Victor lay on the rubber mat, his chest heaving. He tried to break free using his core strength, but no matter how he twisted, he couldn't get loose.
It was as though Bruce had suddenly gained a thousand pounds. No normal person could exert that much downward force.
"You cheated," he concluded.
The corner of Bruce's mouth curled up.
His knee was still pressed into Victor's abdomen, and his hands still pinned Victor's wrists, but his face wore a sly expression unlike any he had shown before.
"You never said I couldn't cheat. Besides, you used your right hand. You've already lost."
Victor finally realized that Bruce had been feigning weakness from the start, waiting for him to lay down the rules for deciding the winner before using some kind of trick to win the match.
Bruce released Victor's wrists and moved off him.
He took off his athletic jacket, revealing a black bodysuit underneath. It covered him from his neckline down to his arms, reducing the damage he took and boosting his attacks.
The material was snug and highly elastic, clearly no ordinary fabric.
Victor sat up on the mat and looked at the black bodysuit.
"So you've been planning this all along."
Bruce smiled.
"I've spent the past few days analyzing every possible approach. In a straight fight, I couldn't beat you even in my next life, so I decided to play to my unique strengths."
Victor stood up and bent down to retrieve his black T-shirt.
He draped it over his shoulder, turned to Bruce, and said with a look of disdain, "So now you've got an excuse for cheating."
Behind him, Bruce said, "You promised to tell me who your master is."
Victor slipped the T-shirt over his head and pulled it down.
"Forget it. You