The moment Arthur saw Lars slowly lift his foot up, he lashed with a kick.
Boom!
Lars's shin blocked it, causing a sound to ring out like a drumbeat that echoed in the arena. With Arthur's legs still raised, he attempted a kick.
Bang!
Again, Lars had met the challenge with his forearm.
Once Arthur retreated back, the audience marveled at the fluidity of their exchanges. Their simple attempts felt almost choreographed while holding everyone on the edge of their seats.
Arthur rushed in with a right jab aimed for Lars's throat, but Lars easily dodged just as before. This time, Arthur didn't stop.
A right backhand was ducked smoothly, a left high kick was sidestepped, and a right spin kick was blocked with a palm. Then, bang! A swift chop was stopped by Lars's forearm.
That last attack was loud enough to fill the ears of the crowd.
Now it was Lars's turn to attack. He attempted to counter with a sharp elbow, but Arthur dove low, aiming for a counterpunch. Bang! Lars caught it with the same hand he attacked with.
The two fighters were reduced to mere inches apart, like two lions sizing each other up.
Three rapid punches were dodged with Lars diving under each one. In retaliation, he threw a swing; Arthur sidestepped. But just as Arthur began to move again, Lars knocked him off balance with a leg sweep.
Arthur quickly planted his hand on the ground, but Lars sent a punch that flew him a few feet into the air. He flipped upright before landing gracefully.
One might have thought Lars had gained the advantage, but it was a back-and-forth dance with neither fighter willing to concede an inch.
No room to breathe as Lars prepared a spin kick, throwing his body into the motion. But Arthur was quick, ducking under it.
Bam!
A second strike from Lars was blocked in that same instance. At such a close distance, Arthur went for an uppercut, but Lars spun back and dodged it.
The spectators marveled at the genius of their movements; this was not merely combat but rather an emerging art form. Just what sort of discipline did these two fighters undergo to be able to fight with such competitive spirits?
The sounds of their steps were heard as they began to inch closer again, both with their arms to their sides. And the moment they were in range, they sprang into an array of strikes that wreaked havoc on stage.
Fists met flesh and armour with violent smacks. For a moment, it was as if they were dancing with each attack turning into small quakes that could be both felt and heard throughout the arena.
Jada felt moved. Both by their fight and Arthur's prior sayings. She watched him closely with her Sharingan, being awed by his well-refined techniques.
To her, it was a blend of street fighting with gritty control. The way he shifted and manipulated blows was telling because no ordinary ninja she'd seen had moved like that.
It all made her heart race as a nagging thought refused to leave her mind: why did this 'Hoshikaze' feel so familiar?
On stage, Lars's and Arthur's moves continued to grow faster and stronger.
'He's not taking any damage,' Arthur thought in the midst of a dodge. That was despite him using his chakra-enhanced strength. 'I'll have to change my approach...'
So he executed a swift two-kick combo; the first kick skimmed Lars's side, but the second kick—a roundhouse—was bobbed underneath without Lars blinking once.
Lars then shot out a low kick aimed at Arthur's foundation, but Arthur hopped back. Space between the fighters, Lars sprung into a spin kick everyone expected to connect until, smack! Arthur's body bent forward with perfect dexterity, absorbing the moment without a hint of strain.
The audience were now on their feet after the two fighters paused.
Lars was clearly intrigued as he assessed Arthur; meanwhile, Arthur remained focused.
In a flash, they surged toward each other again. Fists flew like projectiles, and the impacts echoed like symphonies.
Neji's and Jada's hairs stood up since they could see the subtext—the game behind the game—of this fight that others were blind to.
Lars began to unleash a string of jabs with remarkable speed; Arthur danced around them, every punch feeling like a near-miss. When Lars went for a feint, a second punch landed square on Arthur's shoulder with a loud smack!
Vibrations were sent through the arena, yet Arthur hadn't budged; he quickly executed a swift pivot, thrusting his foot forward in a kick.
Bang!
Lars absorbed it with his entire frame. He tried to counter, but Arthur swung around with a hook that caught Lars momentarily off-guard.
Boom!
It was even louder than the smack. But like Arthur, Lars was unfazed and regained his composure instantly. He quickly launched a knee strike at Arthur's jaw, only to have it thwarted as Arthur weaved aside at the last second.
The audience was beyond captivated; even those who had come simply to witness violence saw they were experiencing art in motion.
Back on stage, Lars and Arthur found themselves locked in a grapple. Each of them was trying to gain the upper hand as they locked eyes with one another.
Then, in one swift motion, Arthur twisted his body downward, aiming to trip Lars. But Lars shifted his weight, evaded, and attempted to seize Arthur's other arm.
Smack!
Arthur pushed it away.
The crowd jumped with every twist, swing, and block from these two. Once both fighters shuffled toward a conclusion, everyone from their cells marveled at the spectacle. The aura of these two fighters—their control, their skill—signified that they were engineered for combat.
Even the Mizukage could feel the resolve exuding from both of them, like warriors of old.
