As a child, Jacques William grew up in a place where violence was common. As a result of this, he adapted. He turned into a fighting machine himself, dominating almost every fight he was in, but he looked to the future. A future where violence and skills could come together to build a life. He looked to boxing, but he quickly quit. He then tried out wrestling, to which he quit just as quickly. He seemingly reached a dead end, but he found another source of inspiration: Vale Tudo!
The fights were brutal, there were No Holds Barred, and they weren't particularly accessible, but that was perfect! He wanted to make a safer, more accessible version of Vale Tudo. He wanted to remove the limit that most martial arts competitions had, and that was the absence of mixed styles. A boxer can't tackle, and a wrestler shouldn't uppercut, but if he was successful, he would be able to bring the success of Vale Tudo to the public. There was only one problem, NO ONE would hear him out. He was just a young man with a dream.
He made a name for himself in many NHB organizations. He needed a massive following for this to work, but he realized that it wasn't enough, until he heard about the Paraiso Organization. A place where martial artists everywhere gather to show that they had the guts and power to become the strongest in the world, and without hesitation he booked a flight to the Philippines.
His stay here during the months leading up to the tournament went relatively normal. He booked a cheap hotel where there was a gym. While out on a jog, he spotted a group of guys, three to be exact, armed with knives chasing something. Jacques, who's naturally curious, decides to follow them. He chased them to an alleyway, where they were cornering a white-haired kid with black sclera. He was in a defensive position, scared of what would happen if the men got to him. Just as the men attacked, Jaques stepped in by grabbing the first attacker's arm.
- "Against a kid, really?"
He says before socking him right in the face, knocking him out instantly. The other two try to retaliate, but Jacques quickly dispatches them too. He turns to the kid.
- "Are you alright?"
He asks the kid before noticing his eyes. He looks shocked.
- "The King's Eyes!? What's a kid like this doing all the way out here?"
He thinks to himself. He looks at the kid once more, he realizes he's dressed in rags.
- "I see. Let's get you some proper clothing buddy. What's your name?"
He says. The kid stays silent. Jacques starts wondering what he should do.
- "Tch, I can't just leave a kid like this out here. These guys…were probably after the King's Eyes as well. I won't let someone with that kind of potential slip that easily."
Jacques kneels.
- "Do you understand me?"
He asks. The kid continues to stay silent, but he gives Jacques a nod.
- "Okay, come with me. There will probably be more guys like them, and you saw how strong I am. I'll protect
you from whoever tries to hurt you."
The kid was scared, but he reluctantly agreed to go with Jacques. After getting him proper clothes, Jacques bought him some food. It seemed like the poor kid was starving. As the kid ate, Jacques asked a question.
- "Do you have a name kid?"
The kid stopped eating and sat in silence. It seemed like he had forgotten his name.
- "Ah well, if you don't then-"
- "Adam. My name is Adam Ludwig."
Adam replies. Jacques looks a bit confused, as a name like that shouldn't be that common in a country like the Philippines, but he isn't bothered by it.
- "Okay Adam, do you want to be my student?"
He says with a smile. Adam looks confused.
- "What's that..?"
- "Basically, I will teach you how to defend yourself from guys like them, and you'll be able to live freely without worrying about people hunting you down. What do you say?"
Adam looks scared.
- "I…don't really like fighting."
He says. Jacques puts his hand on his head, trying to figure out a way to convince him to join him.
- "You probably already know this, but your eyes are special. Sooner or later, someone will try to use them for evil, so come with me and we can use it for good."
Adam looks even more confused.
- "Basically, I want to create a world where mindless violence can be channeled and turned into a living. I think I'll call it Mixed Martial Arts."
Jacques replies. Adam doesn't really understand, but being under Jacques' protection doesn't seem too bad.
- "…Okay, I'll be your student."
Jacques smiles. He had acquired a powerful asset.
- "Alright, let's get you some ice cream."
Adam tilts his head.
- "What's that?"
Jacques looks disgruntled.
- "What kind of life did this kid live before today..?"
He shudders at the thought but quickly wipes it away.
- "Just come with me."
He says with a smile as they go look for an ice cream shop.
Adam and Jacques walk towards the arena.
- "Watch closely, the guy I'm about to fight is really strong. I want you to try and memorize his moves, they'll be useful for training!"
Adam stays silent.
- "I'll give you an ice cream if you give it your all."
Adam's eyes light up.
- "REALLY!? Okay, I'll do it Mr. Jacques!"
Jacques lets out a little chuckle.
- "Okay, let's do this."
He says to himself, amping himself up for a fight with the man who proclaimed himself the strongest.
- "And now begins round 2, match 5! Jacques "The Storm" Williams versus Francisco "The Crimson Moon of Mindanao" Luna!!!"
The two face off. Jacques is showing off his signature smile, while Francisco stares blankly. Francisco gets into position.
- "Your goal is really noble. I'd like to help you when this is all over."
Francisco says. Jacques looks surprised.
- "I wouldn't really call it noble, but thanks."
Jacques says as he gets into position as well.
