Leave a comment

Revan made a beeline towards Acheron like an arrow released from the bow.

In response, Acheron dropped his waist to greet the incoming impact, as if to arrogantly suggest he would be receiving the opponent’s attack head-on.

Acheron received Revan’s thrusts and kicks that were delivered in such rapid succession that all they heard was one loud muffled sound from his arms and legs. He was ultimately unable to offset the force and was pushed several meters back.

一一Chance!

Revan went after Acheron who was forced to take on a defensive stance. However, as he was out of breath due to the rapid attacks earlier, he took a moment to adjust his breathing. Unfortunately, Acheron wasn’t one to overlook such an opportunity.

He voluntarily closed the distance between himself and Revan, who had stopped his movement for an instant, clenched both of his hands into fists, and fired a right straight punch with all the strength he could muster up.

Acheron’s fist grazed the empty air beside Revan’s face who barely dodged the attack by a hair’s breadth. Nonetheless, the pressure from the fist left behind a burning sensation on his skin.

一一It was a move truly deserving of his alias ‘Strong Arm’.

And as he had flipped back, Revan launched himself into the air by taking a half step. His ‘Tornado Kick’ 一a bold move of slamming the right heel into the opponent while jumping and kicking一 caught Acheron right on the face.

一Clang!

A sound, as if it wasn’t the two fleshy bodies but a pair of steel plates colliding against each other, echoed and the two distanced themselves like a tense spring leaping back.

Acheron quickly raised his hands and assumed a stance, while Revan was pressing on his flank in contrast.

Acheron countered with a knee attack right before he tanked the tornado kick with criss crossed arms.

一一No amount of caution is too much. He’s very much like the very definition of a wild tiger.

A blazing passion rose from Revan and the sensation of blood boiling ran through his body as if responding to the enthusiasm emanating from Acheron.

The man in front of him is strong. So much so that the man might as well be suppressing him in strength depending on the situation.

There was only one thing in his mind 一 To bring out all the strength of his opponent and defeat him at his strongest.

Dominated by such impulses, he moved his body.

◆◇◆◇

On the sacred ground’s stone platform, two men weaved a battle of strength, technique, and unrelenting faith.

Neither devoted themselves entirely to offense or defense but switched between the two as they ran around the stage akin to performing a spectacular dance.

The venue was dominated by fierce grappling or crashing sounds with occasional overlapping shouts of their fighting spirit, punch, kick or throw, making the strained air tremble.

With no hint whatsoever at whom the light of victory would shine at, the beast tribe standing around the stage were watching the intense clash with intent gazes, their ears perked up, breath caught in their throats, and a choked feeling in their chest that was shared among all of them.

“…… Big brother Revan. He will win… Right?”

Asmina faintly muttered with a tone as if to persuade herself, rather than to question her neighbor, me.

She must have been worried about Revan as she trailed the figure of her big brother, with eyes paler than ever.

“… From the looks of it, Revan wins in speed and technique, but his opponent has more power and experience.”

When I expressed my opinion objectively, Asmina asked again with a hopeful look in her eyes.

“You mean…… It will be a draw?”
“I mean一一”
‘The boy will lose.’

Utsuho easily reached the conclusion I was hesitating inside my heart.

Alsmina, too, must have realized it from my silence, but she still patiently waits for me to continue.

She’s strong-willed.

That’s why I also decided to be honest.

“… It would have been his win if he had five, no, three more years but if the situation continues like this, he will be overwhelmed by the difference in endurance and experience as time passes. ――In fact, I believe the two fighters are already aware of this in their heart, so the outcome will pretty much be decided when Revan makes up his mind to launch the final counterattack while he still has stamina in hopes of turning the tables and seeing how his opponent will react.”

I wasn’t finished with my words when the fight on the stone stage underwent a drastic change.

◆◇◆◇

“Haaa!”

Acheron’s loud shout echoed as he closed the distance in a breath’s time and followed up with a two-step left and right simultaneous thrust. It was a consecutive attack with the kinetic energy of his whole body flowing from his lower back.

No sooner that Revan had warded them off with his palm’s heel, “Haa一”, Acheron chained it up with a swift kick.

However, Revan dodged it too, with a hair’s breadth by rolling his body sideways, albeit at the cost of destabilizing his stance.

Whoosh!

Needless to say, his opponent follows up with a swift right punch.

Revan received it with his overlapped, crisscrossed wrists. He then grasped the right wrist of Acheron in the gap, his hands sliding from his wrist to his fist as he spun to perform a throw attack.

But, his body was blown away on the side like a suddenly released stretched rubber at the same time as he made his move, and Acheron, who ate the half-baked throw attack, also fell to the ground.

Acheron stood up without a single scratch, but in contrast to his uninjured opponent, an agonized groan and fresh blood spilled out of the rolling Revan’s mouth.

“Quick Strike. This is my technique, an attack that penetrates the inside of an opponent’s body from a close distance一 I heard you can use it too. Distance is not a problem.”

That said, he hadn’t shown it in the qualifying round until now. By keeping it a secret in anticipation of the finale, he had splendidly done a number on Revan.

Revan somehow adjusted his breath and made himself stand again but his gait was anything but nimble. All of it was due to receiving the ‘Quick Strike’ in a defenseless state that damaged his internal organs.

“And I am going to end it in the next attack…… You know you can avoid death if you surrender now. What do you say?”
“…… ”

Reading the unwavering determination from Revan’s eyes who took his stance without saying anything, Acheron also followed suit and took his stance, knowing it would be useless, no, he judged it would be soiling the pride of a warrior by saying anything anymore.

“Watch out, kid.”