The bell rang. Both fighters stood tall, eyes locked, fair
and square in their fighting stance. The arena was silent, waiting for the
storm.
Neither moved at first — each waiting for the other to
strike, each ready to counter.
Karikalan stepped forward inch by inch, his aura pressing
down like a shadow. Elara instinctively moved backward, mirroring his steps.
Karikalan (inner voice, fierce):"Why are you hesitating? Come and fight me fair and
square!"
Suddenly, Karikalan surged forward, unleashing a barrage of
punches. Each jab carried the weight of his Shadow Punch, pushing Elara back
slowly, inching him toward the ropes.
Father (shouting angrily):"What
are you doing? Move forward and attack him!"
Elara's voice trembled, but his eyes sharpened:
Elara (strained):
"I know… I'm trying. But his jabs are so intense, they're pushing me
back. I'm waiting for my chance… and now… got it!"
With a sudden shift, Elara leaned down after a jab,
striking Karikalan's right hand. He twisted outward, seizing Karikalan's arm,
and with a burst of martial skill, slammed his entire body onto the mat.
Karikalan (screaming in agony):"Aaaaaaahhhh!"
The sound pierced the arena. His ribs, already shattered,
burned with pain far greater than before. The crowd gasped, commentators
shouted, and Richard clutched his head in despair.
Elara staggered back, breathing heavily, his father
smirking with pride. But Karikalan lay on the mat, writhing, his scream echoing
like a cry of defiance against fate.
Karikalan's scream echoed through the arena, raw and
piercing. The sound froze the crowd — thousands of voices silenced in an
instant.
Commentators (shocked):"Karikalan
is down! That slam hit his ribs — he's screaming in agony!"
Richard leapt from his seat, his face pale.
Richard (desperate):"Karikalan!
Hold on! Don't give up now!"
Veera clenched his fists, his voice trembling.
Veera (worried):
"He's suffering more than I imagined… but I know him. He won't stay
down."
Elara staggered back, clutching the ropes, his face faint
and trembling. His father shouted with pride, but Elara's eyes betrayed fear.
Elara (inner voice, shaken):
"Why… why is he still screaming like that? Even broken, he refuses to
fall. His persistence… it terrifies me."
The crowd, once roaring, now sat in stunned silence. Some
covered their mouths, others leaned forward, waiting to see if Karikalan would
rise again.
Slowly, Karikalan pressed his palms against the mat. His
body trembled, his ribs burned, but his eyes blazed with defiance.
Karikalan (inner voice, fierce):"Pain… agony… none of it matters. I will fight till the
end. I will not let this arena forget me."
With a groan, he pushed himself upright, staggering but
unbroken. The silence shattered into gasps and cheers — the dark horse was
rising again.
Karikalan's scream tore through the arena like a cry from
the depths of hell. The sound made the entire crowd tremble — even the
celebrities who had mocked him earlier froze in shock.
Commentators (alarmed):"Karikalan
is slammed on the mat like a hammer hitting a nail! Wait… look at his ribs…
they're bruised! Don't tell me… are they shattered? Can Karikalan even continue
the fight?"
Richard rushed to the edge of the ring, his voice urgent
but steady:
Richard (pleading):"Karikala,
stay on the mat for a few seconds. If you try to rise too quickly, it'll only
worsen the pain in your ribs."
But deep inside, Richard's thoughts were heavy:
Richard (inner voice, worried):"Damn it… he's trying his best against that arrogant
champion. Elara slammed him with such force… I just have to pray he can hold on
until the end of round two."
Meanwhile, the celebrities cheered, their voices dripping
with arrogance:
Celebrities (mocking):"That
was fantastic! Slamming him like that — he won't recover from this injury. The
fight is over!"
The arena split in emotion — half stunned by Karikalan's
scream, half celebrating Elara's slam. But beneath the noise, one truth echoed:
Karikalan was still alive, still conscious, and his aura had not faded.
Karikalan, battered and bruised, forced himself back to his
feet after the referee's count. His ribs screamed in agony, but his eyes burned
with defiance. He raised his guard, trying to take his stance fair and square.
Within a blink, Elara ambushed — his leg shot forward like
lightning, smashing into Karikalan's chin.
