Chapter 60 Semi-Finals
The tournament progressed to the semifinals.
Shirano fought his way through, finally reaching the top four. His opponent's information appeared on the big screen—Nagai Kenta.
This name was quite famous in the player circle. It was said that for this tournament, he specifically embarked on a nationwide arcade hall tour to train and challenge masters from various regions.
The character he specialized in was Terry Bogard.
When that familiar figure, wearing a red and white baseball cap and a red jacket, appeared in the combat seat, the atmosphere in the venue was instantly ignited.
"It's Nagai! That Terry master!"
"I heard he's super strong, he crushed everyone in the qualifiers."
"Now this will be a good show, high school dark horse against the touring warrior!"
The sounds of discussion reached Shirano's ears. His fingers rested on the joystick, feeling a slight chill.
This match was arranged to be held on the main stage, with only their two-player combat displayed on the huge screen wall.
Countless eyes focused here.
"ROUND 1, FIGHT!"
The match began.
Nagai's Terry was indeed worthy of his reputation.
He was incredibly aggressive, and the oppressive feeling almost overflowed through the screen.
His precise jumping heavy punches, elusive Flame Punch openings, and perfectly timed Power Wave for zoning were all on point.
Shirano's Andy was clearly at a disadvantage in the probing exchanges.
He tried to use the flexible Shadow-Slicing Fist and Flying Fist to zone and look for opportunities.
But Nagai's fundamentals were terrifyingly solid. His control over distance and his ability to seize openings far surpassed all his previous opponents.
Every probe could be seized by his opponent, leading to a high-damage combo.
Shirano was fully concentrated, with fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
For the first time in this tournament, he so clearly felt the possibility of defeat.
A momentary lapse in low block defense allowed Nagai's slide kick to connect.
This was followed by a relentless combo.
Andy's health bar rapidly decreased.
"K.O.!"
Shirano lost the first round.
A low gasp arose from the audience, mixed with exclamations of admiration for Nagai's strength.
On the arena, the countdown for the second round began.
Shirano closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them.
The previous defeat did not crush him; instead, it ignited an even stronger fighting spirit.
He recalled the details of the first round, analyzing Nagai's Terry's attack habits and weaknesses.
There was still a chance.
He had to be faster, more accurate, and calmer.
The countdown for the second round felt like a heavy hammer striking everyone's heart.
Shirano took a deep breath. The overly cold air conditioning in the stadium caused tiny goosebumps on his exposed skin.
He forced himself not to listen to the discussions from the audience, not to look at the cameras scanning back and forth.
The scene of the first round's defeat replayed rapidly in his mind.
Nagai's oppressive presence, that continuous wave-like offensive.
The data in his notes, his opponent's habitual openings, the frame data of his recovery...
He had to stay calm.
He could not be led by his opponent's rhythm anymore.
"ROUND 2, FIGHT!"
The announcement sounded again.
This time, Shirano did not rush to probe like in the first round.
He controlled Andy, cautiously retreating half a step, creating a tiny distance.
Nagai's Terry remained strong, pressing forward with a precise small jump heavy punch.
Shirano chose not to block directly, but instead used a quick back hop to evade the attack.
"Flying Fist!"
Andy launched a Power Wave, not to hit, but to restrict his opponent's movement.
Nagai deftly rolled to dodge it, then rushed forward, attempting to close in again.
Shirano immediately retreated, while his fingers rapidly tapped on the buttons.
"Shadow-Slicing Fist!"
Andy transformed into a phantom, moving rapidly backward, always maintaining a subtle distance.
The scene became somewhat dull for a moment, completely different from the explosive offense at the start of the first round.
Some puzzled whispers began to emerge from the audience.
"What's going on? Why isn't this Andy attacking?"
"Is he scared? Was he stunned by the first round?"
Nagai also seemed to notice the change in Shirano's strategy. His attacking rhythm slowed slightly, and a hint of inquiry appeared in his eyes.
He was no longer simply charging and attacking wildly, but began to use Power Wave for long-range zoning, while looking for openings in Shirano's movement.
Shirano's nerves were stretched to their limit.
Every defense, every retreat, every interference with Flying Fist had to be calculated with extreme precision.
