Chereads / Eclipse: Showdown of Assassins / Chapter 151 - Chapter 150 - A Bit More Effort

Chapter 151 - Chapter 150 - A Bit More Effort

Hamadeen had trained nearly everyday in his life. When he first gained interest in boxing, he would train with his father each day. Despite his father having participated in boxing matches back in Mexico, he could only advance Hamadeen's skills so far. Once Hamadeen had overcome all the boxing world of his weight class had to offer, he entered the Eclipse, meeting fighters of all calibers. His innate skills were pushed to their utter limits, but no match had a gap above him as large as the gap he felt between himself and Jason. The red cladded combatant seemed entirely unimpressed by Hamadeen's skill. Despite having ended each boxing match with ease, Hamadeen found it difficult to even begin boxing against his opponent.

Hamadeen's thoughts: We're around the same height, but he's slightly heavier than me… Yet I can't even match his speed! I need to work around it fast!

Hamadeen continued his march forward, ignoring the pain the first two strikes left on his torso and arms. His eyes focused intensely as he watched Jason. The red reaper turned into a red blur once more. Hamadeen tightened his guard, moving his arms to the right as Jason landed a punch. The punch pushed Hamadeen back, but the boxer refused to back down. Hamadeen immediately rushed forward, taking Jason by surprise.

Jason's thoughts: He recovered quickly…

Jason rushed at him at insane speeds once more. He was invisible to the audience as he pulled back his fist before throwing it forward at full speed. Hamadeen's guard had seemed tough, but Jason focused on what he needed to. His fist aimed at Hamadeen's open side faster than his previous attack, but his entire body perked up as Hamadeen's forearm pushed Jason's punch away. Hamadeen swung his right arm at Jason's head, but the red reaper ducked and dodged the blow.

Zenzo: What's this?!

Zachary: Hamadeen is slowly beginning to pick up on Jason's speed!

Jason's thoughts: Well isn't this an interesting surprise. I guess he isn't a high class boxer for nothing.

Jason nodded his head before running past Hamadeen. Hamadeen whipped around to keep track of Jason, only for a well placed punch to send him flying back. His guard was not fast enough, the full force of the punch landing. Despite the speed behind the punch, Hamadeen stayed on his feet, breathing heavily.

Hamadeen's thoughts: How… How did he change direction that quickly?!

Jason is among the fastest of the fighters in the Eclipse. To many, his speed is unmatched. Despite his speed being naturally high, he would normally still be a victim of momentum and direction. However, to counteract such a dilemma, he had created a footwork which would become a key principle of the Bellthorne Style. Savestep allows the user to consistently shift their center of gravity to keep up their top speed even when changing directions. A master of this principle is even able to reach the greatest speeds humans can achieve. Jason darts around the ring at top speed, running circles around the confused Hamadeen. Hamadeen raised his forearms, attempting to prepare for the next attack. Jason charged at Hamadeen's left, extending the knuckles of his fist as he inches closer.

Jason's thoughts: Azufield Style: Vertical Pierce

Jason moved his fist under Hamadeen's guard and aimed it directly at the boxer's chin. Hamadeen weaved back, watching as the fist flew by his face. Jason didn't waste a single moment, immediately throwing back an elbow.

Jason's thoughts: Azufield Style: Clovis

Hamadeen bobbed past the strike, jumping to his side as he avoided Jason's high speed strikes.

Alexia: How is he dodging Jason so well…

Tolman: Jason wouldn't play around this much!

Gerald: Hamadeen is a champion boxer, you know. He got a taste for Jason's speed several times and now they're playing close-range. This is his forte.

Alexia: Did you train him, Gerald?! Did you teach him things about Jason?!

Gerald: Calm down, dear cousin. I can assure you, I've never even spoken to Hamadeen. You can't forget that he's part of a faction with the legendary Moll Sonata. Who also happens to be friends with Jason's master. Oh, and may I add that Hamadeen is in good standings with that master's grandson who has a greater level of a certain something compared to Jason.

Tolman: Wha…

Alexia: How do you know all this?!

Gerald: I've studied each fighter here because I'm getting ready to counter each of them. Let's focus on the match, shall we? It's about to get interesting.

Hamadeen threw several quick flicker jabs, Jason dodging each one with ease. Their movements got faster and faster as Hamadeen increased the speed of his attacks.

Hamadeen's thoughts: I can't land a single one! How am I-

Jason's thoughts: Bellthorne Style - Fifth Form: Snapdragon

Jason unleashed a quick right hook to Hamadeen's jaw, taking the boxer by surprise. Hamadeen stumbled back, breathing heavily and his vision slightly disoriented. His eyes darted to his opponent who charged him.

Jason's thoughts: I wanted to keep my usage of the Bellthorne Style to only Savestep until the quarterfinals, but I guess that was asking too much.

Jason unleashed several blitzing punches across Hamadeen's body. Hamadeen was pushed back, but the man refused to buckle. He gritted his teeth as he stepped back with the punches.

Hamadeen's thoughts: No way… His strikes are like that of a boxer… Unless.

Hamadeen tensed his entire body, powering through Jason's strikes as he threw a lightning fast right straight. Jason bobbed past the strike as he ran in. Hamadeen followed up with an uppercut, Jason dodging it without issue.

Hamadeen's thoughts: Just as I expected!

