The two men's killing intent collided in the dead of night, the air between them warping under invisible pressure.
Spec's muscles swelled violently, veins bulging as he inhaled deeply and then stopped breathing altogether. His entire body locked into a state of extreme tension.
His right leg bent slightly.
The ground beneath his feet fractured in a web of cracks.
Then he launched forward like a fired shell, tearing straight toward Sol Mirek.
"Breathless Barrage!"
Spec exploded into motion.
Punches and kicks poured out in relentless succession, each strike ripping through the air with sharp whistles. Under the moonlight, his assault formed a dense, suffocating web that left no opening.
Sol's Combat Intuition screamed warnings.
Every attack was clear to him, painfully clear. What made it terrifying was not the power, but the sheer density. There was no pause, no rhythm to exploit.
Sol could have retreated.
Instead, he smiled.
This was perfect.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Spec's blows hammered into Sol like a violent storm.
Breathless Barrage was a technique beyond ordinary fighters. Even elite anaerobic athletes could not maintain sustained, breathless movement for long.
A boxer might unleash a rapid flurry, but the moment he inhaled, even briefly, the opening would appear.
Spec did not breathe.
For five full minutes, his body moved without pause.
No gaps.
No mercy.
No chance to counterattack.
"Feel it?" Spec laughed wildly. "No openings! This is Breathless Barrage!"
His strikes accelerated, raining down like a flood.
Sol's body drifted under the onslaught, swaying lightly, almost weightless. Every impact landed as if striking cotton, the force dissolving completely.
Energy Dissipation flowed more naturally with every second.
Sol's eyes gleamed with quiet excitement.
He deliberately let a few blows land more solidly, allowing Spec to believe he was pressing his advantage.
"What's wrong?" Spec sneered. "Starting to fall apart?"
His fists struck harder, faster.
Sol bent and swayed like grass in a storm.
Perfect.
This technique was an excellent training tool.
"Damn it," Spec muttered, sweat pouring down his face. His muscles trembled as exhaustion crept in. "You're tougher than you look."
Five minutes without breathing had pushed him to his limit.
Sol tilted his head slightly. "Is that all?"
Spec froze.
Only then did he notice it.
Not a bruise.
Not a cut.
His proud technique had failed to draw even a single drop of blood.
"That's impossible!" Spec roared, forcing himself forward again.
This time, his movements slowed.
His power dulled.
Sol exhaled softly. "You're done."
He stepped into the attack.
Spec's fist slammed into Sol's face.
And passed through him.
Sol's body flowed like water, the force vanishing harmlessly.
His voice dropped, calm and cold.
"My turn."
Before Spec could react, Sol's fist buried itself into his abdomen.
"Breathless Barrage."
Sol vanished into motion.
His strikes erupted faster than Spec's, sharper, cleaner, relentless. Each blow landed on vital points, precise and controlled, brutal without being lethal.
The park echoed with heavy impacts.
Spec's massive frame was driven backward again and again until it smashed into a large tree.
The trunk snapped.
Spec collapsed, coughing violently, blood spilling onto the ground.
He stared up at Sol, eyes wide with disbelief. "How… do you know that technique?"
Sol rolled his wrist casually. "Saw it once. That enough?"
Spec's face went blank.
Years of training.
Copied instantly.
Improved.
"Monster…" he muttered, his gaze darting around, instinctively searching for an escape.
Sol stepped closer, looking down at him. "So, did you get what you wanted? Defeat."
Spec suddenly grinned, blood staining his teeth. "Not yet."
A dagger flashed from his waist.
The blade flew toward Sol's throat.
Sol shifted slightly. The dagger grazed his neck, slicing a few strands of hair before embedding itself in the ground.
Spec lunged immediately, pouring everything into one final punch.
His face twisted in triumph.
The fist tore through the air.
And hit nothing.
Sol was already behind him.
Cockroach Dash.
The technique he had learned during his first fight with Baki.
Sol's body twisted, foot stepping diagonally, and his punch slammed into Spec's back with the same force Spec had tried to unleash moments earlier.
Bone cracked.
Spec's body hit the ground hard, dust billowing outward. His eyes unfocused as he struggled to turn his head.
"Boring," Sol muttered.
He pulled out his phone and dialed.
"Tokyo Police Department? I was jogging in the park and got attacked."
"It looks like Spec, the death row inmate from the news."
"Yes, please hurry."
"No, he's already unconscious."
He hung up and glanced at Spec's unmoving body.
Then at his system panel.
Fighting Genius Evolution Progress: 97%
Faster than expected.
So death row inmates really were efficient.
Sol's lips curved faintly. He almost hoped Spec would recover quickly.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
Sol turned and walked away.
"I've got school tomorrow," he muttered. "What a pain."
___
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