Battle Academy [End]

The arena was set for the showdown, a stage where history would be written once again. Taiho, the giant, stood in his classic sumo pose, a tradition dating back to the 2nd century B.C. This stance, rooted in Shinto rituals, symbolizes more than strength; it is an invitation to the gods to witness the battle, a gesture that honors the ancestors and invokes victory.

Neo, rank 1, remained calm, a vivid contrast to Taiho's intensity. His composure was that of a warrior well-acquainted with his abilities, a master of mind and body, ready to face any storm.

Peter, the referee, made the final considerations with the gravity the moment demanded. "Superpowers are allowed. A barrier protects the spectators. Prepare yourselves," he announced, looking at Neo. "Are you ready, Neo, rank 1?"

Neo nodded, a gesture carrying the certainty of countless past victories.

"Is Taiho, rank 4, ready?" Peter asked, and Taiho, immovable as a mountain, nodded in response.

With both contenders in agreement, Peter unleashed his power, transforming into diamond, a symbol of resilience and clarity.

"Begin!"

In the arena, a tense silence hung in the air. Taiho, the colossus of the mountains, remained motionless, his sumo stance as imposing as the legends that preceded him. His eyes were fixed on Neo, the challenger who displayed a disconcerting calm.

"A bluff," Taiho pondered, "he challenged me to sumo, but his true strength must lie somewhere hidden."

Neo, on the other hand, seemed unarmed before the giant, but there was something about him, an aura that could not be underestimated. Taiho knew that, despite appearances, Neo was number one, the pinnacle of the evolved food chain. "He must have an ace up his sleeve," Taiho reflected, "a superpower that gives him all this confidence and grandeur."

While Peter awaited the start of the fight, Taiho analyzed every possibility. His previous opponents had tried everything: elaborate strategies, cunning tactics, ingenious traps. All sought victory with their minds, but none had the audacity to face him on equal terms.

"All weak," the giant thought.

Taiho, the mountain giant, seeks not only victory; he seeks proof. Proof of his strength, proof of his right to reign. In Neo, he sees not an obstacle, but a step. A step that will elevate him to the top, where he will declare his dominion, not just over the first year, but over all.

After Neo, he will challenge the top of the second year, and then the third. His ambition is as clear as the sky above the mountains that forged him - he wants the elite of the battle academy surrendered at his feet.

"I am the king, not you," echoes in his mind, a storm of pride and power. Taiho seeks not just to win; he seeks to redefine what it means to be the best. And at this moment, with the world as his witness, he is ready to etch his name into eternity.

Suddenly, the unexpected happened, causing Taiho's eyes to widen in surprise. Against all predictions about the duel, The strongest assumed a challenging stance. With legs firmly planted and arms wide open, he adopted the classic sumo pose and provoked Taiho, calling him to direct confrontation.

Taiho, with eyes wide and an expression of disbelief, faced Neo. "Do you really plan to face me in hand-to-hand combat?" he questioned, still trying to assimilate the audacity of the challenge.

The strongest, maintaining his serene expression and exuding a confidence that bordered on arrogance, simply reinforced his invitation with a single word: "Come."

Taiho watched Neo with a mix of perplexity and admiration, as if he were in the presence of a being from another world. Neo's firm and penetrating gaze conveyed an unquestionable superiority, like that of a master before his apprentice. Taiho couldn't help but feel like the apprentice in that situation, diminished by Neo's imposing presence.

Reflecting on the strength of his opponent, Taiho thought: "His presence is undeniable, he exudes strength. Beneath the robes, I know he hides a body forged for combat, lethal in its essence."

In Taiho's mind, Neo's figure resembled that of an elite sniper, a marksman with his sights locked on the head of his target, waiting for the perfect moment to make the fatal shot.

"But if we compare our bodies..." Taiho contemplated his own robust physique, comparing himself to a bullet train, relentlessly advancing on the tracks, with the opponent inevitably in his path. Anyone who allowed Taiho to get close enough, even by a slight misstep, would be lost. "In all battles, as soon as I got close enough, the end was sealed."

With fierce momentum, Taiho advanced, his feet hammering the ground with force. Before him, Neo smiled, arms open, welcoming the challenge.

"It's as if he were a yokozuna, a titan among men..." Taiho thought, as his shadow loomed over Neo.

At the climax of the confrontation, when the clash between the two seemed inevitable, Neo vanished in the blink of an eye. A kick, swift as lightning, found Taiho's chin, and only Viktor, Say, and Jade in the stands could capture the speed of the movement.

Suddenly, the sky was all that Taiho saw. Seated, consciousness slipped away with the impact of the blow. A murmur of shock ran through the stands. "Is Taiho unconscious?" they whispered in disbelief.

Confusion spread. Taiho, the invincible, immune to physical attacks, martial techniques, and superpowers, lay there, vulnerable. What could have broken his impregnable defense? What mystery surrounded that single kick?

The entire world was watching that duel, broadcast live on the internet. In the chats, incredulity was palpable; no one could understand what had just happened.

Taiho, known as the guardian of the mountain, a giant who had defeated an S-class hero, revered as the greatest sumo wrestler of all time, lay unconscious on the ground.

Peter, following everything with an astonished look, could hardly believe his own eyes: "Taiho... Lost?" he wondered, shaken by doubt.

In the audience, a girl next to me murmured, shocked: "How? How did he manage to defeat Taiho?"

And I, watching that fight with enthusiasm, could only think: "Taiho did not activate his invincibility superpower. He underestimated Neo, thinking it would be just a sumo match, and it was this presumption that led to his defeat."

Taiho was on the ground, defeated, but not for long. In a matter of seconds, his eyes began to regain their shine, a sign that his consciousness was returning. He tried to understand what had happened. "Was I hit by a kick?" he thought, incredulous. "But... wasn't it supposed to be a sumo fight?"

He raised his gaze to Neo, who faced him with a dominant presence, which could be interpreted as arrogance, but it was not. It was the stance of a lion, the king of the jungle, declaring his dominion. Taiho recognized that authority.

"You kicked me," Taiho said, his voice a mix of surprise and respect.

Neo replied: "The sumo I practice is ancestral sumo. High kicks are allowed. I thought you would know that, tsuyuharai." Neo was invoking the spirit of primitive sumo:

In ancient sumo, brutality was an art, with fighters employing a range of aggressive techniques - punches, kicks, and various physical attacks. The freedom of combat was vast, each movement a wild expression of the struggle for dominance.

Over the centuries, sumo evolved. The rules became more rigid, the safety of the fighters and the preservation of spiritual and cultural traditions took priority. Modern sumo, with its emphasis on pushes, grabs, and imbalances within the sacred dohyo, banned the unrestrained violence of the past.

In the arena, Taiho rose, a giant felled but not broken. For the first time, his words echoed defeat: 

"I have lost."