"So how much are we betting on how long Liam can last?"
"Fifty..."
"Fifty? Stop being scared. We all know he won't last that long. Why not raise the stakes? Me, I say more than three minutes."
"...Lisa, should you really be betting on this?"
"Oh, be quiet Rex," Lisa said with a wave of dismissal. "I'm getting Nanami to bet good money on this."
"Hey!"
"Can you guys not act like this is a sport!?"
Lisa stared at Liam for a few seconds, then shook her head.
"Ugh..." Liam groaned as he put a hand to his head. He was sweaty, yet a cold feeling was spreading out from his gut. His hands were clammy, and his stomach churned. Queasiness threatened to overwhelm him, and he squatted in silence.
His friends had found out—through Nanami—that he was about to fight Kazumi again, and as he was heading to the Crucible, all of them had grouped up and come along too. Others like Jason, Jeremy, Raidou, Elsie, Ruby, and Eris had come too.
Why are there so many people here to see me fight? Liam thought as he looked across the mats at Kazumi sitting on the other side. No... they probably came simply because Kazumi's fighting.
"Hey."
Liam turned his head to the side, then looked upwards at Lisa, who had come to stand beside him.
"What? Come to make fun of me?" he said as he looked away.
Lisa chuckled. "I'm only doing it to distract you. You're definitely anxious about this, being so far out of your comfort zone."
"...Yeah."
"Well, here's some advice then."
Lisa squatted beside Liam and elbowed his shoulder. "Don't think about anything. Just empty your head and focus on yourself. Knowing you're about to get your butt handed to you, just think about surviving, okay?"
Liam's gaze flickered to her for a moment, then he nodded. "Thanks."
"Of course," Lisa grinned as she slapped him on the back, making him gasp. "It's to be expected from your best friend!"
"Gee, thanks," he said as he rubbed his back with a small smile. As she walked back to the others and started bickering with Hannah, Liam stood up and began box breathing. He closed his eyes, thinking deeply.
Focus... focus... just think of doing your best. Clear my head... is that possi—no, no. Clear mind... okay.
Liam opened his eyes and increased the depth of his breathing. As he stared at Kazumi, he began to recall Lee's words.
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
I know my capabilities. My main weapon is my own intellect, because strategic thinking is a must. Kazumi is stronger, faster, and more confident. However...
All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive.
Kazumi knows nothing of my current capabilities, but from everything I've seen, he's an adaptive monster who can read almost every situation before him. I need to be able to catch him unawares. As for how he fights...
Foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits, nor from gods, nor by analogy with past events, nor from calculations. It must be obtained from men who know the enemy situation.
I've seen Lee fight him once, and Lee has only said one thing about Kazumi's style: brutally efficient. But... he lacks creativity. He acts quickly, yes, but it all seems to follow some pre-ordained pattern... I can't fall into that pattern.
"Paxton."
Liam blinked, noticing Kazumi was standing at the other side of the mat. The message was clear: let's get this over with.
Liam maintained his box breathing and calmed his heart. If things get dicey, I'll use that. I haven't tested it in proper combat, but it can't be helped.
Kazumi stretched his arms forward as Liam began stretching his legs. Lee walked up to the edge of the mat and raised his hand.
"Both of you, get in position."
The two approached each other till they were six feet away.
"Are you both ready?"
"Yes," Kazumi answered as he lowered himself into a stance.
"...Yes." Liam answered as he raised his arms.
Lee held back a smile as he lowered his hand and put it into his pocket.
"Begin."
In an instant, Kazumi blurred forward with a powerful left cross aimed at Liam's face. However, Liam ducked under his arm and jumped to the left, keeping his guard up.
Not giving me a chance to counter attack. Better.
Kazumi pivoted on his back foot, and he threw himself into a powerful kick. Liam ducked under his leg and slid to the side.
Lee did that and still managed to kick me with his other leg, Liam thought as he kept the six-foot gap between Kazumi and himself. He had learned the hard way that too much distance gave the opponent too many opportunities to strike.
He ducked under a jab, then shot up away from a knee. He leaned farther back from a quick left-hook, then panicked as Kazumi's fist came flying back. Realizing there was no way to avoid it, Liam jumped away just before the back of Kazumi's fist connected with his nose.
Liam was sent flying, but the moment his back touched the mat, he rolled through the motion and landed squarely on his toes.
I'm... doing way better than before, he thought as he quietly observed Kazumi. I guess over a week of getting beaten up would do this to me.
Kazumi narrowed his eyes at Liam before subtly changing his footing. Much better, he thought. Clean moves, quick decision-making, better awareness. He's much better.
Liam could barely hear the mutters of the others as he focused all his attention on that single moment.
"You've put in a lot of effort."
He flinched at Kazumi's words, but remained silent.