Commentators (shouting in disbelief):"What is he doing?! He didn't even let Karikalan recover!
He threw him like an airbag with that powerful kick — slamming him back onto
the mat!"
Karikalan flew through the air, crashing down hard. The
arena gasped, stunned by Elara's ruthless attitude.
Fans erupted, their voices filled with anger:
Fans (shouting):"Hey!
That's enough! Give him time to take his stance, you arrogant fool!""You
think you're superior, huh?!"
The crowd's energy shifted — no longer cheering the
champion, but trash‑talking him for his mercilessness.
Elara's father clenched his fists, proud of his son's
aggression, while Elara himself stood over Karikalan, his face trembling
despite the dominance.
Karikalan lay on the mat, clutching his ribs, his breath
ragged. The referee's count echoed, but his scream still lingered in the arena.
Richard (furious, cornerside):"This is bad… he didn't even allow Karikalan to recover for
a second. Such arrogance — I've never seen anything like this in my life."
Elara's father smirked, his pride swelling:
Father (smirking):"Good!
Keep it up. Now you're proving you're my son."
In the neutral corner, Elara wiped sweat from his brow, his
voice faint but filled with arrogance:
Elara (inner voice):"That's
all. He can't recover from the kick I gave him. I wonder how he even managed to
stand after I slammed him on the mat. If it were anyone else, they'd have given
up… or died right there. Now I believe he won't stay up for the next
round."
On the mat, Karikalan groaned, his voice trembling with
pain:
Karikalan (in agony):"Ah…
ah… I can't hold this pain much longer. He's doing exactly what he said in the
press conference…"
His mind replayed Elara's words:
Elara's voice (memory):"When
we fight, I will bring you down to the path of pain. You won't forget it for
the rest of your life."
Veera, watching from the other side, clenched his fists:
Veera (worried):"What's
happening to him? Why is it so hard for him to get back to his feet?"
Richard turned to Veera, his voice heavy with truth:
Richard (serious):"Kid,
this isn't entertainment. This isn't a movie where the hero kicks a hundred
villains and still stands tall at the end. This is real. Karikalan is fighting
pain we can't imagine. His ribs were shattered before the fight even began, yet
he still bruised Elara's jaw. And now Elara… he won't even let him breathe for
a second."
The arena was split — half cheering Elara's dominance, half
enraged by his arrogance. But all eyes remained on Karikalan, broken yet
unyielding, fighting against odds that seemed impossible.
Karikalan somehow managed to stand, staggering under the
referee's count. Before Elara could ambush again, the referee raised his hand.
Referee (firmly):"Round
2 is over! Fighters, return to your corners!"
Karikalan limped back, wincing with every step. Richard
caught him, steadying his body. Richard (worried):"Are you
okay?"
Karikalan gave a faint smile, his voice heavy:
Karikalan:"In
what way should I respond — truth or lie?"
Richard's eyes narrowed.
Richard:"Tell
me whatever you want. Truth or lie… in the end, you're the one fighting
him."
Karikalan's tone was calm, almost amused:
Karikalan:"Yeah…
he's one hell of a fighter. He didn't even let me take my feet. For the first
time, I saw fear in his eyes when I struck him. He ambushes like nothing… but
don't worry about me. I still have the potential to fight till the end. I can't
guarantee if I sit down again, it won't be over for me."
Richard's face turned pale.
Richard
(shocked):"What are you saying? Don't tell me that—"
Karikalan interrupted, his voice firm:
Karikalan:"Yes…
you're right. My ribs are cracking more than I expected."
Richard clenched his fists, his voice trembling:
Richard:"This is
bad. We have to stop this fight right now."
Karikalan's eyes blazed, his voice rising:
Karikalan
(defiant):"Are you deaf? What did I say before? This is my destiny
— to beat him, even if I fall. I must try. Even at the bottom, I will climb
up."
Veera's eyes filled with tears.
Veera (crying):"Brother…
I can't imagine you're still fighting. You're giving your life for this fight.
It's all because of my brother, right? If he hadn't entered, you wouldn't
struggle like this."
Karikalan placed a trembling hand on Veera's shoulder, his
voice soft but resolute:
Karikalan:"No… even if your brother
hadn't entered, I would still fight Elara. Because I have unfinished business
with him… for a long time."