Sweat trickled down his temples, dripping onto the buttons, leaving a faint wet mark.
He was like a patient hunter, waiting.
Waiting for that fleeting opportunity.
Nagai was clearly very patient as well; his offense was unhurried yet consistently maintained pressure.
A jumping attack was successfully blocked by Shirano.
Immediately after, the moment Nagai landed, with almost no pause, he directly unleashed Flame Punch!
The red energy fist, carrying a scorching heatwave, flew straight towards Andy's face.
Now!
Shirano's pupils suddenly constricted.
His fingers seemed to be perfectly synchronized with his brain, reacting within a mere few frames of the display.
Perfect Guard!
Andy's body glowed white, as he forcefully blocked this powerful punch.
He caught it!
His opponent's Flame Punch recovery frames!
Shirano's fingers danced frantically on the joystick and buttons, as if playing an exhilarating symphony.
Andy instantly closed in on Terry, who was in a rigid state due to his missed move.
Immediately following, it was the combo practiced thousands of times!
Light low kick opener, followed by heavy punch, then Rising Dragon Bullet!
Fists and feet landed precisely on Terry, and his opponent's health bar visibly and rapidly decreased.
The venue instantly erupted in thunderous gasps!
"What a sharp counterattack!"
"My goodness! That reaction speed!"
"Beautiful! That combo was fully executed!"
On the huge screen, Andy knocked Terry into the air, then landed steadily.
Shirano's tightly clenched fists slightly loosened, his knuckles turning pale from the exertion.
He won the second round!
He tied the score!
Flashbulbs in the media section flashed wildly, capturing the expression on Shirano's face, a mixture of exhaustion and excitement.
"Dark horse! This is definitely a dark horse!"
A reporter excitedly yelled into the camera.
A brief rest break.
Nagai Kenta looked at the screen, then glanced at the young man still wearing his high school uniform at the opposite arcade machine.
The relaxed expression on his face completely vanished.
It was replaced by a look of solemnity.
This high schooler was even more troublesome than he had imagined.
"ROUND 3, FIGHT!"
The decisive round began.
Nagai's eyes became sharp as an eagle's.
He discarded all previous probing and reservations, fully displaying his experience and strength as a "touring warrior."
His rhythm became more varied.
At times, he would fiercely pressure like a storm, and at other times, he would subtly provoke Shirano's nerves with precise zoning.
He began to frequently use deceptive movements, luring Shirano into making incorrect judgments.
Shirano felt unprecedented pressure.
His opponent seemed to have become an impenetrable wall; every attack was neutralized, and every defense seemed on the verge of collapse.
The gap in experience was infinitely magnified at this moment.
He could keep up with his opponent's operations, but he struggled to fully predict his intentions.
Several attempts at counterattacks were neutralized by Nagai's more seasoned experience, and he even had his own openings exploited in return.
Andy's health bar was slowly decreasing.
The atmosphere in the audience also grew increasingly tense, with almost everyone holding their breath.
Shirano gritted his teeth, sweat already soaking his back.
He was still looking for an opportunity, even if it was just a tiny one.
A fierce close-range exchange.
Shirano seized what seemed like a good opportunity, controlling Andy to jump, attempting to break the stalemate with an aerial attack.
However, the moment Andy leaped into mid-air.
Nagai's Terry, as if he had already anticipated it, unleashed an incredibly precise Power Dunk, slamming down fiercely onto the jumping Andy!
Perfect timing! Tricky angle!
Andy was heavily smashed to the ground.
Shirano's heart sank.
It was over.
The recovery frames after landing, there was simply no time to adjust his defense.
Nagai gave him no chance, directly pinning Shirano's Andy against the corner and pressuring him. Then, he suddenly broke Andy's guard with a light low kick, followed by a fluid combo that instantly depleted Andy's remaining health.
"K.O.!"
Huge red letters filled the entire screen.
Shirano looked at the darkened screen, his fingers still resting on the joystick, trembling slightly.
He lost.
1 to 2.
There was a brief silence in the venue, followed by thunderous applause.
The applause was for the victor, Nagai Kenta, and also for Shirano, who, though defeated, fought admirably.