The moment crystallized once both fighters lowered their guards.
Then the announcer's voice boomed, "Ladies and gentlemen, there have been some outstanding fights shown here, but in all my days, I've never seen something like this before!"
The crowd mimicked his energy, fueling the adrenaline pulsing through the two on stage.
Suddenly, Lars began to move, with his feet barely grazing the ground. Arthur's eyes flashed wide as he whipped out a quick jab of his own, but Lars dove just in time, feeling the rush of wind. Then, thwack! A fierce right cross connected on Arthur's cheek!
When Arthur recovered, he moved his jaw and spat blood on the floor. That was the first real hit either of them landed.
Lars was far from done. He launched a left hook, so Arthur pivoted as the weight of the punch barely grazed him. Then Lars's eyes flashed until, thwack! A tight uppercut connected with his jaw.
'Not yet,' Arthur thought, targeting Lars's ribs.
Boom-boom-boom!
Three vicious body shots hit right on their mark.
Lars felt the sting as a hot rush of pain reverberated through his body. Yet his resolve was unbroken, so he launched an overhand right, striking with a force that sent Arthur slightly back. Then, like a shadow, he slipped around Arthur's blind spot.
Swish! A punch was missed, allowing Arthur to throw a one-two hook uppercut combo.
Lars evaded one, dodged another, and as the last left hook swung high, he ducked and launched a counter right that grazed Arthur's hair follicles.
'The way he's moving,' Arthur thought, avoiding another attack. 'I'll have to change my strategy again…'
His eyes flared, closing the distance. Then, in a dance of fury, he unleashed a series of combinations that all hit against Lars's armour.
Bang-bang-bang-bang!
The blows were enough to push the man back, leaving trails of smoke on his torso.
As Arthur was about to land another hit, he suddenly retreated, allowing Lars the moment to recover.
"Why'd he stop?" a spectator wondered.
Little had the crowd known; Lars had purposefully been hit to test Arthur's instincts. Had Arthur not fallen back in time, he could have been dealt some serious damage. Even more than what he had inflicted earlier.
'Think... There's got to be another opening.' Arthur furrowed his brows. 'There, I found it.'
He ran forward with a sharp jab aimed at Lars's jaw. But Lars was ready; the man bobbed to the side as the missed punch cut through the air, inches from connecting. That's when Arthur saw Lars's twisted grin as the latter's fist darted out.
Swoosh!
A millisecond too late and Arthur's head would have snapped back.
But Lars was quite close, so he unleashed multiple strikes: a hook to Arthur's side, a jab to Arthur's shoulders, and a cross jab to Arthur's raised forearm.
Bang-bang-bang!
Each punch had rang out like cannon fire.
Arthur went for a counter, then feinted a hook. The attack missed, allowing Lars to retaliate with a hook of his own. But that attack missed too.
Going for another of those multiple strikes, Arthur swam around them like he was in water. 'The same move won't work on me twice...' At that, he found his rhythm and delivered a powerful right punch directly on Lars's ribcage.
Boom!
Lars slowly stumbled before quickly corrected himself. Arthur went for more, but he was pushed back in the chest by Lars's palm. A backflip later, and Arthur landed safely.
"I felt that," Lars admitted, hand on his side.
"I figured you would..."
That was their first dialogue throughout this fight. The audience couldn't get enough.
Quickly, Arthur lowered himself then sprang off the ground in a spinning kick. The move was decisive, but Lars hopped slightly and bore down a solid punch just as Arthur raised his forearm to block.
Bang!
Staggering back, Arthur regained his balance before shaking off the impact. A clear bruise could be seen on his arm. It was painful, a feeling he hadn't felt in quite some time.
It made him meet Lars's fierce stare with one of his own. And in that brief moment, they understood something about the other: what it meant to lose.
"I felt that one just as much," Arthur relayed.
"Good... I expected no less."
With that, Arthur charged again. This time he darted in and out and threw hooks meant to mislead.
Thwack-bang-boom!
Several hits landed, causing Lars to falter slightly. He bellowed before summoning his own ferocity as he launched brutal kicks. But Arthur anticipated this, dropped to one knee, and let each kick whistle above his head.
Using the momentum of his lower position, he swept one foot into Lars's legs, bringing the man off balance. But Lars twisted his body midair and flipped himself back to his feet.
The crowd let out a frenzied cry as Arthur pushed himself off the floor. Then he closed the distance while aiming a blow to Lars's face.
Bang! It was caught like it was nothing. Another blow was sent, but swoosh! Lars had propelled himself backwards, dodging it.
One exchange later, Arthur found an opening. He twisted his body into an uppercut, and bang! The punch landed squarely, and Lars reeled back. But Lars used the momentum to drive his shoulder into Arthur's midsection, and bang!
The impact knocked the wind out of Arthur as he was driven backward. It only took a fraction of a second for the oxygen to return to his lungs.
When it did, something dawned on him: this was it; this was what it meant to fight someone that could truly make him push his limits!