Chapter 19
The ref finally got the crowd to quiet down and began to announce the match up of today. The crowd finally quieted down and he began to speak. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this fight has been sanctioned by the officials of the school, introducing first, Yuichi Taro!” The crowd erupted in a cheer as if it were Hawk that had been fighting in today’s match up. "And his opponent, Terence Mason” There were more boos than cheering chants for Terence. It was obvious who the fan favorites were and who were cheering for Terence also. The ref points to Taro and asks him is he ready. "This is your last chance to give up. No one will call you a pussy…well maybe I will but not everyone” He said with that same smirk on his face. Terence shook his head and got ready to fight him. "You don’t talk much do you? That’s good. I don’t have to hear your whining when I beat you” He nodded to the ref who then turned to Terence who had also done the same thing. The ref crossed his arms with his fingers out and signaling for the match timer to actually start which caused immense cheers from the fans. Taro rose one leg slightly and stood straight up with one leg completely erect. It was similar to the crane stance but he instead placed one arm in front of him towards his chest and his other beside him. Terence was surprised at what he saw, not sure how to go about attacking this guy. "Confused? That’s too bad. I was thinking of letting you come at me first to you know, gauge you”. He said mocking Terence again. He scowled at this and rushed him the same way Markus did throwing a punch directly at Taro who again caught it with one hand and used his already rose leg to half roundhouse kick Terence in the face. While still holding Terence and going off the momentum of the first kick, he swung his other leg around as well. Terence managed to get an arm up and block with his free hand, feeling the immense weight behind the kick. It caused him to stumble and fall back rolling back to his feet. As quickly as the kick came Taro was right back in his ready stance. "Did I not tell you, you can’t win? It’s the laws of this world. The beautiful just cannot be hit” Terence touched his face and pulled back afterwards. Just touching it hurt pretty bad meaning it was bruised quite badly on that side.
Terence tried to rush again but was outclassed by Taro who simply stopped him cold with a straight kick to the stomach with his readied leg. While his foot was still inside of Terence he attempted to raise his other leg upwards in a flash kick motion. Terence leaned his body back just in time, feeling the wind behind the kick and knowing very well if it would have connected there would have been some damage. He stumbled back again clutching his stomach and wondering what to do now since direct attacks obviously aren’t working. Taro rushed him while he was deep in thought causing him to snap out of his thought and the two began trading blows repeatedly. Taro was throwing kicks from all direction which Terence began meeting with kicks of his own ending the clash with two kicks that sounded off. The two backed off and Terence was now holding his right leg. "You’re legs seemed to be the best part about you. But they are of lesser value than mine.” Taro said to him. "Are you through trying yet? Just hold still and I’ll end it fast” Taro rushed him again and the two began trading more blows ending in another clash with kicks before backing off again. Terence held his other leg now, both of which were hurting. "You’re running out of ways to defend against me you know?” he said. "It’s only a matter of time” Terence shook his head. "Just because it hurts…doesn’t mean you’ve won!” For the first time during the fight Terence began to show some resolve against him. Taro shrugged and continued smirking. He rushed Terence again who was slow to even put up a guard. The straight kick connected with his face spinning him around and dizzying him a bit. Taro stopped and threw a half roundhouse again using ki too immediately stop his momentum and turn around. Terence blocked the kick by luck but was sent to the canvas sliding on his back. He laid there for a moment wondering what he had gotten himself into.
Rin joined the group that was sitting in the stands watching the fight but didn’t sit down. She instead stood up beside the seat Jarvis was at. "This is pissing me off” Jarvis said to the group. Everyone was trying to figure out what Terence was doing and why he continued to rush him down stupidly. "I’m not sure what he’s thinking either” Rin said to the group who just now realized she was there. "What exactly did you teach him?” Kallen asked. "Not to be this stupid, that’s for sure.” Rin replied. "I hope he is doing this because he has a plan. Or maybe he is just completely outmatched. I told that moron he can’t win!” She began walking down the steps towards the sideline area of the arena. "Where is she going?” Lianna asked the group. No one in the group answered and just decided to continue to watch the fight. It was all they could do really.
