Experience vs Talent

Rocky bounced on the balls of his feet. Breathing controlled. Calm.

No more mindless offense.

This wasn't just a fight.

This was a conversation in movement

Muscle vs Tendon. 

The shockwaves thundered across the arena.

pressure rocked the barrier.

The temperature began to rise.

At first, no one noticed

Just wind. Just Senior Brawler failing land a hit against the rookie.

The dome shimmered.

The air thickened.

Moisture clung to skin.

Gabriel wiped a bit of moisture from his forehead, unfazed.

Still calm and relaxed.

He dodged Rocky's punches with practiced ease turning, pivoting, leaning just enough.

His movements were effortless. Precise.

Nothing had changed.

If anything, he looked like he was enjoying himself.

There was a glint of satisfaction in his eyes not just from dodging, but from watching Rocky struggle.

"All talk," Gabriel said with a smirk.

"Thought you said 'game on.'"

He wiped his brow again, a second motion now subtle, almost absent-minded.

Then came the moisture even Gabriel didn't register at first.

A bead of sweat slid down his temple.

His first.

But Rocky didn't slow down.

Didn't respond.

He kept punching.

WHIP-WHIP-WHIP!

The tempo doubled.

Punches turned into a storm rapid-fire bursts of compressed air blurred together like drumbeats of war.

FWOMP. FWOMP. FWOMP.

Gotta keep going...

Rocky's arms were starting to ache.

Muscles burned. Forearms throbbed.

He clenched his teeth, pushing through.

My punches are getting heavy...

But I have to execute this perfectly. Just a little longer…

***

Up in the crowd section 

Samira the cloaked girl leaned forward, her eyes glinting.

She spoke aloud, just loud enough for those around her to hear.

"Interesting... I underestimated that Rocky fella."

"Grandpa Kenta... do you see what's happening?"

Kenta nodded slowly.

His eyes were sharp beneath his weathered brows.

"I do. very smart of you to observe that," he murmured. "Now let's see how it plays out."

Beside them, Tabaki, Iwazumi, Jiro, and Gin all looked confused.

Tabaki squinted.

Jiro leaned in.

Iwazumi frowned.

"Kenta,What are you talking about?" Jiro muttered.

"What's happening that we're not seeing?"

Gin, ever the screen-watcher, had been glued to the digital display instead of the actual ring.

He loved watching through the lens always learning, analyzing, imagining himself in the spotlight.

But now, even he couldn't figure it out.

What am I missing?

What do that girl and old man Kenta see... that I don't?

His eyes narrowed on Rocky punching again and again, soaking in the rising heat.

And slowly... the realization started to creep in.

The ground steamed.

The barrier rippled.

The ring once cool and crisp was now a sealed sauna.

Heavy. Blinding. Suffocating.

Gabriel blinked.

His composure wavered.

Sweat streamed down both temples

no longer a trickle, but rapid, relentless drops.

The hexagon was hotter than usual now.

Oppressive. Suffocating.

It assaulted his vision.

Salt scorched his eyes natural, inevitable.

A burning flood streaked down,

stinging, blinding

in a battle where sight was everything.

He kept swiping at the sweat on his temple

but Rocky didn't give him room to breathe.

The punches kept coming.

Fwomp. Fmop. Fomp!

His left eye squinted.

Another drop slid in

hot, stinging, blinding.

Reflex took over.

Both eyes blinked just once

but in that single blink,

everything blurred.

Tsshh ..Why the hell... am I sweating this much?

BOOM!

A shockwave broke through Gabriel's guard.

He stumbled back, violet pupils flickering trying to focus, recalibrate.

His predictive vision still worked.

But what use were perfect eyes

if they were constantly blocked by sweat?

Rocky saw the opening and moved.

He feinted left punched right.

BOOM!

Compressed air detonated against Gabriel's ribs.

Gabriel staggered.

But even through reflex his foot snapped out 

CRACK!

A clean kick to Rocky's jaw.

Both men stumbled back.

Both breathing hard.

But only one looked confused.Gabriel.

Rocky wiped blood from his lip.

He smirked.

"In all my years of fighting... I've never seen anyone with a Pulse that stops sweat from getting in their eyes."

His grin widened.

"Guess it's time for your own lesson."

He raised his fist and curled it slightly, pressing his knuckles together.

"You know how pressurized air works?"

"My pulse releases 500 PSI per shot that's pounds per square inch."

"Enough to crack steel, dent armor, or turn a sealed ring into a pressure cooker."

