The massive frame of the Gamblo family leader cast an imposing shadow across the floor as he stepped forward, his muscles rippling with each movement. His eyes locked onto Larry with predatory focus as he spoke, "Hi there Larry the sacrificial lamb! Nice to meet you."
Larry felt his throat tighten at being addressed so directly, but he maintained his composure. Years of facing dangerous situations had taught him to mask his fear with confidence. "You know my name? Guess I'm getting famous," he responded, trying to gauge his opponent's intentions.
The Gamblo family leader's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "Yes, I do! Which predator doesn't know its prey?" The words hung heavy in the air, making Larry gulp involuntarily. The leader's reputation preceded him - stories of his brutal efficiency in combat were well-known throughout the underground.
Larry's mind raced through his options as he asked, "What's your stake?" His fingers flexed unconsciously, ready to activate Joker at a moment's notice.
"So you know our way of doing things," the Gamblo family leader replied, his smile widening to reveal teeth that seemed unnaturally sharp in the dim light.
"Yes, I do," Larry confirmed, his voice steady despite the tension coursing through his body. He knew the Gamblo family never fought without terms - it was part of their code, their way of turning every battle into a gamble.
The leader's next words confirmed Larry's expectations: "If you win, we'll serve your gang Pandion from now on, but if you lose, you'll be my slave forever without complaint." The stakes were high - typical of the Gamblo family's way of doing things. They never played for small rewards.
"Fair enough," Larry declared, shifting his weight slightly to ensure optimal balance. The stakes were massive, but he couldn't back down now. Too much was riding on this fight.
The Gamblo family leader took an attacking position, his neck muscles flexing as he shook his head sideways in a deliberate warm-up display. The movement was smooth, controlled - a predator preparing to strike.
Larry's nerves steeled as he said, "Come on then," knowing he was about to face an opponent unlike any he'd encountered before.
The response was devastating - a sharp knee strike to Larry's chest that seemed to come from nowhere despite the leader's size. The impact forced blood from Larry's mouth as his lungs struggled desperately for air. His ribs screamed in protest, and for a moment, the world seemed to spin.
"What's wrong? I'm just getting started!" the Gamblo family leader taunted, his voice carrying no strain despite the powerful strike he'd just delivered. Larry's vision swam as he fought to stay upright, his legs trembling but refusing to buckle.
A look of genuine surprise crossed the leader's face as Larry maintained his footing. "Congratulations! You've survived the first strike, let's see how many more you pull through." The praise carried an undertone of cruel amusement, as if Larry were merely providing unexpected entertainment.
In response, Larry raised his middle finger, a gesture of defiance that seemed to amuse rather than anger his opponent. The Gamblo family leader's reaction was telling - he remained completely composed, regarding Larry as one might view a child's tantrum. His confidence was absolute, born from countless victories and an unshakeable faith in his abilities.
Seeing an opening, Larry launched forward with an uppercut aimed at the leader's chin. It was the only viable target given his opponent's towering, muscular frame. The blow connected solidly, but the Gamblo family leader barely registered the impact, standing as immovable as a mountain.
Frustration leaked into Larry's expression as he backed away with a "tch" sound. He needed a new strategy - raw power clearly wasn't going to be enough against this opponent.
The Gamblo family leader's counter-attack was relentless - a brutal combination of crosses, hooks, and uppercuts that seemed impossible for someone of his size to deliver with such speed. Larry found himself grateful for every moment of training he'd endured at the Arashi clan castle as he managed to weave between the strikes.
But as the fight progressed, the leader's movements became even more nimble, defying the limitations his bulk should have imposed. Larry's dodging became increasingly desperate - for every two strikes he managed to avoid, a third would find its mark, each impact threatening to end the fight then and there.
Growing desperate, Larry attempted to target his opponent's base, launching a series of calf kicks. But the muscular legs he struck felt like hitting steel pillars - the Gamblo family leader's physique seemed to deny the very concept of vulnerability.
"What's wrong? Your measly frame can't do shit so show me the power of Joker," the leader taunted, clearly aware of Larry's special ability.
Larry managed a smirk despite his mounting fatigue. "It's your turn first for we are guests," he replied, his words carrying a challenge beneath the forced courtesy.