- "It's very noble. Giving kids who wouldn't have a chance otherwise a way to become successful. I for one would've loved something like that back when I was younger."
Francisco adds.
- "Fighters, are you ready!?'
- "Yeah."
- "Let's do this!"
- "Then…BEGIN!!!"
Jacques immediately goes for a tackle, but Francisco steps to the side and hits him with a roundhouse kick to the temple, sending Jacques to the floor instantly.
- "Holy! The fight's just started but it looks like The Crimson Moon of Mindanao has already claimed another victim!"
Francisco tries to finish him off with an axe kick, but Jacques rolls away and gets back up. Blood drips from his nose, which he quickly wipes off. Jacques calms himself down and gets back into position. He closes the distance and throws a 1-2 combo which Francisco dodges. He follows up with a body shot aimed at the liver, but Francisco blocks with his arm and leg. Francisco tries to counter with an elbow uppercut, but Jacques pulls back in time. He goes for a hook, but Francisco dodges under and counters with a massive body shot to the solar plexus, sending Jacques back.
- "Jacques isn't letting up! But Francisco isn't getting hit at all!"
Jacques spits out blood and smiles.
- "The Flow, huh?"
He says.
- "Hm, that's a first. How'd you figure it out from just two strikes?"
Francisco asks.
- "There's no way someone with a build as light as yours would hit this hard, and that's when I remembered something from my time in South America. Fighters who dedicated their lives to their craft unlock another level of power. They are able to use 100% of their body. They called the phenomenon "The Flow." It seems like you guys call it that too."
- "Of course, the term originated here."
Jacques puts some distance between them.
- "Damn, this is the worst-case scenario. I was hoping it'd just be something like Dragon Bones."
Jacques smiles.
- "All the more reason I have to defeat you."
Jacques attempts another tackle to which Francisco dodges by sidestepping again. He throws a punch to Jacques' face, but Jacques blocks it and counters with a body shot to Francisco's side. It lands, and Francisco is visibly hurt. Jacques tries to follow up, but Francisco head butts him, stunning Jacques. Francisco follows up with a calf kick into a reverse roundhouse kick to the head. Jacques staggers and pulls back.
- "Jacques finally lands a hit, but Francisco's not going to let that slide!"
Francisco shakes off the damage and gets back into position. Jacques recomposes and prepares for another round of hands. He puts his guard up and charges him. He throws an overhead, Francisco prepares to dodge but it's a feint into a low body shot, hitting Francisco's solar plexus. Francisco flinches but he counters with an elbow uppercut to Jacques's jaw, stunning him. He follows up with a leg sweep, grabbing Jacques in a way that allows Francisco to throw the both of them onto the ground.
- "Oh! Francisco's getting ready to end the match early it seems!"
Just before Francisco could properly get into position Jacques launches him off with his hips. Jacques gets back up as Francisco stumbles forward. Jacques grabs Francisco's waist. He then lifts him up preparing for a body slam, but right as he's about to throw Francisco down, he hits Jacques with an elbow to the head. Jacques messes up the throw and throws him at the wrong angle. Francisco recovers while Jacques reels from the pain of the elbow.
- "A good attempt from Jacques, but it'll take more than that to take Francisco down!"
Jacques wipes off the blood dripping into his eye.
- "You're really slippery ain'tcha."
He says as he gets into an orthodox boxing stance.
- "Taking hits from you is not ideal. You are indeed a strong man."
Francisco says, giving props to Jacques.
- "Adam's teacher is really strong! But that other guy is super strong too!"
Sang exclaims. Jitae looks on at the fight.
- "Jacques has the power to put Francisco down, but Francisco's too fast and he has strikes on par with mine. He'll have to find a way to land hits without taking much himself."
He thinks to himself. Jack and Leonardo are also analyzing the fight in the infirmary.
- "That guy's crazy good. He moves so efficiently and he's able to dodge and defend match winning shots."
Jack says.
- "Yeah, but I can't help but be excited to fight someone like him."
Leonardo says as he smiles from ear to ear. Jack chuckles.
- "Of course, you've got this."
He replies as they do a mid-air handshake.
Jacques takes a deep breath before charging straight towards Francisco. He attempts another 1-2 combo, Francisco dodges. He throws another straight into a backhand blow, Francisco dodges once more. Francisco throws a hook, Jacques ducks under and attempts another body shot but Francisco parries and pushes forward with an elbow to the jaw. Jacques staggers. He attempts to counter with another straight, but Francisco ducks under and hits him with a front kick, putting some distance between them.
- "Francisco's showing even more of his defense! Jacques can't get a hit in!"
Jacques is getting more frustrated, while at the entrance Adam's getting more and more worried. In the few months that he had been with him he had never seen Jacques struggle this much.
Jacques tries shaking off the damage, but Francisco's hits are too heavy, he's slowly getting weaker while Francisco's barely damaged.
- "I can't fall here. I can't let my dream just be a dream. I can't let my promise to Adam just be a promise!"
Jacques shouts. Francisco doesn't budge.
- "Looks like Jacques is getting irritated!"
Jacques charges in with a telegraphed punch.
