Chapter 90: A Brilliant Move
Powerbomb.
Also known as the "Bomb Drop"!
Commonly seen in pro-wrestling, it involves lifting the opponent with immense strength, tucking their head between the user's legs, and slamming them back-first onto the mat.
This move is loud and visually spectacular, making it a signature move for many pro-wrestlers.
However, due to various reasons such as large openings and high strength requirements, almost no one ever thought to apply this move in actual MMA combat.
What was even more unimaginable was just how terrifying a full-force Powerbomb could be when stripped of the "performance" element!
BOOM!
Orochi Katsumi's back slammed heavily onto the metal deck. Violent tremors spread out, reaching the feet of everyone nearby.
"Gah!"
Katsumi threw his head back and coughed, his pupils trembling uncontrollably. Saliva mixed with stomach acid sprayed from his mouth and nose.
The intense impact reverberated through his spine and lungs, making it impossible to breathe, forcing air out of his lungs uncontrollably.
"??!!"
This terrifying scene stunned the watching men in black.
"Is... is that a Powerbomb?!"
"Not a normal Powerbomb. That guy lifted a strong man weighing over 110kg and even flipped forward!"
"He tanked two punches and got his forehead split open just for this slam!"
"What a scary guy..."
"..."
The bystanders were also shocked.
Yako Hikoichi froze for a moment, then laughed dryly. "It seems my old eyes are failing me. I misjudged. Master Shiraki still chose a blitz attack."
Hearing this, Baku was confused. "Katsumi clearly moved first, and Kei-kun's movements were slow enough for even me to see clearly. Why do you say Kei-kun used a 'blitz'?"
"The answer is 'state'."
Kyara suddenly spoke up, his voice deep. "Shiraki did blitz, but not in terms of movement speed. It was the speed of 'entering the state'!"
"Exactly," Yako raised an eyebrow slightly, adding, "Master Usogui must have watched fighting matches. You often hear commentators say—the match has entered a 'white-hot' stage."
"The white-hot stage is the most intense moment of the match, where both sides often display strength far beyond their usual limits."
"Thinking of it that way—"
Yako smiled. "If a person's consciousness is strong enough to control their body, forcing themselves into that 'white-hot fighting state' right from the start, then it is indeed terrifying."
"That is what Master Shiraki just did."
"Trading injury for injury, biting through a bloody lip, throwing recklessly—such things usually don't happen at the very beginning of a fight."
"Of course, this doesn't mean Master Orochi was careless. But in terms of 'speed of state adjustment,' Master Shiraki is clearly superior. His control over his mind and body is extremely strong!"
...
While they were talking, a man in black exclaimed.
"He's following up! Shiraki Kei wants to end the match right now!"
Swish!
Kei raised both arms, aiming at the writhing Katsumi on the ground, and stomped down hard with his left leg raised high.
[Zangief • Stomp]!
THUD!
Katsumi rolled desperately, barely dodging the stomp. Kei's foot smashed into the deck.
Seeing the attack miss, Katsumi rolled again, intending to use the momentum to stand up and regroup.
But Katsumi never expected that just as he recovered to a crouching position, he saw Kei already pursuing him, smashing down a powerful right straight punch.
[Guile • Magnum Cleave] (Rolling Sobat precursor movement used as a strike)!
BANG!
Katsumi took the hit square in the face. Blood spurted from his nose and mouth as he fell backward again.
"Gah—!"
The soreness and swelling in his face made Katsumi grimace. His eyes could barely open, his face covered in sprayed blood, looking utterly wretched.
Kei's movements didn't stop. His legs exploded with power as he leaned forward and stepped in.
[Drive Rush]!
SWOOSH!
The instant he closed in on Katsumi for the next follow-up attack.
"HAAAH!"
Katsumi gritted his teeth, suddenly slapping the ground with both hands, flipping up and kicking backward with his heel at Kei.
Swish!
"It's a rising spinning kick!" Suedo yelled. "A rising high kick with 115kg of body weight behind it... the power of this move must be—!!"
Suddenly, Suedo's pupils constricted.
Kei, after rushing forward, didn't choose to attack immediately. Instead, he raised his arms in a defensive stance first.
BANG!
Blocked!
Katsumi's rising spinning kick hit Kei's forearms, only pushing him back slightly. But Katsumi exposed a huge opening, his chest wide open as he landed.
Sensing danger, Katsumi reached out to block.
Kei's legs drove into the ground, his body springing up straight like a coiled spring, launching a powerful right uppercut.
[Ryu • Shoryuken]!
BANG!
The fist hit Katsumi's palm, driving through it all the way up until the back of the hand smashed into his own chin. Katsumi was flipped over directly, rolling once before hitting the ground again.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Kei panted heavily, the sound clearly audible from a distance.
The wound on his forehead bled profusely, dyeing one side of his cheek red. Beads of blood gathered on his chin, dripping down one by one.
His eyes were bloodshot. His mental focus was pushed to the limit, forcing his body into a desperate state where every move felt like a last-ditch effort.
Doing this consumed immense stamina, but the power also multiplied!
Seeing Katsumi lying on the ground, Kei didn't wait. He strode forward for another follow-up.
Smack!
Kei leaped into the air, diving down with a kick aimed at the fallen Katsumi.
[Jamie • Dive Kick] (Phantom Sway)!
BANG!
Katsumi rolled to dodge again, lying on the ground panting, blood flowing from his nose and mouth, his eyes slightly out of focus.
Kei gritted his teeth, not blinking even as blood ran into his eyes. He stared dead at Katsumi, supporting himself on the ground with his right arm and sweeping with his left leg.
[Guile • Dragon Sweep]—
Just halfway through the move, Katsumi suddenly snapped back to reality, grimacing as he swept his leg, kicking the right arm Kei was using for support.
—?!
Kei's right arm had already been hit by Katsumi's palm strike earlier, visibly swollen. Now, taking another kick, he couldn't maintain his balance.
Thud...
Kei lost his balance and fell.
Katsumi roared, following up with a powerful knee strike—BANG!—launching Kei flying, knocking him back a distance.
Kei rolled backward, quickly getting up while clutching his right arm. The piercing pain made him cough dryly.
In contrast, after that knee strike, although Katsumi returned to his stance, he seemed to have exhausted all his strength, standing motionless.
Seeing this, the bystanders stared wide-eyed.
Did he pass out while standing?!
The referee was about to check, but Kei stopped him with a hand.
Kei looked around, picked up a piece of broken glass from the ground, and threw it at Katsumi in front of everyone.
Swish!
The instant the glass was about to hit Katsumi, he suddenly moved his feet, dodging with minimal movement, then returned to stillness, maintaining his karate stance without moving a muscle.
Ignoring Kei's foul for now, the referee asked in confusion, "What is he—"
"Simple."
Kei's right arm trembled with pain as he chuckled darkly. "To recover from the damage enough to counterattack... he's using the brilliant move called 'Running Away'."