Klay's imagination soared as he thought of ways he'd be able to defeat Jeans.
I can't use Observation like I was, and I'm way weaker than him so I can't just try to overpower him.
As he thought about the ways he could try to fight and win, two other students began sparring. Multiple loud grunts followed by the sound of a hit being landed and received echoed through the dojo hall. The students sat around the mat attentively, watching the match closely as they patiently observed the two combatants.
I should try and watch the matches currently happening. If I'm lucky, I'll figure out a way to win based on other's matches.
A few minutes passed before one of the students sparring failed to avoid a powerful kick, doubling over and quickly losing the spar.
"Next," Phoenix called out soon after they were done, and the next pair quickly stood facing each other waiting for the call to start.
"Begin!"
Quickly, blows were traded as the pair stepped forward with their attacks. Klay watched attentively as the two fought, noting how one stepped into the other's space to attack and the response to it.
The rest of the students paid similar attention to the pair as fists were swung and kicks were blocked. Their match lasted several minutes longer than the previous one, but was eventually stopped by Phoenix.
More sparring matches happened as Klay tried his best to observe each of them, before he and Jeans were called out. With a determined gaze, Klay bowed and stood in front of Jeans, who watched Klay with a partially hidden look of smugness and boredom at having to face an opponent so much weaker than him.
Prepping himself mentally, Klay waited for the call to start while watching Jeans' stance and filling his mind with ideas of what to do while fighting to win.
I can forget about dodging, it won't help me at all since I can just heal. If I can grab his arm to limit his movement some, then I'll be able to damage him and hopefully wear him out a decent bit. My reach is shorter than his though, so I need to stay closer to him when possible.
Across from him, Jeans watched Klay try to make minor adjustments to account for Jeans' own stance. His lip twitched up at seeing this, and he prepared his body by flexing the muscles through his body slowly while eagerly awaiting the call from Phoenix.
While trying to ignore the pulsing of his headache for seemingly hours but was more like a few seconds, Klay held his breath until the moment Phoenix finally called out the start of their match.
"BEGIN!"
BANG!
In a move that appeared to be near instant, Jeans brought his shin against Klay's arm, flinging him to the side of the mats and nearly into the ring of other students before he just managed to catch himself and turn back to Jeans.
[Skeletal injury detected. Activating Level 2 Regen Focus]
Wincing, Klay let the buzz of regeneration overtake his left arm while he balled his fist a few times to feel how usable his arm was.
Klay quickly walked back up to Jeans, but was careful to stand just outside of his reach as he watched Jeans fully. This would give him a moment to observe and react to any movement Jeans made.
I need all the advantages I can get right now. His kick was powerful enough to nearly break my arm, if I'm not careful I could be unable to move despite my regeneration!
Unwilling to wait, Jeans took to the offensive once more and stepped forward to Klay while propelling his muscular arm and fist at Klay's chest.
Thanks to his preparations before, Klay had a mere moment to notice Jeans' attack. Through a culmination of the skills that had been partially drilled into Klay over the previous two years of training in the dojo, he just managed to dodge the exceptionally fast punch by stepping closer to Jeans. Klay's right foot was slid in front of Jeans', while Klay curled his left arm up and around Jeans' outstretched fist. Klay quickly sent his left elbow deep into Jeans' side, causing Jeans to cough out slightly from the force before stepping back from Klay.
PA!
Having recovered his breath, Jeans confidently commented to Klay, "Not bad, kid. If only you were a bit stronger, then that hit could've actually done something."
Recovering his stance, Klay steadied his eyes on Jeans and attempted to repeat the tactic from before. His plan quickly failed, however, when Jeans quickly and seamlessly entered Klay's space and hit him in the stomach with his fist so hard it took his feet off the ground.
BANG! CRASH!
Without pause or hesitation, Jeans used his other arm to grab Klay's shoulder and threw him at the ground. The other students watched wide-eyed as Jeans dealt a powerful combination of attacks to the weakest member of the dojo.
Klay's mind blanked at the rapid attacks, his breath having left his body completely and not seeming to return.
Despite having everyone's focus on him, Klay remained on the ground unable to collect his thoughts enough to stand back up. Jeans looked down at him with a tight, smug grin before walking over to Phoenix and bowing.
"Teacher, he's been laying there for a whole minute. May I return to my place?" He asked respectfully.
With a small sigh laced in disappointment, Phoenix nodded. He stood up and lifted Klay away, who had just gotten his body to resume breathing enough for him to think and realize his surroundings.
That… was so strong! How could I possibly have thought I'd be able to beat him?! My body hurts so much! I only managed to hit him once and he didn't even flinch from it. The match didn't even last a full minute, why the hell is he so strong!
Caught up in his thoughts as his body healed, Klay just barely noticed the other students sparring matches pass by one by one. Soon, the second rotation of matches had begun, and Klay's awareness fully returned as he returned to his spot in the line-up of students.
Is there any way I can manage anything in these matches? There has to be! I'm sure of it! Maybe I'm thinking about it wrong. I've been trying to focus on what he does and how I can react to it, which clearly hasn't worked. Maybe I need to do something that he has to react to? But what exactly, the attacks I do aren't exactly strong enough to warrant anything more than a laugh out of him.
Klay thought more and more, ignoring the matches occurring in front of him as he focused on thinking up ideas on what to do to make Jeans have to react. Unexpectedly to him, his and Jeans spar was called by Phoenix suddenly.
Panicking slightly, Klay once again bowed and got into a basic stance, watching Jeans closely for any clues on his first move.
Just like with each match before, Phoenix called the start of their match. "Begin!"
Unlike their previous match, Jeans decided to punch at Klay with a powerful swing aimed at his arm, as Jeans wanted to prey on the previous kick he had landed on Klay. He hadn't expected Klay to merely wince at the pain of being hit, unlike the predicted yell of pain.
As he was caught off guard, Klay managed to see the confused expression momentarily appear on Jeans' face and decided to take full advantage of the single moment of pause.
Here's something he isn't predicting from me!
Klay's feet pushed against the mat, launching his body forward as he braced his shoulder and crashed into Jeans' nose, eliciting a gasp from a few of the other students who hadn't expected such a move.
Shocked at the events, Jeans sent his leg up into the air. His foot crashed against Klay's chin, sending an unmatched wave of force through his head and quickly knocking him out as he slumped to the floor. Seeing everything that had happened during the two matches, Phoenix had an unexpected grin plastered on his face while he moved Klay out of the way of the other students.
He gave Klay some simple things to help after having been knocked out before continuing the matches of the other students. Throughout the other matches, however, Phoenix always kept an eye on Klay to make sure he didn't leave before getting a chance to speak to him.
"Even if it's not perfect, there is potential there that can grow!" Phoenix thought after he sent his other students off while watching after his nephew.