- "MR. JACQUES NO!"
Adam shouts, thinking Jacques had given up technique for brute force.
- "Looks like this is as far as you'll go."
Francisco says as he dodges and throws a straight to counter. Jacques dodges and smiles.
- "This is what I've been waiting for."
To Adam and Francisco's surprise, he was just acting irritated. He gambled and chose to charge in, hoping Francisco would throw his own telegraphed straight as a response, to which he did. Jacques grabs Francisco and quickly raises him. He then swiftly drops him onto the ground.
- "OH!? A MASSIVE BODY SLAM FROM JACQUES! IS THIS THE START OF HIS COMEBACK!?"
Francisco tries to get up, but Jacques has already got him from behind.
- "Going down!"
He shouts as he goes for a low-altitude high speed German suplex! Francisco's unable to break the fall in time and gets hit with massive damage.
- "Jesus! Jacques isn't letting Francisco recover at all!"
Jacques grabs Francisco and prepares for another overhead body slam. Francisco struggles, but it's no use as Jacques smashes him into the ground.
- "Is this the end!? Has Francisco hit his limit!?"
Jacques tries to follow up, but Francisco sweeps his leg causing him to fall. Jacques tries to recover, but Francisco gets him in a rear naked choke. His grip tightens; Jacques starts struggling on the ground.
- "Francisco's trying to finish this before he gets even more damaged!"
-
Jacques stands up while struggling to breathe. He's barely holding on, but he elbows Francisco's liver, causing him to let go. Both fighters disengage to recompose. Francisco wipes his bloody face and brushes the arena's dust off himself while Jacques catches his breath.
Adam is still antsy about the whole situation. To him, Jacques was the strongest person in the world, so seeing him struggle this much is worrying him.
- "Come on, Mr. Jacques, you got this!"
He cheers from the entrance. Jacques looks back, smiles, and gives Adam a thumbs up before going for a low wrestling position. Francisco puts his guard up and raises one leg. Jacques takes a deep breath before lunging forward with another tackle. Francisco preemptively blocks, assuming that Jacques will feint the tackle and go for a punch, which he does. Francisco uses Jacques' momentum against him, swiftly grabbing his arm and throwing him over the shoulder. Jacques is thrown into the floor, flinching in pain.
- "A shoulder throw from Francisco! It may have just been one throw, but damn did it look like it did a lot of damage!"
Francisco follows up by attempting to stomp him, but Jacques rolls away while nicking at Francisco's ankle causing him to fall. Jacques gets up and attempts a soccer kick to Francisco's face, but he pulls back in time. Jacques tries to push forth, but Francisco hits him with a reverse roundhouse kick into a hook kick, dealing massive damage to Jacques's head.
- "Ohh! A kick combo! Jacques is stunned!"
Francisco takes a deep breath.
- "This is the end."
He says as he prepares to deliver a devastating combination. Jacques, not wanting to be on the other end of that combination, puts his guard up. Francisco goes in with a calf kick, making Jacques flinch and show a vulnerability in his defense. He tries to put his guard up again, but Francisco hits him with a crescent moon kick to the liver. Jacques almost falls due to the sheer pain, but Francisco lifts him up with an elbow uppercut to the jaw.
- "This is it folks! Francisco's got him!"
Jacques is still trying to recover, but Francisco's not going to let him. He follows it up with a 1-2 punch to the face, a blow to the solar plexus, a shovel hook to the liver, an overhead punch to the temple, a piercing front kick to the solar plexus, and to top it all off he tackles Jacques and slams him into the ground.
The crowd goes wild. Francisco looks down at his opponent beaten and battered. Just when the referee was about to make his verdict, Jacques stands back up once more. He puts up his guard.
- "You don't decide when it's over."
He says with conviction on his face. Francisco stays guardless. Jacques' body is crumbling, but his spirit won't let it rest. His breaths are becoming more labored by the second. He chuckles.
- "I'm sorry Adam, looks like this is as far as I'll go."
He mutters to himself before charging Francisco and bringing down a final Hail Mary standing hammer fist directly aimed at his head.
- "I wish you good luck in your endeavor."
Francisco says, before using the momentum of the hammer fist against Jacques. He spins around mid-air, delivering a devastating elbow to the back of Jacques' neck. Jacques falls to the ground unconscious. The referee brings down the verdict.
- "And the winner is…FRANCISCO "THE CRIMSON MOON OF MINDANAO" LUNA!!!"
Adam runs towards Jacques' unconscious body. He's worried, thinking that last attack may have killed him.
- "Don't worry kid. Something like that isn't enough to kill a guy like him."
Francisco says, trying to reassure Adam. Adam angrily glares at him, turning on the King's Eyes in the process.
- "I'll get you for this one day."
Adam promises. This fight lit the fire of passion within Adam, a kid with no interest in fighting.
- "So, this is your student huh? You're raising one hell of a future fighter."
Francisco thinks to himself before smiling.
- "I'm looking forward to it."
He says as he leaves the arena. The referee calls for a stretcher for Jacques, and he is escorted out of the arena as well.