HA3 11.2 - Second Round
Swish swish swish!
Sw-swish!
Swish swish swish!
After Coach Kotaro switched to the smallest training knife he could use, his swing became faster, more relentless, and more erratic. This kind of swing would deliver only shallow cut. It wouldn’t kill you right away, but it would slow you down, or even bleed you to death if the amount was too many and didn’t receive proper treatment in time. Most of all, it was very difficult to block this type of high-speed and formless swing.
As the result, Hide was being forced into total evasive mode. He had no chance to launch counter attack. He couldn’t even see Coach Kotaro’s hand that came at him at erratic manner, so how he would counter his swing. Coach Kotaro also faithfully maintained low and firm footing while chasing him like a madman.
In a glance, it looked like it was just a matter of time before Hide received a cut or two. Yet, after four minutes of tight cat and mouse game, Hide still didn’t suffer any cut. He did indeed have to step out of fighting mat to avoid some swings, but other than that he did a really good job at distance management and prediction game.
And finally, the relentless chase came to a stop. Coach Kotaro had run out of breath, and needed some time to catch it back.
“Hide,” Coach Kotaro said as he stepped back and maintained some distance from Hide. “Your ability to fight armed opponent won’t go to anywhere if all you do is evading my swing. Try to block my swing even only for once.”
‘Nope, no thanks, Coach,’ Hide calmly muttered.
To launch a block, he had to stop his evasive movement. However, even if he was lucky enough to get a perfect block, he had no confidence he could stop Coach Kotaro’s follow up swing.
Coach Kotaro was also faithfully maintaining low and deep footing. There was no way he could put him down to the mat when he stood like a small castle, and could switch to killing move in a blink of an eye.
In short, as soon as he stopped evading Coach Kotaro’s chase, he would either receive fatal attack or become walking mincemeat. That was not so bright of prospect.
After taking a deep breath Hide replied, “Coach, blocking your swing is one hell of risky move.”
“That’s the point of training,” Coach Kotaro calmly said. “Facing challenge head on and learn how to properly take a risk.”
“Hide, don’t listen to that Old Fart,” Hayashida suddenly blurted out. “He tries to get you to make rush move and give him window to bag this round. Right now, he has only one thing in his head. He has to regain his honor at all cost.”
“Shut up, you Damnable Rascal,” Coach Kotaro vexingly said. “Don’t just randomly spit out nonsense.”
Actually, what Hayashida said was true. Coach Kotaro really had only one thing in his head right now. He had to regain some of his honor. If his martial buddies knew he suffered a clean defeat from a newbie when he had knife in his hand, for the next several years they would turn him into laughing stock every time they meet for drinking gathering.
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‘I definitely can’t let that happen. I have to make the score even by bagging one round from Hide,’ Coach Kotaro muttered as he strengthened his resolve to defeat Hide by all means in his disposal. “Hide, you are young. It’s fine to be hot blooded in occasion.”
“Shameless Old Fart,” Hayashida couldn’t help but blurted out another painful remark for Coach Kotaro.
“Shut up, don’t disturb Hide.”
In the end, Hayashida could only shake his head. At the same time, Hide caught the similarity between Hayashida and Coach Kotaro. The two were sore loser to the core. They were truly like father and son even though they had no blood relation.
‘It seems I have triggered Coach Kotaro’s fighting spirit in a wrong way, but I won’t back down. I will end this round quick,’ Hide muttered before saying, “Coach, let’s end this sparring.”
“Hide,” Coach Kotaro said in a drop dead serious tone. “This round won’t end until one of us down in the mat.”
“Coach,” Hide calmly said. “I don’t mean disrespect, but in long run I will win this round even though all I do is evading your swing. You are not young anymore. Your stamina will betray you sooner or later.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“How about this? Throw your best swing at me. If I manage to catch it, it’s my win. If I can’t catch it or move my feet to avoid it, it’s your win.”
Big question mark instantly popped up in Coach Kotaro’s forehead. “Are you sure about that?”
“Absolutely,” Hide firmly replied. “I have seen your swings enough to get used to it. You also have slow down significantly. I will definitely catch your wrist before the knife in your grip can touch me.”
“I see.” After an ear-to-ear smile Coach Kotaro said, “It’s nice to be young. Reckless and brakeless, enjoy the challenge to the fullest.”
“Yeah,” Hide said while loosened up his body and arms.
A moment later, Coach Kotaro darted his body towards Hide. He saw Hide’s shoulder started to move, but he didn’t see he moved his arm. Then, as he launched a swing at Hide’s throat he realized something was wrong, but it was already too late.
Baam!
Without a warning, a round-house kick made a solid connection to Coach Kotaro’s temple. As the result, he lost his consciousness even before his body hit the mat with thud.
“It seems I also bag this round, Coach,” Hide calmly said before stepping aside and gave the medic staff a room to check Coach Kotaro’s vital.
At the same time, in the edge of fighting mat Hayashida looked at Hide with complicated gaze. ‘This Little Rascal is more rascal than me. He even has the gut to trick Old Fart.’
“Hide,” Hayashida said as Hide walked over to him. “Congrats, since the Old Fart started training people, only you have ever bagged two solid consecutive rounds from him.”
“Yeah,” Hide took a deep breath before continuing, “But, I get a hunch. Later, Coach Kotaro will skin me alive.”
“No, he won’t.”
“Are you sure about that, Senior Hayashida?” Hide curiously asked.
Hayashida gave Hide firm nod. “He will look at you like a sulking toddler and ask you for a rematch, but he won’t do anything else other than that. He won’t even scolding or lecturing you for playing trick on him.”
“I see.”
“However, when you are away, he will train himself like madman for the rematch, so brace yourself.”
“I will.” After a short pause Hide said. “Senior, you really know a lot about Coach Kotaro.”
“All I know is I bicker with him a lot,” Hayashida casually said. “Then, before I realize it I already know him like my own palm.”
“I see.” After a moment of silence Hide asked Hayashida, “Do you know what return gift I can bring for Coach Kotaro?”
“Just buy him the cheapest local whiskey you can get from liquor store. He loves to use it to make Highball and ask me to make fried chicken to accompany it.”
“Got it.”
“But don’t buy him more than two bottles,” Hayashida said in a drop dead serious tone. “He drinks only booze he got as a gift, and three bottles a month is the limit before it can affect his health.”
“Understood,” Hide firmly said. “And what about you and the others in the gym?”
After a short ponder Hayashida said, “Just bring us three boxes of lemon pound cake. Everyone here eat only sweets we got as a gift.”
“Okay.”
After gulping down two mouthful of water Hide went back to the medic staff. Then, under the various gaze from everyone in the gym, he helped the medic staff to lay Coach Kotaro’s ‘remains’ in infirmary.
*****