Monster

[3rd POV]

The first round ended and Wonderboy was left lying on the canvas. The light on the ceiling was blinding him, making everything feel surreal as he was left at the mercy of his opponent.

The bell saved him.

'Goddamn it' He cursed in his mind. He might be one of the best strikers in the whole world, but in the octagon he was quite vulnerable.

The rules of the octagon were limiting as there were many rules and illegal shots. For example, he can't hit his opponent at the back of the head which, considering his technique relies on attacking the blind spot of his opponents, could be quite restricting.

There was the fact that the octagon was a cage and he couldn't retreat forever and would ultimately get taken down with his crap grappling skills. Then the octagon had to be smooth and level ground, which makes it harder for a striker to get an advantage over grapplers.

It was true, every fighter knew the UFC or MMA, in general, was heavily favored for grapplers and wrestlers.

People whom Wonderboy would easily destroy in the street or in the real world could defeat him in the cage.

..

..

Or at least that's what Wonderboy was telling himself after the humiliating takedown he suffered from a young boy half his age.

It was true but ultimately, it was an excuse. An excuse that he told himself to make himself feel better, and to save some face.

But he quickly threw those thoughts out of the window and got up. He didn't need those excuses, that's just pathetic. He was the one who agreed to the rules and accepted the fight.

If he was going to save face, then he would do it with his martial arts and his performance in the next round.

He walked towards his corner where his team, his friends, and his coach were waiting for him. He sat on a chair and they gave him water, cooled his body down, and whispered words of encouragement in his ears.

But those words fell on deaf ears as Wonderboy focused on the young man across the octagon. He had no team, he was not even resting.

He was smiling at him while skipping in his place up and down, an act that showed his impatient to continue the match.

Wonderboy smiled, seeing the passion and the spirit of a true martial artist in the boy - although it was a bit intense and almost seemed crazy.

Wonderboy observed him, his eyes trailing at the perfect body of the young boy. His muscles looked fake and impractically good-looking. Yet the power it could generate continued to amaze him even now.

Wonderboy also noted the absence of a single drop of sweat in his body which caused him to laugh at the monster.

Yes, monster.

He couldn't find a better word to define his opponent.

Yuito was by all means not the strongest adversary Wonderboy had faced. In fact, he wouldn't even be amongst the top five strongest he has fought.

But he felt the most hopeless when he faced Yuito.

When he fought other opponents - even when they were much stronger - he could always see a way to win or at least try to figure out a way to win. He had hope.

Imagine fighting a powerful boss in a video game. Although it outclassed you in every stat, you know he had patterns which you could learn to defeat him. You know if you tried hard enough you could win, even if you were weaker.

Just like that, fighters have patterns, a fighting style that they honed over the years to be at the top. They have weaknesses, which you could exploit even if you were weaker.

But Yuito was not like that.

Fighting Yuito was like fighting a monster. The imaginative monster you were always afraid of when you were a child. The monster you made up yourself from everything you have ever feared.

An existence that embodies everything that scares you.

If you had a new fear of bats, he would take that form. If you have a fear of a clown he will take that form. He had no definite form and was everchanging depending on you.

That's what Yuito feels like. That's what he was like as an opponent.

He will fight against you in a way that you fear the most and in a manner you know would absolutely demolish you.

He took the fighting style you fear the most. He embodies your weakness. A living counter to your existence.

For Wonderboy, someone being able to dodge, block, or see his attacks was something he was most afraid of as a fighter.

Yuito did just that.

He fears being taken down, he fears not being on his two feet and having to stumble on the ground like a drowning prey.

Yuito did just that.

Wonderboy was lost for the exact words but it felt like Yuito was adapting. He was adapting to your strengths and embodies your weaknesses.

...

*Ting!!!*

The bell rang, initiating the start of the second round, and the audience came alive with noise that shook the entire stadium.

Wonderboy got up and met his monster in the middle of the cage. After the referee started the fight, he attacked with everything he got.

