Fists, elbows, and knees—facing Ishikawa's relentless storm of attacks, Jason Luo didn't dare lower his guard. At close range, those elbows and knees hit with the force of real weapons…
Ishikawa's offense was lightning fast—overhand elbows, reverse elbows, inward elbows, spinning elbows—each one flowed into the next, punches and elbows woven seamlessly together.
Unable to read Ishikawa's rhythm, Jason was driven backward again and again. He couldn't duck too low either—one mistake and a flying knee would be waiting.
In pure boxing, close-range fighting was Jason's domain. But under these mixed rules, heavy punches through gloves couldn't easily overcome those deadly elbows and knees. One clean hit from an elbow tip, and even the best Toughness wouldn't save him.
Seeing Ishikawa's unrelenting offense, Jason raised his leg and front-kicked him away, creating distance. No way could he brawl like this—it was too dangerous. If it were a real fight to the death, he wouldn't have cared, but for a friendly sparring match, getting battered made no sense.
After pushing Ishikawa back, Jason immediately counterattacked!
He opened with a barrage of heavy punches, forcing Ishikawa to dodge. A stream of front-hand jabs kept Ishikawa from closing the distance.
But Ishikawa knew that at mid-range, he was no match in pure Boxing Technique. He took half a step back, then suddenly unleashed a high roundhouse kick toward Jason's head.
Jason blocked with one fist and smashed the other into Ishikawa's thigh. Startled, Ishikawa hastily pulled back and retreated. Jason moved to pursue—but the referee stepped in, warning that under combat rules, strikes to the legs were prohibited.
Jason froze. That was a rule? That's odd—he'd hit with his fist, not a weapon. Why?
But the referee stood firm: that was the regulation. Jason could only accept it.
When the bout resumed, Ishikawa, believing Jason couldn't deal with high Leg Techniques, threw a series of high whips and sweeping kicks. His fierce momentum had Rod and Brown on edge—if one connected with Jason's head, it wouldn't end well.
Fortunately, Jason managed his distance with precision. While defending, he caught a glimpse of an opening. Those high kicks carried power, but their long motion made them slow to reset. Seizing the moment, Jason parried a high roundhouse, lunged in, and drove a heavy straight punch into Ishikawa's abdomen.
Having suffered from that once before, Ishikawa didn't dare take it again. He twisted aside, bringing an elbow crashing down toward Jason's head. Jason raised both arms to block, then pushed up into a flurry of left and right swings. Seeing an opening down the middle, Ishikawa lunged, flipping his elbow upward to catch Jason under the chin.
Jason only smiled faintly, caught Ishikawa's elbow with one hand, and launched a flying knee straight into his midsection!
Ishikawa never expected a boxer to use a flying knee. Caught off guard, he took the hit square in the stomach, doubling over with a groan. "Wah!" He clutched his gut, staggering back, his face twisted. "You…"
Jason spread his hands. "What? Only you get to use knee strikes? I didn't break any rules, did I, ref?"
The referee nodded—no foul.
But Ishikawa, rubbing his stomach, still looked unsatisfied. "Beat me with your Boxing Technique if you can! This kind of surprise move doesn't convince me!"
Jason's expression hardened. "Mr. Ishikawa, I admit your legwork and elbow-knee attacks are impressive. But if you think I can't beat you with just boxing, you're wrong. The only concern is—my punches might hit too hard for you to handle."
Ishikawa's eyes sharpened. "Don't worry. I just want to see for myself."
"Fine. Take three minutes to rest. Then we'll go again—this time, I'll only use boxing."
The room went tense. Rod quickly stepped forward. "Jason, maybe let it go. If something happens, the company will never forgive me."
Jason nodded calmly. "Don't worry. I've got this. I won't cause any trouble."
Three minutes later, Ishikawa was ready again. They squared off.
At the referee's signal, Ishikawa opened with a side kick. Jason stepped right to evade and countered with a left hook.
Ishikawa ducked under and leapt into a double kick. Jason pivoted left and unleashed a rapid combination of punches.
Their second clash was far more technical. Both had gauged each other's strengths and weaknesses, trading cautiously—no reckless exchanges, just clean movements and calculated counters.
Jason's punches were too heavy for Ishikawa to risk taking, and Jason himself didn't want to absorb those sharp elbows or knees. Neither could afford an injury before future matches, so they fought with restraint but precision.
Ishikawa's biggest strength was his legwork, but after their earlier duel, he knew Jason was a monster—those kicks didn't even faze him. High kicks couldn't break through Jason's head defense either, so he turned again to elbows and knees, trying to force his way inside.
But Jason saw it coming. Using his front-hand jabs to control distance, he refused to let Ishikawa close in. Maintaining a steady mid-range with Footwork, he poured on relentless combinations, leaving Ishikawa frustrated and cornered.
Unable to get close, Ishikawa's Elbow Techniques were useless. In pure boxing, he couldn't compete. His punches lacked power—no real threat. He knew he had only one option: force his way in.
After two sharp jabs, Jason threw a heavy straight. Ishikawa seized the timing, spinning 360 degrees and slashing his elbow toward Jason's temple—a brutal move!
Jason tilted his head aside, then countered instantly with a slanted hook to the ribs. The punch landed clean and easy. Ishikawa winced, stumbling back in pain.
Jason didn't chase. A realization flashed through his mind. That's it! When he throws elbows, he exposes his ribs. Raise your right elbow, I'll hit your right ribs. Let's see you handle that!
Ishikawa, still defiant, charged again.
Jason let him come in. Left feint, left strike—right feint, right strike. Within seconds, Ishikawa froze. If Jason hadn't held back, those hits could've ended him right there.
Jason stopped attacking, standing relaxed with a faint smile. "Come on, let's see what else you've got."
Ishikawa's face turned red and purple. Attack? With what? His punches, elbows, and kicks were all outclassed. Without setup techniques, his knees were useless. And he knew Jason had gone easy on him.
Finally, Ishikawa let out a long sigh and bowed his head. "Sir, you win. Thank you for the lesson. I concede completely."
Jason stepped forward. "Mr. Ishikawa, I've thought about it. Regarding your brother's matter, I acted improperly. Please tell Matsumoto I wish to apologize."
Ishikawa looked up, his face lighting with surprise and gratitude. "Thank you, Jason Luo. I'll be sure to tell him! You're always welcome to visit. We'd be honored to call you a friend—and I hope you achieve even greater success in the ring!"
Jason laughed. "I will. I promise I'll visit when I get the chance."