Thanom moved with unnatural speed, each strike seeming to anticipate Niran's movements with an almost superhuman precision. His muscles tensed in an eerie, independent way, adapting instantly to every exchange of blows.
Niran barely dodged a punch aimed at his face, feeling the air whistle past his cheek. He leaped backward, gathering information.
Thanom's eyes were impassive, but his body told a different story. His movements were too perfect, too fluid, as if they weren't entirely human.
"This isn't just training..." Niran thought, clenching his fists. Then he saw it, the slight swelling at the base of the skull, a barely perceptible pulse.
A parasite.
But that wasn't all.
Thanom's muscles reacted asynchronously, as if he wasn't the only one controlling them. His limbs responded with flawless, almost mechanical coordination. Niran focused his gaze, drawing upon his combat experience.
Four nodules distributed across the arms and legs. One main parasite in the head, with four others controlling the limbs.
"Five in total..." he whispered to himself.
He immediately understood Thanom's advantage: the primary parasite managed the strategy, while the others coordinated his limbs, eliminating human reaction time. For Thanom, every action was immediate. No hesitation, no delay.
Niran gritted his teeth. This meant Thanom wasn't even relying on his own reflexes, his body moved on its own, without the need to process each action.
"If I want to beat him, I need to disrupt this connection."
He stepped forward and attacked.
Phantom Limb.
His arm extended suddenly, surpassing Thanom's safe zone. A direct strike to the face. Thanom bent backward with inhuman speed, dodging by a hair's breadth. But Niran was already moving.
Ephemeral Step.
He materialized beside Thanom in a fluid, almost blurred motion. An upward elbow strike followed.
Drilling Fang.
The impact was devastating. Thanom staggered, just a fraction of hesitation in his otherwise perfect movement. That was enough.
Niran unleashed a flurry of attacks, using his speed to get ahead of the parasite's reactions. Each strike was calculated to destabilize the connection between the five organisms. For the first time in the match, Thanom stepped back.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
But it wasn't over. Thanom steadied himself and returned to position. The main parasite was adapting, adjusting his body to this new threat.
"I have to finish this before it finds a solution."
Niran focused. One strike. Invisible. Fatal.
He moved with the speed of Ephemeral Step, positioning himself in the perfect trajectory. Thanom tried to react, but it was too late.
Vacuum Palm.
A vacuum formed between Niran's palm and his opponent's body. A silent impact.
Thanom froze. His eyes widened. Then his body collapsed to the ground, showing no external signs of damage.
Silence.
The crowd held its breath.
The referee checked Thanom's body, then raised his arms.
"Winner: Niran!"
A roar erupted through the arena. No one understood exactly what had happened, but the celebration was immediate.
Niran took a deep breath and stepped down from the ring. The tension in his body eased slightly. He had won, but the real challenge was still ahead.
As soon as he stepped out of the combat area, an elegant man approached him. Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his hands clasped behind his back, he wore an enigmatic smile.
"Congratulations on the match."
Niran regarded him with suspicion. The man tilted his head slightly, as if studying him.
"I had quite a large bet placed on you. And I must say, you did not disappoint."
Niran remained silent.
The man took a step forward, his smile widening slightly.
"But now I wonder... what will you do with the prize you've won tonight?"
Niran clenched his fists, fully aware that this man wasn't here just to congratulate him.