Struggles of combat.

‘Where did all these people come from? We didn’t see any cars, did we?’

‘They probably arrived way earlier. A bunch of cars parked outside would be a dead giveaway.’

The ring itself was the size of about four boxing rings combined, marked by a wooden fence instead of ropes. It was at ground level and the floor was direct soil, no mat or sand. The audience was on the upper floor, watching from a safe distance. From a quick glance, Will saw some people dressed in suits while others wore casual clothes. Some shouted encouragement or slurs down at the ring, some watched in silence, others didn’t watch at all, likely waiting for the last fight, the main event of the night.

“Forget about them,” Aoi told him. “Focus on him.”

Walking in from the opposite entrance was his opponent. A large man, slender yet toned and with long limbs. That, combined with his short black hair, dark skin and bandaged hands and arms made Will think of Muhamed Ali.

“Jonah Jones, commonly referred to as J.J. is an experienced martial artist,” Aoi told Will. “He awakened only recently through unknown means, but I hear he’s already making a name for himself here. He’s won his first two matches.”

Will chortled. “And they’re throwing me against someone with two fights of experience under his belt already?”

“I asked for it, so it would be a somewhat fair fight. You’re no beginner either.”

“I feel like one.”

“Don’t let the audience get to you. Just do your thing. Be ready for close-quarters combat. And remember, hits below the belt, to the eyes and everything else are allowed here. This isn’t a boxing match. Killing is the only thing that’ll get you disqualified.”

Will nodded.

‘Protect your jewels, Will! Protect them with your life!’

Will jumped over the wooden fence and into the ring. J.J. did the same and the audience began to cheer for blood.

A voice began its announcement through the speakers. Will didn’t know where the man was.

“We will now begin the fourth match of the night. W. S. versus J.J. Begin!”

Uh. They just throw you in and start it without any ceremony, huh? Will immediately took his stance, but stopped when he saw J.J. calmly walking to the middle of the ring. The man stopped there and, as he looked at Will, extended his hand for a handshake.

That was not the only thing that took Will by surprise. The audience in the stands above them started booing. So they didn’t like the show of sportsmanship?

Will had been suspicious of the friendly act, but after hearing the booing… He grinned, walked up to J.J. and shook his hand firmly.

‘You’re only doing it to piss them off, aren’t you? You can be so petty sometimes…’

The two men looked each other in the eyes. J.J.’s smile seemed genuine.

“Thank you,” he said. “Let’s both do our best, and no hard feelings after.”

“Surprised to see the audience is more bloodthirsty than my opponent,” Will said, chuckling. “Don’t go easy on me or my trainer will scold me.”

“I won’t. I’m here to win.”

J.J. turned away from Will, leaving his back exposed. Will didn’t know if he was confident or naive, but regardless, he did exactly the same. Both men returned to their starting positions before they shared a glance and a nod to agree to the real start of their match.

That was when J.J. kicked the floor and dashed with a burst of speed towards Will. A faint, colorless aura oozed off of him and left a trail on his path. But even so…

The left jab was quick, snappy and heavy. Will stood his ground and caught it with his left hand. As fast and as powerful as that hit was, it wasn’t as fast and as powerful as Aoi’s wooden sword.

J.J. didn’t waste time being surprised. He immediately threw a smooth kick to Will’s ribs, which he had to stop with his right elbow. He was going to take advantage of J.J. standing on one foot to deliver a knee to his stomach, but the tall man jumped back with surprising strength, leaving a three meter gap between them.

‘Huh. This guy is pretty nimble.’

J.J. dashed in again, this time assaulting Will with a fast combination of punches to the stomach and the face. He was able to block them with his arms strengthened with aether, making them practically harmless.

If this was the maximum strength J.J. could output, it meant Will didn’t actually have to guard himself with his arms at all. He could let J.J. punch his face as he strengthened himself to withstand the blow, then hit him back with an even stronger punch. But simply winning wasn’t the point of being here.

J.J. sent another jab aimed at Will’s face, but he stopped it with an open palm. A small mistake on his part, but a mistake J.J. didn’t waste. The way Will had positioned his left palm and his arm made him blind to the right knee that hit his ribs.

It was more surprising than painful. Will really didn’t see it coming. It must have been a split second of blocked view, yet J.J. delivered a perfect attack. Experienced martial artists alright. This wasn’t like fighting the wrecking ball that was Jack Evans. J.J. may not hit nearly as hard, but he knew what he was doing and how to do it well. It was almost frustrating.

From the corner of his eye, Will saw the blurry image of a fist. He couldn’t see it well, but imagined it was a hook going for his jaw. He reacted with instinct more than anything else and swatted it away. His arm brushed the air and hit nothing. Instead, he got punched squarely in the stomach.

It was a strong punch, enough to make him bend over slightly. Of course, J.J. took advantage of that as well, now really going for a hook to his jaw.

Will clenched his teeth and kicked the ground, interrupting J.J.’s attack with a powerful shoulder tackle. It almost made J.J. lose his balance, so he had to jump away again to prevent Will from capitalizing on it.

Will groaned. This was really, really frustrating.