Chapter 91: Ten Seconds
Left arm extended and slightly bent, right arm resting at the waist, legs spread front and back, standing sideways to the enemy.
Orochi Katsumi maintained this karate stance. Even with blood flowing from his nose and mouth, his eyes unfocused, he remained motionless.
He had taken successive heavy hits, especially that initial Powerbomb, which had severely damaged his body. His breathing was ragged, and he couldn't shake off the dizziness in his brain.
To recover enough to counterattack, Orochi Katsumi made a choice—
He would run away!
After forcing Kei back and dodging the thrown glass shard, Katsumi found his rhythm.
"Just like—this—"
Katsumi felt his nosebleed gradually stopping. He looked ahead—in his blurry vision, Kei was crouching again, assuming a charging stance.
"Shiraki, I'll show you what the ultimate self-defense technique is..."
...
The referee stepped back, and the match continued.
As Kei crouched, his head dipped, shaking off the blood beads on his face. His gaze was fixed straight ahead.
His leg muscles exploded with power—SWOOSH!
Immense explosive force propelled Kei forward, delivering a swift lunging punch.
[Drive Rush • Hashogeki] (High Blade Kick)!
This was the Drive Rush taught by Ryu. It was more flexible than Zangief's and utilized his reach advantage, offering a wider attack range than Jamie's Iron Mountain Lean!
Facing this rapid assault, Orochi Katsumi had only one choice—Swish!
He suddenly turned and sprinted away with large strides, dodging Kei's punch while opening up several meters of distance.
Kei's Drive Rush was fast, but compared to a full sprint over a distance, it lacked stamina, so the punch missed.
"This—"
This unexpected scene stunned many onlookers. "What is going on?! It looks like he's scared! Turning his back and running away from the enemy?!"
Kei stomped the ground, immediately adjusting his direction and charging at Katsumi again.
But Katsumi gave him no chance, continuing to turn and run, circling the large deck.
The initial dash was fast, but if the distance opened up, it couldn't compare to a proper sprint—especially since Katsumi was an Olympic-level athlete.
"..."
"Both of them are so fast, but why..."
Itou Kaiji was baffled. "Is that karate master's killer move... running away at a speed of 100 meters in 10 seconds?!"
...
Seeing this, Kyara snorted coldly. "Tch. Running away while spitting blood? The elite karateka is losing face!"
But Yako Hikoichi smiled faintly. "Master Kyara, excessive hardness breaks easily. Your fighting style is a bit too ferocious. You should be careful."
The elderly gentleman looked at Katsumi, watching him flee wretchedly.
"Hmm, rather than defense, it's more like taking refuge. But isn't that fine? After all, he is gradually 'recovering'."
...
Seeing he couldn't catch up, Kei abandoned his starting stance. He also exerted full force, recklessly charging forward.
SWOOSH!
[Drive Rush]!
Running on the inner circle required covering less distance than the outer circle. After abandoning the "start-up," Kei finally managed to close in on Katsumi quickly.
The two engaged in close combat. In a split second, Katsumi raised his fist to strike.
But just as his fist clenched, it froze in mid-air. Looking closely, Kei had moved first, stomping on Katsumi's instep.
BANG!
[Zangief • Stomp]!
Katsumi grimaced in pain but gritted his teeth, clamping his arm around Kei's arm and turning to throw him with force.
One-handed Seoi Nage (Shoulder Throw)!
This move was hasty and didn't cause much effective damage. It only knocked Kei down, and he quickly recovered into a defensive stance.
But Katsumi didn't pursue. He continued running, opening up distance again.
"...??" The crowd exclaimed in shock. "Still—still running away? Is he waiting until he fully recovers?!"
Katsumi wiped the blood from his mouth. The pain in his foot eased slightly, his breathing steadied, and his vision cleared.
That's right!
He gritted his teeth, revealing a wretched grin.
Compared to losing, I'd rather scurry like a rat! Even if it looks incredibly pathetic, everything I do is for victory!
...Ten seconds left...
Katsumi looked at Kei charging again, taking a deep breath and focusing completely.
As long as I don't take effective damage for ten seconds, I can recover my combat state!
Nine...!
Kei strode forward.
Katsumi tried to repeat the one-handed shoulder throw, but suddenly realized Kei wasn't punching. instead, he was slamming his back into him.
[Drive Rush • Tetsuzanko]!
SWOOSH!
Facing the broad back slam, Katsumi suddenly jumped, stepping on Kei's shoulder and landing steadily with a front flip.
Seven...!
But just as he found his footing, Kei's eyes followed. Bloodshot eyes locked onto Katsumi as Kei turned and launched a high sweep kick.
[Ryu • Tatsumaki Senpukyaku] (Hurricane Kick)!
BANG!
Katsumi blocked with his arms, but only for an instant. Even in the deadlock, he didn't consider counterattacking, choosing to jump back and dodge again.
Four—!
After retreating a few steps, Katsumi suddenly stopped. He no longer showed his back, standing still and reassuming his stance.
Three...
Kei clenched his fist, pushing off with his back foot, closing in on Katsumi once more.
One...
The punch smashed forward, getting closer and closer to Katsumi's face.
Kei's fist suddenly stopped, hovering less than twenty centimeters from Katsumi.
Katsumi maintained his karate stance, looking at the stopped fist, then shifting his gaze to Kei's face. He suddenly laughed.
"As expected, Shiraki-bro, you're truly formidable. Just like the scent of that fighting tournament!"
"You didn't attack—that was correct."
"I've recovered enough to counterattack—"
Katsumi tucked his chin slightly, murmuring, "If you had continued your attack, I think I would have countered with the 'fist' I just learned."
"Maybe not as mature as my secret technique, but I've gained some insight. I really want to try it."
"This is a very powerful punch... learned from the [Ken-Oh] who defeated me..."
But when Katsumi looked up and saw Kei's eyes, his expression turned helpless. "Hey, Shiraki-bro, that eager look in your eyes... don't tell me it's what I think it is?"
"...Exactly. I want to try it too!"
Kei grinned broadly. "Nice. Awesome!"
Without changing his footing, he pulled his arm back again, continuing the unfinished motion, aiming for Katsumi's head with a full-force punch.
Swish!
But the instant the punch was about to land, Katsumi moved first. His right fist hit Kei squarely in the face, unleashing astonishing power.
BANG!
Kei's eyelids and lips trembled from the impact. He was blasted away, crashing onto his back with a thud, blood spurting from his nose and mouth.
This sudden counterattack shocked the audience.
Baku instinctively turned to Kyara, the expert in ancient and modern martial arts, seeking an explanation with his eyes.
Kyara narrowed his eyes slightly, responding in a low voice:
"It's Kung Fu."
"The 'thrusting technique' used by that fist—is Chinese Kenpo!"