Bully Lord

Part-85

Sensing an opportunity to end the match decisively, Auto Combat prompted James to unleash another Kangaroo Uppercut.  With a powerful lunge from a low crouch, James launched the strike.  Ryan, weary and frustrated, attempted to raise his arm in a block, but it was too slow.  The uppercut connected squarely with his jaw, sending a jolt of pain ripping through his head.  The impact propelled him backward, his legs buckling beneath him.  He landed on the mat with a heavy thud, the wind knocked out of his lungs.

It was just as Kashem thought: despite being weaker overall than Ryan, James had a remarkably strong lower body. The main reason for this was his consistent jogging over the past few days and his regular cycling. These activities had significantly developed his leg strength.

Silence descended upon the training area.  The crowd, which moments ago had been a cacophony of cheers and gasps, held its breath collectively.  Had the underdog actually pulled off the impossible?  Had James, the newcomer wielding a strange blend of raw power and unorthodox techniques, defeated the Judo prodigy?

A beat of stunned silence stretched through the room, broken only by James' ragged breaths. Then, a collective gasp ripped through the crowd as Ryan stirred.  He pushed himself up with a groan, his face flushed but his eyes burning with renewed determination. 

"Damn it! What kind of beast is he?" Ryan thought, astonished. He never imagined he would be pushed this hard by James, who seemed so unassuming and not particularly strong in his eyes. Despite having researched him beforehand, he had found absolutely nothing of significance in James' data.

But he smiled.

"This damn bastard is making me excited! I never thought I would get this much fun out of this," he thought with a thrill."

The surprise attack had caught him off guard, but Ryan wasn't out yet.  He'd faced tougher opponents in national qualifiers, and this newcomer, despite his unorthodox style, wouldn't break him.

Shaking off the lingering effects of the uppercut, Ryan adopted a new strategy.  Gone were the playful taunts and the initial underestimation.  He treated James with the respect one would accord a top-notch national Judo fighter.  He circled cautiously, his eyes locked on James, searching for an opening.

Suddenly, Ryan lunged.  It wasn't the traditional Judo throw James had grown accustomed to.  This was a low, fast tackle, more akin to a move a track athlete might use to bring down a competitor.  The goal was simple - get James to the ground and pin him there.  The crowd held its breath, anticipating the inevitable takedown.

But James, guided by the ever-calculating Auto Combat, was ready.  In a move that defied his limited training, he twisted his body with surprising agility, slipping under Ryan's tackle.  As Ryan shot past him, momentum carrying him forward, James saw his chance.  Auto Combat, having analyzed Ryan's shift in strategy, had identified a countermeasure – a variation of the Kangaroo Uppercut specifically designed to exploit takedown attempts.