Jason noticed a small hesitation in Hamadeen's movements. A window so small, a normal person would never dream of noticing it. Despite the small sliver of this window, Jason took full advantage of this slip up.

Jason's thoughts: Bellthorne Style - Fifth Form: Carnation

Jason's fist moved faster than the eye could see, Hamadeen's entire body struggling to keep up with his incomprehensible speed. The punch, aimed directly at Hamadeen's gut, sent shockwaves throughout his body. Hamadeen stumbled back as he let out a painful gasp. The air around him seemed heavy as he noticed the gap between himself and his opponent was larger than he had expected. Midori and Moll sat in the infirmary, watching the match closely.

Moll: Jason is just as scary as ever. No wonder he made it to the top ten at such a young age. Him, Daniel, and Gonzalez are just a different breed.

Midori: I've seen that boy grow with my own two eyes. He is without a doubt gifted with skill. He might even surpass you, you know.

Moll looked at Midori, who was watching his student with reminiscing eyes.

Moll's thoughts: Just what is the Jason you know, Midori?

Jason was born twenty-three years prior to the events unfolding in the Eclipse Grand Tournament. He was the eldest of two children with an absent father. Despite what may seem like a sad story to many, he seemed no more special than any other child. Even when growing up, almost everything he did was ordinary. Almost everything. There was one trait that everyone Jason came across noticed when they saw him. Jason was ridiculously fast. His mother and her friends noticed how much quicker Jason seemed to develop compared to his peers. He learned to walk earlier, learned to run earlier. His speed truly began to hold a place in everyone's memory by the time he turned seven, when he made impossible runs that no seven year old should be capable of. Every other child around him would consider him to be the impossible. Jason took interest in this aspect of himself, but also in another that he had hidden from almost everyone else. An aspect he had developed through watching others. His undying interest in martial arts.

Jason spent each day of his life fine tuning his speed and martial arts. He partook in each martial arts club he could find in his city. He ran track as often as he could. To each of his peers, Jason had far surpassed them. He had broken records that would seem impossible for someone his age. By the time he turned fifteen, Jason had won a local boxing tournament with ease. Each match was done before it had even started. The boy seemed unstoppable, but one man noticed that his potential was not even close to being tapped into. Midori approached the young Jason Bellthorne, shocked by the amount of potential the boy had.

Midori: You. Your name is Jason Bellthorne, correct?

Jason: Hm? Yeah, I am. Sorry, I'm going to go hang out with friends and family, so maybe you can interest me in your dojo another day.

Midori: You're wasting your potential, Bellthorne. There is nothing more for you to learn by staying here. I am well aware you are not ready to step away from your daily life, but I will give you the offer to further your potential. Further than what local tournaments and sporting events can offer. I will await your answer.

Midori handed Jason information to contact him if he had ever grown interested before departing. Jason could only see the old man as extremely creepy, a normal reaction from anyone his age. Despite his reaction to the old man, he could tell there was some truth to his words. Nothing could excite him like when he was younger. The boy returned to his day-to-day life until a fateful day three months after that encounter. Jason and his brother had learned that their mother had died. The somewhat normal life he had lived began to crumble. The armor that Jason had felt was invincible had begun to break apart. He saw no direction left for himself. He locked himself away in his room when he saw a note sitting on his desk. He had told himself that he had no interest in the old man's offer, but he subconsciously held onto the letter all this time. He walked over to the letter, holding it with a shaking hand. This began the most grueling five years of training Jason had encountered. The training that would allow him to create his Bellthorne Style and become the living legend he is today.The training that would allow him to assist in creating The Basement.

The yellow slits of Jason's mask stared down the damaged Hamadeen. The man refused to go down, meeting his opponent's gaze. Midori, Tolman, Lorisian, and Alexia focused purely on Jason. His red coat was without a single scratch, his mask without a single scar.

Jason's thoughts: This guy really doesn't go down. I hit him more than Vector, I think. I guess the boxing route really does make you roll with the punches.

Jason took one step forward before breaking into a full dash. He disappeared from the audience's vision once more as he pulled back his fist.

Jason's thoughts: I'll end it quickly, I don't want to waste too much time now.

Jason threw his fist forward, building up momentum before slowing it down at just the perfect speed. He aimed the strike directly at Hamadeen's liver.

Jason's thoughts: Azufield Style: Azure King Fist

The fist moved forward with greater power than any strike Jason had unleashed in the tournament thus far. Which is why he and all others were surprised when the punch did not connect with anything. Hamadeen stepped around Jason's attack, throwing a right hook at the red reaper's mask. Jason took the punch, moving with it to disperse the blow. He moved further back, opening the distance between himself and Hamadeen.

Jason's thoughts: What… What was that?

Jason watched as Hamadeen slowly moved from side to side. Each movement was meticulous, as afterimages appeared from each of Hamadeen's movements. Hamadeen's footwork cleaned itself up, his breathing began to steady.

Kuro: YEAH! BEAT HIS ASS!

Lorisian: SQUIRE!

Zachary: What an unimaginable occurrence! Hamadeen had landed his first successful strike of the match, and it seemed to have shocked everyone!

Zenzo: And it seems like he has a huge surprise up his wrappings!

Hamadeen continued his rhythmic movements, watching his opponent closely. Jason shook his head, finally entering a stance.

Jason's thoughts: Maybe I'll need to put in a bit more effort.