The two stared at each other, smirked, and dashed forward. The collision came in the form of a violent punch—a clash of raw force so brutal it shattered the very structure of the arena around them.
— You really are strong, huh, Jojo!
— That punch hurts, you bastard!
— You ruined the vibe, damn it!
Yasoke executed a ruthless spinning kick that sent Jhony flying backward. Then, he let his arms hang loose and began bouncing from side to side, adopting absolutely no defensive stance.
— What an annoying kick, Yasoke!
Jhony assumed his slugger stance and charged fiercely toward the young man, who flashed a smirk.
"Come on, Jojo! I'm waiting for you! You sneaky bastard!"
When the red-haired boy threw his punch, Yasoke ducked with ease and connected a precise uppercut right to Jhony's chin, sending him airborne. In that exact instant, the young man in jeans began moving his feet in a dancing, provocative rhythm.
— Take that, Jojo! Keep going like this and you're gonna take a beating, my friend! — Yasoke began to laugh.
Jhony pushed himself up heavily, cracking his neck.
— It's going to take a lot more hits than that to actually do anything!
The redhead charged again like a bull. Yasoke faced him down, already reading the movement.
"I'll try to do the same thing. When it comes to fighting, he's pretty stubborn."
The red-haired boy missed his punch once more and was immediately punished by another uppercut from Yasoke. But instead of reeling back from the impact, Jhony already had another punch reloaded. The blow forced Yasoke to evade with a leap; in that brief interval mid-air, the young man used his momentum to kick Jhony right in the face, throwing him backward.
"Almost, Jojo! Still gotta think a bit more."
Yasoke flashed a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear.
In the stands, Yuji spoke, his eyes tearing up:
— My boy knows how to fight so well!
Zulmy, showing intense excitement, chimed in:
— Good! If he were losing, I'd rip his soul out myself!
Henrique adjusted his glasses, keeping his analytical mind sharp:
— Guys, it's important to remember that Jhony is a highly resilient fighter. As terrifying as Yasoke's strikes are, just five punches and kicks aren't going to stop that redhead.
Rokko concluded his companion's thought:
— And besides... I get the feeling this red-haired kid still has something else up his sleeve.
The group's expressions turned serious as they locked their eyes onto the combat.
In the arena, Jhony cleared his mind. "What a pain, this kid is too fast. But I'll catch him next time."
— Come on, Jojo, fight with some spirit! Looks like this match is about to go from a tie to two-to-one in my favor, huh! — Yasoke laughed carefreely.
— Oh, sure! But we haven't even started yet, Yasoke!
Jhony raised his guard and advanced with determination.
"Seriously, haven't you learned your lesson yet, Jojo?"
Jhony threw a punch. Yasoke ducked once more and connected an uppercut. Jhony pushed through with his other arm; Yasoke avoided the strike with a fluid acrobatic maneuver, setting up a kick aimed straight at his opponent's face. Or, at least, that was what he expected to happen.
The moment the young redhead threw his previous punch, he had immediately ducked his head right after. Yasoke's kick sliced through nothing but thin air. When the acrobat's feet touched the ground, he realized, too late, that his back was turned to his friend.
"Oh... Fuck."
Before Yasoke could even turn around, Jhony unleashed a punch overflowing with Pure Macogo straight into his face. The monstrous impact sent Yasoke flying to the far side of the arena, causing him to crash and roll violently across the floor.
— How do you like that punch, YASOKEEEE?!
Yasoke lay stretched out, knocked cold on the ground. Now, it was Jhony exhibiting a grin that went from side to side.
Yuji, witnessing the sheer brutality of that blow, began to tremble:
— Yasoke, get up... Get up, get up, for God's sake, get up!
Zulmy stared in shock at the center of the arena. "What a fucking punch! If I took a hit like that, it'd be a coffin and nails for me."
Henrique, on the other hand, didn't look surprised:
— That's quite plausible. Yasoke played around too much and ended up taking that hit. Now he's completely wrecked on the ground.
Rokko remained silent, simply observing the situation unfold.
— Come on, Yasoke! Get up! I know that punch wasn't even a big deal! — Jhony shouted.
— Are you trying to ruin my strategy, you son of a bitch?! — Yasoke sprang up with an energetic leap, despite sporting a split lip. — It's just a tactic, and you're killing my vibe!
He wiped his mouth with his hand, smearing away the blood dripping from his lip, and spat out the pooling crimson.
— That was a good one! But I won't let it happen next time!
Yasoke began bouncing from side to side, his arms moving with blinding speed, and in the blink of an eye, he blitzed forward in a straight line.
"Yasoke is coming! What do I do? I know."
Jhony waited for the split-second approach and unleashed a punch with an incredibly powerful counter-drive. His fist struck Yasoke's face dead-on, causing his features to warp against the redhead's knuckles before he was blasted away for the second time.
— WHAT A BRUTAL COUNTER-ATTACK YOUNG YASOKE JUST SUFFERED! — the announcer screamed into the microphone.
Liangri promptly commented:
— Indeed, announcer! Yasoke's charge was a perfect setup for that counter. Jhony was definitely waiting for it!
She observed the redhead from afar, her thoughts drifting. "What a cool redhead... Tall, strong, broad shoulders, flawless back. Maybe I'll try making a move later, hehehe!" Liangri let out a sensual smile. The announcer, noticing her expression, was left entirely speechless.
In the stands, Zulmy stood up in a fit of rage:
— WHAT THE FUCK, YASOKE! NO FUCKING WAY YOU TOOK A HIT LIKE THAT! — she yelled so loudly that everyone nearby turned around to stare at the Chain Girl.
Henrique stood up right after, trying to restrain her:
— Calm down! As far as I know, ladies don't scream and go around cursing at people.
— Go fuck yourself, four-eyes! The guy who defeated me is a total behemoth, and you expect me not to get mad?!
Henrique retreated to his corner in silence, a distinct look of fear on his face.
On the arena floor, Yasoke began to reflect on his own mistake. "How pathetic... Taking a counter like that. I guess I relied too much on this guy being a rookie."
When he opened his eyes and looked at Jhony, he saw the man standing tall, showing no visible signs of injury, wearing a victorious grin across his face.
Yasoke forced himself to his feet.
— Looks like it happened again, huh? Hahaha!
— I told you it wouldn't happen, but it was just a tactic, man!
Jhony thought, utterly incredulous: "What a load of bullshit. You're completely shitting yourself right now. The next one's gonna be a knockout."
Meanwhile, Yasoke's internal thoughts were far less confident: "I'm totally screwed. Better smile so it looks like I'm not screwed."
And with that, Yasoke forced a completely awkward, goofy grin.