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Chapter 2 – Rematch With Iida Part 2
At Perfect Gym’s second-floor ring, Iida and Aire faced off.
Their sparring session was set for two rounds.
This meant that they wouldn’t hit with full force, as the goal was to avoid any lingering effects that could interfere with the main event.
After the bell rang, Aire displayed light footwork, circling around Iida and repeatedly closing in and pulling away.
Iida led today’s sparring session, with Aire’s role being support.
Under no circumstances could they injure their opponent or disrupt their timing.
Iida’s goal was to fine-tune his conditioning for New Year’s Eve.
Aire’s purpose was to gauge her combat effectiveness against Iida once more and reassess the state of fighting prowess in modern Japan.
By mimicking her opponent’s movements, she gained a deep understanding of Earth fighters’ techniques.
(Their height and such are different, but she’s really matching my style. Much appreciated!)
(This is fun in its own way!)
Squeak, squeak—her footsteps rang out sharply as she repeatedly closed in.
Her steps were sharp, alternating between sudden acceleration and abrupt deceleration.
Her instantaneous movements and directional changes were the very essence of a feline’s prowess.
Though obscured by the changes, Aire’s ears were fixed on Iida, not missing a single shift.
Her cat-like eyes narrowed sharply, her pupils fixed perfectly on Iida’s entire body.
She was watching intently.
Iida lightly swayed his body from side to side, preventing his opponent from locking onto a target, and then threw a jab.
It was a terrifyingly fast jab, stripped of unnecessary force.
Top-tier jabs in combat sports are said to exceed the limits of human reflexes.
If you react only after seeing the fist come, it has already struck its target.
Therefore, one must read the preparatory movements before the action, predict the attack, and counter it.
The attacker minimizes feints and motions to throw off the reader.
The defender scatters the target, discerns the real from the fake, and defends proactively.
Iida’s sharp jab sliced through the air.
By the slimmest margin, Aire ducks under the jab, parries it, and goes in for an arm lock.
(Dammit! I can’t seem to land a hit!)
(Nishishi! Too slow! A careless punch like that won’t land!)
(How can she dodge this!?)
(I can see everything, you know!)
Drawing on his exceptional martial arts experience, Iida prevented counterattacks but struggled to advance his own offense.
The old Aire evaded this jab with the superhuman reflexes of the Golden Tiger Clan.
But now, by studying Earth martial arts via video and sparring with Cloche, she had mastered countermeasures.
This was similar to how Iida had grown stronger after drinking a potion to recover his body.
Aire had also become stronger, both physically and sensorially, through video learning and training with Cloche.
(My opponents aren’t this good at defense, though. Huh!?!)
(Before I knew it, I was backed into the corner!)
Iida weaves jabs, feints, and fakes to drive Aire into the corner.
He hasn’t landed a clean shot yet, but Aire is at a disadvantage with her back against the ropes on both sides.
In this situation, where the corner plays a key role, the advantage clearly lies with Iida, who is accustomed to fighting this way.
Even if Aire knows the theory, she can’t immediately counter without experience.
“Ah, Aire! You have to get out of the corner!”
“No, I’d say Iida-san is just skilled here. He’s blocking and not letting her escape.”
“Yeah, that’s right. It’s like he can predict exactly how she’ll move based on his attacks.”
Wataru, Cloche, and Stella reacted.
Unlike Wataru, who showed signs of panic, Cloche and Stella, experienced fighters, remained calm.
After that, Iida’s jabs and speed-focused body shots connected with Aire’s body.
Aire stopped trying to break free from the corner and aimed for a hit-and-run.
(Damn, this is seriously fun!)
(Hmm, forcing my way out isn’t right either. What should I do?)
Iida wore a smile on his face.
Yet, despite being only midway through the first round and having ample reserves, his composure was being chipped away.
Still, he kept smiling, gradually turning the situation to his advantage.
At that moment, Iida unconsciously recognized the immense power hidden within Aire’s body—far lighter and smaller than his own.
It was the physical prowess of a beastman with rare power from another world.
Enhanced by what’s commonly called physical magic, Aire could overwhelm Iida with muscle alone.
However, Aire had no intention of giving it his all and had strict orders from Wataru.
Still, the latent power exerted an unseen pressure on Iida.
Facing an opponent vastly stronger than oneself demands immense mental fortitude.
“Guh!”
“Oh, Aire’s knee strike landed cleanly.”
(This girl’s seriously skilled, but I knew she could knee at this range.)
