Judgment Day
The Ultimate Count-Down
The day had arrived.
Noah faced the mirror, tightening the bandages on his fists. His reflection looked back at him—calm, collected, but seething with an anger he'd never known before.
> [Time Until Battle with Ryan: 0 Days]
He slowly breathed out. This was it.
Weeks of merciless training, thousands of simulations, sparring with underground fighters—it all came down to this. Ryan wasn't merely an opponent. He was the undefeated champion of the underground scene.
And Noah was going to beat him.
A knock on his door brought him out of his reverie.
"Noah." Xander's voice echoed on the other side.
Noah opened the door to see Xander waiting for him, arms folded, eyes keen as always. "It's time. Let's go."
Noah wordlessly reached for his hoodie and followed him out.
---
The Underground Arena
The energy was charged.
The underground fight arena was crowded—hundreds of onlookers occupied the seating, their shouts merging into a cacophonous din. Glaring overhead lights lit the ring in the center, where blood had been shed countless times already.
This wasn't merely a brawl.
It was a spectacle.
Whispers whispered their way around the crowd when Noah entered.
"That's the boy fighting Ryan?"
"He's dead meat."
"Ryan's gonna beat him in minutes."
Noah paid them no attention. They were irrelevant.
His gaze narrowed at the ring.
And within, waiting for him—stood Ryan .
Ryan leaned back on the ropes, arms crossed, sneering at Noah. He was big, buff, self-assured. The sort of man who had never faced fear.
Noah tightened his fists.
Time to rearrange that.
---
Face to Face
Noah entered the ring, and Ryan moved off the ropes and came at him, standing inches away.
He sized Noah up and down then grinned. "You actually showed up."
Noah didn't say anything. He didn't have to.
Ryan's grin grew wider. "I'll make this quick."
Noah cocked his head. "That's rich. I was going to say the same thing."
A flash of annoyance crossed Ryan's face, but he quickly covered it up with a smile.
The referee moved between them. "Fighters, to your corners."
Noah breathed deeply and stepped back, rolling his shoulders. His body was prepared. His mind was prepared.
The bell clanged.
The battle had started.
---
The Battle Begins
Ryan made the first move.
Quick.
Before Noah could even blink, Ryan closed the gap and landed a crushing right hook.
BOOM!
Noah just ducked in time, the wind from the punch ruffling his hair. If that had connected… he would have been finished.
He's quick.
Noah fired a quick counterpunch to Ryan's ribs. Direct impact.
Ryan didn't even blink.
Instead, he grinned and swung again.
Noah dodged left—but Ryan was expecting it.
BAM!
A vicious knee crashed into Noah's gut, forcing him backward.
Pain radiated through his body, but he clamped down on his teeth and balanced himself.
Ryan cracked his neck. "That all you got?"
Noah wiped his mouth. "I'm just getting started."
---
Breaking Expectations
Ryan came again, with a flurry of punches.
Noah concentrated.
He dodged to the left. To the right. Blocked a jab. Parried a hook.
> [Skill Activated: Adaptive Combat (LV 1)]
[Opponent's attack pattern analyzed: Adjusting counter strategy.]
Noah suddenly realized it—Ryan had a pattern.
Left jab. Right hook. Feint. Uppercut. Repeat.
He was predictable.
And Noah was going to take advantage of that.
Ryan threw another hook.
Noah ducked, stepped in, and landed a bone-crushing elbow to Ryan's jaw.
CRACK!
Ryan staggered, eyes wide open.
The crowd gasped in shock.
Nobody had ever done that to him before.
Noah grinned. "What's wrong? Thought this was gonna be easy?"
Ryan snarled, wiping blood from his lip. Now he was furious.
Good.
---
The Turning Point
Ryan bull-charged.
Noah dodged, but Ryan tricked him out—slamming a knee into his ribs, followed by a crushing right hook.
BOOM!
Noah's eyes blurred as he slammed into the mat. Hard.
> [HP Critical.]
[Warning: Severe Damage Sustained.]
The referee began counting. "One… Two… Three…"
Noah struggled for breath, his body crying out in agony.
Get up.
Get up.
The crowd was screaming.
Ryan stood over him, arms raised, already in triumph.
Noah's fingers were clawing at the mat.
I didn't come this far to lose.
He breathed deeply—then propelled himself up.
"Five… Six…"
He rose.
Ryan's smirk fell. The crowd exploded.
Noah cracked his neck. "I'm still here."
Ryan's fists tightened. "Bad choice."
Noah exhaled. Time to finish this.
> [Skill Activated: Counter Breaker]
[Next counterattack will deal triple damage.]
Ryan swung.
Noah ducked—twisted—AND STRUCK.
A devastating uppercut.
BOOM!
Ryan's head snapped back. His knees buckled.
The crowd fell silent.
Ryan stumbled—his body swayed—and then he collapsed.
The referee rushed forward.
"KO! The winner is Noah Carter!"
---
A New Champion
Noah stood in the center of the ring, chest heaving, arms raised.
He had done it.
He had defeated Ryan.
The crowd went wild.
He gazed down at Ryan—the so-called king, now unconscious.
Xander stood on the sidelines, grinning.
Noah breathed out.
This wasn't just a win.
This was the start of something much greater.
---