Inside the Japan America Alliance Team's preparation area, Doppo Orochi gripped his cane tighter without realizing it. "Yujiro is finally serious. Sol Mirek is in trouble…"
Baki's eyes flickered with a mix of excitement and concern. "I'm about to see his full power, but Sol… he's in danger."
In the arena, Yujiro's muscles swelled grotesquely, the demonic face on his back twisting into a sneer. He completely dominated the exchange, his punches smashing against Sol's with unmatched ferocity.
"Kid! The warm-up's over! You won't be able to match this!" Yujiro Hanma growled, grinning ferociously.
Sol, facing overwhelming odds, only smirked. "Now this is more like it."
He inhaled deeply, and his own muscles began to swell. White steam curled off his body, a peculiar phenomenon he had noticed during his fight with Kaioh Kaku. He had studied it for months without fully understanding why it happened, eventually attributing it to a unique reaction between his body and the Hanma bloodline.
"I can do that move too!" Sol shouted. His muscles twisted and deformed, forming the outline of a demon face across his back.
"Bang!"
The tight black shirt stretched and tore under the pressure, revealing the terrifying demon face to everyone in the arena. Silence fell instantly.
The crowd's jaws dropped, the microphone clattering to the ground.
"This… how is this possible?" Doppo's cane slipped from his hand as he stumbled forward.
Baki's pupils contracted sharply, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. "This… this can't be! Only Yujiro should be able to use the Demon Back!"
Oliva's eyes widened. "What… how does Sol have a Demon Back?"
Retsu Kaioh, trembling, pointed toward the arena. "M-Master… is this also part of the principles of boxing?"
Kaioh Kaku calmly sipped his tea. "In my first fight with Sol, he used a move like this to defeat an elder. I even wanted to learn it myself."
The host grabbed the fallen microphone, voice trembling with excitement. "Sol Mirek has activated the same move as Yujiro Hanma! This is unbelievable!"
The stands erupted into chaos, the crowd's roar nearly shaking the stadium apart.
"Demon Back?!"
Yujiro's pupils narrowed violently. Sweat rolled down his face as his grin froze, eyes fixed on the grotesque face across Sol's back.
In seconds, Yujiro's mind replayed countless memories, finally confirming: Sol's Demon Back had no connection to him.
Sol flexed, the energy coursing through him evident in his grin. "What? Surprised?"
Yujiro's expression shifted from shock to exhilaration. He laughed, loud and unrestrained. "Hahaha! Excellent! This is what a real fight should feel like!"
His own demon face contorted further, more vicious than ever. "Kid, I don't know how you learned this, but I don't care. Let's see what your Demon Back can really do!"
With a roar, Yujiro slammed his fists against Sol's again. The collision erupted with deafening force. The ground beneath them cracked, sending shockwaves through the arena.
"Too… incredible! Their power is shaking the entire arena!" the host shouted. "A once-in-a-century clash!"
In the Japan America Alliance Team's prep area, Oliva's jaw dropped. "Yujiro is being suppressed… by Sol?"
"No, it's not over," Doppo muttered, his hand unconsciously brushing his chest. "He hasn't shown everything yet."
Yujiro, realizing his strength alone was insufficient, changed tactics. He stepped back, transforming his right fist into a claw, grabbing Sol's wrist and pulling him off balance.
Before Sol could react, Yujiro's left fist struck with a sonic boom aimed for his head. The crowd gasped, watching what appeared to be a fatal strike.
"Yujiro Hanma's deadly blow!" the host yelled.
Sol's head jerked slightly but immediately returned to its position, unaffected.
Yujiro's face tensed, realization dawning. Sol's body had flowed like water at the moment of impact, nullifying the strike.
"Did… did he dodge it?" Baki gasped.
"No, that's Energy Dissipation," Doppo said, sweat beading on his forehead. "He's mastered it to an incredible degree in just four months."
"Every bit of Yujiro's power was neutralized the instant it connected," Doppo continued.
"Are you saying Dad's attack did nothing?" Baki roared.
"Yes. Energy Dissipation is a technique many martial artists, ancient or modern, have spent lifetimes perfecting. Yet Sol mastered it in mere months," Doppo explained.
Even Yujiro's ultimate strike would be useless. Sol's body was as elusive as water, precise and untouchable.
Yujiro retracted his fist, a flash of surprise in his eyes. "Energy Dissipation?"
It wasn't quite the technique he knew. Sol had become like liquid, even surpassing Yujiro's understanding.
Sol smirked. "Learned it from Retsu and Old Guo. Not bad, right?"
Yujiro's shock melted back into a feral grin. "A perfect opponent! You've mastered what even many consider the pinnacle in such a short time. Excellent!"
"But… every technique has a weakness. In danger, the body stiffens instinctively. Training can overcome it, but can it be beaten indefinitely?"
Yujiro's stance relaxed, his grin growing more dangerous. "Kid, it's time to awaken your instincts."