The night of the fight came faster than Ethan expected. The makeshift underground arena was packed, the air electric with anticipation. The crowd roared, their cheers and jeers echoing off the grimy concrete walls.
Ethan sat in his corner, his fists wrapped and his heart pounding in his chest. Across the ring, Gabriel stood like a monolith, his scarred face impassive as he warmed up with slow, deliberate movements. Every punch he threw into the air seemed to cut through the tension in the room.
Sophia leaned close to Ethan, her voice sharp and urgent.
"Listen to me, Ethan. Gabriel isn't like anyone you've fought before. He's brutal, calculated. He won't just try to beat you—he'll try to break you."
Ethan nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "What's the plan?"
"Stay on the outside," Sophia said. "Don't trade punches with him. His speciality is to calculate his opponents punches, it's like using maths in a fight, if he is able to calculate all your moves precisely, it's assured that he will predict your next move. Move, counter, and for fuck's sake, keep your guard up. If you see an opening, take it, but don't get greedy. Got it?"
Ethan nodded again, his hands trembling slightly.
The announcer's voice boomed over the chaos. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's main event: Ethan Cruz versus Gabriel 'The Mathematician' Jonathan!"
The crowd erupted, and Ethan felt the weight of every eye in the room. He stood, his legs heavy but steady, and stepped into the ring.
The First Round: Survival
The bell rang, and Gabriel wasted no time, closing the distance between them with terrifying speed. Ethan barely had time to react as Gabriel unleashed a barrage of punches, each one heavy enough to rattle his bones.
Ethan backpedaled, keeping his guard high and circling the ring. Gabriel's power was undeniable, but his attacks were methodical. Sophia's voice rang out over the crowd.
"Move! Don't let him trap you!"
Ethan ducked under a wild hook, countering with a quick jab to Gabriel's ribs. It was like hitting a brick wall. Gabriel barely flinched, smirking as he pressed forward.
The first round felt endless. Ethan managed to land a few clean shots, but Gabriel's relentless pressure left him on the defensive. When the bell finally rang, Ethan stumbled back to his corner, gasping for air.
"He's testing you," Sophia said, dabbing at his face with a towel. "He's not even trying yet. You need to find his rhythm and break it. Trust your training."
Ethan nodded, his chest heaving. "I can take him."
Sophia didn't look convinced.
The Second Round: Fire and Fury
Gabriel came out even more aggressive in the second round, his punches faster and his footwork sharper. "Now I'm gonna fuck this kid up!" He said,
Ethan managed to slip some of the attacks, but Gabriel's sheer force overwhelmed him.
A hard uppercut caught Ethan on the chin, sending him stumbling back. The crowd roared as he hit the ropes, barely staying on his feet. Gabriel moved in for the kill, throwing a devastating right hook.
But this time, Ethan was ready. He ducked low, stepping to the side, and countered with a hook to Gabriel's liver. The big man grunted, momentarily stunned, and Ethan followed up with a flurry of punches to his midsection.
The crowd's tone shifted, a mix of shock and excitement. For the first time, Gabriel looked human.
"Stay on him!" Sophia shouted.
Ethan pressed the attack, but Gabriel recovered quickly,
"He's been only dodging and jabbing, Tch! So fucking common." He immediately predicts Ethans next move, He ducks while Ethan throws another jab at him.
Gabriel then catches him with a jab that snapped his head back. Blood trickled from Ethan's nose, but he shook it off, refusing to back down.
The Third Round: Awakening Instincts.
The third round began with Ethan feeling a shift in momentum. Gabriel's towering frame no longer carried the same indomitable aura. He was slowing, his punches sloppier, his breath ragged. Ethan's body ached, but adrenaline masked the pain. Sophia's voice echoed in his head: "Find the rhythm. Break it."
Ethan darted around Gabriel, his footwork light and precise. He baited him with feints, landing sharp jabs that snapped Gabriel's head back. The crowd erupted, sensing the underdog's rise.
"You've got him!" Sophia shouted from the corner. "Keep the pressure!"
Gabriel swung wide with a desperate hook, and Ethan slipped under it, countering with a blistering combination—jab, cross, hook, body shot. Gabriel staggered, his defenses crumbling.
Ethan's confidence surged. He felt invincible, like every lesson, every ounce of training, had led him to this moment. He unleashed a barrage of punches, driving Gabriel toward the ropes. For the first time, Gabriel looked vulnerable.
"I've got you," Ethan muttered, his fists flying.
