The Path Of A True King.

Ray stood tall in the ring, his crimson eyes locked onto Elijah with an intensity that sent a shiver through the air.

His fiery red hair was slightly unkempt, falling just past his ears, giving him a wild yet controlled appearance.

His face was sharp, angular, with a strong jawline that added to his already imposing presence.

Unlike Elijah's lean yet muscular frame, Ray's body was well-built, every inch of him sculpted from rigorous training.

His broad shoulders and powerful arms hinted at raw strength, while his toned core showed that he wasn't just about brute force—he had the endurance to match.

The underground lights reflected off the slight sheen of sweat on his tanned skin, his body a perfect balance of power and agility.

His stance was relaxed, yet it carried an unmistakable weight, like a coiled beast waiting to strike.

A smirk tugged at Ray's lips. "You ready, Elijah?" His voice was deep, steady—filled with confidence that bordered on arrogance.

Elijah rolled his shoulders, exhaling sharply. "I was born ready."

The announcer barely had time to step out of the ring before Ray exploded forward, closing the distance in a flash. His right hook came like a bullet, aimed straight for Elijah's jaw.

Elijah barely managed to sway back, feeling the air shift as the fist skimmed past his face.

Without hesitation, he fired a sharp jab at Ray's ribs.

Ray twisted his body, blocking the strike with his forearm before driving a brutal knee toward Elijah's side.

The impact was solid, rattling through his torso.

Pain flared, but Elijah gritted his teeth, his body already reacting.

With a swift pivot, he swept his leg low, aiming for Ray's ankle.

Ray hopped back just in time, his foot barely escaping the strike.

The crowd roared, their cheers and shouts mixing into a chaotic storm of noise.

But inside the ring, there was only the fight—the raw clash of instinct, skill, and will.

Ray lunged again, throwing a rapid combination—left jab, right hook, spinning kick.

Each strike was fluid, merciless.

Elijah bobbed and weaved, slipping past the punches, but the kick came too fast.

Crack!

It slammed into his forearm as he barely managed to block, the force making his bones tremble.

But he didn't falter.

Using the momentum, he twisted his body and launched a vicious counter—his elbow slicing through the air like a blade.

Ray barely managed to block, but the impact sent a sharp sting up his arm.

He grinned through the pain. "Not bad."

Elijah didn't reply.

His focus sharpened.

He stepped in again, feinting another elbow before ducking low and slamming his fist into Ray's gut.

Ray let out a sharp breath but didn't buckle.

Instead, he seized the opening, gripping Elijah's wrist and yanking him forward.

BAM!

A brutal headbutt crashed against Elijah's forehead, making his vision flicker for half a second.

But instead of staggering back, Elijah grinned.

He drove his forehead right back into Ray's.

A shockwave of pain burst through both their skulls, but neither backed down.

The moment of stillness shattered as they exploded into movement again—fists, knees, and kicks clashing like a brutal rhythm.

Ray went for a haymaker.

Elijah ducked under it and countered with a devastating uppercut.

Ray's head snapped back, but he recovered instantly, launching a spinning elbow that Elijah barely managed to dodge.

Neither used their breathing technique yet—this was raw combat, skill against skill.

Elijah could feel it.

The way his body moved, the way he reacted—it was as if he was evolving with every exchange.

Every dodge, every counter, every strike—he was adapting in real-time.

Ray smirked mid-exchange. "You're fast… but you'll have to do better than that."

Elijah's eyes stared at Ray.

He feinted another punch, baiting Ray into reacting.

The moment Ray moved, Elijah struck—twisting his body to unleash a powerful roundhouse kick.

Ray had no time to dodge.

SMACK!

The kick connected flush against his ribs, sending him skidding back a few steps.

He winced but refused to fall. Instead, he chuckled, rolling his shoulders.

"Now we're talking."

For a moment, they paused, breathing slightly heavier.

Then, in perfect synchronization, both fighters inhaled deeply.

A silver aura erupted around them, swirling like liquid fire.

The sheer intensity of their presence caused the very air in the underground arena to tremble.

Dust swirled at their feet, the echoes of the crowd fading into the background.

Elijah felt it immediately—his body surging with power as his breathing technique took effect.

Then—

[ Burst has been activated. All stats increased by 40%. ]

A notification flashed before Elijah's eyes.

He smirked.

Originally, his breathing technique only granted a 30% boost, but since he hadn't reached the Beginner Stage at that time, it remained the same. However, by using Ki instead of just air, the effect had increased.

Ray grinned, sensing the shift. "Not bad."

Then—

A blur of motion.

