Chapter 5: Copy

(Friday, April 19, 2024 – 4:45 PM)

The moment Daniel entered Heat Mode, the air changed.

His bloodied lips curled into a wild grin while his eyes shining with something unhinged. His body ached, his muscles screamed, but it didn't matter. The pain, the exhaustion, none of it mattered anymore.

Only the fight did.

Logan's smirk had long disappeared. His stance shifted slightly, more cautious now. He wasn't dealing with the same Daniel anymore. This wasn't the quiet, calculating fighter who analyzed every move. This was something else.

Daniel cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders as he let out a small, breathless laugh. "You standing there for a reason, Logan? Come on… let's rip each other apart."

Logan clicked his tongue in irritation before charging forward. His massive body shot toward Daniel, arms outstretched in a tackle.

Daniel didn't dodge.

He didn't try to counter.

Instead, his grin widened.

"YEAH! LET'S GO TO THE GROUND!"

As Logan's shoulder slammed into Daniel's stomach, they both went crashing into the dirt. Logan immediately moved to mount Daniel, his arms ready to pin him down.

But Daniel was already moving.

His legs snapped up, locking around Logan's torso while his fists swung wildly, hammering into Logan's head from below.

Logan snarled, bringing his own fists down, slamming into Daniel's ribs. The hits were brutal, heavy, making the smaller fighter's body jolt with each impact.

But Daniel just laughed.

Blood dripped from his mouth, but he grinned through it, his hands gripping Logan's hair with a violent yank.

"You like eating dirt, Logan?" Daniel's voice was crazed, breathless from the excitement. "The earth's real good!"

Before Logan could react, Daniel twisted, rolling them over so that he was now on top. His knee pressed into Logan's chest, pinning him down while his fists rained down relentlessly.

Left, right, left, right, each hit smashed into Logan's skull with raw, chaotic force.

Logan tried to block, but Daniel grabbed his wrist and yanked his arm aside, exposing his face again.

BAM!

A fist drove into Logan's jaw, forcing his head into the ground.

BAM!

Another punch, Logan's teeth clenched as dirt got into his mouth.

Daniel cackled. "Eat it! Swallow it! Ain't nature great?!"

Logan snapped.

With a roar, he threw his body upward, his sheer strength forcing Daniel off of him. As Daniel stumbled back, Logan surged forward, fists raised.

This time, he wasn't playing around.

He attacked, throwing clean, powerful punches. His fists slammed into Daniel's face, his ribs, each strike carrying his full weight.

Daniel staggered, but he didn't fall.

He wiped the blood from his lip, "Yeah!" grinning even wider. "That's more like it!"

He rushed back in.

They clashed again, this time with even greater ferocity. Logan threw a straight punch, but Daniel weaved under it, stepping inside and driving an elbow into his ribs.

Logan grunted but countered immediately, grabbing Daniel's collar and pulling him in for a brutal headbutt.

Daniel's head snapped back, but he laughed through the blood.

"Nice one! Here's mine!"

Before Logan could move, Daniel grabbed his face, yanking him forward before smashing his skull into Logan's nose.

Crack!

Logan stumbled.

Daniel grabbed his hair before he could recover.

"You ain't running!" Daniel sneered before dragging Logan across the field. His fingers twisted in Logan's thick hair, yanking him forward as he sprinted toward the school building.

Students gasped as Daniel slammed Logan's head into the wall.

BAM!

A sharp impact, a spray of blood, but the wall held.

Daniel didn't stop.

BAM!

BAM!

The concrete cracked slightly under the force, but it didn't break.

Logan's vision blurred while his ears rang from the repeated blows.

Daniel only laughed harder, yanking Logan's head back to see his face. "Not bad, big guy. You still conscious?"

Logan's eyes, unfocused for a second, suddenly sharpened.

Daniel barely had time to react before Logan's hands snapped up, grabbing his arms.

Then...

Logan Lee finally got serious.