Kazumi's eyebrow twitched. "But it's not enough to beat me."
Liam's eyes widened as a fist came flying towards his head. He leaned back in a panic, and noticed Kazumi's next move too late. The tall boy lowered his body and swept his leg forward in an arc in one, fluid motion, sweeping Liam off his feet.
Liam's hands shot back to support him as he fell, and he landed on his palms. He pushed off to the side just after Kazumi shot to his feet. Using the earlier spin from the sweep, Kazumi threw his leg into a powerful kick into Liam's side.
Liam's breathing was almost cut short as he rocketed to the left and landed hard on the mat. He shot to his feet and rose his arms in a quick block to Kazumi's jab. Without wasting a second, Kazumi kicked him in the lower ribs, turned the kick into a stomp on Liam's foot, and slammed his other foot into Liam's other side.
Liam coughed, then Kazumi slipped a jab between his guard and landed a hit on his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him.
"I admire your effort, but it definitely is not enough to beat me."
Kazumi pushed Liam back with his fist and launched a quick kick to the side of Liam's head. Liam managed to block it with his arm, and Kazumi met his eyes.
"Like I said before: you don't have the talent for this."
Liam pushed his foot away and brought his arms together to block another jab.
"The gap between my strength and your effort is too great."
Liam parried a sharp knee strike, ducked away from a punch, and took a kick to the thigh. He gritted his teeth and jumped back. Kazumi slid forward almost instantly in response, a fist cocked back.
"There is always going to be a gap between those gifted and those who aren't."
Kazumi's arm snapped forward, and his fist connected with Liam's gut. Kazumi directed the force downwards, slamming Liam into the mat.
"Gack—!"
"Liam..." Lisa gritted her teeth, fists clenched.
"Well, it seems this is all he amounts to," Jason said with a shrug.
Hannah glared at him. "Like you could do any better."
Jason chuckled and shrugged. "I can't beat Kazumi, that's for sure. But I'm positive I can beat that loser."
"Don't call him a loser." Lisa glared up at him, her voice as sharp as a knife.
Jason chuckled again and raised his arms as if in surrender. "Calm down, calm down. Surely you won't attack me for stating my mind?"
Lisa's eyebrows twitched, but she turned away and fixed her eyes on the ensuing fight.
"Watch yourself, Jason," Raidou muttered.
Jason scoffed. "Ha, mind your business."
It's almost impossible... Liam thought as Kazumi pulled him up by the shirt, released him, and landed three quick punches on his gut. I guess, since it's clear I've improved... I can stop now, right?
Even as he thought that, he rolled through his fall and raised his arms. ...Shouldn't I stop?
He moved his upper-body quickly, dodging Kazumi's punches. Why am I continuing? he thought as Kazumi landed a kick on his knee, causing him to stumble into the path of another kick.
...Because I have to do my best.
Liam relaxed his body as he blocked Kazumi's kick, and he used the force to help himself get back up to his feet and gain some distance.
His words are still ringing in my head, but so what?
He dashed even further back, noticing Kazumi's eyebrows twitching. I know damn well I can't beat you. Heck, I didn't even come to this fight to win. I came here with three objectives.
Kazumi seemed wary of closing the gap, but Liam knew he would. Because he knew Kazumi would judge him too weak to be able to land a decisive hit, as well as too scared to actually move.
First, I came to prove myself, to myself.
Kazumi dashed forward quickly, but Liam jumped and rolled to the side when he got close enough.
Second, how can I do that if I don't do my damn best?
Liam got to his feet just as Kazumi hopped midair, landed on his lead foot, performed an immediate about-face, and burst forward towards him. Liam quickly widened his stance in anticipation.
Third, I'm simply gonna survive.
Liam leaned his body a few inches to the left, dodging Kazumi's punch—
Whenever he comes in close, he always starts with a punch from his left.
—then twisted his entire body into an uppercut to Kazumi's jaw.
The blow landed with a solid thump, and Kazumi paused for a single moment. In that moment, Liam sent his knee for a follow-up, but it was stopped by Kazumi's right hand.
Liam swore silently as Kazumi met his eyes with a small smile.
"Not bad, Paxton."
Oh, shit.
Kazumi tightened his grip on Liam's knee and pushed it down, forcing Liam closer. At the same time, he snapped his left arm to the right and sent it flying towards the side of Liam's head.
Liam blocked the blow with wide eyes, but the force was enough to send him sliding and stumbling to the side.
Kazumi immediately took his stance and locked his eyes on Liam, and Liam responded in kind as his breathing deepened.
I'm gonna get thrashed if I try to hold back anything, Liam thought as his heart rate began to climb. It's time to use that.
Liam's skin began to redden the moment Kazumi dashed forward.
Blood Break.