"My bad!" The leader's acknowledgment preceded a move that made Raxa and the others turn their heads away - he cut a clean line across his left hand, releasing blood that glowed with an otherworldly light. The droplets flew toward Larry like seeking missiles.
Despite his best efforts to dodge, some of the glowing blood found its mark. The effect was immediate - Larry's muscles seized up, forcing him to his knees as paralysis took hold. The Gamblo family leader wasted no time capitalizing on this advantage, rushing forward to slam Larry against the wall with devastating force. The impact created a crater in the solid surface, and Larry felt consciousness threatening to slip away.
Perhaps it was the shocking pain that did it, but Larry found himself able to move again, the paralysis breaking under the strain of survival instinct. He staggered away from the wall, each step unsteady but determined.
The Gamblo family leader pursued relentlessly, clearly intent on ending the fight. Yet Larry continued to avoid using Joker visibly, relying instead on basic evasion tactics that barely kept him ahead of his opponent's attacks.
"Use Joker," the leader commanded, his voice carrying a mix of frustration and anticipation. "That's your only chance at beating me."
"No need!" Larry's defiant response earned him another demonstration of his opponent's power as the leader cut his right hand, releasing another shower of glowing blood droplets.
This time, most of the blood stained Larry's clothing, and the effect was instantaneous and overwhelming. He found himself pinned to the ground by an invisible force that seemed to multiply gravity's pull a hundredfold. To all observers, he appeared nearly lifeless under the crushing pressure.
Hope drained from the faces of the spectators - all except Raxa. Even the usually optimistic Arashi said dishearteningly, "It's over! Larry's dead!"
Blond's expression showed agreement with this assessment, but Raxa maintained, "Not yet!"
"I know Joker's ability," Arashi argued, "but he didn't activate it so how can you be so sure that it's not over?"
Raxa's response carried absolute certainty: "It's because Joker was active this whole time."
"What!" Arashi's exclamation of surprise coincided with an impossible sight - Larry rising from the ground as if the crushing gravity meant nothing.
"Yup! That's right!" Raxa explained, "Larry was using it from the very beginning and the winner is him as the Gamblo family leader has used up all his energy and will lose as it was a fight of endurance."
"You saying Larry figured out his power?" Blond asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"That's right!" Raxa confirmed as the Gamblo family leader collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud, while Larry raised his hand in victory.
Larry's mind worked through the strategy that had brought him success: 'As I thought his ability was Gambler which helps one turn any actions to their favour from fifty-fifty outcome of victory or loss and if offered blood the probability becomes the highest and will most certainly turn to reality but thanks to my ability Joker I was able to turn it into a joke.'
Raxa approached the victorious fighter, asking, "How did you know that his ability was Gambler?"
"Well been working together," Larry replied with a mysterious air.
Blond's suspicion was immediate: "I never assigned any work with them to you then how?"
"Just kidding! The family name gave it off," Larry admitted with a weak grin.
Raxa's analysis came with admiration: "Larry, It was a clever move! To use Joker and make the Gamblo family leader's both arms unusable as a joke by getting in touch with the blood of both hands while sustaining some serious injuries to win by accumulating them weighing heavier than the Gamblo family leader's used power in the match was indeed the ultimate Joker powerplay."
"Thanks!" Larry acknowledged, his voice growing weaker. "It happened swiftly due to the training I received that made my body slightly more enduring, if it hadn't I would've lost to this monstrous rhino." With those words, his body finally gave in to exhaustion, and he crumpled to the ground.
Raxa watched with a knowing smile as Larry lost consciousness, understanding the true extent of his victory. The next thing Larry knew, he was waking up abruptly in a spacious bed, the memories of the match flooding back instantly.
Finding Raxa sitting beside him, he heard a gentle "Good morning."
"I lost, didn't I?" Larry asked, his face clouded with gloom and uncertainty.
"What are you saying idiot? You won!" Raxa's excited scream brought a smile to Larry's face as he realized the truth - his loss of consciousness had merely been the result of pushing Joker's power to its limit, not a defeat at the hands of the Gamblo family leader by a final blow from behind.