Jeff was graceful, but he was fighting on instinct. A true warrior did not think much about what they were going to do anyway. Their minds were in charge of higher functions, of things like interfering with the opponents and overall strategy.
Often time in a fight, opportunities come quite fast. If one waits to recognize opportunity, process it, then decide how to take advantage consciously, then the opportunity would have already passed you by.
That's why one had to adopt the mentality of a certain shoe brand and Just Do It!
That is also why training was so important for all warriors. It beats ones moves into muscle memory, so that you don't have to think so much about what you want to do.
You don't think about how you're going to perform a punch, or how to block. In fact the state is very strange, but, in computing terms, one is basically only consciously in charge of interrupts and setting out executive decisions.
At least that's how Rick recognized it. And that's why he could also tell that Jeff had little to no actual executive function. He was relying on instincts and sheer skill. And he was winning.
He let a little bit of the reins he kept on the golden flame go and then he felt a comfortable wave of fire go around his body. He was bruised all over.
While Jeff didn't full on hit him, all of the grazes still left their marks. Until the white flame got to them that is. He cast a quick glance at his fists that had turned bloodied. Beneath the blood he saw skin edge meet skit edge at the splits on his skin.
He was healing.
'So I take after dad in this way too. But why is it I can feel that my concept is not the same as him? His concept is healing after all. My white Flame's concept feels so much... vaster than mere healing.'
Rick did a somersault over a beefy leg that sudden came at him as punishment for having the audacity of zoning out in the middle of his own assassination attempt!
'Crap..' He thought as he vaulted off a huge calf which had protruding veins.
'This isn't the time to think about this! I can ask the old man after I survive the Incredible Dingus over here'
He smoothly finished the somersault in a roll that ended with him on his feet. In martial arts, falling is unavoidable. What one should avoid however is falling down flat on one's back.
If one is dumb enough to do that, one absorbs all the impact, potentially damaging and dazing oneself. It is a very effective way of having your breath taken away by someone who you really don't want taking your breath away.
Not to mention its volunteering to attacks. One might as well have signs on one's face and body saying 'Hit me!'
Therefore, any good fighting technique teaches rolling techniques.
These were the tiny tidbits going through Ricks head to justify rolling in the mud like a pig.
However, he did feel something, His body felt a little stronger, the flame a little brighter.
'Oh please tell me that it has nothing to do with the roll!? Is rolling the way I cultivate!?'
Rick shook his head and remembered the time he had melt- augmented the sword. He had performed a textbook strike back then..
'Textbook?' Rick grinned. 'So that's how I tap into the power.'
He changed his form. He went to the standard Albrecht forms. There's usually a difference between the forms on does for show and practice and actual forms in battle.
Katas (The practice forms) are impractical in a fight. But Rick got into some of the kata stances. Immediately, he felt the fire flow smoother, if that is what fire does.
He felt stronger. He was stronger too. He exploded into action. He started darting around the two main fighters, waiting to find an opening.
Mira sensed his change in combat style first. His confidence made her suspect that he had a way to harm Jeff. She smiled. She knew her Young Master the most. If he was being proactive, he had good reason, and therefore she had no reason not to trust him.
This was part of their implicit cooperation.
And so she strove to crate an opening. She stumbled, giving the impression to Jeff that she was vulnerable. Brute operating on instinct that he was, Jeff didn't even hesitate, swinging a massive fist towards the compromised beauty.
Mira quickly recovered and with some clever footwork, put the body of her staff between her and the fist. She even used the rebound force to gain distance.
This led to Jeff overextending himself as Mira parried. He had not expected to meet nothing but air after all, so he left his flank open. That was what Rick was waiting for.
With a short dash he came right up close and personal. In that split second of inspiration, he let the reigns on his fire go totally and threw away his sword. He didn't want to risk augmenting a weapon with powers he didn't know how to properly use. There was a real danger of melting the sword and tipping Jeff off.
He then performed a straight jab towards Jeff's liver.
Jeff didn't even try to Block. After all, Rick had been attacking him with the strength of an average first rank awakened, how could that harm him when his defense would make any Peak Awakened cry tears of blood?
Rick felt the fire in him explode into an inferno. His entire body heated up all at once and his eyes turned white, like white flames were blazing in their depths. Even a few strands of his hair turned white.
His movement speed instantly skyrocketed when the punch landed, it was like a small bomb went off. The air pressure made hair ruffle up on the battlefield as concept raged against concept.
Jeff's skin was the first to break and in a split second, his body had been made to stutter like a broken rotor.
As the huge man fell to his knees, Rick didn't waste any time he gave another quick jab at the man's solar plexus to wind him and then immediately followed up with a roundhouse kick to the man's temple.
Jeff got knocked out cold.