Their bodies vanished from where they stood, colliding in mid-air with a deafening impact. The shockwave sent a blast of wind through the underground arena, causing weaker spectators to stumble back.

Fist met fist.

Kick met kick.

Shockwaves rippled through the battlefield as neither fighter gave an inch.

Elijah twisted his body mid-air, sending a powerful spinning kick towards Ray's temple.

Ray barely managed to duck under it, but before he could counter, Elijah had already rotated again, bringing down a brutal heel drop aimed straight at his shoulder.

BAM!

The strike landed, forcing Ray to stagger, but he didn't fall.

Instead, he gritted his teeth and retaliated with a sharp uppercut—Elijah barely managed to weave away, but the force of the punch split the air.

Without hesitation, Ray lunged forward, driving his knee towards Elijah's ribs.

Elijah twisted his torso, blocking with his forearm, but the impact sent a painful vibration through his bones.

He retaliated with a sharp elbow strike to Ray's chest, forcing him to retreat a step.

Their movements blurred—one moment on the ground, the next in mid-air, exchanging blows at inhuman speeds.

BOOM!

Ray threw a devastating roundhouse kick, his silver aura flaring like a second sun.

Elijah barely dodged in time, feeling the wind pressure graze his cheek like a razor blade.

He countered with a rapid jab combo, his fists moving too fast for normal eyes to follow.

Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

A feint—then a gut punch.

Ray grunted, his breath hitching for a split second.

Elijah took advantage—he stepped forward, shifting his weight, and drove a crushing sidekick into Ray's stomach.

Ray's feet left the ground—he flew several meters before skidding to a stop.

The crowd roared, but neither fighter heard them.

Ray wiped a thin trail of blood from his lip. Then, he laughed. "Not bad."

Before Elijah could respond, Ray vanished.

BOOM!

A fist buried itself into Elijah's stomach. His eyes widened as his body was lifted off the ground.

Ray was fast—too fast.

BAM!

A second punch slammed into his ribs, followed by a spinning backfist to his jaw.

Elijah's vision blurred for a moment.

He barely had time to react before Ray's foot came crashing down like an axe kick, forcing him into a desperate roll.

He recovered quickly, twisting into a low sweep kick.

WHOOSH!

Ray jumped over it, but Elijah had already followed up—a rising knee to the chest.

The impact sent Ray airborne. Elijah didn't waste the opportunity.

He chased after him, Ki surging through his legs as he leapt up, twisting his body mid-air.

A spinning kick smashed into Ray's ribs, sending him flying even further—straight into the arena wall.

BOOM!

Cracks spread across the stone as dust billowed around Ray's impact point.

For a moment, the underground arena fell silent.

Elijah landed, breathing hard.

His body was burning—muscles screaming, lungs desperate for air—but he refused to collapse.

The dust settled.

Ray was still standing.

Blood trickled down his forehead, but his grin remained.

"Damn," Ray chuckled, rolling his shoulder. "That actually hurt."

Then—

BOOM!

He exploded forward, faster than before.

Elijah raised his guard—too late.

Ray's punch crashed into his solar plexus, forcing the air from his lungs.

CRACK!

A brutal knee to the ribs.

Then another.

Then another.

Elijah's vision blurred.

His instincts screamed at him to counter, but Ray was relentless—a storm of fists and knees battering his body like a raging hurricane.

Then—

SLAM!

Ray grabbed Elijah's arm and flipped him over his shoulder, slamming him into the cold ground.

THUD!

Elijah coughed, his back screaming in agony.

His vision swam, but he forced himself to move.

He had to.

Ray pounced, aiming a finishing blow—

Elijah rolled, barely dodging the strike.

The ground cracked where Ray's fist landed.

Using the momentum, Elijah twisted back to his feet.

His body was aching—his Ki was burning all the energy out of his muscles—but he refused to go down.

He charged.

Ray met him halfway.

Their final exchange was a blur.

Fists clashed, knees collided, bodies twisted and struck with everything they had left.

Their battle had reached a point where neither could afford to hold back—pure instinct drove them forward.

Elijah ducked under a punch, countered with a rising elbow.

Ray retaliated with a spinning kick, barely missing Elijah's temple.

Neither gave an inch.

Then—

Both fighters stumbled back.

Their chests rose and fell rapidly.

Their bodies screamed for rest, muscles burning, lungs desperate for air.

They stood there, staring at each other.

Neither moved.

No words were spoken.

No winner was declared.

The fight wasn't over—

But for now, it was a draw.

The underground crowd erupted, but neither Elijah nor Ray heard them.

For now—

They were simply trying to breathe.