19 Chapter 19: Awakening
As the furious teenager charged towards him, Tsuna adopted a casual yet focused fighting stance. Swiftly, he sidestepped to his left, neatly evading the incoming punch aimed at him. Seizing the opening, Tsuna responded by launching a quick jab, connecting with the teen's face.
A pained groan escaped the teen as the jab hit its mark. Before he could recover, Tsuna capitalized on the moment, delivering another powerful punch that utilized his entire body's strength. The force of Tsuna's punch sent the teenager tumbling to the ground, his attempts at retaliation thwarted.
"..."
The scene turned quiet, the other thugs observing in stunned silence. Among them, a blond-haired individual approached the leader of the group. With a hint of begrudging admiration, he commented, "Well, it seems he knows how to handle himself."
"...I warned you that trying to take him on one-on-one was a bad idea," the leader stated matter-of-factly, his gaze fixed on Tsuna, who remained composed. They completely ignored the guy who got K'O'ed by Tsuna.
The blond thug responded with a dismissive laugh, disregarding the leader's words. He signaled to his comrades to encircle Tsuna.
"Nah, that's just bullshit. But you know what, fighting as a group is our expertise."
Tsuna's observations quickly showed that the thugs were brandishing blunt objects as makeshift weapons.
Noticing the weapons as well, the leader's expression turned sour. The other teen, still feeling the effects of Tsuna's gift from last night, grew anxious. He addressed the leader, "This wasn't the plan. We agreed, no weapons—just fists."
With an audible sigh, the blond thug displayed his irritation. He spoke, clearly unhappy with the situation, "You asked for our help, but we help in our own way. Understand?"
"You got it, boss! Haha!" The thugs responded in agreement, their laughter echoing around them. Evidently, they were accustomed to this sort of scenario, their excitement evident at the prospect of using weapons against Tsuna.
The blond thug signaled for his comrades to quiet down, ending their laughter. He looked at Tsuna, who remained remarkably composed despite the circumstances. "You've got guts for not backing down. I'll give you that."
He began clapping his hands in mocking applause, a gesture to acknowledge Tsuna's courage. "But let's be real, do you honestly believe you can take us all on?"
Tsuna didn't rush to respond. Instead, he carefully scanned his surroundings, noting that the thugs lacked any knives or other lethal weapons. His attention returned to the blond thug.
"At least you guys don't have anything that can finish me off instantly," Tsuna replied calmly, almost as if the blunt weapons posed no threat.
While blunt objects could indeed cause harm, Tsuna's combat training had taught him how to minimize the impact of such hits. He knew he couldn't afford to hold back in this perilous situation.
"I might slip up today," Tsuna mumbled to himself, thinking that he couldn't afford to hold back the way he fought as he prepared to re-engage. He shifted into a fighting stance again and continued, "But it's oddly nostalgic. When it's a matter of life or death, all that matters is efficiency, right?"
Tsuna's calm demeanor and words clearly annoyed the blond thug. His ego stung. As Tsuna settled into his fighting stance once more, the thug raised his hand, signaling his crew to go after Tsuna all at once. He commanded, "Take him down."
The thugs charged at Tsuna in a collective rush. Even the leader of the three and the last teen who hesitated before also ran in, their faces contorted with cruel anticipation. They were relishing the prospect of pummeling Tsuna to a pulp.
The first thug, wielding a bat, approached with a triumphant grin. He swung the bat towards Tsuna, who skillfully evaded the blow by stepping back. But Tsuna's counterattack didn't end there. He closed the distance swiftly, striking the thug's wrist to force him to release the bat.
With deft precision, Tsuna swiftly kicked the thug in the chest, sending him stumbling backward. Sensing another attacker coming from a different angle, Tsuna acted without hesitation. He grabbed the dropped bat and sidestepped, avoiding the incoming attack. In a swift and calculated motion, he swung the bat at the thug's face, the impact rendering the thug unconscious.
The sight of Tsuna using the bat and employing such ruthless tactics caught the other thugs off guard. They froze in their tracks, clearly taken aback by Tsuna's unexpected fierceness.
"What? You think I only know how to fight the conventional way?" Tsuna retorted, a hint of challenge in his tone, as he toyed with the bat in his hand.
"You fucker!"
The blond thug's anger surged as he lunged forward, gripping his own weapon tightly. The rest of the thugs followed suit, closing in on Tsuna from all sides.
The brawl raged on.
It was a whirlwind of chaos. Tsuna held his ground, skillfully taking down one thug after another. Yet, the sheer number of attackers made it a daunting task. Tsuna couldn't evade every strike, evident from the bruises forming on his hands and feet, which he used to parry the blunt weapons.
Amidst the chaos, Tsuna realized another issue cropping up—his still-developing body struggled to execute his fighting experience flawlessly. His discomfort was becoming evident.
"...Shit," Tsuna muttered, comprehending that his youthful physique was becoming a hindrance. The blond thug also caught onto Tsuna's weariness, prompting him to signal his crew to intensify their assault.
Darting to avoid inevitable blows and absorbing others, Tsuna's thoughts were a mix of determination and exhaustion. "...Am I reaching my breaking point?"
Glancing at the relentless thugs, who persisted despite their fallen comrades littering the ground, Tsuna was resolute about imprinting their faces in his memory so he could take his revenge later if he lost this.
However...
"No, I can't give up now. There's no way these thugs can defeat me," Tsuna muttered, his resolve unwavering as he continued to fend off attacks.
As fatigue began to creep in, Tsuna's will to persist and emerge victorious intensified. His heartbeat quickened, spurred on by the refusal to yield, even as he sensed he was nearing his physical limits.
With a surge of adrenaline coursing through him, Tsuna's heartbeat thundered in his ears. Instinctively, his eyes snapped shut and then reopened, and suddenly, everything around him took on a reddish tint, as if the world itself had become a pulsating heartbeat.
Time seemed to stretch and slow from his perspective. In this surreal moment, his mind cleared, frustrations evaporated, and Tsuna found himself in a state of utmost clarity.
The thugs who had been fixing their gaze on Tsuna now looked as if they'd seen a ghost, their faces draining of color. But even this didn't halt their advance; they continued their assault.
In this instant, Tsuna felt he had transcended his current limitations, breaking through a barrier. With this newfound sensation, a broad grin split his face, akin to a child who had just unwrapped a long-awaited toy.
Tsuna felt light as air, his movements fluid and precise as he dispatched each thug individually. To the onlookers, it was a blur of action; before they could comprehend, their companions were sprawled on the ground. Tsuna exploited this momentary advantage, deftly closing in on the remaining attackers and rendering them unconscious with single, well-placed strikes.
In a matter of moments, the entire group lay defeated on the ground, unconscious. Only the blonde thug remained, his face etched with horror. As Tsuna turned his gaze toward him, the thug's fear peaked, and a yellowish liquid began to stain his pants before he slumped to the ground in an unconscious heap.
"...You're a demon," the blonde thug murmured in a voice barely above a whisper, his eyes wild with terror. Then, with a sudden burst of fear-driven energy, he scrambled to his feet and fled, his screams echoing in the distance, resembling the cries of a terrified child.
Tsuna just stood there as he silently looked at the blonde thug who ran away.
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