Sasaki's reach was just a centimeter or two shorter than Jason Luo's. By bracing his arm and pulling his neck back slightly, Jason Luo really couldn't reach him—and it drove him mad!
No choice! Jason Luo shifted his focus to Sasaki's arms. But Sasaki kept his arms suspended with incredible agility, making them hard to hit. Even if Jason Luo did land a punch, Sasaki could swing his arm away and absorb most of the impact. This…
I don't buy it!
Jason Luo came up with a plan. He surged forward again, and just as expected, Sasaki raised his arm to block. Now! Jason Luo suddenly switched his jab into a downward smash. Either Sasaki kept his arm up and Jason Luo would break it, or he'd let go and Jason Luo would drive in with a Black Tiger Heart Punch!
Sasaki's face darkened. He shoved Jason Luo sideways with his blocking arm, then scrambled away. But Jason Luo adapted instantly, turning his rear hook into a sweeping cross.
Sasaki was insanely agile, with razor-sharp anticipation. He always slipped the punch just in time. As soon as Jason Luo's cross swung, Sasaki stopped, ducked, and dropped his weight to evade the heavy blow…
He avoided it, but Jason Luo had already closed the distance. Such a chance couldn't be wasted. He seized the moment and unleashed a relentless barrage of Combination Punches!
Sasaki knew he couldn't trade at this range. Yet to Jason Luo's shock, even under such dense attacks, Sasaki dodged and blocked every one—Jason Luo couldn't land a single clean hit…
What the hell!
This guy's Dodge & Anticipation stats are insane. I've never seen anyone like this. Are you even human?
Jason Luo's thoughts raced, but his fists never slowed. Holding his breath, he pushed his Punch Speed to the absolute limit, raining down blows even faster!
Sasaki was breaking down. His anticipation was sharp, but he couldn't slip everything. Out of five strikes, at least two had to be blocked. Each time he absorbed Jason Luo's rear heavy punch, his arms went numb. And as Jason Luo's speed increased, defending became unbearable…
For most of the round, Jason Luo had been on the defensive. The supporters in the crowd were tense with worry. But now, seeing him explode into such a furious counterattack, their excitement erupted.
"Yes! That's it!"
"Knock that bastard down!"
"Come on! He's almost done—finish him!"
The first round was nearly over. Fighters naturally developed an internal clock. Jason Luo pressed his tongue against his palate, steadied his breath, and poured every last reserve into one final assault!
Sasaki couldn't hold on. Jason Luo's 8-point Punch Speed and 7-point Explosiveness were already solid, but what truly crushed him was the 12-point Cross Power. Sasaki's arms had gone completely numb—he couldn't take it anymore…
Another rear hook came crashing in. Sasaki tried to block, but his arms buckled under the force. Jason Luo's heavy hook smashed straight into his jaw and cheek!
Sasaki instantly lost balance, stumbling sideways. He barely stayed upright by leaning against the corner post.
Jason Luo pounced, hammering away with heavy shots. Sasaki, reeling, couldn't dodge anymore. He tucked his head, clamped his elbows tight to shield his body, and just absorbed the punishment…
"He's going down! Come on, Jason Luo, finish it!"
"Damn, this is real boxing! So satisfying! Smash him! Hit him harder!"
"Knock him out, Jason Luo! From today, I'm your loyal fan!"
But just as Sasaki seemed ready to collapse, the referee yelled "Stop!" and pulled Jason Luo away. The bell had rung. Round one was over, and Sasaki had barely survived…
"Damn it! Just a little more… Ugh!" The crowd groaned in frustration.
Raul and the coach slammed their fists. "Shit! That damn bell!"
If Jason Luo had finished it here, he would've advanced perfectly. Agonizing!
Back in his corner, Pedro leaned in, calm but firm. "It's fine. Deep breaths, listen. Great job! You fought brilliantly. Now recover fast. He's finished. Next round, the moment you step in, attack relentlessly. You'll win this. It's yours!"
"Right." Brown was fired up. "Jason, use the power technique I taught you. Break through his guard. Ha! Trust me, victory's already in your hands."
Still gasping, Jason Luo knew Sasaki was done. But seeing the supporters, recalling Dr. Miao's words, and remembering Sasaki's earlier taunts, anger boiled up. That bastard didn't deserve an easy knockout. He'd fix his nasty habit—just wait!
...
As round two began, Jason Luo charged in immediately. Sasaki had one minute to recover, but it wasn't enough. His mind was clear, but his arms were useless—his forearms swollen from Jason Luo's heavy shots. He couldn't generate any strength. What could he block with?
Still, he fought on. If he couldn't block, he dodged. With his top-tier Dodge & Anticipation, he weaved left and right, forward and back, making himself a slippery target.
Jason Luo grew impatient. After swinging and missing repeatedly, he snapped. He pinned Sasaki with his lead hand, then hammered him with his rear fist…
Try dodging now!
Go on, dodge!
Dodge, damn you!
Finally landing clean shots like this felt exhilarating!
The referee rushed in immediately. "Stop! That's not allowed!" He grabbed Jason Luo and sternly warned him.
Jason Luo spread his arms helplessly. "I didn't mean to hold him! But he kept weaving around—I couldn't land a clean punch otherwise…"
Sasaki was nearly done. Though still standing, Jason Luo had beaten him into a swollen mess—eyes squinted shut, drool running from his mouth, arms hanging limp. He leaned against the ropes, held up only by the corner post.
The crowd that had been chanting for Jason Luo to knock him out now grew quieter, uneasy at the sight…
This was still a boxing ring, not a battlefield. After the referee's warning, Jason Luo cooled down. Looking at Sasaki's pitiful state, he couldn't bring himself to throw another heavy punch.
But the referee was clueless. Even with Sasaki beaten half-dead, as long as he didn't fall, the ref wouldn't stop it. Later, they learned he was from Singapore…
With no other choice, Jason Luo threw a light side punch, knocking Sasaki to the ground.
The moment the Japanese fighter fell, the referee skipped the count and waved it off—declaring Jason Luo the winner by knockout!
"Oh yeah! Victory!"
For many in the crowd, this was their first live boxing match. They erupted in cheers…
Tony Huo shouted into his phone, "Big Brother Jason! You're freaking awesome! Tell me, friends—isn't this thrilling? Isn't this intense? Who else can do it?!"
At that moment, Raul was the happiest of all. He jumped into the ring first, tried to lift Jason Luo, then gave up and just circled him, laughing loudly. "Well done, you rascal! I knew I wasn't wrong about you. Three months in and you're already in the main event? That's insane! I'm giving you a raise!"
This time, Pedro and Brown had to drag them out—the next fighters were waiting.
Pedro smiled as well. "Not bad, Jason. Mission accomplished. But remember: boxing is boxing. Don't let emotions get in the way. It's not good for you."
Brown waved it off. "Relax, Jason. You did great. Without emotion, what are we? Machines? You fought well, and you didn't embarrass me!"
Pedro glared. "Old man, I trained this kid. How much credit do you think you deserve?"
"Oh, come on! Old devil, we'll see about that…"
Raul chuckled, pulling Jason Luo aside. "Stay here. I'll take these two to handle your tournament eligibility, scheduling, insurance—basically a ton of paperwork. Then we'll head back together to plan."
...
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