But then, something changed.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed, his breathing steadied. The panic in his movements disappeared. Ethan launched another combination, but Gabriel didn't move the way Ethan expected. He tilted his head just enough for the punch to graze past him, his counter striking with pinpoint precision—a devastating jab to Ethan's solar plexus.
Ethan gasped, his legs wobbling. Gabriel's lips curled into a smirk.
"You thought it'd be that easy?" Gabriel growled.
Sophia's voice rang out over the noise. "Ethan, focus! He's changing his strategy!"
Gabriel's movements became eerily precise, almost mechanical. His attacks were no longer wild or forceful but calculated. Every punch was perfectly timed, exploiting the smallest gaps in Ethan's defense.
"Thats 37 punches till now, just like i predicted, now he's obviously gonna be coming with a left or right hook, and if I'm lucky enough, I can land a powerful uppercut." Gabriel thought about all that and calculated all that in a split second in his mind.
Ethan threw a right hook, but Gabriel slipped it effortlessly, countering with a brutal uppercut, Exactly like how Gabriel planned. The force sent Ethan reeling, blood spraying from his lip. Gabriel didn't relent, stepping forward with surgical precision, each punch dissecting Ethan's form.
Ethan felt like he was fighting a machine. Every move he made was anticipated, every attack neutralized. Gabriel's mind was working faster than Ethan could react, as if he was seeing the fight in slow motion.
Gabriel's calm voice cut through the chaos.
"You think this is about strength? Fighting is a numbers game. Angles, timing, distance. Every move you make has a solution."
Ethan swung desperately, only for Gabriel to sidestep and deliver a crushing blow to his ribs. Pain shot through Ethan's body, and he fell to one knee.
"You're predictable," Gabriel continued, standing over him. "You don't think, you just react. That's why you'll lose."
The referee began the count, but Ethan forced himself up at seven. His vision blurred, his legs shaky, but he wasn't ready to give up.
"That's enough, Ethan!" Sophia shouted. "He's too far ahead!"
But Ethan shook his head. "No... I can do this."
Gabriel snorted. "Suit yourself."
The Final Round: Ethan's Awakening
The third round ended with Gabriel firmly in control. Ethan slumped in his corner, barely able to breathe. Sophia knelt in front of him, gripping his shoulders.
"You're outclassed," she said, her voice breaking. "He's not just stronger—he's smarter. You can't fight him head-on."
Ethan looked into her eyes, seeing the fear behind her words. But then, something stirred deep inside him—a defiance, a fire.
"He's not unbeatable," Ethan whispered. "He's just a man. If he can think his way through the fight, so can I."
Sophia stared at him, unsure whether to believe him. Finally, she nodded. "Then prove it. Show me what you've got."
The bell rang for the final round. Ethan rose, his body battered but his mind sharp. He stepped into the center of the ring, locking eyes with Gabriel.
Gabriel launched his assault immediately, his punches as calculated as ever. But this time, Ethan didn't react blindly. He watched, analyzing Gabriel's patterns, the slight shifts in his stance, the way his shoulders twitched before a punch.
Gabriel threw a straight right, and Ethan dodged, countering with a jab to the temple. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make Gabriel pause.
Ethan's movements became sharper, more deliberate. He feinted a left hook, drawing Gabriel's defense, then pivoted and landed a brutal uppercut to the body. Gabriel grunted, stepping back for the first time.
The crowd roared as Ethan pressed the attack. He wasn't just fighting—he was calculating, adapting, turning Gabriel's own tactics against him.
The Final Gambit
The two fighters clashed in the center of the ring, exchanging blows with feral intensity. Blood dripped from Ethan's face, and Gabriel's breaths came in ragged gasps.
Ethan saw it—the smallest drop in Gabriel's guard, a moment of hesitation. Summoning every ounce of strength, he feinted a right jab, drawing Gabriel's counter, then spun into a devastating left hook that connected cleanly with Gabriel's jaw.
Gabriel's head snapped back, his body crumpling to the canvas. The crowd erupted as the referee began the count.
"Stay down," Ethan muttered under his breath, his body swaying.
Gabriel struggled, his arms shaking as he tried to rise, but his body gave out at the count of ten.
Ethan collapsed to his knees as the referee raised his hand in victory. The noise of the crowd faded into the background as he turned to Sophia, who was already climbing into the ring.
She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, her voice trembling. "You did it. You actually did it."
Ethan nodded, his chest heaving. "I'm not done yet."
Sophia frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Ethan looked toward the shadows where Marco and other powerful figures watched silently. "This was just the beginning. I can feel it."
Sophia's expression darkened, but she said nothing.
In the crowd, a figure turned and walked away—a new challenger, already plotting Ethan's downfall.