The Little Witch’s Daily Struggle – Chapter 657

Chapter 657: A Fixed Match?

One had to admit, this Battle Axe was indeed a seasoned fighter, having won four consecutive matches. His punches were continuous and powerful, his footwork was well-paced, and he avoided direct confrontation with stronger opponents, instead countering with rapid-fire punches after evading their attacks. Jayad found himself struggling to keep up.

Moreover, the Battle Axe’s fists were laced with threads of red magic, a sort of “qi” or inner force. Anyone could see that he had surpassed mortal limits. Such fists, imbued with this power, could deliver blows no less potent than a hammer strike to the human body. Yet, Jayad seemed to completely disregard these attacks, taking several punches as if they were nothing.

Frankly, I didn’t think Jayad was fighting very well. Perhaps it was because the boss had instructed him to before the match. He was mimicking the style of boxing matches, but in my eyes, it was like a clumsy imitation, completely ineffective against the experienced Battle Axe.

My Older Brother Jayad doesn’t fight like this. He never learned to box; his fighting skills were honed in brawls in the slums. I remember him then as ferocious and ruthless, fighting with his life on the line.

The way these two were now, exchanging blows, parrying and countering, was… well, it wasn’t exactly bad to watch, but the atmosphere certainly wasn’t as heated. The mood in the audience seats had cooled considerably.

Finally, Older Brother Jayad realized his approach was wrong. He suddenly charged forward, lunging at the opponent regardless of his punches, aiming to grapple with the Battle Axe. He always fought this way in the slums; it wasn’t pretty, but it was incredibly effective.

Facing this sudden, headlong rush, the Battle Axe reacted quickly, intending to dodge. But he failed to notice that his speed and Jayad’s were actually not that different. While a drawn-out exchange might have worked, once Jayad set his mind on grappling him, the Battle Axe found he couldn’t escape.

The Battle Axe was tightly gripped around the waist by Jayad, who was trying to push him down and transition to a ground fight. The immense force pushed the Battle Axe backward.

However, drawing on his experience, the Battle Axe seized Jayad’s shoulder and pressed him towards the ground, aiming to gain an advantageous top position and overwhelm Jayad with his physique.

He even raised his fist and delivered a powerful strike to the back of Older Brother Jayad’s head. My blood pressure surged instantly. This caged arena wasn’t like a boxing match where hitting the back of the head was a foul. The back of the head is a vulnerable spot; such a blow could be fatal.

Yet, just like before, Jayad completely ignored the attacks to his head and maintained his firm grip on the Battle Axe’s waist. The Battle Axe’s shoulder press, however, had an effect. Using Jayad’s own momentum, the Battle Axe forcefully pinned him to the ground.

The two entered a ground struggle. Wrestling matches are never as exciting as striking, and the crowd immediately erupted in boos, many shouting, “Fight! Hit him in the face! Smash him!”

But once they fell and were entangled, the Battle Axe, with his extensive experience, managed to trap Jayad, even applying a crossface.

If Jayad had any semblance of learned experience in striking combat, grappling was something he had absolutely no prior experience with. Before he could react, his arm was forcefully twisted.

However, Jayad remained as if he felt no pain, pulling up his right arm with force. And this, while completely entangled by his opponent.

In other words, Older Brother Jayad, with just one arm, in a position where it was difficult to generate power, still unleashed a strength greater than his opponent’s entire body.

The Battle Axe’s legs strained with all their might, pushing against Jayad’s body, while his hands pulled and tugged forcefully, but he was still being lifted by Jayad.

Internally, the Battle Axe was shocked and devastated. Logically, this should not have happened; it defied all principles of force generation. Unless Jayad’s strength far surpassed his imagination, placing them in entirely different leagues.

Then, Jayad, with one hand, lifted the Battle Axe who was still entangled on him and casually slammed him onto the floor. It was merely an arm strike to the ground.

With a heavy thud, the Battle Axe’s back hit the ground. He immediately released Jayad, his entire body contorted like a shrimp, groaning loudly in pain.

The spectators looked at each other in disbelief. They had never seen anyone break a submission hold like this, simply lifting and slamming their opponent to end the match.

At this point, Jayad slowly stood up at his leisure. He still didn’t follow up with a finishing blow on the downed Battle Axe, but calmly watched him, waiting for him to get up.

But this time, the Battle Axe didn’t get up. He slapped the floor a few times and shouted loudly, “I forfeit!”

The entire venue fell silent. Everyone was stunned, looking at the cage in disbelief. The seasoned Battle Axe, who had won four matches in a row, had surrendered?

He wasn’t injured and still had the strength to fight, yet he surrendered. Who could accept this? At this moment, some people suddenly remembered the money they had bet earlier.

“FXXK! This is a fixed match!” “Pah! Give me my money back!” “Scammer! Trash! He threw the match!” “Your acting is so fake! Get lost!” The audience’s rage ignited instantly, erupting in curses, their shouts deafening.

It wasn’t entirely their fault; even I felt this match seemed a bit staged. A newcomer, unknown to the public, stepped into the ring, and his performance wasn’t particularly spectacular, except for his speed. The audience saw nothing particularly outstanding. He won inexplicably.

And it wasn’t a situation where he knocked the opponent out with a decisive blow. The Battle Axe forfeited himself, clearly still having fighting power, while his opponent waited patiently for him to surrender without finishing him off.

It looked like a fix, an act with poor and exaggerated acting. Coupled with the bookmaker’s previous manipulations that led many to bet on the Battle Axe, this further incensed the losing spectators, their angry shouts incessant.

Surprisingly, there weren’t many curses directed at Jayad. Most were aimed at the Battle Axe. In the eyes of most spectators, Jayad was just a hired extra, while the Battle Axe was the main actor in this staged match.

The Battle Axe, at the center of the public’s fury, had no way to explain himself. He knew clearly that he wasn’t faking the match. He had self-awareness; he knew he absolutely couldn’t defeat the young man, and that his opponent had held back, which was why he surrendered.

If he could, he should have told the other party before the match not to hold back, even if it meant getting beaten black and blue and spitting blood. Now, even if he were to fight again, the audience wouldn’t believe him.

“Silence! Everyone, quiet down! The fighter Battle Axe chose to forfeit, which is within the rules! Doctors and referees will enter the ring to assess the fighter’s condition!” the commentator shouted loudly.

Unfortunately, the audience’s rage was not quelled in the slightest, their curses continuing. Only a few seasoned observers remained silent; they understood the unfathomable power behind the “Little Thief’s” seemingly casual gesture.