Big Daniel stood over the unconscious forms of Eli and Johan. He lifted his leg to stomp on Johan.
His body suddenly went flying. Baki appeared in that spot. "Huh? You blocked that?"
Big Daniel slammed into the wall, coiled his body, and sprang at Baki with two flying kicks. Baki crossed his arms to block, then stepped forward and delivered a downward elbow strike.
Big Daniel leaped over Baki and kicked toward the back of his head. Baki blocked with his palm and swung him toward the wall, but Big Daniel clung to his hand and twisted it.
Baki grinned. "Damn. You're too good. Why didn't you fight back in the 4th affiliate?" He trapped Big Daniel's head between his legs in a standing headscissors. Arms around Big Daniel's waist, Baki lifted him onto his shoulders while rotating toward the opposite side of the stage. Then he dropped into a seated position, slamming Big Daniel back-first into the ground.
Big Daniel grabbed Baki's arm and slammed him down. He planted his right leg on Baki's neck while balancing with the other. Baki's eyes widened. "Huh? An armlock?! Did he copy it when I used it in the 4th affiliate?! Then how about this!"
Baki twisted his arm free, snapping it from position and unbalancing Big Daniel. He locked one of Big Daniel's legs in an excruciating hold—one leg extended between Big Daniel's calf and thigh, his foot wrapped around Big Daniel's ankle, while his other leg pressed down on the thigh to maintain the hold, creating a figure-four. With one hand, he restrained Big Daniel's remaining leg.
Everyone watched in shock. "Is it finally over?!"
But Big Daniel twisted his body at an unnatural angle and broke free. Baki looked surprised. Both fighters stood.
Big Daniel launched a flurry of open-hand thrusts faster than the eye could follow. Baki weaved through them, stepped forward, and unleashed a powerful hammer strike.
Big Daniel bent over and stopped the punch with his palm. Baki hit him with a roundhouse middle kick, but Big Daniel checked it with his shin and delivered a gut punch. Baki twisted and began a combination—a punch to the gut, followed by a powerful hammer strike. Big Daniel blocked everything.
Baki delivered a high knee while stepping forward. Big Daniel blocked it. Baki kicked Big Daniel's ankle, followed with another kick to the midsection, then used his leg to toss him backward. Something felt wrong. Baki clicked his tongue. "Tch! This kid—what is he?!"
Big Daniel clung to Baki's legs and swung his body, slamming Baki to the ground. Baki did a handstand and slammed Big Daniel down by his leg. "How about this?"
But Big Daniel rolled to absorb the impact and stood up. Suddenly, a massive boom echoed through the corridor. Big Daniel was sent flying headfirst into a wall.
Everyone was shocked. "What just happened?!" Baki hadn't visibly moved from his spot, yet Big Daniel had been launched backward. Baki jumped high and descended feet-first onto Big Daniel, stomping his head before backflipping away. He continued stomping repeatedly.
But Big Daniel grabbed his leg and threw him aside. Big Daniel performed two forward flips and struck twice with his falling heels, then charged at Baki while spinning—a move that drove them both into the air. At the peak of their flight, he descended feet-first onto Baki, stomped his head, and backflipped away. "Damn, he copied me again!"
Baki grabbed Big Daniel and hit him with three knee strikes. Big Daniel blocked them with his palms and jumped back. Then he suddenly dashed forward at full speed, jumped, and threw a sidelong wheel kick. Baki caught the kick and started to slam him down, but when he tried to pull again, he couldn't. Big Daniel had grabbed the grate that blocked the disfigured horde.
Big Daniel kicked Baki in the face and front-flipped. Then he jumped at Baki. Baki also jumped, grabbed Big Daniel mid-air, flipped upside-down, and drove him head-first into the ground, creating a crater.
Big Daniel slowly got up. He leaped into the air, throwing a jab. The jab connected, and he followed with a barrage of punches and kicks, juggling Baki higher into the air. But that was Baki's plan. He closed in on Big Daniel, hugged him, bent him over, twisted his body, and kicked him in the stomach with both legs. Big Daniel crashed into the ground like a bullet.
Baki breathed hard. Suddenly, Big Daniel rushed from the dust, grabbed him, gut-punched him, and roundhouse kicked him away. He then sprinted behind Baki and struck with hooks, jabs, and kicks, knocking Baki away before catching up again to deliver another combo. He finished with lightning-quick blows.
Baki was battered. He closed his eyes and sighed. He used the 0.5-second unconsciousness technique again. Big Daniel dropped to the ground. Then he used it again. Big Daniel crashed into the wall. He kept using it. But the result wasn't what he expected. He couldn't generate enough force to knock Big Daniel out. And his body started burning from the inside too.
Though he attacked at high speed, Big Daniel cushioned each attack. It was as if he knew Baki was attacking, but Baki was simply too fast for Big Daniel to dodge. Baki was shocked. "He... Could he react the instant he's triggered? How is that possible? After all, even if a person is triggered, the brain sends movement commands to the body 0.5 seconds later. Unless he has even better instinctive reactions than me, this shouldn't be possible. Could it be... The kid is unconscious and his body is moving on its own?! I've heard of cases like this, but this is too extreme!"
Big Daniel rushed at him. He spun and kicked Baki with the flat of the top of his foot. Baki crossed his arms, but the impact sent him crashing into a wall. Baki rushed at Big Daniel, jumped, and delivered a kick to the back of his head. Big Daniel ducked and grabbed Baki with both arms from behind. Then he threw him backward and slammed him to the ground.
Baki coughed blood. He slowly got up and wiped it away. "Tch, I guess the warm-up's over. Let's start for real!"
Endorphins coursed through his body. Baki's senses maximized. He had activated Endorphin Release and Death Concentration. The toll on his body was heavy, but his grin only widened.
Baki took a single step forward, his weight settling into his hips. His fist began its arc. His body stiffened to its utmost limits. As the punch reached Big Daniel, the world seemed to slow. Baki felt the mass of his entire body being funneled into a single point.
BOOM!
The force of impact was so complete, so absolute, that Big Daniel's body contorted grotesquely. Blood erupted from his mouth. He slammed through walls and flew so far that the others couldn't even tell where he'd gone.
Baki pulled his fist back, his joints releasing their tension. He released a deep breath. His whole body burned from the inside. The punch he'd used was the Goutaijutsu strike—an attack he'd created on his own.
Suddenly, Big Daniel rushed through the broken walls and threw a punch at Baki. But before the punch could even land, Big Daniel fell to the ground, unconscious.
Baki grinned. "There's something you should get to know better. Your limits."
Then he stretched his body and looked around. The whole place was a mess. It looked like a war had happened here moments ago.
Suddenly a voice echoed. "Woohoo! I didn't expect to see you here, Baki!"