..

'Marriage of gravity.' It was the concept Wonderboy has practiced for three decades now.

Do not fight against gravity, instead let it aid your attacks. Use your body weight, use the universal pull of the world to help you in battle.

Do not fight against it by aiming high, or kicking high. Gravity was your ally, a natural force that you should always side with.

With this, Wonderboy kicked at Yuito's legs and his body. He never aimed for his head or tried for a higher angle.

Keep it low, chip away at the base, and cut them down like a tree. That's his motto.

But that didn't mean he never aimed for the head though, when his null attack finally aimed high, it was sure to fall any opponent.

*Pakh!!*

*POW!!*

The sound of flesh hitting flesh, and bone smashing bone resounded throughout the stadium, showing the power behind each attack.

Yuito was doing his best to block and retreat, he even tired to counter attack but he was always cut off by Wonderboy.

Every strike was a block and every block was a strike - a block should be directed and forceful enough to injure an opponent, decreasing their ability to continue an attack. Every strike should counter an opponent's movement, reducing their ability to mount an attack.

Wonderboy was in a continuous motion as he danced a dance of violence. He left Yuito completely helpless, leaving him to bear the pain of his attacks.

Yuito - no matter how much he wanted - could not fight back. His animal instincts were barely keeping up with the unending assault, his attacks were intercepted even before he even threw them.

When Yuito was about to kick, Wonderboy would kicks his thighs, damaging him while also canceling his kick.

When he tries to puch, he would be kicked at his core, sending him off balance while still giving him damage.

Such precision and timing were something Yuito had never encountered before.

That was not all as he was in a constant edge as a null attack came flying at his head or vitals whenever and wherever Wonderboy deemed necessary.

Yet he had a smile on his face and he could feel himself improving every second of the fight.

The fight went on and it didn't seem like the fighters were getting tired anytime soon, instead, as the clock ticked, the fight got more and more intense.

The audiences were left in awe as they witnessed a striking match the UFC had never seen before. Although Wonderboy was dominating the fight, you could see Yutio was slowly and surely keeping up.

The judges were sp echless and even forgot to note down the points as they marveled at the impossible angles Wonderboy's attacks cut through and the amazing instinct and reflex Yuito had.

Then it happened.

Wonderboy spun his body and gathered huge momentum. He acted like he was going to throw a body back kick but it was a feint as he spun for the second time.

His body was screaming in pain at the building up of kinetic energy as he prepared to throw a 720* kick which was aimed at Yuito's head. It was going to be a kick that would end the match.

Everything was perfect, Wonderboy's face was void as he prepared to throw the null attack. It was the end, he was going to win.

He was going to defeat this monster.

But just as he was about to complete his spin, a kick hit the back of his leg, displacing all the momentum and making him lose balance as a result.

He stumbled and his eyes were wide.

He stopped.

He stilled.

.

.

.

Then slowly, he turned back to see his opponent.

"I think I understand now." Yutio said, getting into a wide karate stance that was the exact replica of Wonderboy's stance.

It was Kenpo Karate. The martial arts Wonderboy had trained in since he was three years old.

"Is this how you do it?" Yuito asked with a tilt of his head and a smile.

Then Yuito was gone, with his wide stance, he covered the distance in a single step and appeared in front of him like a ghost.

'No, way.'

As Wonderboy stood still in shock, he suddenly felt his jaw disappear. He could almost picture it in his head, how the lower part of my face suddenly disappeared as if a canon had shot through it.

He heard the sound of a blade cutting through the air.

*FWOOSH!!*

An attack he never saw, hit him.

It was an invisible attack.

*POW!!*

As Wonderboy fell down on the canvas, all he could do was despair to the monster standing in front of him.

It was his greatest fear incarnate.

As if getting his null attacks seen through or being humiliated on the ground was not enough. The monster had cruler ways to crush him.

.

This was his greatest fear.

To be beaten, by his own technique.

..

..

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