Beyond Gods 74 Blood Of A Boxer

"WHAT SPEED!," screamed the announcer. "SHE IS CLEARLY AMONG THE FASTEST FIGHTERS WE'VE HAD SO FAR!"

"What is she doing!?," said Johan. "How can she literally disappear from our field of view?"

"Remember how Muhammed Ali and Bruce Lee would throw punches so fast that the camera couldn't capture it?," said Pedro, "this is the same thing."

But Johan knew differently.

[Hanuman,] said Johan, [what is she doing? I can't figure it out. I should be able to see her move.]

[Ha! Ha! Ha!,] laughed Hanuman, [she is jumping behind the scenes and then coming back to attack Jabber from different angles. Going behind the scenes hides her presence from people who do not know how to access it. A clever trick that would never work against me.]

There was someone other than Rey in Looking Glass City that was capable of of going behind the scenes!? Johan couldn't believe it.

On the television, it was clear that the damage was beginning to build up on Jabber. His face was starting to swell and his skin had turned red from being continuously struck.

"Give up on your dream of joining the top sect!," yelled Anastasia. "They were always out of your league!"

FOOSH!

For the first time in the match Jabber struck out hitting nothing but air.

"I WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON MY DREAMS!," yelled Jabber. "I'VE WANTED IT EVER SINCE I WAS A CHILD!"

"HA! HA! HA!," cackled Anastasia, "FINALLY, YOU HAVE BEGUN TO TAKE ME SERIOUSLY! NOW, I'LL PICK IT UP A NOTCH! I'LL DESTROY YOUR DREAMS BY RUINING YOU HERE AND NOW!"

Anastasia continued to strike at Jabber an an even faster pace evading all of Jabber's punches.

"She is even faster than Jabber!," gasped Pedro.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Jabber continued striking out hitting nothing but air and Anastasia continued striking him at an uncanny speed.

"IS JABBER OUTCLASSED!?," yelled the announcer. "EVEN AFTER HE STARTED HITTING BACK, HE HASN'T LANDED ONE STRIKE! THIS IS UNHEARD OF! THIS WOMEN CAME OUT OF NOWHERE AND IS SHOWING AN UNCANNY ELITE SET OF SKILLS!"

The audience had began to whisper and Jabber had turtled up. Strike as he might, he continued tot miss hitting nothing but air.

From the looks of things, even Jabber was unable to see Anastasia's attacks.

FOOSH!

CRACK!

FOOSH!

BANG!

FOOSH!

Jabber began to strike out more frequently, and wildly. He missed, while Anastasia continued to land all her hits. His jaw had been clearly broken, yet Jabber continued to fight, he had stood up and was enduring her attacks.

To everyone's disbelief, Jabber suddenly closed his eyes.

"COME YOU HUSSY OF A WOMAN!," yelled Jabber.

CRACK!

A loud sound echoed throughout the stadium.

Jabber's left fist was extended and smoke rose from it.

"Did he just break the sound barrier with that punch!?," exclaimed Johan.

[Yes,] said Hanuman, [he did.]

Meters away stood Anastasia with an expression of surprise. Her arm's hung limply at her sides noticeably broken as the bones jutted out of the skin and blood ran down them.

[Ha! Ha! Ha!,] laughed Hanuman, [He landed a hit and she blocked it with a cross arm block!]

"JABBER LANDED A HIT!," screamed the announcer, "WHAT A SURPRISE!"

"How?," said Pedro, "how did he do it? He hit her, but his eyes were closed."

It was clear Jabber had attacked Anastasia. Johan had seen him throw the punch, but Anastasia hadn't been there. But then, a moment later, she was injured standing in the sand meters away from him with her arms broken from block his strike. Jabber had thrown a counter that connected without seeing where she was coming from.

"A true man will not let a woman," whispered Jabber, "No matter how beautiful. Get in between him and his dreams. The minute you reminded me of my goal is the minute you lost this match."

Jabbers words resonated throughout the stadium,

"How?," said Johan. "How did he do it?"

"There is a saying," said Gracie, "among many high level boxers who have had a lot of fights. They can sense where an attack is coming from, without actually seeing it. Sugar Ray Robinson, one of the boxing greats once said this during an interview. Often times he would use this to dodge knockout blows."