Terence stood up after the ref counted to four breathing a little hard. After the ref asked if he was okay and signaled for them to start again, Taro immediately rushed him again. "I think I’ll end it quick now, Saeko is waiting!” Taro yelled getting ready for his attack again. Terence took in a deep breath and stared at Taro as he was coming forward. When Taro performed the straight kick aimed at the stomach again, Terence whispered to himself. "You’re just a showoff…” He cocked his fist back and threw a punch just as Taro reached him, using his long arm reach hitting Taro right in the face. "W-what!?” Taro rolled himself backwards sliding up to his feet and staring at Terence. "H-how did you…you didn’t!” He held his face and felt a bruise right where Terence hit him at. While he was feeling his bruise, Terence went around him and just as he noticed connected another punch to his face stumbling him even more. Terence grabbed his head with both of his hands and pulled him down to his knee, driving it right into Taro’s face and causing a nose bleed. He let go as his face rebounded of his knee and threw a body blow into his stomach connecting and making him lean forward, knocking a bit of saliva out of his mouth. Before Terence can pursue him further he pushed him away and ran towards the edge of the other arena. He continued to hold his face and turned to look at the crowd who gasped at what they saw. Taro’s nose was busted and his right side of his faced bruised with a visible black mark. He glared at Terence pointing directly at him. "You hit me in the face! No one has ever hit me in the face and dealt that type of damage! I’ll make you grovel! I swear to it. Forget Saeko! This…is personal!” He began to laugh a bit maniacally and got back into his ready stance. He rushes at Terence full speed jumping into the air and coming down with one foot angled at his face on fire. Terence rose both hands above his face and extended them coming into contact with the kick that slid him back a bit. The kick was strong and had immense force behind that continued to apply power well after Terence had stopped it. There was dust being thrown up behind his feet as he slowly slid to the end of the other side of the arena. "Damn…I can’t…lose this way!” Terence thought to himself while channeling ki into just one of his hands. Terence’s heel went of the edge and he was now holding him while trying not to fall. With enough ki in his hands, he was able to repel the attack by slamming Taro down toward the ground by his foot.
Still using the charged ki in his hand he picked Taro up and slammed him in the arena again by his foot. He rose him up again and slammed him back down on his back one more time as he was doing this, the crowd slowly began to get behind Terence. He lifted him up once more and let go of him allowing him to float in the air helplessly while he thought of what to do. "Got it!” Terence said while Taro floated up with his back towards him in the air. He stood a few steps back, and then ran forward at full and jumped delivering a flying kick into the center of the back of Taro, throwing him into the right side of the arena and crashing into the ground and rolling away from him laying face down with his eyes closed. The crowd was silent after the barrage as they have never seen someone who the council themselves even believed to be the next Hawk get overwhelmed so easily. After the silence, the ref began to count. Terence knelt down after the barrage to regain some breathing room. He pushed himself to deliver those attacks which immediately went numb again afterwards. "Hopefully he doesn’t get back up again.” Terence said. "I put a lot into that kick”. The refs count got to 8 and Taro began to slowly get himself back up again, fully getting up at 9 ½. He looked at Terence breathing hard and now bleeding from the mouth. He laughed again before wiping the blood from his mouth onto his arms. "You’ve made me taste blood Terence…” he said catching his breath. "This is no longer a game as I have stated before. My pride is on the line and now…I’m going to make you feel torment. My only concern is you!” He looked to be more calm than before and now that he is fighting levelheaded, he isn’t going to fall for the same tricks again. Terence ran his full speed towards Taro and connected with another punch to his face but it was almost as if Taro had let him hit him. While he was reeling, Terence connected with a knee that forced him forward and an uppercut that rocked his face up. Taro smirked and used the momentum to flash kick Terence while landing on his feet. Terence landed right on his back and flipped up the moment he hit the ground, wiping away a speck of blood drew from the kick. Terence went for a sweep but Taro flipped over him and hopped to the center of the ring. He rose one leg up into the sky, doing a split while standing and laughed. "Goodbye Mason!”
