Still, Hyuk-Jae remained resolved, tightening his core and straightening his stance again as he stomped forward to the surprise of all of those witnessing the climactic encounter.
"Ultimate Taekkyeon Technique: Absolute Reversal."
The flowing, water-like movement of Hyuk-Jae's arms was familiar to Touma, who watched carefully.
A redirection technique? He thought.
Using the sublime movements cultivated by total mastery of one's own art, Hyuk-Jae produced winds that felt as cool as the seaside waves, gentle yet commanding such force in their wake as he moved his fists in the path of the incoming strike.
SLAM.
As the two opposing forces clashed, a massive cloud of dust kicked up, filling the arena and obscuring the vision of the audience.
[--]
"--"
Everybody was silent, even the announcer during these pivotal moments.
Once the cloud of dust dispersed, the outcome of the climactic clash was finally seen:
Laid out on the mat, unconscious and bleeding from his head was the taekkyeon master. Standing over the unconscious man was Baskoro, who grinned wide with his fist still pressed against the man's cheek, withdrawing it and laughing wickedly.
[I don't know what happened, but Hyuk-Jae is unable to continue! Winner…Baskoro!]
He had seen what happened with his accurate, golden eyes:
As the redirective technique opted to reverse the overwhelming strength of Baskoro's fist, it was completely nullified by the power possessed by Baskoro alone–who broke straight through Hyuk-Jae's fists, snapping his fingers in the path of his knuckles before laying the man out with the tremendous finisher.
"...Dammit," Touma whispered.
–
Due to the efforts of Hyuk-Jae and the wickedness of Baskoro, there was little applause for the actual winner of the bout, and a hefty amount of booing.
Baskoro didn't seem to care as he instead turned his focus to his defeated opponent, picking him up by his hair.
"Who said it was over? I decide that," Baskoro grinned.
The man disrespectfully slapped the unconscious man across his cheek a few times, repeating it until Hyuk-Jae returned to consciousness.
[What's this?! The fight is over! What's Baskoro doing?!]
"Wakey wakey, little prince!" Baskoro grinned.
"...Huh?" Hyuk-Jae opened his bloodshot eyes to be immediately met with a hard slap to the face.
Even though it was just a slap, the sharp collision of Baskoro's callused palm against the man's pale cheek released a hiss of wind.
"C'mon! I didn't have my fill yet–gimme your best shot!" Baskoro told him, releasing his hold of his hair.
[Please stop this immediately! The match is already over!]
Though the shades-wearing announcer called for this, he immediately swallowed his words from a mean glance by the cruel winner of the match.
"I need to make an example out of you, for all of the worms that think they can wriggle around in the playground of the strong," Baskoro cracked his neck and knuckles, "...I'll stamp you out in front of the world."
As Hyuk-Jae groggily went for a kick, it was caught effortlessly as the battered man was hardly in any condition to keep going.
"I'll start…with this!" Baskoro grinned.
From the waiting room, he stood up in anger, realizing what was about to happen, "No…!"
CRACK.
With a drop of his elbow, the man with seaweed-like hair laughed out as he shattered the taekkyeon master's knee.
The horrifying display of brutality and zero sportsmanship spurred gasps from the audience.
"That's awful…!" Ishikawa covered her mouth.
"Somebody stop him!" Tadashi said.
Chimon kept his arms folded across his chest, "I see the Celestial Fist is the same as ever."
–
"Aggh…!" Hyuk-Jae fell down, gripping his broken leg.
"He-he-he…" Baskoro stood over him.
An injury like that was devastating; any martial artist witnessing the event recognized it immediately. It was an injury that could trample the career of a martial artist, no doubt.
As Baskoro raised his leg over the fallen over man with a grin, preparing to bring it down–
"That's just about enough."
"...Huh?" Baskoro stopped, looking up.
The crowd reacted in anticipation and excitement at the man who had entered the ring faster than anybody could witness.
Standing with his hands tucked into the pockets of his straight, black pants that matched the rest of his suit and shoes, the man with a face as fair as a prince's and silken, silver-and-purple hair held a calm smile while issuing his order.
[The Overseer, Adamas, has entered the ring! Baskoro's tyranny ends now!]
"...Just what I was looking for," Baskoro grinned, walking past Hyuk-Jae with his sights set on the Overseer.
"Oh?" Adamas smiled.
Baskoro slammed his knuckles together, exuding the same black aura he previewed earlier as his wild hair moved erratically in the dark winds around him, "I've been waiting to get my hands on an Overseer! If I lay you out right here, I'll be recognized as the strongest! I'll make the world grovel at my feet!"
As the scruffy-bearded, tanned man without any manners or restraint laughed with his proclamation, he was immediately silenced–
"You're mistaken."
"Huh?" Baskoro raised an eyebrow.
Adamas looked at him adamantly with his chromatic eyes that were a swirl of colors, "Strongest? Want the world to grovel at your feet? That's a lofty wish to speak out loud in front of "The King", you know."
From the sidelines, Yusei and Myung-Hwan watched their colleague, not assisting him.
"...Well, he's gone and done it now," Yusei laughed.
"If there's one thing you don't want to do, it's try and claim superiority in front of Adamas," Myung-Hwan sighed.
–
Before Baskoro could go for an attack, he paused for a moment as sweat evacuated his pores–he felt it. A divine aura left from Adamas' position, though the man was still smiling gently with his hands in his pockets.
"You've proven you can only trample the weak. If you want to prove something, come at me, then," Adamas smirked, "In this world of deceit and fakers, I am the only one worthy of honor."
"...I'll prove it right now!" Baskoro yelled out.
Without closing the distance at all, Baskoro swept his leg through the air, using his black aura to launch a far-reaching attack that carried the force of his kick within the dark energy.
"Cheap," Adamas said calmly.
"Huh–?" Baskoro looked on.
With a single finger raised, the silver-haired Overseer with rainbow eyes blocked the wave of nefarious energy as it collided.
Seeing it in full now, those in the stands were astonished by the supernatural display from Baskoro.
Ishikawa was sweating just from being in the same space at such power, "...Do you see that?"
"Yeah…I've never seen anything like it. It's straight out of a fictional story," Tadashi nodded looking back at Chimon, "...Is this perhaps what you were alluding to with Touma?"
Chimon was silent for a moment before nodding, "Yeah. This is the true nature of the Celestial Fist. Cameras don't catch it when it's broadcasting, or they edit it out…but the fighters of the Celestial Fist are a different breed. I never quite figured out what the hell it is."
"Something like this…Will Daigo be alright?" Ishikawa muttered worriedly.
"He'll make it," Chimon smiled, "That guy is probably shaking in excitement at seeing this."
While they looked on, the sight of the Overseer with dazzling, colorful eyes became more curious.
"That guy…Is he who I think he is?" Tadashi mumbled.
"Yeah, he's about as big of a deal as they get," Chimon confirmed, "…'Adamas, The King', he won the Celestial Fist so one-sidedly that he was brought in as an Overseer."
"I can't believe I get to see Adamas in person…He's even hotter up close…" Ishikawa looked on with a gleeful smile.
"…I was more so curious about his strength," Tadashi sighed.
Chimon smiles, "Oh, yeah. If I had to bet on one man in this world to come out on top of any battle…It's Adamas."