I teach judo in Tokyo.

Although Sousuke has been recognized as the strongest player in this competition due to his exaggerated skills and domineering fighting style.

However, they still didn't pull away from Sebastian by much in terms of winning points.

Ultimately, the surge in support points for both sides came to a halt.

Sousuke Atobe lends his support to the victory point – 29345 trillion yen! (293 billion US dollars)

Sebastian supports the victory point – 26133 trillion! (261 billion US dollars)

The total amount of gambling funds involved by both parties has exceeded US$50 billion.

The two men looked at each other from a distance, and Atobe Sousuke smiled: "Old man, are you ready? Today I'm going to get revenge for that punch I got last time."

Sebastian's expression remained calm, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Mr. Atobe, I must say, you are nothing short of a miracle, having grown to such an extent in just six months..."

He said frankly, "I'm afraid that with your current physical condition and martial arts skills, if you were to get serious, I probably wouldn't be able to last even a minute."

Sosuke didn't deny it, but instead pushed up his sunglasses and said in a relaxed tone, "Grandpa, last time we sparred, you controlled your strength to guide me. This time, I will also control my own power and fight with pure skill, as a matter of courtesy."

Sebastian showed no unusual emotion upon hearing Sousuke's words.

Strong is strong, and weak is weak. It's a fact that Atobe Sousuke is stronger than him now.

"Since that's the case... then I'll take a slight advantage and fight you to my heart's content."

The old butler spoke calmly while silently assuming the most basic karate stance.

Stand in a side horse stance, with your left palm open and held vertically in front of you, and your right fist tucked to your waist.

Sosuke said no more, then stood up straight, silently spread his hands, and adopted a relaxed posture similar to that of a natural body.

As they assumed their fighting stances, their auras surged dramatically.

A chilling aura reverberated and intertwined, perceptible to many powerful individuals sensitive to such auras, and even to some ordinary people with keen senses.

The two people, standing silently facing each other, seemed to have transformed into a terrifying anomaly.

A steel-like demon warrior faces off against Yinglong, who descends from the sky.

Spurred on by the old butler's terrifying aura, Sosuke's lips slowly curled into a wild smile.

"Grandpa, I'm finally going to see your true strength! I'm really looking forward to it!"

Sebastian remained expressionless and said nothing more.

The host's announcement to start the competition had long since passed.

The old butler kicked off with his foot.

The ground exploded instantly!

Amidst the flying debris, his figure had already traversed ten meters and suddenly appeared in front of Atobe Sousuke.

The fist, which was drawn in at the waist, was thrown out in the blink of an eye, appearing directly in front of Sousuke as if by teleportation!

Sosuke slightly tilted his head, narrowly dodging the old butler's sudden punch.

Just as he dodged—

"Sa!"

A gentle breeze whispered in my ear.

As if anticipating the enemy's move, the old butler raised his left foot high and swept it towards Sosuke's head.

It was as if Sousuke had willingly offered his head to take the attack!

In a flash, Sosuke raised his arm just in time and steadily blocked the old butler's kick.

"Oh!"

The immense force immediately traveled along Sosuke's arm, causing the ground beneath his left foot to shatter violently.

In the next instant, Sosuke's left hand, which had been concealed, swiftly thrust upwards like a sharp blade, its target the old butler's chest.

However, even Sosuke's move seemed to have been anticipated by the old butler.

His right fist, which had missed its target, suddenly transformed into a claw and swiftly pressed back, once again appearing ahead of Sosuke's attack path.

He easily deflected Sosuke's palm strike.

Sosuke's movements seemed to have been pre-planned with the old butler, and once again the old butler preemptively countered them.

The two were extremely close, neither giving an inch, and in the blink of an eye, they had already exchanged dozens of blows.

A bizarre scene appeared.

Every time they clashed, the old butler seemed to anticipate it, as if he knew Sosuke's movements in advance.

Then, with the shortest distance and the simplest movements, he intercepted Sosuke's attack in advance.

not only that.

The old butler's attack also landed squarely on the part that Atobe Sousuke found hardest to defend.

And so, in this incredibly bizarre battle of offense and defense...

Despite being faster and more skilled, Sousuke was unexpectedly being subtly suppressed by the old butler.

In battle, the ability to predict the opponent's next move, or even several moves ahead, in real time – that's the key to victory!

This is not an ability that can be acquired through training or spiritual practice.

While rigorous training and extensive practical experience are necessary conditions for acquiring this ability.

However, the most indispensable requirement for acquiring the ability to be "first among firsts" is "talent"!

This special talent is possessed only by a very small number of martial arts practitioners.

A martial artist with this ability can even achieve victory against an opponent of a lower level, even if their own skills and physique are weaker than the opponent's.

The old butler is a super strong person who possesses this kind of talent.