With a sharp pivot, Logan used his hip as leverage, flipping Daniel over his shoulder.

Daniel's body slammed into the ground, the impact rattling through his spine.

Logan didn't stop.

Jiu-Jitsu.

The moment Daniel hit the floor, Logan locked his legs around Daniel's arm, twisting into an armbar.

Pain exploded through Daniel's shoulder. His arm felt like it was being ripped from its socket.

Any normal fighter would have screamed in pain.

Daniel laughed instead.

His free hand clawed at the dirt with his legs twisting desperately.

'Can't let him fully lock it in!'

Before Logan could extend the arm completely, Daniel rolled his body, twisting out of the hold just enough to free himself. He lunged forward, tackling Logan off balance.

Logan tried to stand, but Daniel was already moving, his elbow crashing directly into Logan's temple.

Both of them stumbled back.

Their breaths were ragged, heavy, their bodies battered and bleeding.

They stood four meters apart, staring at each other.

Neither moved at first.

Daniel's breathing was unsteady, yet his grin remained. He was still ready to go, still itching to fight.

Meanwhile Logan exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders, his body screaming for rest. He had already lost interest in the fight, his excitement fading now that Daniel was still standing. But just as he was about to turn away, Daniel moved.

He rushed in without hesitation, closing the distance quickly before tackling Logan with precise force. Logan's eyes widened in shock, Daniel was smaller, weaker, yet the momentum behind the tackle was perfectly balanced.

Then, before Logan could react, his own technique was used against him.

Daniel's arms locked around Logan's, twisting into an armbar with perfect execution. Logan gritted his teeth with his instincts kicking in, but the moment he tried to shift, he felt it.

The technique was flawless. No, it was better than his own.

Daniel had copied it in an instant.

No hesitation. No miscalculations. Perfect replication.

But adapted.

Logan had used brute force in his execution, relying on his strength to control his opponent. Daniel, however, used his own body's limitations to enhance it. His lower center of gravity, his unexpected flexibility despite his weight, it all made the lock feel twice as tight.

Logan snarled, twisting violently to escape, but Daniel's grip adjusted exactly like Logan would have. It was like fighting his own reflection, except worse.

Daniel laughed, his grin wide as he yanked Logan's arm back. "What's wrong, big guy? You used this on me, didn't you?"

Logan growled before shifting his weight, rolling his body just enough to break free. The moment he escaped, he shot forward, but Daniel was already moving.

A brutal sequence followed, Logan attacking, Daniel countering.

Each time Logan went for a takedown, Daniel would use a modified version of the same move to reverse it. Each time Logan tried to overpower him, Daniel would redirect the force, using his smaller frame to slip through openings.

They grappled across the dirt, their arms locking, twisting, each movement an exchange of pure technique. Logan used brute strength, experience, and instinct. Daniel used precision, unpredictability, and adaptability.

Logan attempted a rear-naked choke, his thick arm wrapping around Daniel's throat, but Daniel countered by slamming the back of his head into Logan's nose before twisting out. Logan grunted in pain but transitioned into a triangle choke, locking Daniel's head between his massive thighs.

For a moment, the pressure tightened around Daniel's neck.

Then, a shift.

Daniel hooked his leg under Logan's, rolled his body in a sudden drop, and broke the choke instantly.

Logan barely had time to process what had happened before Daniel was on top of him, straddling his chest.

With a crazed smile, Daniel lifted his fist.

Then, BAM.

His knuckles crashed into Logan's temple.

Again.

Again.

Until Logan's body slumped.

Knocked out.

The field was silent. The students who had been watching from a distance froze, stunned.

Daniel let out a breath with his grin still lingering as he slowly stood up turning around while dusting his clothes off. Blood dripped from his fingers, but he didn't care. His body hurt, but he didn't care.

Then, without warning, he bent down, grabbed a rock, and sharply turned, his arm swinging toward Logan's head.

"DANIEL!"

His mother's desperate scream pierced through his mind.

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