Topda danced on the marble and every step closed the distance between him and Thane, who carefully stood there firm like a giant tree.

Topda spun kicked Thane at his ankles, the impact knocked him off balance.

Before Thane could even get up , Topda prepared another kick.

This time the aim was face, and the impact sent him rolling across the floor.

He tried to regain his balance, but couldn’t. His strength was failing him.

Topda’s kicks were calculated and precise, each aimed to knock Thane unbalance.

It was a show of experience, sheer gap in technique which separated the novice from a veteran.

"Top." A voice came, only one man called him Top, it was Vidu Morris.

Topda looked at him with a side eye, not taking Thane off his vision.

"Wrap it up, I have arrangements to make," Vidu said.

Topda nodded, halting his dance.

He began to shift his stance as well, his arms were not relaxed like they were at the start, nor did he move fancifully.

Instead, fists relaxed and fingers opened, his hands raised up at eyebrow level to guard the face, with palms facing slightly outwards.

His chin tucked down as if nothing could touch it.

His shoulders were width apart, with his right leg one step behind.

The back of his heel slightly raised and most of his weight on the palms of his feet for quick mobility.

"The art of eight strikes, he’s going to finish the fight," Hawk gasped. "We have to make Thane surrender or..."

"Or what?" asked Max.

Instead of Hawk, John answered him. "Or he might die."

Thane stood there with his guard raised up, Topda dashed forward.

Thane stood still, unaware of what was to come, he glued his feet on the marble and gritted to tighten every muscle.

He looked through his guard, Topda moved his leg.

"THAA"

A sound resounded, a sound of something sinister, something like a whip. Topda hit a lower kick, precisely at Thane’s thigh.

Thane was not budged at all, he only felt a tingle.

"THAA"

Another lower kick, with the same speed and in the same location. Thane felt it, something more than a tingle this time, a slight pain.

Another kick was thrown, Thane unintentionally raised his leg. The kick’s trajectory changed in mid air.

"PHA"

It hit Thane’s ribs, reviving the numbing pain again, it was the same place where he was smacked before.

Thane grunted, but somehow he held his guard and didn’t move an inch. That was something even Topda was surprised about.

Topda paid no heed and jerked forward, he straight kicked at Thane’s diaphragm.

Thane was pushed back, when he moved his leg, a pain far nastier than the one he felt from his nose kicked in.

He limped, those two kicks showed their result. Thane’s guard was broken, he was in pain.

"Do you know, the spear attack of Topda was not actually fist designed," said a bystander who came to watch the fight.

"What do you mean? Topda always uses a spear with his right fist," replied another.

"Haha, no. His real spear is performed by his dominant right leg."

The listeners were confused. However, they were about to witness it.

With Thane being wide open, he threw his leg, it was similar to a straight kick yet it was different, it was faster and carried much more explosive strength.

"BHAAM"

The spear hit Thane’s shoulder. The knife injury that was closed earlier burst open, blood oozed its way out.

But that wasn’t it, there was another hole that just appeared on his shoulder. Blood gushed out as if Thane was hit by an arrow.

But something strange happened, Thane was smiling.

He hadn’t done anything worth smiling about to Topda till now, and yet, there was a smirk on his bloodied teeth.

"I saw it," Hawk said. "His special attack that people call a spear. It is a lethal front kick with all the power concentrated into Topda’s big toe.

With all the power concentrated into a single point, the kick becomes a blunt weapon that can bore through glass and break bone.

The key is the snap of the knee. Speed is essential to transform this modified front kick into a finishing move."

Thane moved his fingers to check if his arm was still working, it was.

There was tremendous pain, with two holes in the arm it lost its usual strength but he could move it.

Topda looked at the smirk Thane gave, he was pissed, he could hear mockery in the audience.

An expert fighter couldn’t even knock out a young newbie.

Now, Topda wanted domination, so he decided to completely devastate Thane.

He changed his stance again, and threw flickers.

Each flicker landed, when Thane protected his face with his arms, his legs were punished.

There was a punch or a kick, one per second, sometimes he threw a combo in a single second.

When Thane punched, he countered him with a cross. His guard was broken with spear attacks and then connected powerful hooks.

Topda turned into a merciless hunter with impeccable aim, adamant to hunt his prey, which was Thane.

The flickers especially targeted his swollen right eye, while the legs targeted his left leg. He wanted to debilitate both sides.

Thane’s face was now swollen, his right eye was completely closed.

Topda saw that, he sprinted. Thane was suffering from tremendous pain, and that’s what Topda wanted.

He pulled back his arm, an elbow was extended. His scrawny body made his bones protrude. He hit Thane with a rear horizontal elbow.

It landed on Thane’s right eyebrow, split wide open. Blood oozed out as if a giant stone was lifted from the way of a waterfall.

The blood went to his eyes. Thane, to his misfortune, was now completely blind.

And yet, after all the beating, the teen stood still like an unshakeable mountain.

His endurance crossed the limits of logic, Topda was less pissed and more anxious.

At this rate, the guy will die, he said to himself.

He stopped for a few seconds, letting Thane take some breaths out of pity. But then a shout came. "Top."

Topda flinched, he didn’t look at Vidu but knew what the shout was for. Again, the rain of flickers fell upon Thane.

Reginald watched very closely, he wanted to stop the fight, but this would be against professionalism.

His eyes were full of admiration, Ironforge blood is surely something else. He recalled the memories of Thane’s grandfather.

Another spear hit Thane’s chest, throwing him away, another hole appeared, another path for blood.

The clean and neat hall of the palace was now bloodied, Thane’s face was bruised to an extent that he was slightly unrecognisable.

His lip was torn, blood washed his face and the left side of his face was swollen black.

His thighs were discoloured, his chest was ruddy. It was a miracle he was standing consciously.

"Just surrender for your life, this is a one round fight, you won’t get a break or a second round. Do yourself a favour," Topda said as he attacked again.

A lead upper elbow connected with his left side, tearing the skin above his eye.

The stored blood poured out. That was not intended, Topda clicked his tongue.

Thane’s heart beat faster, his vision returned, the swelling that stopped his sight was now gone.

Topda regretted it for a second but didn’t care much, why should he? Thane did nothing when he had his vision.

Topda threw another hand spear, Thane did something strange, he didn’t move backwards nor guard.

He shoved his head forward.

"CRACK"

Topda grunted as a disgusting sound resounded, a sound of bones being shattered.

Topda aimed for Thane’s nose, but because Thane moved, the spear hit his forehead, the hardest bone in the body.

The fragile bones cracked.

Topda who was in the winning position suddenly met with tormenting pain, the abrupt agony slowed him down.

That was a once in a million chance and fortunately for Thane, he didn’t lose it.

He clamped his hands onto the opponent’s spindly arm, Topda’s heart skipped a beat. The spectators gasped, Reginald’s eyes widened in thrill.

Thane stared at Topda with his only available eye, his torn lips stretched into a treacherous smile, blood and saliva mixed and dropped gradually as crimson slime.

He opened his blood painted teeth and spoke. "Round Two!"