"Oh, martial arts?"
Irumi, who originally had no interest, raised his head slightly to observe the other person. The corners of the other person's mouth lifted, brimming with confidence.
"A confident smile. Interesting."
"What style are you?" Irumi asked with some interest.
"Hmph, now do you realize how amazing I am?"
Kliman, the contestant, looked arrogant. He crossed his fists in front of his chest, with his left hand extending its palm forward in a defensive posture and his right hand clenched into a fist, ready to attack at any moment.
"It's too late. As for my style, a brat like you isn't worthy of knowing."
"Your stance, is it Shudokan?" Irumi looked at the other person's posture. It was indeed a well-practised stance that had almost no flaws.
"Oh, didn't expect a kid like you to recognize this style."
Kliman was somewhat surprised. He had learned this style during his wanderings, and few people outside of that particular island nation recognized it internationally.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Kliman, born in the north, has been practising martial arts since he was young."
At this moment, the female commentator in the commentary booth began explaining the origins of this style to the audience.
"Currently, Kliman is using a popular martial arts style from an eastern island nation called Shudokan!"
"Are you ready?"
While the commentator explained, the referee stood between the two fighters, ensuring their readiness. Irumi had a blank expression, while Kliman looked confident. The referee's raised right hand suddenly swung down.
"Begin!"
"Hmph." As soon as the referee's arm swung down, Kliman let out a cold snort. He stepped forward with his left foot and forcefully swung his clenched right fist from his chest.
*Sha...*
Irumi, with a blank expression, twisted his foot slightly and effortlessly dodged the attack.
"It's not over yet!"
While Irumi evaded his attack, Kliman shouted and raised his right leg, slamming it down towards Irumi's shoulder.
*Bang!*
His foot stomped on the ground, creating a dull thud. Kliman widened his eyes and looked up, only to find that Irumi had somehow moved to his back.
"So, this is your martial arts? What makes it different from the ordinary martial arts?"
Irumi's mouth curled up, taunting Kliman. He wanted to see the martial arts Kliman boasted about.
"Just dodging a couple of moves doesn't mean you can be smug."
Kliman's expression turned serious. If it were an ordinary person, Irumi would have been defeated by his first punch earlier because his Shudokan was learned from a master known as the "One-hit Kill" Shudokan expert.
"This kid is not ordinary."
However, standing in front of him, this kid not only evaded the first attack but also dodged the second. Thinking like this, Kliman changed his stance, clenching his fists, one in front and one behind his chest.
*Thud!*
Kliman stepped on the ground and charged towards Irumi, throwing punches one after another, accompanied by the sound of cutting through the air.
"Too slow."
But Irumi simply stepped back with a smile, as if he knew in advance, often evading Kliman's punches before they were thrown.
"Heh..."
Just as Kliman was about to throw a punch, a smirk appeared on his face, and he retracted his fists. Irumi's eyes narrowed, and he quickly raised his left arm to block in front of him.
*Boom!*
Kliman's foot kicked up in the air, landing on Irumi's left arm, creating a cloud of dust.
*Boom boom boom...!*
Immediately after, Kliman launched a series of continuous kicks. Irumi raised both arms in front of him in defence. Kliman kept kicking, causing Irumi's body to shift backwards slowly.
"This won't do."
Kliman looked at Irumi's relaxed appearance, feeling a sense of urgency. To outsiders, it seemed like Kliman had the upper hand. But in reality, every attack he made was perfectly defended by Irumi.
"Hah!"
Suddenly, Kliman let out a low shout and changed his strategy. Instead of continuing with kicks after landing on the ground, he stepped forward and threw another punch at Irumi.
*Bang!*
But this time, Irumi didn't evade. He used his palm to firmly block Kliman's fist.
*Peng peng peng...!*
Kliman rapidly threw a series of punches, but each one was caught effortlessly by Irumi's open palms. Both Kliman and Irumi's hands and feet moved rapidly, creating afterimages. The dust stirred up by their fight filled the arena, and even the referee had to retreat to the edge of the ring to avoid being accidentally hit.
"Wow, the fighters from Jappon really know their stuff!"
"Kliman keeps on attacking with elbow strikes, knee strikes, kicks, and flying kicks!"
"Irumi's defence is flawless. No matter Kliman's martial arts style, he can't break through Irumi's defence!"
"Are these two fighters gods of war?!"
The enthusiastic voice of the female commentator resounded throughout the arena, igniting the passion in the hearts of the audience.
"Go, both of them are amazing!"
"Keep going, Kliman, keep attacking!"
"Hang in there, Irumi!"
The spectators in the audience cheered wildly, thrilled by the intense impact of the punches. Many of them took off their outer clothes, their faces flushed with excitement.
"Muay Thai?"
Amid his defence, Irumi suddenly spoke, causing Kliman, who was attacking, to furrow his brows. That's right, the style Kliman was currently using was the famous "Art of eight limbs", known for its fierce strikes using the legs, fists, elbows, and knees as eight weapons.
"Hmph!"
Kliman snorted and swiftly turned around, leaping into the air, and launching a flying kick towards Irumi's temple.
*Swish!*
Irumi's head tilted back, but a small wound was still left on his forehead, and a trickle of fresh blood seeped out.
"Ho-oh!"
With a successful attack, Kliman's mouth formed an "O" shape, imitating a familiar pose of Irumi. Irumi's eyes narrowed, and he took the initiative to launch an attack. Kliman stepped forward, charging at Irumi.
"Ha! Ha!" Kliman shouted continuously, abandoning the previous style and breaking free from any specific form.
Boxing, kicking, claw strikes, straight punches—four types of attacks freely flowed, relentlessly targeting various vital areas of Irumi's body.
"Ha!"
Kliman's straight leg kick hit Irumi's abdomen, sending him flying backwards with a "thud."
"Ho-oh!" Kliman stood in place, once again forming an "O" shape with his mouth, emitting a strange sound. At a critical moment, Irumi crossed his hands in front of his abdomen, blocking Kliman's straight leg kick. With a powerful leg push, he forcefully stopped himself at the edge of the ring.
"Jeet Kune Do?!"
Irumi, standing at the edge of the ring, revealed a look of surprise. That posture and habit were reminiscent of the martial arts master from his previous life, Bruce Lee.