The tournament had reached the semifinals.
Bai Ye had cut down every obstacle in his path and finally fought his way into the top four. His opponent's information appeared on the big screen—Nagai Kenta.
The name was rather famous among the competitors. It was said that for this tournament, he had specially gone on a nationwide arcade-hall training tour, challenging experts from all over.
The character he excelled at using was Terry Bogard.
When that familiar figure in a red-and-white baseball cap and a red jacket appeared in the versus seats, the atmosphere in the venue instantly ignited.
"It's Nagai! That Terry expert!"
"I heard he's insanely strong. He crushed his way through the qualifiers."
"Now this'll be a good show—the high-school dark horse versus the touring warrior!"
The waves of discussion flowed into his ears. Bai Ye's fingers rested on the joystick, and he felt a trace of coldness.
This match had been arranged on the main stage. On the huge screen wall, there was only the match between the two of them.
Countless gazes focused here.
"ROUND 1, FIGHT!"
The match began.
Nagai's Terry truly lived up to his reputation.
He was fiercely aggressive, his pressure almost overflowing through the screen.
Precise jumping heavy punches, unpredictable openings with "Burn Knuckle," and "Power Wave" used at perfectly timed moments to keep him in check.
Bai Ye's Andy was clearly at a disadvantage in the probing exchanges.
He tried to use the flexible "Shadow Slash Punch" and "Flying Fist" to control the pace and search for an opening.
But Nagai's fundamentals were terrifyingly solid. His control of distance and his ability to seize openings far surpassed every opponent Bai Ye had faced before.
Every probe might be caught by the other side and turned into a high-damage combo.
Bai Ye