The exchange between the two fighters grew more brutal, and Jason Luo's understanding of Muay Thai deepened. If he had to sum it up in one word—it would be hard!
Mad Bones made every tough part of his body into a weapon. Yet that didn't mean his endurance was weak. When Jason's bare fists managed to land, they left purple bruises, but it was obvious his opponent could still take the hits.
Jason, on the other hand, was struggling under the relentless barrage of knees and elbows. This wasn't like getting hit in a boxing match—these strikes felt like being attacked with weapons...
But in this unofficial fight, Jason didn't have many trump cards left. His Intermediate Title couldn't be used at all. He could activate Absolute Evasion, but that skill was only for emergencies—it couldn't turn the tide of battle.
Even his Unyielding Body couldn't be triggered in this situation. That meant he only had three precious Free Points available—and those might be his only chance.
As Mad Bones' attacks grew more ferocious, Jason stopped hesitating. He quickly allocated one point to Toughness. Aside from becoming harder than his opponent, he couldn't think of another way to win.
A cooling sensation spread through him, easing the pain in his body and restoring his stamina to its peak. Riding that surge, Jason launched a flanking assault, focusing on side attacks.
But Mad Bones wasn't a boxer. Seeing Jason's repeated side attacks, he immediately fired off a series of savage kicks to block him, especially powerful front kicks that kept Jason at a distance.
Seeing this, Jason came up with a plan—to grab the leg and perform a takedown. As he closed in again, Mad Bones sent another kick his way. This time, Jason was ready. He caught the ankle with both hands and started to lift—but Mad Bones, with far more experience, suddenly pushed off his standing leg and launched a flying kick midair!
Jason was still holding onto his opponent's leg—there was no way to dodge!
The kick smashed square into his head. His vision blurred as his head snapped back, and he staggered backward several steps before barely steadying himself. Blood gushed from his nose.
Seeing Jason reeling, Mad Bones roared and charged forward, leaping high into the air for a devastating flying back kick aimed straight at Jason's head!
A surge of danger hit Jason. There was no time to think. Instead of retreating, he instinctively stepped in, dropped his stance slightly, and drove power from his heels through his waist and core. Energy gathered into his rear fist as he unleashed a thunderous uppercut with a furious shout.
"Die!"
It was a perfect moment.
As the soaring Mad Bones flew over Jason's head, the uppercut smashed straight into his groin!
A distorted scream tore through the air as Mad Bones dropped from above like a shot bird, crashing down onto the padded floor with a heavy thud.
He was lucky the floor was padded—but even so, the hardened fighter was now writhing in agony, rolling and screaming in pain.
All the women watching couldn't help but shiver.
"Whoa! Catherine, your boyfriend is vicious! That spot... is it... broken?"
"So cruel! What a waste…"
Across the room, Shadow—whose injured leg had recovered—shouted angrily, "You brat, that's a foul! It doesn't count! Absolutely not! Even if it wasn't on purpose, you can't fight like that!"
Jason didn't bother arguing. "So what do you want to do? This is a street fight—no referee. Worst case, we start over."
Shadow glanced down. Mad Bones' face was pale, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. Rematch? Not a chance.
"Fine, kid. You're ruthless! We'll settle this later." He lifted Mad Bones up and started toward the exit.
But Catherine and her teammates blocked their path. "Leaving already? Tell us who sent you, and maybe we'll let you go. Otherwise, forget it!"
Shadow suddenly laughed. "Sweetheart, you trying to scare me? You think we're that easy to mess with?"
He whipped out a flexible sword from his waist, its cold gleam flashing menacingly. The girls instinctively stepped back.
Shadow smirked. "That's better. Be good little students. Otherwise, losing a life—or even just a pretty face—would be such a shame. Now move!"
...
Catherine actually laughed. "How pathetic. You dare threaten me without even bringing a gun? Damn, all that setup for nothing. Alright, girls—send the signal!"
Jennifer whistled sharply. Within moments, a dozen fully armed police officers stormed through the door. With guns aimed at him, Shadow froze, tossed his weapon aside, and was quickly handcuffed.
The lead officer turned to Catherine. "Don't worry, we'll investigate who they are and who's behind them. But, young lady, try not to take such risks next time. If anything happened to you, I'd be the one in trouble."
"Got it, Uncle Rogers!"
...
Once the police left, the girls surrounded Jason.
"Impressive, kid! Taking on two guys like that—you're something else!"
"Don't worry, if the New Jersey Princess dumps you, I'll take you instead!"
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Alright, enough already! We've got a match tomorrow. Go get some rest."
The girls laughed. "What about you?"
"Me? I'm going to take care of our warrior, of course. Come on, Jason, let me help you with some medicine."
Jason flushed. He couldn't stay here another second. "I need to go find Grace right now. I'm worried something might've happened to her. Thanks again for helping me today. I'll treat everyone to dinner sometime. Sorry—I have to go!"
He limped toward the door, and Catherine quickly followed.
...
On the way, Jason thanked her again. Catherine frowned. "What are you thanking me for? I'm your friend. Can't you stop being so formal? Do I really seem that unapproachable to you?"
Seeing she was genuinely upset, Jason quickly said, "Of course not! We're friends, absolutely. I just wanted to show my gratitude. Catherine, you're... special. Honestly. I can't say I like you yet, but I promise I won't forget you."
"Really?"
Jason nodded.
Catherine's eyes lit up. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him lightly, then hooked her arm through his and twirled around like a butterfly.
It was the first time Jason had ever experienced something like this. Watching her bright, genuine smile, a strange warmth filled his chest. Maybe she wasn't exactly the kind of girl he had imagined falling for—but so what?
Whatever happens, happens. Let fate decide.