"Welcome to the round of 16; the fights at this stage will be more intense and brutal than before. Each win in the match has increased, so winning right now would lead you to glory."
Dash was among the finalists in the round of 16, after resting for a whole day, he was in perfect condition and ready for the next fight.
What is the difference between a normal tournament and this one besides the blood and fights until the end? Well, what Dash had discovered is that the organizers of this tournament do not want to be seen or bothered.
The rules, of course, can change, something that would start happening in the quarter-finals, but that is not Dash's problem for now. He was focused on his next fight, ready to give it his all.
Santiago advised at his side, "You're lucky, the opponent you're facing was injured in his previous fight, so you just have to keep your distance and come up with a plan to entertain the vultures."
"I understand, don't worry."
"Let the tournament begin; let the first fighters step forward!"
On a huge screen, Dash's image appeared, followed by his opponent, who had been ready for some time.
"Dash Hale against Alejandro López!"
But when they were about to fight, a VIP room, thinking that the fight would be too boring, ordered something private, and the presenter nodded.
"Rule change; competitor Dash Hale faces a challenge from López's sponsor and offers five million to face two opponents who have previously been defeated."
"Those lunatic bastards..." Santiago muttered as he saw three more fighters, no older than twenty, approach the platform.
The whole audience celebrated this; they knew that Dash's chances of being defeated this time were high, so everyone was curious to know what was about to happen.
Dash didn't flinch; he quickly analyzed his opponents and smiled sinisterly. Lately, he had felt guilty about leaving his opponents in bad shape, but he supposed that now that problem would have no presence in this fight.
"If Dash Hale wins, he will not only get the winnings from this competition but also five million dollars," the presenter shouted again as he heard the applause from the others.
But at that moment, a voice was heard in the distance. "Weapons!"
At that moment, several people entered with blunt weapons, and Dash's confused eyes watched as more would happen next.
"The sponsor of Dash Hale has bought a weapon for his fighter; please choose your preferred weapon."
As the showcase with weapons approached, Dash focused his gaze on a wooden stick called a Bo and took it without hesitation.
There were other more lethal weapons, but Dash knew how to use the wooden stick, so he chose it without any hesitation and walked to the center of the arena.
This time, the fights are unique, so Dash was in plain view of everyone as he was surrounded by four people.
"Ready? Fight!" The referee, after starting the fight, left the arena. This type of fight was not at all controllable, so he left the arena as soon as the fight started.
"I can't let them get close to me..." This was Dash's first thought when he knew he was the only one armed, so after starting the fight, he focused first on López, who was injured.
As he took a step forward, the other three figures moved toward him but not quickly enough. At that point, the stick in his hands slid straight toward López's forehead, and the stick's tip, like a violent whip, hit his target with force.
Crack!
In an instant, Dash's movements became those of an exterminator. Stick strike, kicks, rib punches, forehead attacks, and many more were the points where he was attacking with all his might without stopping.
This time, he was sure he would lose the fight, so Dash didn't give many the chance to advance as if they did, his weapon would be useless.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"I thought I had chosen a useless weapon..." Outside the arena, Jack's expression improved as he saw the good results in the fight after taking the wooden stick.
Although that weapon was normal for many, in the right hands, it could mean a change in a complicated fight, just as it was happening at that moment.
But at that moment, just when Dash had knocked down López and two more figures, he had lost sight of his last target, who had appeared in his left zone.
This forced Dash to let go of the stick and engage in close combat, clashing blows fast enough to overwhelm the crowd. Many of the blows landed on Dash's body as he had completely ignored defense, but his blows landed on specific points to numb his opponent's limbs, who soon retreated due to pain.