Uesugi Hara didn't wait for Ayanokoji to get any more ready. As soon as he finished speaking, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, striking fast and hard. His right fist whistled through the air, aimed straight at Ayanokoji's face.
Ayanokoji's reflexes were just as astonishing. Almost the instant Uesugi Hara moved, he instinctively twisted aside and reached for Uesugi Hara's wrist, trying to take control of him.
But Uesugi Hara had anticipated the move. He flipped his wrist sharply, turning his fist into an open palm and swinging it toward Ayanokoji's cheek. He slipped past Ayanokoji's grab, the movement seamless.
Ayanokoji tried to use the opening to put some distance between them, but Uesugi Hara gave him no chance. He pressed forward, forcing Ayanokoji to respond in the cramped space.
"Ayanokoji, quit trying to dodge all the time!" Uesugi Hara shouted as he threw a punch.
"Uesugi, your intentions are too obvious," Ayanokoji replied, dodging.
The deck held a swimming pool and a café, with poolside loungers and café tables and chairs scattered around. There wasn't much room for the two of them to fight, and neither dared swing too freely. They didn't want to break anything and get in trouble the next day.
The sea breeze whipped at their clothes. The dull thuds of their blows blended with the waves, sounding especially clear in the quiet night.
Every move was a test of the other's skill. The sea breeze whipped at their clothes, and the dull thuds of their blows rang sharply through the night.
Ayanokoji dodged the dirty tricks in Uesugi Hara's "street-fighting style," searching for a chance to counterattack.
They stayed locked in combat.
Ayanokoji was amazed by Uesugi Hara's cunning, while Uesugi Hara cursed Ayanokoji for holding nothing back. Every block left