After missing his chance to knock out his opponent in the second round, Jason Luo returned to his corner feeling a little disappointed. Coach Brown, however, was ecstatic.
"Jason, that was amazing! Have you already mastered that extraordinary state? If that's true, I can't even imagine how far you'll go in the future!"
Jason smiled bitterly. He wanted nothing more than to master that ability—but...
"No, Coach. I only entered that state by accident just now. Completely mastering it will be difficult."
"I see..."
Both Brown and Raul sighed. "Alright, take your time. You'll definitely have more opportunities in the future. For now, let's focus on the fight. You've got the advantage—your opponent's Stamina is dropping fast, and his confidence is shaken. In the next round, keep pressing the attack. Aim for a knockout, and even if you can't, build a strong points lead to take control of the match!"
Jason nodded, then asked quickly, "Coach, Zack's really good at controlling range. I keep missing him—it's frustrating."
Coach Brown paused, then snapped his fingers. "Hey, you've got a slight reach advantage! Against that paper-thin defense, add a shoulder thrust when you punch. That'll break through. Or, when you aim, mentally shift your target slightly backward—it works just as well."
It was like a light suddenly turned on in Jason's head. His face flushed with embarrassment. How could I miss something so simple?
Thankfully, the bell rang just then, sparing him from further awkwardness...
...
As the third round began, Jason charged forward with renewed confidence. But after a full minute of rest, Zack had recovered enough to fight back.
Zack, however, was no longer calm. The humiliation he'd suffered in the last round burned in his mind. The only way to redeem himself was to knock Jason down as fast as possible.
So despite his fatigue, Zack met Jason's attack head-on!
From the opening seconds of Round Three, the two clashed fiercely—neither willing to back down.
Jason, bound by his talent restriction, couldn't retreat or dodge. He could only charge forward. Zack, desperate to win, refused to yield.
Both men went all in. Jason, his Stamina full and Explosiveness surging, threw punches in rapid succession. Zack, meanwhile, focused on power over volume—each punch carrying his full Strength.
Jason's Combination Punches crashed like relentless waves, one after another with no end in sight. With Coach Brown's advice in mind, he added shoulder thrusts to his offense, throwing Zack's defense off rhythm and landing repeated clean hits that forced Zack's head back again and again.
But Zack's endurance, true to his Mexican fighting style, was incredible. He somehow held firm.
His counters, however, were brutal. Each heavy punch struck Jason with such force that it nearly pushed him past his limits. Sweat didn't just splash—it misted into the air.
The sound of "thud! thud! thud!" echoed across the arena, driving the crowd wild.
"Is this turning into a slugfest? Awesome! That's what real Aggressive Fighters are made for—tear into him!"
"They're going all out! Just hearing those hits makes my skin crawl. Damn, he's actually standing through it! You don't see fights this raw anymore—this is incredible!"
The local fans were ecstatic. Seeing Jason Luo trade heavy blows and actually gain the upper hand sent them into a frenzy.
"Hell yeah! Jason, you've got this! Hit him with that knockout combo!"
"Zack, don't act tough—you're finished today!"
"The Kung Fu Kid stands tall—no one can take him down!"
The crowd went wild. Spectators always loved chaos.
As the brutal brawl continued, Zack's Stamina finally began to wane. Seeing Jason's relentless assault show no signs of slowing, he had no choice but to start backing away.
But Jason had paid a heavy price too. One eye was swollen shut, blood streamed from his nose—probably broken—his cheek was puffed, and several teeth felt loose.
Zack, though, was in even worse shape. The Mustang's face was swollen beyond recognition. While Jason's punches weren't as heavy as his, the sheer volume and accumulated impact were devastating. Zack's cheekbone was split, his face puffed up like a balloon, his eyes reduced to narrow slits.
After fighting this hard, both men had fully gauged each other's strength. Zack cursed inwardly. Damn that Tutkason! Calling this kid a rookie? Planning for me to finish it in two rounds? You've really screwed me this time!
He moves like a monkey and hits like a bull—how do you fight someone like that?!
Zack's confidence was crumbling. Meanwhile, Jason showed no mercy, pushing forward without giving him a moment to breathe.
Of course, it wasn't only Jason's willpower driving him. Under the Brave Roar talents's restriction, he was forced to attack relentlessly. If he slowed down, he'd suffer a penalty that weakened all his Attributes. One point off each stat might sound minor, but across more than a dozen Attributes, the effect would be crippling.
So when Zack backed off, Jason immediately closed in, refusing to let go until his opponent fell.
No matter how versatile Zack was, he wasn't a pure technical boxer. Kiting and countering weren't his strengths. Soon, Jason had him trapped near the ropes, forced back into another exchange.
By now, it was clear—Jason had seized control. Zack could barely hold on.
The cheers of Jason's supporters thundered through the AT&T Center. The crowd stood, fists pumping.
"Go, Jason! Victory's right in front of you—don't stop now!"
"Come on, Jason! This is incredible! I've been a fan all my life, but this—this is something else! Take Zack down, and I'm your fan for life! Unleash your power, Jason!"
Fired up by the energy around him, Jason pressed even harder. Zack, near his limit, tried one last desperate move—he threw a heavy punch as cover and shifted to the right, trying to create space to recover.
But Jason didn't even flinch. He took the blow head-on, cutting off Zack's movement. His next hook smashed squarely into Zack's head.
Already off-balance and drained, Zack stumbled sideways. Jason lunged forward, landing two rapid follow-up punches. Zack couldn't stand anymore—he collapsed to the canvas.
"Holy shit! Knocked him out! Jason Luo did it! Amazing!"
"Beautiful! Unbelievable! From now on, even Tyson couldn't take him in San Francisco. In boxing, there's only one name we'll remember—Jason Luo!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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