Assad didn't waste a moment. The instant Kiichi steadied himself, Assad lunged forward again fast, precise, slicing through the air like a blade.
But Kiichi merely tilted his head slightly. The strike whiffed through empty space.
Before Assad could regain his footing, a fist like iron slammed into his chest. It wasn't wild or flashy, it was calm, almost gentle in its execution.
But the power behind it sent Assad flying back across the octagon, his boots screeching against the floor before he crashed into a pillar with a heavy thud.
Dust rained down from the ceiling.
Taura gasped from the stands. "He just—!"
But Assad was already on the move again. He spat out copper-tasting blood, dug his heels in, and launched himself back at Kiichi with double the force.
His fist sliced through the air and landed squarely. Kiichi's head jerked to the side, his body stumbling back a step from the impact.
For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then that laugh came back and was deep, guttural, and completely unfazed. Kiichi straightened up, rubbing his cheek where Assad had hit him, his grin growing wider by the second.
"Now that…that one actually tickled a bit.I'll be generous and give it a solid…two out of ten."
he said, his voice echoing around the room.
His eyes sparkled with wild excitement,the crowd erupted again, half groans and half cheers. Pixia rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath.
"This idiot's having way too much fun."
Meanwhile, Assad's face remained unchanged.
He can take hits and be as cocky as he wants by the way that every person who does not like rookies does, which is to mock.
'To hell with this, I'm going to beat the living daylights out of him.'
The air crackled as fists met flesh.
Assad lunged again, his movements sharp and unpredictable. His strike slammed into Kiichi's ribs, sending shockwaves across the arena floor.
Kiichi staggered back a half-step, coughed once then grinned, wiping the blood from his lip.
"Mm… I'll give that a 3 out of 10. You're getting better, rookie."
Assad's eyes narrowed, his muscles coiling like springs. Kiichi bent backward at an impossible angle, Assad's heel barely grazing his nose before Kiichi snapped forward with a palm strike that sent Assad flying back across the octagon.
Assad slid, teeth gritted, before charging forward once more another punch, this time aimed at the jaw. Kiichi's head snapped sideways, blood spraying from his lip.
He laughed through the blood. "Hah! That's a 4 outta 10! At least you've stopped tickling me."
Assad didn't let up. His fists moved like lightning jab, cross, elbow, knee. Each blow pushed Kiichi back, shockwaves rippling from their collisions.
Finally, a clean strike landed on Kiichi's cheek,the crew in the viewing stands leaned in, eyes wide with disbelief. Kiichi spat blood onto the floor, his smirk still intact.
"…Five outta ten."
"FIVE? That was at least an eight, you smug bastard!"Taura shouted from above, slamming her fist against the railing.
Pixia cackled. "He's just playing with him."
Sévon leaned forward, eyes fixed on Assad, silent but intense. Assad exhaled sharply, sweat trickling down his temple. His knuckles were red and raw, but his glare remained unwavering.
'Doesn't matter what score you give me. I'll break through you.'
Kiichi licked the blood off his lip and raised his hands again, almost teasingly.
"Come on, rookie. Let's see if you can even hit double digits."
The rhythm of fists and kicks was deafening now. Assad's fist connected hard with Kiichi's temple, snapping his head sideways.
The sound of the hit drew gasps from the viewing platform. Tasia nearly dropped her drink. But Kiichi just laughed again, spitting blood onto the pristine white floor. He steadied himself, rolling his shoulders with a casual shrug.
"Not bad, rookie. Not bad at all." His grin widened, sharp as broken glass. "I'll give that a seven outta ten."
Assad froze for half a second, chest heaving. Seven?
Kiichi stepped closer, his voice dropping, dripping with mockery.
"But let's be real, you're still just a stray dog swinging blindly. Every punch you throw? Just scraps. Every move? Amateur hour. You could train a thousand years, and you'd still be nothing more than the crew's charity case."
The words cut deeper than any physical blow. Assad's eyes narrowed, a flash of silver catching the arena lights. His fists shook not from fear, but from a barely contained fury.
Kiichi leaned in, a smirk playing on his lips, close enough for only Assad to hear.
"You'll never be part of the family. You're just a guest at the table, rookie and guests… they don't stick around for long."
The arena fell into a heavy silence, every spectator holding their breath in anticipation. Then, with a thunderous stomp, Assad's foot hit the floor. He lunged forward, quicker than ever.
His fist shot out like a bullet, aimed directly at Kiichi's smirk.
Assad charged forward, his fist slicing through the air like a cannonball, fueled by all his weight and fury aimed straight at Kiichi's smug grin that punch alone should have shattered bones.
Should have sent him sprawling. But it came to a sudden halt, caught with ease by just one finger.
Kiichi's middle finger pressed against Assad's knuckles, stopping the blow mid-air. In the same breath, he flicked his finger upward, the gesture so nonchalant it felt like an insult like he was swatting away a pesky fly.
"Oh? Is that really all you've got?" Kiichi tilted his head, his smirk growing wider as his hand remained steady. The middle finger, bent against Assad's fist, slowly curled until it stood tall, giving him the finger.
The crowd above gasped in unison.
Kiichi's voice dropped, dripping with smugness.
"I heard you had some of the water in you… but you're just raw. Untamed. If you'd gone on a few missions, shown you weren't dead weight, I would've been happy to sharpen you help you unlock it."
His grin turned sharp, almost cruel. "But what a shame. Looks like that never happened."
He tapped Assad's knuckles lightly with that same finger, a lazy, almost playful gesture.
With that he says the words with a quiet whisper next to Assad's ear.
"Buransuta."
The word was soft, but it exploded the moment it left his lips. A flurry of strikes erupted all at once, faster than the eye could see, faster than sound.
Fists, knees, elbows Kiichi's form blurred into afterimages, his attacks raining down from every direction like a storm.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Assad's body jolted violently with each hit, blood spraying into the pristine air. His guard shattered, his ribs screamed, and by the time the final blow landed, he was already crumpling.
The world spun, the white floor rushing up to meet him.
When he hit the ground, it was with a sickening thud Assad lay there on his back, coughing up blood, his chest heaving in ragged bursts.
Above him, Kiichi stood unscathed, brushing off imaginary dust from his knuckles, his middle finger still raised like a flag.
"Negative million outta ten,not even worth grading."he said flatly.