A right hook!
Yuuta instinctively blocked the right hook coming at him even though he didn't see it coming. Something in his guts just told him to raise his left arm and in that split second, he executed it. He was surprised when a right hook really connected with his block.
"That was fast." If Yuuta had the eyes to see, he would've been wide-eyed by now. The punch really was unnaturally fast, unlike anything he's ever seen. Even Nakamura Ryota, the national boxer that he defeated, was nothing compared to this guy.
"I'm still warming up, brace yourself, little boy." The opponent smacked his lips and delivered another blow, this time, right towards Yuuta's solar plexus.
"Urp~" Yuuta let out a sound resembling a burp, his feet staggering backward. The punch was a clean hit and he didn't manage to block it. Trying to get some distance from the Assassin, Yuuta disengaged from the fight by stepping backward. But it was all for nothing.
Because the moment he did, he was hit by a left hook that hit him squarely at his right temple. He scampered on his feet and this time chose the option to fight at close range. A flurry of fists erupted from both parties, but none of them seem to be taking damage. Yuuta was unsure whether the Assassin was playing with him, or they were on the same level. Whatever it is, he knew he was at a disadvantage. When it comes to the build, speed, and power output of the enemy, he easily is one of the best in the world.
"Why do you fight in this shabby place, shouldn't you be facing it off with the pros?" Yuuta asked.
"It's fun beating weaker guys in the underground. Besides, I don't need to earn that much money, I don't really need it." The man continued.
'Nice, so a rich twenties guy with fighting prowess. I hate these kinds of fighters.' Yuuta said to himself as he dodged yet another blow to the head. After blocking it, Yuuta went on an offensive, throwing whatever punch he could to push the Assassin back. However, the assassin had the tenacity of a bear, no matter how much Yuuta pushes him to a corner, he would respond with an equal or greater push.
Yuuta was sure of it, the Assassin was playing with him.
Ting ting ting!
And just like that, the first round was over.
"Hey, Yuuta, what was that? Are you feeling under the weather? Why are you so sloppy?" Daichi-san san handed Yuuta a water bottle as he walked to his side of the ring. He then put a wet towel on his head. "Stop being intimidated by that fighter, he's just another fighter in your record."
"Thanks, Daichi-san. You might not have seen it but that guy is totally toying with me. You saw how he moves right? How could a human move like that?" Although Yuuta didn't want to reason out with Daichi-san, he couldn't understand how the Assassin could move in a nonhuman manner.
"Just relax and focus on the fight. You've beaten a lot of fighters like him. Sure he's got a better build than you, sure he moves fast, but you're more experienced. Use everything you got when fighting him. Surprise him. I don't think he'll survive a blow or two from you, judging by how paper he is."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, he's an Assassin, right? Why do you think he named himself like that? He's all about speed and power. Taking hits is not his forte." Daichi-san continued.
"Are you sure about this? And why are you so certain?"
"Trust me on this one. You do know how long I've been working in this industry, right? My observations don't lie."
"All right, I'll do what I can in the second round. If it doesn't work and we get to the third round, I'll be blaming you for my loss, Daichi-san." There was a hint of confidence in Yuuta's speech. He knows that Daichi-san has a keen eye when it comes to fighters in the underground. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have been this successful as a manager.
Ting ting ting!
The one-minute break felt like five seconds for Yuuta but he got up and stood near the middle of the ring once again. He could clearly hear the disapproving comments of the audience due to his poor performance but he decided to ignore it. All he needed to do is come out from this match victorious. That's all there is to it.
"You still up for this, kid? That's the spirit." The Assassin raised his fists in a guard position, fully knowing that he shouldn't let his guard down even though he survived the first round.