Thud. Though the force was light, Iida grimaced in pain.
Kicks launched from point-blank range with almost no wind-up were her specialty.
They came flying from outside the opponent’s field of vision—knee strikes and high kicks.
Aire’s cat-like, slender legs folded swiftly, and his knee slammed into Iida’s right side.
Immediately after, two of Aire’s fists grazed Iida’s temple, striking over his guard.
(This should get me out of the corner… nyah!?)
(Not a chance! You can’t dodge this one!)
Aire tried to feign further pursuit to escape the corner, but Iida saw through it and instantly tackled him.
“Ha!”
(Her throws are more effective than her standing techniques!)
(That’s not it, nyah! I threw you on purpose to get revenge for when you stepped on my tail last time!)
An ultra-high-speed tackle from point-blank range slammed Aire onto the mat.
With a thud, her head was pressed against the corner post.
Last time, stepping on her tail ended the fight, but now, Aire was countering.
In fact, she began countering with extreme composure.
Against Iida, who tried to use her height and weight to gain a dominant mount position, Aire skillfully used her limbs from her supine position to prevent her from doing so.
Instead, she lay in wait, watching for the slightest opening.
(If you come, I’ll take you out!)
(He’s aiming for one shot.)
Pierced by Aire’s eyes, which were filled with murderous intent and overwhelming pressure, Iida couldn’t attack carelessly.
However, he repeatedly landed small, precise punches that steadily inflicted damage. He transitioned to joint locks and chokes like a shogi endgame.
Compared to standing combat, ground fighting demanded more experience.
Aire, fighting with pure muscle strength and age-appropriate physical prowess, was gradually pushed back due to the size difference, and her physical manipulation magic was sealed.
And then—
“Yes! I won!”
“Hmph!”
Iida celebrated with an out-of-place victory pose, which was met with Aire’s displeased expression.
Compared to Iida, who was drenched in sweat and panting heavily, Aire’s breathing was calm and light; she had barely broken a sweat.
It was obvious that she hadn’t gone all out. He understood that this victory was only as a sparring partner.
Even so, beating Aire here was important to Iida.
Just how much stamina did she have?
How strong would she be if she fought at full power?
Iida was astonished by her unfathomable potential and intensely curious.
“Aire, are you hurt? Do you need a potion? Here, drink some water.”
“Seriously, you worry too much, Master. I’m fine.”
Aire smiled wryly at Wataru’s overly concerned attitude, though she didn’t seem to mind.
She blushed and let his care wash over her.
As Wataru gently wiped her face and head with a bath towel, the terrifying fighter from the ring vanished completely. She looked like nothing more than a cute girl smitten with Wataru.
“Aire-chan, after my match ends, wanna try fighting for real sometime?”
“Hmm, sure,” she replied.
Iida was surprised and delighted that his wish had been granted so easily.
It might have made him happier than the New Year’s Eve match.
“But if you get totally crushed by me, don’t come crying to me about your pride being hurt, okay?”
“You said it. This is going to be fun!”
President Tanaka stopped the video camera set up beside the ring and began asking Wataru questions.
“Sakai-san, can’t we stream this? I think it’d get a lot of views. We’ll pay you for appearing, too.”
“Absolutely not. This is strictly for supporting Iida-san’s match. Keep it secure, don’t show it to anyone else, and delete it before the match.”
“Yes, that’s a shame. Hey, Aire-san, why don’t you turn pro? There’s no other female fighter who can match our Iida. You could definitely aim for the world.”
“Hmm, no thanks! My place is right beside my master!”
“Well said, Aire.”
“Uuuugh, O-Onee-sama… My head… My brain is being destroyed!”
“Haa… What a shame. Such a shame.”
(It’s disappointing, but if she had really wanted it, she would have debuted ages ago.)
Understanding President Tanaka’s genuine regret, Iida concluded that Aire would never agree to it.
Besides, after fighting her, he clearly understood that the kind of battle Aire sought wouldn’t be found in an MMA ring.
There were Aire’s sudden shifts in gaze and subtle body reactions.
And the killing intent pierces through him.
“I’m looking forward to the day we can fight for real.”
Aire embodies the ancient Japanese martial arts.
She seeks a fight where life itself is at stake.
This was different from Iida’s purpose in martial arts.
He could tolerate the risk of himself or his opponent losing their life in a match, but he never actively staked his own life.
Still, Iida looked forward to the day he could fight Aire for real.
He was sure it would reveal a new kind of battle to him.
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