Normally, when someone heard that their enemy was going to attack, they would back down immediately, creating space so that they could avoid the attack easily while also observing the pattern of the attack from a safe distance. However, unlike what the theory said, the flamboyant man didn't even hesitate, rushing forward straight after the words came out of the monk's mouth.
"Shit! What is going on with his head?! Why wouldn't he run away from the danger?! Is he stupid, or did something hit his head before?!" The voice inside Levin's head screamed in disbelief. It seemed Levin could share his vision with the man inside his head, and the illusionist was also joining the fun here.
'Well, you cannot say that it is a stupid move. If anything, the flamboyant man knows what he is doing here.' Levin shook his head quickly, disagreeing with the illusionist. 'After all, the monk had already shown that he had a long-range attack that could be dangerous, and the flamboyant man knows that the attack was initiated by a prayer chant. The main priority is to prevent that attack from being thrown again, and to do that, he needs to engage the monk in a close combat fight again.'
True enough, that was exactly what the flamboyant man did. As they exchanged blows, he couldn't help but smirk and suddenly said, "As expected, you cannot match my speed at all. As long as I don't let you throw your long-range attack, sooner or later, I will start pushing you to the edge. Just wait, Old Man! Go to hell!"
The flamboyant also did another trick, which was to add a little bit more weight in every blow he sent, trying to send a heavy impact toward the enemy. He didn't believe that the monk could last so long like this, and sooner or later, the damage accumulated by him would also bear the result, incapacitating him directly and forcing him to fall to his knees.
However, as he was still in his fantasy land, the monk finally made a move. Right a second before the flamboyant man's jab was about to stab his eyes, the monk twisted his head a little, grabbing the man's hand before slamming it hard to the ground.
BAM!
"ARGH!" The man coughed up blood violently right after feeling the impact. "How?!" He stared at the monk in disbelief. After all, he had already invested all his time attacking the monk for so long just for this moment. So, how could it be that it was the monk who had the advantage here?!
In the end, the monk just sighed before answering patiently, "While your speed might be good, my endurance is also top-notch. Also…."
BAM!
Levin – and somehow the flamboyant man who fought there – gulped nervously at that, not expecting the monk to crack a thick tree by himself, even though it was just still planted strongly on the ground. What was outrageous, though, was the fact that when the monk opened his eyes, the part of the tree that he caught turned into pure ash instantly, showing how strong his grip was.
"Funnily enough, I got the inspiration for this technique from a kid's comic book." For the first time in this fight, there was a faint smile that could be seen on his face. However, the flamboyant man – and Levin to some extent – couldn't care less. They were far more focused on the ridiculous statement coming out of the monk's mouth.
"A comic book?!"
Of course, even though they all came from different worlds, they knew what a comic book was. After all, it was probably one of the most common entertainment methods for children in every universe. What the flamboyant man was questioning was the fact that the monk learned his fighting technique from a comic book. What kind of an author would draw a story that had a strong technique that could be implemented in reality like this?
"Oh, yeah, the technique is coming from a comic book in my childhood, and the name is 'Double Destructive Impact'." The monk had a nostalgic smile as he remembered his past. "Oh, I know, the name is a bit cringey. But this technique is effective in destroying everything without any useless movement. It took me seven years to learn this technique, and you can see how dangerous my punch is."
BAM!
Levin gulped nervously as he watched the stone where the monk sat to meditate before the fight exploded, turning it into sand and dust. Even though he didn't know the essence behind the monk's technique, this demonstration alone was enough to convince the soldier that he shouldn't make this man an enemy.
"A wise decision, Mister Soldier." The illusionist seemed to agree with his thought. "You also might forget about this, so I will remind you that the monk has a superior breathing technique that allows him to take over your illusion. Be careful around him."
Meanwhile, after hearing the explanation and the demonstration from the monk, the flamboyant man sweated a little, somehow noticing that his palm was trembling. He knew that he was at a disadvantage right now. While in terms of speed, he was far superior, but regarding strength, even after putting all of his weight into his attack, he still couldn't hurt the monk at all. That was honestly his strongest method to attack, not something that he could pull so easily all the time. Now that it didn't work, he had to find the monk's weakness while avoiding the monk's attack for as long as he could, not something that was easy to do.
'Or… Should I just run away?' That thought crossed his mind.
However, before he could make any decision, the monk suddenly started to move. "Don't lose your concentration in the middle of the fight!" He said it before throwing a punch at him.
BAM!
Fortunately, the flamboyant man had superior agility, so he could avoid the punch at the last moment. However, the tree behind him turned into dust after getting hit by the monk, and it would be a lie if he said that he wasn't intimidated by this display of power.
'Shit! I cannot get hit by that!'
In the next few seconds, the table suddenly turned. The monk who had been so passive in this fight since the beginning suddenly decided to take action, and the flamboyant man had a hard time keeping up with it. While the monk hadn't landed a hit on him yet, the flamboyant man knew that once he got hit by the monk's punch, he could say goodbye to his life.
However, it was getting harder for him to avoid the punch. Not only that, the monk even shut down his route to escape. Based on the monk's speed, he knew that the moment he turned around and tried to run, the monk would have an easier time catching him. So, he needed to create an opening first, stunning the monk on the spot before he could escape from this fight.
Unfortunately, while the plan sounded feasible, the reality was a different story.
The flamboyant man didn't know how, but the monk seemed to get faster with every second. He was sure that the more he dragged the fight, the better the monk had a chance to catch him. So, the flamboyant man racked his brain quickly to find a way to get out of this situation.
"Shit! I cannot let this go for too long!"
As he was desperate, the flamboyant man tried to counterattack, putting all the weight of his body into the punch. He didn't believe that whatever technique the monk learned from a comic book would be stronger than the ability he had honed for so many years.
Unfortunately, that was what the monk was waiting for.
"Okay, let's end this fight with a head-on confrontation! Whoever punches stronger will win! Come on!"