Muzan seized the opportunity to close in once more. His arms blurred into afterimages, combining with the blades generated by his Blood Demon Art to unleash an even more frenzied assault.
His attacks were cunning and vicious.
Bang, however, had finally achieved a perfect balance between offense and defense with his martial arts.
At times, he flowed like water, deflecting and redirecting Muzan's bizarre attacks. At others, he struck with the force of a collapsing rock, seizing every opening to deliver a devastating blow.
His fists, palms, and fingers shifted unpredictably, with every strike targeting Muzan's vulnerable points or exploiting weaknesses in his defenses.
The two fought at incredible speed, their figures repeatedly crossing the fighting platform as bursts of air and the sounds of collisions echoed throughout the arena.
Muzan's demonized form granted him tremendous regenerative abilities and terrifying physical strength through his eightfold muscle density. Yet Bang's mastery of martial arts and combat intuition proved superior. He consistently neutralized Muzan's killing moves with minimal effort while immediately responding with precise counterattacks.
Finally, after nearly a hundred exchanges, Bang discovered a subtle flaw in Muzan's movements. Frustrated by his inability to land a decisive blow, Muzan had become increasingly aggressive.
Bang appeared to be forced backward by a powerful punch, but his footwork remained subtle and controlled. The moment he shed most of the incoming force, his body sprang backward like a compressed spring released at its limit.
Bang's fists shot forward like two dragons emerging from their lairs, one from the left and the other from the right. One was a feint, while the other was real. Both attacked simultaneously, targeting Muzan's head and abdomen.
The force behind the punches was so immense that it seemed capable of tearing through space itself.
Muzan could only hurriedly block the punch aimed at his head.
The other struck him squarely in the abdomen.
"Boom!"
The punch contained the culmination of Bang's lifelong martial arts training, and its power was astounding.
Muzan's abdomen instantly caved inward. His body arched like a shrimp, his eyes bulged, and a mouthful of dark red blood mixed with demonic energy erupted from his mouth.
His body was sent flying like a kite with a severed string, crashing heavily into the distant energy barrier before slowly sliding down.
The simulated battlefield gradually dissipated, and the horrific wound across Muzan's abdomen rapidly healed. However, the humiliation of complete defeat remained written across his face.
He dropped to one knee, breathing heavily as he stared at Bang. His eyes contained clear shock and a faint, almost imperceptible trace of awe.
"Round two, Bang wins."
Sol's voice once again resounded throughout the arena.
Bang slowly withdrew from his stance. His breathing remained steady as he slightly cupped his hands toward Muzan.
"Thank you for the match."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Muzan's combination of martial arts and supernatural abilities is truly unique. This old man has learned quite a bit."
Muzan snorted coldly. He rose to his feet and straightened his disheveled kimono without responding.
He turned and walked directly back toward the Monster Association's ranks, but his usual arrogance had noticeably diminished.
The martial arts realm demonstrated by Bang had clearly shaken him.
Everyone watching the battle, whether they belonged to the Hero Association, the Monster Association, or were outsiders such as Gojo Satoru, couldn't help but admire the strength displayed by the old man.
This duel had not simply been a clash of power. It had been a contest of technique and martial arts mastery.
Psykos pushed up her glasses and glanced toward Sol. Seeing no indication from him, she continued.
"For the third round, Hero Association, Tanktop Master. Who will the Monster Association send out?"
The atmosphere in the arena, already heated by Bang's victory, grew even more intense.
Tanktop Master stepped onto the fighting platform with a steady gait. Bang's victory had not made him arrogant. If anything, he appeared even more solemn.
His exaggerated muscles bulged beneath his tank top, radiating an oppressive presence like a mountain.
"The honor of the Hero Association, I will defend it!"
He roared as he assumed a fighting stance.
From the Monster Association's side came the unpleasant sound of teeth grinding against each other.
Gums, a massive obese monster with a mouth filled with sharp teeth, waddled onto the platform. Viscous saliva dripped from its mouth onto the alloy floor, producing a faint sizzling sound as it corroded the metal.
Its small eyes greedily fixed themselves on Tanktop Master.
"Round three, begin!"
Child Emperor's voice rang out.
Gums launched the first attack.
Its enormous mouth suddenly opened to an astonishing degree, resembling a bottomless cavern. A powerful suction immediately erupted from within, pulling all the air in the training ground toward its maw.
Tanktop Master stomped his feet and tensed his muscles, planting himself firmly against the ground as though his body had taken root. The alloy floor beneath his feet groaned under the tremendous force, but he refused to give way.
"Tanktop Grapple!"
The instant the suction weakened, Tanktop Master seized the opportunity.
He charged forward like a heavily armored tank, his thick arms spreading wide as he targeted Gums' enormous body, intending to restrain it through sheer physical strength.
However, Gums, despite its seemingly clumsy appearance, reacted far faster than its size suggested.
It abruptly closed its enormous mouth, cutting off the suction, while simultaneously rolling its obese body sideways with an agility completely at odds with its appearance.
Tanktop Master's grapple missed.
His arms merely grazed Gums' body as he continued past it.
"Pfft!"
Gums took advantage of the opening and opened its mouth again.
This time, however, it did not unleash suction.
Instead, an enormous quantity of extremely viscous and highly corrosive digestive fluid poured from its mouth like a waterfall, engulfing Tanktop Master.
Tanktop Master's pupils contracted.
His forward momentum made it difficult to stop immediately. He twisted his body and turned his broad tanktop-covered muscles toward the incoming acid, using them as a shield.
"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!"
A chilling corrosive sound rang out.
Tanktop Master's specially made tank top was instantly dissolved, exposing the solid, bronze-colored muscles beneath.
The acid burned his skin, releasing wisps of white smoke. However, Tanktop Master's muscle density was extraordinarily high, and the corrosion failed to penetrate deeply.
It only left large, red, swollen marks across his body.
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