The instant the man's fist struck Sonic's most sensitive spot, he realized something was wrong.
He hurriedly pulled back his hand, looking mortified. "Ah, I didn't mean to."
Sonic was overwhelmed with shame, but the man's true strength also left him shocked and furious.
He did not believe that perfectly timed tilt of the man's head had been a remarkable coincidence.
This unremarkable-looking stranger had very likely seen through his movements.
Perhaps the things he had said so calmly had not been boasts after all.
Too shocked and angry to keep fighting, Sonic moved and vanished in a blur.
Sonic reappeared in a corner of the arena. Though he was far from the man now, his heart was still pounding.
Damn it.
Never in his life had Sonic suffered such a humiliating defeat.
Not even the injury Golden Flash had dealt him had left an impression as deep as today's.
The man's face was etched into his memory from then on.
Most of the audience had their attention on the giant screen at the center of the arena, and few noticed what had happened in the waiting area below the stage. Still, a handful of spectators in the front rows had seen the brief clash between Sonic and the waiting contestant.
One lucky spectator had even captured a photo of the classic moment when the two exchanged their final blows.
At the time, he had no idea what the photo was worth.
Its value was only discovered much, much later.
The photo was eventually sold to a news organization for several hundred thousand dollars.
The organization named it "The One-Balled Ninja" and was preparing to make a major story out of it when a mysterious buyer purchased the exclusive rights for one million dollars.
And so the masterpiece known as