~jin~
my opponent is a man from the hidden rain village, he wears a pale blue kimono and saggy brown pants, his tired face makes him look much older than i imagine he is. he isnt carrying any weapons but i can tell from the dried blood stain on his hand wraps that he fights hand to hand, just like i do.
the ref explains the rules and with a sharp blow on his whistle the match begins, this arena is large, way bigger than necessary but it gives me a lot of room to work with. i cant decide if ill wait for tatsuo to attack or if ill start.
"you should pay better attention to your opponent" a voice says from behind me, tatsuo got behind me so quickly i didnt even know he moved at all, i feel cold hands clamp down on the sides of my head and my entire body is lifted and flipped over tatsuo, i slam into the solid ground hard, i think i broke a rib or two, tatsuo throws me and i skid along the concrete arena before stopping, my hands are torn open and bleeding from trying to stop myself from falling out of the arena. i stand up shakily, blood drips from my hands and makes a pool on the ground, without thinking i start running, directly towards tatsuo.
my legs feel like theyre moving on their own, forcing me to not give up, im almost to tatsuo, i get ready and throw a wide punch that he dodges with ease, i pass him and drop down, planting my palms on the ground to break my fall and sweep his legs out from under him. tatsuo falls backwards but catches himself and before he fully hits the ground he pushes his hands off the ground and it sends him flying towards me, i duck under the kick and spin 180 degrees to face tatsuo, he turns to face me but hes greeted with my fist, it hits him right in the nose and i can feel it break, i keep pushing my fist forward and tatsuo is sent backwards, he flips over and lays motionless for a moment.
"whats your name again, kid" tatsuo stands up, hes covered in blood.
"jin, remember that name" tatsuo smirks and tears his kimono off, he gets in a fighting stance,
"now that i know your name i can make reservations for you in hell" the crowd erupts in laughter and tatsuo blushes.
"c'mon you couldve come up with something better than that" i laugh,
"stop laughing!" tatsuo rushes at me and throws a jab at my head, i block it but the force from it breaks my wrist, this is bad. tatsuo swings his leg around and it hits me in the back, i feel several bones break but thankfully i can feel my legs still, tatsuo brings his palm crashing into my chin, my front teeth are knocked out and before i can even begin to get back in the fight i see tatsuo bring both of his hands back and swings them forward in a clapping motion, i raise my arms to block the attack from hitting my head, my broken wrist throbs from the new blow to it.
"have you heard the story of the man who wouldnt give up"
tatsuo hits me in the stomach as he begins his story,
"there was once a warrior who believed he alone could defeat an army" im hit again, "he would boast to everyone that he had the strength to take down a thousand men" tatsuo doesnt hit me but instead just advances towards me while i frantically retreat,
"one day the mans boasting became too much for the people around him, so they decided that the next time they were in battle and their general told them to retreat they would put the mans ego to the test"
tatsuo continues to back me up, im reaching the edge of the arena.
"sure enough, at their next battle they were hopelessly outnumbered by the enemy, their general told them to retreat"
tatsuo grabs me by the hair and lifts me up.
"do you know what happened next, jin?" i dont speak, "when the mans comrades approached him to tell him to prove that his words were more than just lies you know what he said?"
tatsuo hits me in the stomach, "he said, if i truly believe that i can defeat a thousand men by myself then it must be true right? i have never run from a battle and i never will even if the odds are stacked against me"
tatsuo drops me and pulls his arm back for one final strike,
"that man stayed on the battlefield alone, no one came to fight alongside him, his idea that he alone could do anything if he just believed he could was his downfall, as it is the downfall of all that believe they can defeat a wolf while being merely a rabbit"
tatsuo hits me in the face and i fall, i dont stand back up, i lay there covered in my own blood, i hear tatsuos voice again before fading out of conscience,
"that brave man lived by his own code, and died alone on the battlefield."