Baki stared at Sol Mirek, searching for even the faintest trace of a joke, but the young fighter's expression was terrifyingly serious.
Seeing Baki's reaction, Sol shrugged lightly. "Believe it or not."
The audience erupted in disbelief.
"What? That's all his daily training?"
"No way… my son trained harder than this when he started."
"Could this be some kind of extreme mental conditioning?"
The host gripped the microphone with excitement. "Unbelievable! Sol Mirek revealed his training method! But… this is shockingly ordinary!"
In the Japan-America Alliance Team preparation area, Oliva stroked his chin. "He's lying. This has to be a trick to disrupt Baki's rhythm."
Yujiro Hanma snorted. "A boring trick."
Meanwhile, Retsu Kaioh glanced at Kaioh Kaku, bewildered. "Master, could what Sol said be true?"
Kaioh Kaku rapped his head. "Retsu, how can you believe such nonsense? Sol is using psychological tactics to mess with Baki's head."
In the arena, Baki inhaled deeply, forcing calm into his racing heartbeat. He knew Sol was deliberately provoking him, yet the words had shaken him more than he wanted to admit.
"Sol, you enjoy joking, don't you?" Baki shifted his stance, legs bent, ready.
"Perhaps," Sol replied with a faint, playful smile, "but I look forward to seeing you get serious."
Baki stomped his foot and advanced, moving cautiously around Sol, pressing him while searching for the perfect opening.
Oliva's brows finally relaxed. "He's realized a direct assault won't work."
Yujiro Hanma crossed his arms, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "Now we're getting somewhere."
Baki lunged suddenly, his right fist snapping toward Sol's head. What appeared to be an ordinary punch actually carried every ounce of his strength—a counter-intuitive jab designed to look harmless but shatter stone if it landed.
Sol remained still, watching. Just as the fist neared, he tilted his head, dodging at the last moment. Baki's punch grazed his cheek, stirring the air with a rush of wind.
"You saw through it?" Baki asked in disbelief.
"Yes. I enjoyed observing it," Sol replied, calm and collected.
Baki clenched his fists, body trembling, sweat beading on his forehead. He hadn't expected his carefully crafted strike to be read so effortlessly.
Oliva's expression darkened. "Baki's plan has been completely deciphered."
Yujiro Hanma, however, laughed loudly. "Now this is interesting!"
Baki inhaled again, forcing calm. His eyes sharpened. "Sol, I truly underestimated you, but the match has only just begun."
Sol shook his head gently. "I think the match is about to end."
Baki's pupils widened. "What are you saying? I won't—"
"Bang!"
In an instant, Sol vanished and reappeared before Baki, his right fist slashing through the air with a tearing roar, striking directly into Baki's abdomen—a blow carefully measured out of respect for Baki's strength.
Baki's midsection caved in. He was hurled like a cannonball, blood spraying from his mouth, and slammed into the stone wall of the arena with an explosion of shattered rock and dust. The impact silenced the crowd for a moment before the arena erupted into deafening cheers.
"One-hit KO! Sol Mirek has now defeated three top-tier fighters consecutively!" the commentator shouted. "This is unprecedented!"
The audience wildly waved their arms, chants rising. "Five in a row! Five in a row!" They hoped to witness an impossible streak of victories.
Medical staff rushed in, lifting Baki onto a stretcher. The indentation in his abdomen had already begun to recover, a stark display of the Hanma Bloodline's terrifying regenerative power.
Oliva, sweat beading his forehead, whispered, "Even Baki… with one punch?"
Yujiro Hanma, shaking with excitement, laughed. "Hahahaha! This is truly fascinating! I can't wait!"
Sol sat cross-legged once more in the arena, eyes closed, as the audience roared for the next challenger.
"Unbelievable! Sol chooses to remain in the ring! Can we witness the miracle of five consecutive victories today?" the host cried.
Oliva took a deep breath, cracking his neck. "It looks like it's my turn."
Yujiro Hanma extended a hand to stop him. "Wait. Let me go first. I'm eager to taste this feast."
Oliva hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. But don't cripple him. I still want a proper fight afterward."
Yujiro's eyes gleamed dangerously. "That will depend on his abilities."
As Yujiro entered the arena, the atmosphere in the opposing team's area thickened. Retsu Kaioh stood tensely. "Yujiro Hanma is entering early! This will be the true decider!"
Kaioh Kaku observed calmly. "Don't worry. Sol is stronger than you think. This may be difficult, but the final outcome will still favor him."
Kaioh Kaku's voice held unwavering confidence. After all, Sol Mirek was a monster.
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