While being suppressed by Sebastian, Sousuke was deep in thought.

Clearly, the old butler, even as a mortal and with skills not yet at their peak, possessed such abilities.

However, if he were to fight Wesker, the pseudo-Berserker whom Sosuke had previously battled, he probably wouldn't be at a disadvantage even if Wesker's physical abilities were superior in every aspect.

Even with his own power under active control and at an extremely high skill level, Sousuke was still somewhat overwhelmed by the old butler's extraordinary abilities.

But it doesn't matter!

An enemy with the same traits, which Atobe Sousuke also defeated.

Shinnosuke Kagami is a sword saint who also possesses the ability of "the first of the first".

This swordsman was also slain by Sousuke.

More importantly, Sousuke is now much stronger than he was a few days ago...

At the very edge of his limits, Sousuke smiled faintly, his deep blue eyes behind his sunglasses gleaming slightly.

The two exchanged ten more moves.

Sosuke always seemed to be a step behind, and each time he could only try to regain his footing and defend against the old butler's attacks.

Then, another ten moves!

This time, the old butler keenly noticed some differences in the ten strategies required.

However, amidst the fierce battle, his remaining mental energy, which was constantly predicting Sosuke's actions, was insufficient to help him quickly discover what was wrong.

And so, the back-and-forth between the two sides reached the thirtieth move—

This time, the old butler's eyes widened slightly.

He had already noticed the difference.

Atobe Sousuke—It's getting faster!

It's not about speed.

It's about speeding up the tempo!

Sousuke Atobe remained true to the agreement made before the battle and did not increase the output of his physical functions.

However, in this round, his "response speed" was even faster in the face of Sebastian's every "first-come-first-served" pressure!

In the first round of attack and defense, the old butler was able to gain a half-step advantage over Atobe Sousuke.

In the second round of attack and defense, the old housekeeper could only gain a one-third advantage.

In the third round of attack and defense, the old butler could only gain a slight advantage over Atobe Sousuke thanks to the advantage of being the first to act!

Almost as soon as he made a move, Sousuke reacted.

Without any prior abilities, Atobe Sousuke managed to adapt to Sebastian's rhythm.

With his unparalleled reflexes, he caught up with the old butler's attack in no time!

'First...'

The old butler's face remained calm, but his eyes held a hint of amazement.

In the path of martial arts, there is a saying of "three priorities".

The one who predicts the opponent's next move before they even take action and deciphers it in advance – the one who anticipates and counters it.

When the opponent is acting, anticipate their actions, and use evasion, parrying, or other methods to disable their actions, then counterattack – the principle of "after the opponent acts, first the enemy acts."

The former is the "Sacred Path," a wondrous realm that is impossible to achieve without innate talent.

The latter is "humanity," which is the realm that the general public can access.

Besides these two types, there is a third path.

The incredible skill of anticipating an opponent's move the instant it begins, reacting simultaneously, and responding with pinpoint precision—

First, do it!

This is the "path of ghosts"!

At this level, the most important thing is not talent in martial arts.

It wasn't a lot of training or practical experience either.

What it needs is—instinct.

It is innate, and cannot be trained; it is almost at the level of a sixth sense—the fighting instinct.

Those with this kind of talent... are probably even rarer than those who are the first to achieve it...

Atobe Sousuke is a super soldier who can "take the initiative".

Having figured this out, Sebastian knew he could no longer suppress it.

The next second, he suddenly threw a punch, which was then precisely blocked by Sousuke.

This time, instead of changing his tactics to suppress, he unleashed his power, using his explosive technique to send Sosuke flying back several meters.

Sosuke's feet left two long scratches on the ground.

He shook his hand, raised his head, and looked at Sebastian, who had given up his dominant position, with some curiosity.

But the old steward let out a long sigh of relief, a gratified smile on his face: "Mr. Atobe, your rapid growth is truly astonishing."

"If we continue fighting, I will not be your match. Let's use this last bit of strength to settle the score with this final blow."

He paused, then struck a pose that Sousuke seemed to remember.

Slightly bend your knees to form a standing posture, like a "two-character clamp sheep horse" stance.

Then, the old butler crossed his arms and stretched them forward, then slowly pulled his right hand back, taking a long, deep breath as he did so.

Finally, he withdrew his right hand, clenched it into a fist, and put it on his waist. The next second, he exhaled a long breath.

The exhalation produced a violent whistling sound, and a distinct plume of white steam shot out from the old butler's mouth and nose like a sharp arrow.

Yin-Yang Breathing Method!

In Sousuke's eyes, the phrase "an ordinary butler" had always been the label that appeared above Sebastian's head.

At this moment, crack-like effects slowly appeared on the surface, and then, as if the outer layer was peeling off, the outer layer disappeared piece by piece.

Finally, the true nature of the entry was revealed.

"Fist Demon!"