This time, Yuuta didn't waver. He planted his fists on the ground and brought back his right hand, exposedly showing that he will throw a right jab. The Assassin could tell that Yuuta was bluffing, but he knew there's a good chance that Yuuta was bluffing his bluff. So, instead of dodging, he went nearer towards Yuuta, fully prepared to grab his arm and perform an armlock. With his slightly heavy build, he was fairly certain that Yuuta won't get out of his grasp. He'll just have to tap out and lose the round.
But before Yuuta's fist lashed out like a whip, he let the momentum carry it sideways and then performing a double turn kick, or rather, a double roundhouse. Since the Assassin's hands were brought down low, prepared for the armlock, he didn't have time to guard his face from the kicks. And before a second passed, two clean kicks landed on his left temple.
"Aghk~ " He let out a painful moan but he wasn't out of consciousness yet. 'As long as I gain some distance from him, I'll be able to regroup. I'm faster than him, there's no way I'd lo— '
His thoughts were interrupted by another kick that landed squarely on his chin. The force was too much. He was knocked out cold.
One!
Two!
Three!
Four!
Five!
Yuuta didn't even let the announcement finish. He knew that something's going to happen right about now. And just as he thought, the Assassin sprung back to life, wearing the creepiest of smiles. "Man, that was a good punch you got right there. For an alien, you really are strong." The man continued.
[[Name: Katana Kazunari
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Class: Assassin
Level: 324.... ]
"Y-you're from... " Yuuta started but his comment was cut short when Kazunari charged towards him at even greater speeds. If he had continued speaking, he would've bitten his tongue.
"Yes, and I came right here to give you a proposition... well, not like you've got a choice." He continued. "Before I tell you anything, I had to test whether your strength is the real thing. And judging by how weak the humans are in your world, I could tell that you're stronger than them."
"Why did you come here? Did you come here to kill? If so, I'll stop you right here and now!" If Yuuta had eyes to see, it would've been bloodshot red by now due to how furious he was. Of course, there's no way he could detect whether the man is an 'NPC' from Lucid Dream Server or not. But somehow, he was logged in on the game while in real life, and his Clairvoyance Skill was working. And after looking at the man's character description, there was no doubt about it, he really did come from Lucid.
"This is crazy," Yuuta said to himself as he threw another punch. He could see a faint light seeping through his mask. If he were to remove his masks, he knew he would have the ability to see.
"Don't misunderstand, I didn't come here to kill you. I came to negotiate... and to ask for your help." He continued.
Yuuta didn't want to hear the rest. There was a slight chance that the man is a good guy but Yuuta wasn't taking his chances.
As expected, since the influence of Lucid was currently in place, Yuuta managed to activate his Skill. And if his theories were right, he might be able to vanquish Kazunari in front of him.
Fists first, interrogation later.
Gasp!
The audience let out a huge gasp before shrinking into their seats. Suddenly, the DareDevil and the Assassin were trading blows that released air pressure. And every time they move, it's as if a small tornado would form near their feat. A few of the spectators frantically rubbed their eyes to see that they weren't dreaming, and a few even got their smartphones out of their pockets to record the epic fight scene.
But what happened next brought everyone close to fainting.
Even though the DareDevil and the Assassin were already moving at high speeds, they got even faster, and pretty soon, their afterimages could barely be seen. And just when things were about to take a turn for the worse, the dust cleared up and Yuuta could be seen stepping on the Assassin using his right foot.
"It's my loss." The Assassin voiced out.
Without wasting a second, Yuuta knelt down and grabbed Kazunari by his collar. "Now tell me, what are you doing here, why did you come here?" Yuuta hissed. He didn't want anyone overhearing their conversation.
"I told you, I came here to negotiate... "
Kazunari went on to explain his case, making Yuuta gasp in disbelief. But before he could ask any more questions, Kazunari stood up and leaped out of the ring. He then headed out of the underground, never to be seen again.
But what he said to Yuuta was more than enough to make him tremble on his feet.
"Where do you think the Dreamcatchers come from? Not from our world. That's why I need your help. Meet me in the Spirit Jungle."