Versus Justin

Kade took a deep breath as the referee's voice echoed through the octagon.

"Ready? Ready? Fight!"

With a quick step back, the referee cleared the space between Kade and Justin. Kade raised his fists, bouncing lightly on his feet. He knew he had a skill advantage, but he couldn't afford to underestimate Justin's experience. The guy had six losses, but he also had two wins—and a confident smirk that only fueled Kade's determination.

Justin wasted no time, instantly closing the distance between them with a burst of speed. Kade saw his opponent's muscles shift, the Eye ability allowing him a fraction of insight into Justin's attack.

Justin's left jab came first, but Kade sidestepped, countering with a swift jab of his own. His fist skimmed Justin's shoulder as Justin ducked, but Kade noticed something odd. For a split second, Justin's movements looked slightly… blurred? It was as though his entire body had stuttered.

Kade blinked, momentarily thrown off by the strange effect, but shook it off quickly. It was probably just a quirk of the game, he reasoned, before readying himself for Justin's next move.

But then it happened again. Justin lunged forward, and the Eye allowed Kade to read the punch in advance. Just as Kade leaned back to dodge, Justin's movement blurred, throwing off his rhythm. Before Kade could react, Justin's fist connected with his jaw.

Kade staggered back, blinking away the flash of pain.

'What was that? His movement... skipped?'

Before he could figure it out, Justin pressed his advantage. Another quick jab came flying at Kade, and once again, that strange blurring effect appeared just as Kade tried to dodge. This time, he anticipated it better, shifting his weight to avoid the full impact. Even so, Justin's fist clipped his shoulder, sending a sharp ache down his arm.

Kade took a few steps back, trying to regroup. He needed to adjust his strategy. Whatever this blurring effect was, it seemed to interfere with his Eye ability, scrambling the predictions he relied on.

"Trying to keep up?" Justin taunted, throwing in a smirk as he advanced.

Kade clenched his fists, refocusing. The Eye might be getting thrown off, but he still had his instincts and training. He didn't need the Eye for every move—just enough to give him an edge.

When Justin moved again, Kade stayed more grounded, focusing on his own footwork rather than solely relying on his skill. Justin threw a feint jab, and Kade caught the slight shift in his shoulder—a tell he'd seen in plenty of boxing matches. Kade dodged the feint, and as Justin overextended, Kade seized his opening. His fist flew up in a quick uppercut, landing squarely on Justin's jaw.

Justin grunted, stumbling back. The crowd noise in the simulated arena swelled, and Kade felt a surge of confidence. He'd managed to break through, even with the Eye's limitations.

But Justin wasn't giving up easily. His face twisted into a scowl, and he raised his hands again, his stance shifting slightly as he prepared for another attack. Kade noted the stance—it was looser, almost as though he was baiting Kade to strike first.

Kade braced himself, staying alert. When Justin lunged, Kade saw the blur again but anticipated it this time. He side-stepped, narrowly dodging a hook that would have landed hard. Kade countered with a quick one-two combo, landing a solid hit to Justin's ribs.

The impact caused Justin to falter, but he quickly regained his balance. In a swift motion, he activated his blurred motion ability again, closing in with a series of rapid strikes that forced Kade to retreat.

Kade managed to block most of them, but Justin's persistence broke through his defenses, landing a solid kick to Kade's midsection. The hit sent a shock through Kade's body, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through the pain, not wanting to give Justin any satisfaction.

'Stay calm, breathe. You're in control.'

Kade took a step back, reassessing. He had to adapt and use the Eye in bursts, reading the beginning of Justin's movements before the blur kicked in. That would at least give him a fraction of an advantage.

When Justin came at him again, Kade let the Eye focus on the initial movements, then switched to instinct as the blur effect started. Justin's strikes were relentless, but now Kade could react faster, blocking and slipping past enough hits to frustrate his opponent.

Finally, Kade saw his chance. Justin overextended on a left hook, and Kade stepped in, using a counter-strike to throw a powerful jab-cross combination that landed hard on Justin's jaw. Justin's head snapped back, and he stumbled, blinking in surprise.

Seeing the impact, Kade pressed forward. He followed with a powerful right hook, driving it into Justin's midsection, and finished with a low kick that swept Justin's leg out from under him. Justin dropped to one knee, his breath coming out in a wheeze as he struggled to stand.

The referee stepped forward, looking between the two fighters. "Continue?"

Justin staggered, trying to regain his stance, but his energy was clearly draining. Kade took a breath, ready to finish things. He advanced cautiously, waiting for any sign of that blurred motion. But this time, Justin's movements were slow, his earlier confidence completely shattered.

Kade delivered one final right hook to Justin's jaw, and the force of the hit sent Justin sprawling to the mat. The referee stepped in, raising a hand to signal the end.

"Winner: Kade Rivers!"

A wave of relief washed over Kade, and he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. His first fight hadn't been easy, but he'd managed to push through, adapt, and win despite the odds.

[Congratulations! Match won.]

[Match Revenue: 500 Virtual Coins total. Your share: 200 Virtual Coins]

As he read through the message, a new screen opened up to explain the Virtual Coin system.

[Virtual Coins represent revenue generated by match attendance. Spectators pay a fixed fee to watch, and coins are split between fighters and the referee: 40% to the winner, 20% to the loser, and 40% to the referee. Coins can be exchanged for real-world money at a rate of 1 Coin = $10. Match popularity and fighter ranking affect total revenue. Your match generated 500 Virtual Coins, totaling $5,000.]

Kade's eyes widened. His 200 Coins were worth $2,000, and he hadn't even hit the big leagues yet. Just thinking about the possibilities left him stunned. For the first time, he fully realized what Virtual Strike could mean for him—not just in training but as a way to start earning a living and pursue his dream of going pro.

He was only 19, fresh to the scene and facing fighters already in their prime. Yet, with his skills and the Eye, he saw a path to the professional world he'd always dreamed of. Virtual Strike could be the gateway to achieving his goals, both financially and as a fighter.

As the crowd roared in the simulated arena, Kade took one last look at Justin, who was being helped up by the referee. He nodded respectfully toward his opponent, acknowledging the challenge he'd presented.

'If this is just the beginning,' Kade thought, feeling the adrenaline still buzzing in his veins, 'I'm ready for whatever comes next.'

With a final grin, he disappeared from the cage, going back to the white room.

The Virtual Strike stayed true to their promise of making a full dive VR. He could feel every ache of his muscle along with the pain from the bruises he acquired which started fading as soon as he entered the white room.

'This is it Mom and Dad, I've won my first match. I hope I made you proud ' he said feeling tears streaming down his face. He really wished his parents were here to see him.