Chapter 3: Lies ?

Alex's eyes locked onto Miyata's as they circled each other in the ring. He adopted the newly unlocked Hitman Style, his left hand extended forward, swaying slightly in rhythm with his footwork. The stance felt natural yet unfamiliar, as if his body understood it better than his mind.

Miyata, unfazed by a guy who had only started boxing a few hours ago, mirrored Alex's movements. His guard was sharp, his eyes keenly analyzing every twitch of Alex's muscles, searching for an opening.

"You've got a fancy stance," Miyata remarked calmly. "Let's test it out and see if it actually works."

Alex smirked, confidence flooding his body. You might beat me now, but when I unlock just 5%—no, even 10%—of my template, you'll see the difference between us.

He wouldn't say it out loud. His system, his template—that was his biggest secret. No one could know.

Miyata:"Careful what you wish for," he replied, his voice tinged with amusement. "You might just get it."

Kamogawa's voice boomed through the gym. "Round two, begin!"

Miyata darted in first, testing Alex with a feinted jab.

Alex reacted instantly, throwing a flicker jab in response. Miyata tried to counter with a right cross, but Alex anticipated it, his body moving on instinct—he followed up with a left hook, catching Miyata clean on the side of his face.

BAM!

The impact made Miyata stumble slightly.

A wave of murmurs rippled through the gym. Even Takamura raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

Did I just land that? Alex thought, but he didn't let the shock slow him down.

Miyata recovered quickly, adjusting his guard. His usual calm demeanor wavered slightly as he realized Alex wasn't just playing around anymore.

But Alex wasn't satisfied. He pressed forward, flicker jabs coming in quick succession, each one aimed to disrupt Miyata's rhythm. His punches were fast, precise—even though his template progress was only at 1%.

What happens when it reaches 10%? 20%? The thought sent a thrill down Alex's spine.

Across the ring, Ippo whispered, "He's faster than before."

Takamura nodded. "Miyata has the experience, but I've never seen someone with this monstrous talent before."

As if responding to Takamura's words, Miyata pivoted outside of Alex's flicker jab, his body moving effortlessly. Then—BAM!—he unleashed a sharp counterpunch aimed straight at Alex's jaw.

It connected cleanly.

Alex's head snapped back, his vision shaking for a moment as he instinctively stepped backward.

The crowd winced in unison.

"Come on, rookie!" Takamura shouted. "Don't just stand there!"

Alex shook off the sting of the punch, rolling his shoulders with a smirk.

"Nice shot," he said casually, hiding the fact that his jaw still throbbed from the impact. "But you're gonna need more than that to put me down."

That's a lie, Alex thought. Even at just 1%, my body isn't strong enough to take many clean counters from Miyata.

But he refused to show any signs of weakness.

The fight intensified. Miyata's counters grew sharper, his experience keeping him in control, but Alex's relentless flicker jabs kept him on edge.

Sweat poured down both fighters' faces as they pushed each other to the limit.

Alex could feel his arms getting heavier, his breathing becoming labored. He was running out of stamina.

Still, he refused to back down.

Alex smirked. "What's the matter, Miyata?" he taunted. "Having trouble keeping up?"

It was a mind game—he wanted to see if Miyata would lose his composure and expose an opening.

Miyata's eyes narrowed, but he didn't take the bait. Instead, he advanced, launching a rapid combination aimed at Alex's guard.

Alex instinctively switched to Philly Shell, using precise shoulder movements to deflect the punches.

The gym grew silent, watching in awe.

"That movement..." Kamogawa muttered, rubbing his chin. "Where the hell did this kid learn that?"

Alex saw his chance.

He took a step back, then lowered his guard entirely, placing his hands behind his back.

The entire gym froze.

Takamura burst out laughing. "Oh, he's got guts, I'll give him that," he said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Or he's just an idiot!"

You might think I'm being cocky, Alex thought, but you're wrong.

in Alex mind his convincing himself,I'm baiting Miyata to blitz me. It's a huge risk, but if I time it perfectly… I can pull off an Anderson Silva counter.

Miyata's lips twitched in irritation. He took the bait, advancing cautiously. His fists were ready to capitalize on Alex's apparent arrogance.

Alex's sharp eyes tracked every movement. His body was coiled like a spring.

Miyata closed the distance and threw a right hook—

Alex leaned back, dodging the attack by a hair's breadth, then fired a right cross counter.

Miyata barely dodged it, but he didn't see the follow-up.

BAM!

A left uppercut smashed into his chin, making him stumble backward.

Note: anderson silva turned into hawk

The crowd gasped.

Alex's arms trembled. Shit, I'm out of stamina.

Luckily, Kamogawa's voice cut in. "That's enough. We've seen your skills."

Miyata stopped in place, breathing heavily. He clenched his fists, looking frustrated—he didn't want it to end yet. He wanted to win.

Alex let out a slow exhale, exhaustion finally hitting him as he removed his headgear and mouthguard.

Kamogawa's sharp eyes locked onto him. "Kid, why do you want to join the boxing gym if you're already this skilled?"

The gym fell silent.

Even Ippo was curious—he had never known Alex to have an interest in boxing before.

Alex exhaled, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Just like you saw earlier…" he muttered. "I don't even know how to punch properly."

Miyata's eyes widened slightly.

Kamogawa watched him carefully. "So… you're saying you learned all of that just by sparring?"

Alex simply nodded.

 Kamogawa wasn't surprised—he had seen it all before. He just wanted to see if the kid was lying through his expression and body language. It seemed like the kid was telling the genuine truth." 

Miyata, on the other hand, was shocked. He had assumed Alex had at least some formal training.

Kamogawa let out a small chuckle, rubbing his chin as he examined Alex from head to toe.

"Alright then," he said. "I'll try my best to bring out your potential."