"A fifth sense that only comes through experiencing and enduring several hard fights," said Tommy. "Something the hand's on nature of boxing sparring gives you. But it doesn't come unless you have talent and put in the work."

"With a single strike," said Gracie. "Jabber has made everyone view boxing as a viable martial art."

[That wasn't instinct,] said Hanuman, [her attacks had become patternistic and rhythmic. Jabber did it by systematically throwing punches to make her follow a pattern by dodging without her realising it. Then he timed his best punch to hit her from the most likely direction she would come from. He bet on it. This wasn't a fifth sense. It was strategy. This was a high level fight.]

"Well," said Anastasia, "it looks like things have become interesting. You aren't a chump like I thought, there was a lot of power behind that strike because you are much heavier than me. It could have taken out a lesser fighter than me. But you are still out matched."

Jabber charged towards Anastasia and she ran towards him disappearing.

Jabber punched at the floor causing the ground to explode and stur up a sand storm blurring out the vision of the cameras.

"THIS ISN'T A FIGHT ANYMORE," yelled Jabber, "THIS IS A MESSAGE!"

"WHAT THE HELL!?," gasped Pedro, "HE HIT THE GROUND CAUSING A SAND STORM! THAT ISN'T HUMAN LEVELS OF STRENGTH!"

"That shouldn't be possible," said Kru Bu, "not in Looking Glass City. In the upper realms, yes. But not here. Punching the ground should have shattered his fist."

"WHOA!," screamed the announcer. "WHAT A DISPLAY OF STRENGTH!"

BOOM!

CRACK!

BOOM!

CRACK!

The sound of bodies hitting each other could be heard from within the sand storm.

As the sand cleared, Jabber's large frame slowly revealed itself through the cloud of sand.

Blood ran down the side of his broken jaw. His arm was broken and he was on his knee.

Meters away Anastasia was kneeling in the sand, her shin was broken and jutting out of her leg.

"THIS YEAR! I WIN THIS TOURNAMENT!," roared Jabber.

"He used the sand sand storm to even the playing field," said Kru Bu, "he took away her ability to see."

[YES!,] laughed Hanuman, [GOOD! Both of those two could kick your ass the way you currently are!]

"Maybe," said Anastasia, "I can't fight anymore like this. I FORFEIT! For today, but you just got lucky."

Silence and awe emitted from the crowd as they interpreted what had just happened.

Jabber coughed up blood and fell to the floor unconscious.

WHOOOOOO!!!!!!

The crowd roared in excitement.

"JABBER WINS!," yelled the announcer, "BY FORFEIT! YET HE IS THE ONE LYING DOWN UNCONSCIOUS! DO WE HAVE A PROMISING NEW POTENTIAL TOURNAMENT WINNER!? IF SHE HAD ENDURED TEN MORE SECONDS, SHE WOULD HAVE WON! GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ANASTASIA, THE RUSSIAN FIGHTING HOTTIE!"

WHOOOOOOOOO!!!!

The crowd roared in applause and excitment.

Johan felt something he hadn't felt ever before. Awe. That counter was not something he felt he was capable of even with the memories from his future self ... and Anastasia.

How had she obtained the ability to go behind the scenes? Had she learnt from someone? Was she the only one, or were there others

"Incredible fight," said Kru Bu, "one of the best I've seen yet."

"Yeah," said Pedro, "That is Jabber for you. Always pulling off amazing things."

"But that Anastasia," said Tommy, "hot and deadly. I hope I don't have to fight her."

[There is a saying in Tai Chi,] said Hanuman, [that technique is only effective against opponents up to twice your weight. Today, Anastasia proved that saying wrong.]

"Would Anastasia have won?," said Pedro, "boxers have the highest degree of mental and endurance, resilience and fortitude of all the martial arts because of how many rounds advanced fighters have to fight through."

"Who knows," said Gracie, "but a knockout is a knockout."

Everyone at the table went silent as they stared at the television.

Paramedics ran onto the arena and took Jabber and Anastasia away on stretchers.

Deep down everyone knew the real winner of the match was Anastasia.

What other monsters did this tournament have hidden?

Chapter end