Skill?
"Come at me!" Habiwa challenged, his voice brimming with confidence.
"You asked for it!!!" Hiyoku responded, his determination fueling his actions.
With lightning speed, Hiyoku lunged towards Habiwa, unleashing a flurry of punches. But Habiwa effortlessly dodged each strike, countering with a swift karate chop to Hiyoku's stomach that left him momentarily stunned. Following up with an axe kick to the chin and a right hook to the chest, Habiwa pushed Hiyoku back, asserting his dominance.
"We already saw this coming, audience!" Clover remarked, while Rose added, "Habiwa is already putting this man to shame."
"Errr, SHUT UP!!!" Hiyoku retorted, frustration evident in his voice.
"You can't use magic here, barrier boy! You're nothing without your magic," Clover taunted.
"I would use magic if it wasn't a lawful fight!!! I'll beat him without it!" Hiyoku declared defiantly.
Undeterred, Hiyoku jumped back into the fray, aiming a heavy punch at Habiwa, who effortlessly dodged the attack. Seizing the opportunity, Habiwa executed a drop sweep, sending Hiyoku crashing to the ground.
"You wanted this. YOU SEE THIS EVERYBODY!!!" Habiwa proclaimed, his confidence bolstered by the crowd's cheers.
Hiyoku attempted to retaliate with an uppercut as he rose to his feet, but Habiwa smoothly evaded the blow. Frustrated, Hiyoku stepped back, reassessing his strategy.
How does this guy dodge everything I do? Is it instinct? Or is he somehow predicting my movements? Hiyoku pondered, his mind racing with questions.
In a sudden burst of speed, Habiwa closed the distance between them. Reacting quickly, Hiyoku crossed his arms to block Habiwa's onslaught of punches.
By the second, the punches are getting faster and faster... So fast that I'm starting to see more than two fists... Hiyoku observed, struggling to keep up with Habiwa's relentless assault.
Suddenly, Hiyoku was caught off guard by an uppercut to the chin, momentarily staggering him. Before he could recover, Habiwa jabbed him in the stomach, causing him to recoil.
"After image fist!" Habiwa announced, his movements a blur as he delivered a rapid series of strikes.
"Why did that jab hurt more than that uppercut?" Hiyoku questioned, bewildered by the intensity of the blow.
Removing his cape and discarding it to the ground, Habiwa explained his fighting philosophy. "If I'm confident enough, I won't pull my punches. I study the style of perfect fist, a style that trains my body and mind to deliver the most devastating blows without missing. It requires a lot of focus."
"A lot of focus? Is your focus the reason why I can't hit you?" Hiyoku inquired, seeking to understand his opponent's strategy.
"No, I can just predict your movements by the way your body moves and by patterns I see when you are about to attack," Habiwa revealed.
"Well, PREDICT THIS!" Hiyoku challenged, but before he could react, he was met with a powerful side kick to the face.
"Already did," Habiwa retorted, following up with a barrage of kicks that sent Hiyoku tumbling across the arena. Despite nearly being ringed out, Hiyoku managed to halt his momentum with a one-arm handstand on the edge of the arena, his determination unbroken.
"You almost ringed me out, you cheap bastard!!!" Hiyoku exclaimed, his frustration boiling over.
"Perfect Fist Style: Perfect Air," Habiwa announced, his technique a testament to his mastery. With a powerful punch, he unleashed a fist-shaped ball of air aimed directly at Hiyoku.
Reacting swiftly, Hiyoku cartwheeled to the left, narrowly evading the attack.
"I see... YOU DON'T WANT A REAL FIGHT HUH!?" Hiyoku's voice dripped with scorn as his flaming aura erupted from his body, engulfing him in flames.
"Is that magic I see?" Rose questioned, her curiosity piqued.
"BOOOOOOOOOO!!!" the entire crowd erupted into jeers, their disapproval echoing throughout the arena.
"Get him out!" Clover demanded, echoing the sentiments of the crowd.
"SETTLE DOWN!!!" Habiwa's authoritative voice cut through the cacophony, commanding the crowd's attention.
Instantly, the crowd fell silent, their eyes fixed on the unfolding spectacle.
