of a rabbit. The child turned to face his father, crushing the head in his hands.

Child: Papa! I'm so happy to see you.

John was terrified of his own child, but he refused to let that make a drift between them. Soon a fence was built around the home, preventing the child from accessing more animals when he played in the day. Years passed, John, believing his child had returned to normal.

Coming back from work one day, John noticed his home was oddly quiet. He called out to his family, but not a sound was heard. John began feeling uneasy, setting his things at the door before beginning to look around the house. The first floor was spotless, unmoved from when he left for work. As he took his first steps on the stairs, he heard a noise coming from his own bedroom. He rushed up the stairs, calling out to his wife and son but all he saw as he entered through the door to his room was the bloodied and mangled corpse of his wife on his bed. His door slammed shut behind him as John turned in a hurry.

John: Gary! What's the meaning of this?!

Gary: That's the face I've always wanted to see, dear John. Dear Belle had a similar expression to yours. I was tired of having to always reach over the fence to get new animals, so I decided to play with the ones in this house.

John was filled with rage, preparing to charge at his child. He was stopped in his tracks, a thin hand piercing through him.

Gary: I can't tell you how difficult it was to practice extending my arm, dear John. Now, I can play with all the animals I want!

John couldn't even scream, his heart had been crushed. He collapsed to the ground, the last thing John could see was the calm expression on his son's face.

John's thoughts: I… raised a monster… Someone… kill him…

…

Indica looked at the file closely, turning to face the match.

Indica's thoughts: No one could tell where his madness began, but it led to him testing his own limitations which eventually became this ultimate being. No one can contest Gary now. He is without rival!

Gary's entire body felt as if it was about to burst. He had never felt such excitement and joy like this before today. To him, everyone was prey, everyone was to feel fear and despair before him. Yet Gonzalez stood here, stoic and very much still alive.

Gary's thoughts: Nothing can make me happier, dear corpse. I am just SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO HAPPY!

Gary's head dropped, his entire body became still. Even to Gonzalez's eyes, it seemed like Gary's body had just stopped. His face was hidden, but Gonzalez couldn't even sense his breathing.

Gonzalez's thoughts: Did he die?

With an eruption of energy, Gary flew off the ground, Gonzalez had finally understood. In that moment of silence, Gary had compressed all his strength into his legs and shot off the ground. Now airborne, Gary brought his arms above his head. He stared down at Gonzalez, his pupils now dilated.

Gary: Perish.

His arms rained down a storm of attacks faster than any before. Winds blew across the stadium as Gonzalez moved between each strike. The ground broke even further as Gonzalez found it harder and harder to find stable ground. Gary's bloodlust had reached its peak, and he was prepared to destroy the whole ring to murder Gonzalez.

Their final dance had begun.

Gonzalez's eyes darted all around himself, avoiding attacks no one else would be capable of seeing. By following each of Gary's movements, the sounds of the air, the impacts of the ground, everything that Gary did just gave Gonzalez what he needed to know. He threw a fist outward, Gary throwing his arm out to attack. Gonzalez waited for just the right moment, grabbing onto Gary's arm and yanking him back down to the ground. Yet Gary prepared for this. Slamming his feet into the ground and throwing a high-speed right strike to Gonzalez's head, who barely dodged the attack by slightly tilting his head. The strike arched back around to hit Gonzalez's back, but Gonzalez struck Gary's neck with a swift blow. Gary noticed how much harder it had become to breathe, but the strength within his body was welling up and he refused to stop.

Gonzalez: This is your last chance to stop and get down.

Gary was unable to respond, his arm no longer attacking. Gary's head began to droop as his body slowly returned to normal. Gonzalez's body tensed up as Gary's left foot quickly rotated, causing a massive crack below the both of them, throwing Gonzalez off balance.

Gary's thoughts: I hope I get to meet you again in the afterlife to play with you again!

Gary's right arm shot up, Gonzalez leaning back as the arm slashed his left pec and part of his cheek. Blood flew into the air, Gary looking back up to see the fear in Gonzalez's eye. But the look was never there. All that stared him back was a look of annoyance, anger, and murderous intent.

Gonzalez: That was your last attempt.

Gonzalez pulled back his right hand, bending his index and middle fingers before tensing them up.

Gonzalez: Death's Touch.

At a speed faster than Gary could go limp, Gonzalez struck Gary from the chest up to the face. Each strike landed at a vital point, sending shock waves all over Gary's body. Clenching his entire fist, Gonzalez slammed it into Gary's face, bending the serial killer backward and slamming the back of his head into the ground. Gonzalez pulled back his fist, stumbling back before sitting down. Sweat covered his body, an exhaustion he had never felt before overcame him. Everyone was left in silence as the ring was unmoving. Indica fell to his knees with his eyes wide open. Zachary stood back up from having hidden under the desk with the referee and Zenzo. He grabbed the mic, and a feeling of unmatched joy filled his heart.

Zachary: W-WE HAVE A WINNER! AND THAT WINNER IS GONZALEZ MUERTOJOOOOSSSSS!!!!

The audience erupted into a cheer, a massive sense of relief overcoming them. Jason rubbed the back of his head before Lorisian wrapped an arm around Jason's neck.

Lorisian: He did it, squire!

Jason: He sure did, left me nervous for a second there.

Every fighter broke into a cheer. Carrie held onto Theodore as Vector, Ryan, and Mason threw their fists into the air. Hugo held onto both Li and Thong with tears of joy running down his face. The only one who remained upset was Indica, whose face was left in the shadows by his hat. Paramedics ran into the ring, immediately tending to Gonzalez and placing Gary's bent body on a stretcher.

Gonzalez: I'd be careful with that body if I were you.

The paramedics were left in confusion until a chill ran down their spines.

Gonzalez: That's right. He isn't dead.

Gonzalez's thoughts: As hard as I tried, he isn't dead. Death's Touch is a move that strikes several vitals from the chest to the face in rapid succession to overload the body, and cause instantaneous death. At the moment I hit the first vital, Gary shifted all of his vitals faster than I could strike them. It rendered him unconscious, but that was all it could accomplish.

Gonzalez: He… really is a freak.

Gonzalez's eyes closed as the blood loss finally caught up to him. The paramedics quickly rushed him into the Imperium infirmary. Remy, Mike, and Angel all looking with worry on their faces. Theresa sat in the corner with Daniel on her lap, stroking his hair as Eve rushed over to Gonzalez with a hand over her mouth.

Eve: We need to hook him up quickly. We need to stitch up that wound on his side. We need to move quickly.

…

Indica stood back up with a paramedic at his side filling him in on what Gonzalez had told him.

Indica: I see, so Gary is still very much alive. That does calm my heart. Restrain him as quickly as possible. Encase his limbs otherwise, there will be more blood to be shed.

The paramedic nodded and hurried off. Indica let out a sigh before pushing up his hat with a smile on his face.

Indica: Well, I guess I was just wrong this time, wasn't I? It was a good run, Gary. Until next time.

Indica turned into the halls and disappeared. The curtains are finally closing on this hectic first round.