Chapter 103 - A True Monster

Gonzalez tapped his foot on the ground, Gary watching with the same grin. The referee stood behind the same table as Zachary and Zenzo, the three of them watching the two fighters prepare themselves. Gary simply stood there, dressed in a white dress shirt with a complementing pair of white pants and a white belt. Despite his lack of shoes, his attire seemed ill-fitting for a fight. But even with those thoughts in the announcers' minds, a simple look at the hallway that he had originally come from told a very different story. Gonzalez stood still with his arm wrappings and blindfold Theodore had gifted him over a month ago.

Zenzo: A blindfolded fighter and a man that looks prepared to go to work. Neither of these two seemed like they should be able to fight… Yet…!

Referee: FIGHTERS! TAKE YOUR STANCES!

Gonzalez raised his arms, both hands entirely unclenched. Gary stood there, unmoving from his original position. In the minds of everyone in the audience, they had all wished that Gary would die. They each wished to scream it in hopes of discouraging him, but they all knew that their words would never reach him. Any man looking at him would be filled with an unmatched fear. Thong looked down at his feet, Li and Hugo looking over at him. Li placed a hand on Thong's shoulder, giving him a look of reassurance.

Li: It's okay, Thong. Gary is scary, but remember everyone who's in this tournament. Gonzalez has this, so don't worry one bit!

Hugo: Yeah. Even if he smashed Gondolas head in, we'll just go in there and stop him ourselves!

Thong: Thanks, guys… But something doesn't sit well with me… Every time I look at him…

Thong glanced up at Gary, sensing the intense murderous aura around him. Gary's face didn't show it, but everything about him gave off the aura of an excited predator, staring down his next victim. The referee picked up one of the mics, bringing it close to his mouth as he brought up his arm.

Zachary: That's my mic…

Referee: BEGIIIIIN!!!

The referee swung his arm down, barely missing the table. In that same instant, Gonzalez moved like a cheetah, shooting off the ground and towards Gary. Gary watched as Gonzalez moved closer and closer, his body not giving the slightest hint of movement. Gonzalez suddenly turned his torso, jumping to his left as a streak was left in the ground. Gary brought his left arm down before turning his head to look at Gonzalez.

Gary: You did well to dodge that. You aren't high-ranked for nothing.

Gonzalez tensed up his index and middle fingers before running at Gary once again. He immediately moved slightly to the left once more, another streak at his side. Moved just a slight bit once again, a streak appeared to Gonzalez's right, both of Gary's arms fully stretched out. Gonzalez's right hand shot out, aiming directly at Gary's head before he jumped, a streak fully below him. Gonzalez was left with no room to move as Gary's arms turned back around and aimed at Gonzalez's open back. Grabbing onto both of Gary's outstretched arms, Gonzalez launched himself into a backflip out of Gary's strike, landing a knee to Gary's chin before landing on his feet. Gary brought his head down, rubbing it with one of his hands.

Gary: And you're extremely agile. Fast reactions. How do you do it?

Gonzalez: Can you just shut up already?

Zachary: WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!

Zenzo: That was so fast, I couldn't tell what I was looking at! There are cuts left in the ground and both fighters have some distance between them once again!

Everyone in the audience and most fighters in the ring were left in utter shock at the match before them. Most could not make out the range and speed needed for everything that happened before their eyes.

Vector: Do any of you know what just happened?

Ryan and Mason both looked at Vector, Ryan being the first to speak.

Ryan: Just from looking at it, Gary has a way of extending his reach.

Mason: But can you really do that without a weapon? I mean, that reach is absurd.

Vector: Maybe he has a weapon hidden on him?

Mason: His clothes do give him the chance to.

Ryan's thoughts: But that's still not the case.

Gonzalez ran at Gary again, increasing his speed and entering Gary's range. Spinning out of the way, Gary's hand stood in the air, Gonzalez jumping to the side. His ears perked up as Gary brought his arm back down. Gonzalez jumped back, the audience looking in shock.

Man: He stood down!

Woman: Maybe not even Gonzalez can take this monster down!

Gonzalez: So that's how you're able to extend your reach.

Gary: Hmm? What is it that you've picked up, dear Gonzalez?

Gonzalez: It's more than just stretching out your muscles, it's like… Even your joints themselves extend. Everything within your arm works in tandem to make your range further than it normally should be.

Gary: Oh, how insightful. Usually my opponents are dead far before they're able to reach that conclusion.

Gonzalez's thoughts: That's right… Every single one of his opponents has either died or fallen into a coma from just the initial hit. His range and power are unrealistic. In stretching out everything in his arm, his attacks become much smaller, but their speed, range, and power all increase! He's worked out a way to give himself an advantage over unarmed fighters. No… if you don't have a long enough weapon, you'll get hurt for sure.

Gonzalez stood pondering, Gary shook his head before taking a step forward and sending out another strike. It flew at Gonzalez like a bullet, but Gonzalez moved quickly out of the strike's way, to the outer side of Gary's arm before making a fist and aiming it directly at Gary's face. A quick feeling of pain struck Gonzalez's side, sending him to jump away from Gary. He looked down, noticing a small amount of blood oozing from an unnatural wound on his side.

Gary: It seems I was just a bit too shallow. You were faster than I had hoped.

Gonzalez could sense it. From the sounds and vibrations in the air alone, he could see a clear image of what Gary had done. His arm was bending at an unnatural angle. Where the elbow would normally stop the forearm from bending, Gary's forearm had exceeded that point. With a few cracks, his arm settled into place once more, Gary opening and closing his hand next to his face.

Gary: I must say, you did well in responding to that pain. Had you not jumped away, your entire right side would be gone.

Gonzalez stood silently, raising his fists once more.

Gonzalez's thoughts: He isn't lying… There was a great force to the wound he inflicted on me. Had I given him even a moment longer, I doubt I would be unable to fight.

A new sense of cautiousness overcame Gonzalez, but his mind remained clear. The muscles in his legs tightened before shooting off the ground once more, Gary responding in turn. Gonzalez's face and Gary's strike got closer and closer. The audience watched closely, watching as Gonzalez's hand now tightly held onto Gary's arm. Many people within the audience made disgusted noises, watching how unnaturally thin Gary's arm was from the distance it had reached. The bones and muscles in the arm seemed unnaturally thin. Gonzalez forcefully pushed the arm upward, the sounds from within the arm resonating. Gonzalez moved from outside the arm once more, charging at Gary until he felt another hard impact at his side. Gonzalez slid across the ground, his back on the ground as he faced Gary. A bright red mark shining across his bicep.

Gary: That was a very smart play, Gonzalez. I may have feared for my life, even.

Gonzalez's thoughts: So it's true…

The arm that Gonzalez had for a moment believed that he had bent into uselessness was still in action. The arm creaked and cracked into place, Gary still having his unshaken smile on his face.

Gonzalez's thoughts: He must be triple-jointed.

Triple jointed, a step beyond simply being double-jointed. While being double-jointed allows one to move appendages and even limbs a bit further than they normally should, people that are triple-jointed have much more freedom of movement. A further level of "hypermobility" allows one to move their bodies in entirely unnatural ways. While something that is rarely capable of being used in combat, Gary had integrated the extreme level of hypermobility in his body to give him the movement speed and unpredictable attacks that no other person would be capable of accomplishing. From simply listening to Gary's body, Gonzalez could deduce one thing: Gary was triple jointed in not only his right arm, but all over his body.

Gary: You seem like you're on the cusp of some great knowledge! Then show me what you've learned, Gonzalez. I want a victim that can truly give me a fun time before I slaughter.