"This isn't magic! This is his fighting spirit!!!" Habiwa clarified, dispelling any misconceptions.
"Fighting spirit?..." Verte murmured, intrigued by the revelation.
"There are multiple forms of power-ups that you can obtain," Habiwa explained, seizing the opportunity to educate the crowd. "Mana bursts give you infinite mana, with variations boosting your power. Magical weapon awakenings are wild cards, they could really be anything, some don't even guarantee you power! Bonds are forms you achieve by mastering a legendary weapon, and Magic Burst are just simple releases of mana. Of course, there are many more transformations, but fighting spirits are different. When you have no potential for a magical weapon, or no future potential for acquiring a legendary weapon, or learning how to mana burst, you are nearly guaranteed to have a fighting spirit. A fighting spirit is an aura form that gives you an ability based on your soul and lineage. Only one in every trillionth person has the potential to unlock their fighting spirit, and there are only thirty-five sextillion people on this planet. This might be a better fight than I thought! Let's see how strong your spirit is!!!" Habiwa concluded, his excitement palpable.
Undeterred, Hiyoku charged towards Habiwa, delivering a powerful punch to his face.
I didn't dodge that... and it burns!!! Did his speed increase or could I not read his body? Habiwa wondered, caught off guard by the intensity of Hiyoku's attack.
Hiyoku followed up with an uppercut to Habiwa's chest, then a swift kick to his stomach, sending Habiwa staggering back several feet. The arena crackled with anticipation as the battle between the two martial artists intensified.
"I couldn't get a read on you! What are you doing, what does your fighting spirit do?" Habiwa inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"It burns through anything that works against me," Hiyoku replied, his voice filled with determination.
"Does that include me being able to predict your movements? How does that work?" Habiwa pressed further, seeking to understand his opponent's abilities.
"Against you," Hiyoku responded cryptically, his focus unwavering.
Without hesitation, Habiwa dashed towards Hiyoku, unleashing a rapid series of punches. But Hiyoku effortlessly evaded each strike, leaving Habiwa momentarily perplexed.
"I see. You're the first person that I've ever fought to have a fighting spirit... just like me," Habiwa remarked, his skin glowing with a dark green hue.
"Bring it," Hiyoku challenged, his fiery determination burning brighter than ever.
Closing the distance between them, Hiyoku launched a relentless assault on Habiwa, delivering a barrage of punches to his face. But Habiwa, undeterred, urged him to continue.
"I want more!" Habiwa exclaimed, his thirst for battle evident in his voice.
Hiyoku responded with a knee to Habiwa's forehead, followed by a series of devastating blows that reverberated throughout the arena.
"HE'S GONNA DO IT!" the crowd cheered, their excitement reaching a fever pitch.
"Yay?" Hiyoku quipped, his confidence unwavering despite the intensity of the battle.
However, Verte couldn't shake off a nagging feeling that something was amiss.
"I'm about to make you make the front pages of the newspapers! But the only picture of you they'll have is your grave!!!" Hiyoku taunted, his words dripping with disdain.
In a swift counterattack, Habiwa delivered a powerful kick to Hiyoku's face, causing him to release his grip.
"I only use my fighting spirit if necessary. I've only used it twice in my whole fighting career, once for my first fight ever, and once for the world finals," Habiwa explained, his demeanor calm yet resolute.
Suddenly, all the green light on Habiwa's skin condensed into his right fist, transforming it into a glowing green ball of energy, signaling the culmination of their epic showdown.
"Habiwa: "Behold. My pain," Habiwa declared, his voice echoing with a mixture of determination and intensity.
In response, Hiyoku launched a fierce punch, aiming for Habiwa's torso. However, Habiwa swiftly intercepted the blow with his left hand, halting Hiyoku's attack in its tracks. With a deliberate and forceful step forward, Habiwa unleashed a devastating uppercut with his right hand, channeling all his strength into the strike. The impact created a colossal shockwave that rippled through the atmosphere, parting the clouds and shaking the very foundation of the earth beneath them. The crowd erupted into a deafening roar of excitement as Hiyoku was propelled at incredible speed into the sky, disappearing from sight in an instant.
