I’ve never liked fighting. Actually, until now, I never have, although there were times when I thought about doing it.
Coward, that’s what some people called me, but I don’t think I was. After all, I inherited good genetics from my family. Broad shoulders, above average height, and I was well-fed. My appearance in high school was, at the very least, a bit intimidating. It was all just for show, though, as I never used the strength I possessed.
Still, thanks to that, unlike my friends, I was not teased during my childhood, despite being just as much of an otaku as they were.
I cannot deny that, on some occasions, when I saw how they were mistreated, I thought of lashing out against the aggressors, but in the end, I could never do it. While I was not afraid of being hurt, as I still carried a high sense of pride and self-esteem at the time, I feared hurting others and the consequences that would follow.
When I imagined myself hitting someone to the point of breaking their nose or, worse, a bone, I would forcibly restrain myself from acting.
It was definitely sad not to have been able to stand up for my friends, and maybe that’s why, over time, as we each went to college, they stopped talking to me, but I took comfort in thinking of myself as a good person.
‘Yes, I was, but apparently, I’m not anymore’
Whether it was due to the instincts of this body that guided me or the resolution that my soul had gained, I did not hesitate to run toward my opponent, who was still suffering from the pain of the fall.
With seven great strides, I arrived in front of him, and before he could finish getting up, I stopped for an instant to turn my left foot by one hundred and twenty degrees, and then, with the other, I launched a roundhouse kick in the direction of his head.
The movement was clean and well executed, or so my inexperienced opinion that wants to validate the arduous efforts I made in practicing it, but, even so, the blow did not hit the target.
Against all odds, the brat ducked before the kick connected, dodging as none of the previous fighters did. Also, preventing me from completing the spin, he stopped my leg in mid-air by holding it with both hands.
Surprised by his unexpected actions, it took me too long to decide what action to take, which is why I lost my chance to break free from his grip, even though I was strong enough to do so. This was my first fight in both lives, after all. However, it was not his, so he, taking advantage of my carelessness, applied force to his hands and threw me to his side.
Thanks to my weight being heavier than his, he didn’t manage to throw me very far, at most a couple of meters away.
The impact I received when I fell after being thrown a second time was not severe. I only ended up with some slight scratches on the palms of my hands, which were the ones that prevented my face from hitting the ground.
After forcibly clearing my mind, I repented for my reckless act and, as I put strength into my arms to get up, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the running towards me the brat in an attempt to kick me back in the head.
Fear ran through my body as I imagined what would happen if that blow hit me. So, without wasting any time, with the palms of my hands, I hit the ground as hard as I could to propel myself upwards until I landed on my buttocks.
It was close, but fortunately, in the end, I managed to dodge that blow that could have been fatal. Although, my wrists were very sore after forcing them to lift my weight so abruptly.
With my eyes fixed on the brat’s back, taking advantage of the fact that his hurried running had passed me by, I stood up as fast as I could and then took a wide breath of air to calm my body which was boiling from the fight.
As if in slow motion, I watched him turn to me while thinking how much I had underestimated him. I naively believed that he would receive all my blows without dodging or blocking, yet I was wrong because, without difficulty, he not only dodged my kick but also stopped it in the air and launched a counterattack that could have taken my life.
‘Because of the adrenaline rush, I forgot I am up against a humanoid beast with great fighting instincts’
Having thought more about the situation I am currently in, I realized that going with my instincts as I did before would not work, as my experience in it cannot compare to yours. Therefore, if I want to win this fight, I must make the most of what sets us apart. That is, intelligence.
Seeing him running towards me with a grimace that exuded violence, I bowed my head, and after sticking my elbows to the level of my nose, plus covering both ears with my hands, I raised my right knee to protect my abdomen.
Such was the defensive position I planned one day while waiting for the sun to rise. Of course, I’ve never put it into action, besides I know how weak it is to pushes and grabs, but I’m confident it will do the trick this time.
Upon reaching my side, the brat, without delay, started beating me relentlessly while viciously aiming for my protected head and ribs.
It was hard to stay on my feet, but thanks to him only attacking me with crude hook punches to my sides, the momentum I received from his blows helped me to barely keep my balance.
It hurt. Undoubtedly, his blows hurt, but that is something for which I was prepared from the beginning. His little and thin fists were slowly opening the wounds he had made on my forearms when he fell so that the blood that emanated from them splashed to the point where tiny drops threatened to fall into my eyes.
Even so, I held on. I did so until, with my left fist, taking advantage of the moment when the brat overextended his punch to give it more power, I threw a jab that connected with his cheek.
I missed him. I aimed to hit him in the chin, not the cheek. However, I didn’t have enough aim to achieve it, but at least I got the desired result.
Confused by the unexpected shock, the brat did not manage to dodge in time the next blow that I threw with my right arm, which was loaded with much more power than the previous one, and although this one also did not connect where I wanted, the damage I did was greater.
Unfortunately, I did not defeat him, and it seemed I was far from doing so. So, after taking quick, short steps backward to widen the distance between us, I hit him with a kick to the chest as if I were trying to open a door like a spartan.
Well, the intention was that, but my strength didn’t allow me to do it.
The kick managed to push him away from me, but unlike the earlier punches, this time, he could defend himself by covering himself with both hands, avoiding being knocked out on the spot.
‘What a pity’
That’s what I thought as I watched him move even further away from me as he rubbed the parts I had hit on his face. After all, I thought those three blows would be enough to end this fight, but I couldn’t do it, and now the guy has become wary of my actions.
Several meters away, the brat was staring at me with undisguised fury accompanied by slight grunts while his body bent forward, in position to launch himself at me again. But even though it urged him to fight, his tiny brain forced him to remember what had happened. It is not surprising that this should be so, for he being accustomed to engaging in fights without thought or plan, the execution of my simple strategy must have seemed strange to him.
‘The idiot, when he saw that I let him hit me without punching him back, surely thought he had defeated me. He never expected that in a carelessness, I would counterattack him’
Either way, I mustn’t let that go to my head, for although I hit him heavily, that doesn’t mean initiating the attack is a good option. Ultimately, if he were to dodge me, it could be me who ends up in a position where I cannot defend myself against his subsequent attacks. Therefore, I must force him to be the one to come.
It didn’t take me long to decide how to proceed. So, happy to be able to do something I dreamed of, with a smile that could be read as mocking growing on my face, I raised my right arm pointing in his direction and, with two fingers, beckoned him to come closer.
