the firm tatami mat with a sickening thud, all the air

violently expelled from his lungs. He lay there,

gasping desperately like a fish on a dock, entirely

incapacitated in less than three seconds. The gym

erupted into absolute, stunned silence. The

smartphones recording the event shook

uncontrollably in their owners' hands.

ael stared down at his brother,

then up at Darius, his arrogance instantly replaced

by pure, unadulterated rage. With a wordless,

animalistic scream, Kael rushed forward,

abandoning all technique and swinging wildly with

everything he had. Darius's expression never

changed. He calmly sidestepped Kael's first wild,

looping hook, caught the fully extending arm, and

twisted violently.

He applied a highly precise, agonizing joint

lock, using Kael's own forward momentum entirely

against him, and drove him face-first into the

unforgiving mat. Darius applied calculated

pressure, locking Kael's shoulder in a position that

was excruciatingly painful but not permanently

damaging. "Tap," Darius said, his voice cold as ice

and echoing in the dead silent room.

Kael struggled helplessly for a fraction of a

second before the blinding pain became utterly