"Hiyoku!!!" Verte cried out in concern, her voice drowned out by the thunderous applause of the audience.
Habiwa's arm emitted wisps of smoke as he surveyed the aftermath of his powerful attack, a mixture of triumph and concern evident in his expression.
"Rose: "GIVE IT UP FOR HABIWA!!!" Rose announced enthusiastically, her voice carrying over the jubilant cheers of the crowd.
As the spectators celebrated Habiwa's victory, a sense of unease lingered in the air.
"Clover: "He remains champion!!!" Clover declared proudly, his voice filled with conviction.
Suddenly, the sky ignited with flames, casting a fiery glow over the stunned onlookers below.
"THE MORE YOU PULL BULLSHIT LIKE THAT!!!" Hiyoku's voice boomed, resonating with anger and frustration.
Emerging from the heart of the inferno, Hiyoku stood amidst the blazing conflagration, his presence commanding attention.
"THE MORE MY SOUL BURNS IN FRUSTRATION OF IT!!!" he bellowed, his words echoing across the arena.
Habiwa, taken aback by Hiyoku's unexpected return, could only watch in astonishment as Hiyoku disappeared in a flash, leaving behind a powerful sonic boom that shattered the fiery spectacle above.
"What the..." Habiwa trailed off, his mind reeling from the sudden turn of events.
In the blink of an eye, Hiyoku reappeared above Habiwa, descending upon him with unmatched speed. With a thunderous impact, Hiyoku delivered a devastating punch directly to Habiwa's face, unleashing a cataclysmic explosion that engulfed the arena, scattering debris and dust in all directions.
"Must he be so reckless..." Verte muttered under her breath, her concern evident as she watched the chaos unfold.
Amidst the billowing dust and debris, a loud stomp reverberated through the air. As the dust began to settle, the scene revealed Habiwa lying unconscious on the ground, with Hiyoku standing triumphantly over him, a distinct shoe print imprinted in the earth behind him, a testament to the sheer force of his final blow.
The arena buzzed with energy, the air thick with anticipation as Hiyoku's words sliced through the charged atmosphere like a knife. "I kicked the ground here to show you guys that YOUR CHAMPION SUCKS," he declared boldly, his voice ringing out over the boos of the crowd.
The audience's displeasure only fueled Hiyoku's defiance. "Shut it. If I can beat a martial artist champion, ANYONE CAN. He isn't special," he proclaimed, his words dripping with disdain for the revered figure he had just vanquished.
Meanwhile, amidst the chaos, Rose and Clover dashed to Habiwa's fallen form. "BROTHEEEEEEER!!!!" Clover's cry pierced the air, a raw expression of anguish and desperation.
But amidst the tumult, Verte approached Hiyoku, a cautious edge to her voice. "Hiyoku, maybe we should go..." she suggested, her tone laced with concern for the repercussions of his brazen actions.
Two hours passed, the tension lingering in the air like a palpable weight. Hiyoku found himself seated on his bed, the silence broken only by the rustle of the newspaper in his hands. The headline screamed out at him: "BREAKING NEWS: WORLD CHAMPION HABIWA BOKO IS UNDER CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH WILD FAN."
"Wild fan?" Hiyoku muttered incredulously, his brows furrowing in disbelief. "WHAT KIND OF FAN ANGRILY CHALLENGES THEIR IDOL TO A FIGHT TO THE DEATH!!!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with a mixture of confusion and indignation.
A knock interrupted his thoughts, and he called out, "Who's ther—HEEEEY VERTE JUST COME IN," his tone shifting abruptly from annoyance to welcome.
Verte entered the room, her presence a calming influence in the storm of Hiyoku's emotions. "Somebody wants you..." she informed him cryptically, her words laden with intrigue.
Thirty seconds later, Hiyoku found himself standing at the front door of their hotel room, face to face with a mysterious figure. The man was tall and imposing, his brown suit and grey cape giving him an air of authority. A goatee and mustache adorned his face, adding to his aura of enigma. Around his neck, a tie with the word "spavli" spelled out in fancy blue letters caught Hiyoku's attention.
"Hey," the man greeted simply, his voice a deep rumble that seemed to reverberate through the room.