"That's industrial-grade power what hydraulic."

"And I've been firing that nonstop."

"Now imagine that pressure, focused in a tight space."

He gestured around them.

"This barrier? It doesn't let fresh air in. No circulation. No breeze. Nothing to cool you down."

"So every punch I've thrown?"

"It's been heating this place up. Boiling the air around you. Turning your clean vision into a fog of sweat and steam."

Gabriel's eyes narrowed but they still glistened. Dripping. Flickering.

Rocky took a step forward, fist raised again.

"Your eyes can predict movement…"

"But they can't predict what happens when you start sweating profusely."

Gabriel flinched, stinging sweat running into his eyes.

"You fool," he snapped, wiping his brow.

"You're sweating too. This heat you're not immune to it."

Rocky didn't flinch.

He smiled calm, in control.

"Of course I'm sweating,its only natural, " he said.

"But one thing's clear…"

"We're not the same."

He stepped forward, slow and steady.

His fist hovered at his side, pulsing with pressure.

Gabriel growled, still swiping at the sweat streaking down his temple.

"You think me struggling to see gives you an edge? When you're in the same mess? Tch. You disappoint me, Rocky."

Rocky chuckled, flexing his fists.

He wiped at the sweat burning around his eyes,

blinking hard again and again

trying to shake out the sting.

"Yeah, I'm sweating. But again you're missing the point."

He tilted his head, steam curling around his jawline.

"Aren't you from The Lucky Country?"

Gabriel blinked, caught off guard.

Rocky raised a finger, a half-smirk on his face.

"Kangaroos," he said.

"Powerful legs. All those tendons you keep yapping about. They jump far, kick hard, right?"

Gabriel narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah? What about 'em?"

Rocky stepped closer.

"Their legs aren't just strong they're everything. Their identity. Their survival."

"Take those legs away… and they're done."

Another step forward.

Slower. Heavier.

"Two creatures can have the same feature

but not the same dependency."

"You have those Eyes. Incredible vision. Perception and prediction."

"But you built your whole fighting style around it. That's your thing."

Rocky pointed to Gabriel's soaked face.

"Me? I've got eyes too. But I don't rely on them as much as you do."

"So now that we're both blinded by heat and sweat,ask yourself…"

"Who suffers more?"

"The guy with regular vision?"

"Or the one who has superhuman sight.

Gabriel's jaw clenched.

Rocky's voice dropped cool, heavy.

"The stronger your ability, the harder you fall when it fails. Obvious especially in the bigger picture."

"That's evolution."

"The more a creature relies on one trait or a few for survival or dominance, the more fragile it becomes when those traits are taken away."

His eyes weren't glowing anymore.

Vision blurred by sweat.

Focus slipping.

For the first time in the match, Gabriel hesitated.

And then… he understood.

Every one of Rocky's punches had compressed air, and with each blast, the temperature inside the barrier rose.

No airflow. No ventilation.

Just accumulated force... cooking the ring from the inside out.

He final felt the burn on his arms for throwing so many punches about 600 in total the whole match aggressively he had to finish the fight quickly burn his arms couldn't hold anyone.

He'd been turning the arena into an oven.

Gabriel's jaw tightened. His vision pulsed with steam and sweat.

His precision shattered.

His Eye blinded.

Too late.

Rocky wiped sweat from his own temples and eyelids, flicking it aside like dust.

His movements were still rough, but his grin said everything:

He didn't need perfect vision to hit his mark.

He surged again with no hesitation.

Fist to shoulder. Elbow to gut.

Then the haymaker.

A compressed air punch, loaded with 500 psi, aimed straight at Gabriel's face.

BOOM.

Gabriel flew.

His body crashed into the dome wall with a thunderous impact.

Dust exploded on contact.

He dropped motionless.

The arena went still.

One second.

Just one breath of silence.

Then

"ROCKY! ROCKY! ROCKY!"

The crowd erupted.

A tidal wave of voices crashed through the dome.

Cheering, stomping, chanting.

"What a hit! Finally Rocky the haymaker connects!"

"Things are not looking good for Crashnova!" the commentator's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and urgent.

"Gabriel's down he's disoriented and that barrier's not dropping until one fighter gives out!"

"What will Crashnova do now to turn this around?"

Then

Gabriel flipped back to his feet.

But slower.

Less balance.

Eyes glowing faintly not fully.

Still dazed. Still sweating.

Rocky stood tall. Smiling.

Predict that