“You raise? The hell are you talking about?” Byron laughs as he approaches Ken slowly.

  “...30 years.” Ken finishes.

  The clouds darken, and a golden spotlight shines on Ken. The crowd begins to shout in excitement. “You hear that, everyone?! 798 is finally playing and is putting a lifetime wager of 30 years on defeating Byron!”

  Ken feels his energy return, even more than before. Without a thought, he jumps toward Byron, the floor exploding from his step. Ken lands a flying kick on his stomach, sending Byron crashing into a wall– a cloud of dust rises.

  “This is all or nothing!” Senzo’s voice rings in Ken’s head.

  “Let’s give the crowd what they want!” Ken shouts. Out of dust, stones shoot out at blinding speeds. He is barely able to dodge them, one of the projectiles cutting across his cheek.

  Byron dives from above and catches Ken off guard. He hops back to avoid Byron’s surprise attack, causing Byron to smash the floor beneath him to bits.

  “NO MORE TRICKS!” Byron shouts. He unleashes a relentless assault on Ken.

  Time slows down for Ken; he can see everything clearly.

  Byron only has pure power and sneak attacks. He looks at Byron’s angry expression.

  His anger and cockiness are my silver bullet.

  “I bet my arms that I can hit him 10 more times, and my legs I can dodge for 10 seconds.”

  The crowd cheers, and the announcer excitedly shouts, “A double bet?! HE IS GOING FOR GOLD!”

  Ken dodges and kicks Byron’s side, pushing himself away from him. Byron stumbles slightly before regaining his footing and pouncing at Ken. Taking advantage of his impatience, Ken ducks under him and lands an uppercut.

  I can do more!

  He dodges left and slams his left fist on Byron's back, driving him into the floor.

  “GUH–” Byron screams in pain upon impact. Creating distance, Ken kicks him, causing him to tumble across the floor.

  Ken’s heart beats wildly, and the excitement courses through him. He is on fire.

  “DAMN IT ALL!” Byron angrily curses as he stands.

  “Even with your newfound power, you’re still weak!” Ken taunts, aggravating him.

  “3…2…1…and time is up!” The announcer shouts.

  “WHAT?!” Ken exclaims.

  “Unfortunately, our contestant only landed four hits, but he dodged for the allotted time, so he only loses 20 years!”

  Ken feels his power weaken and a sharp pang in his heart.

  20 from 30 lost? Do I have to bet more to get back?

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  Ken faces Byron and notices his furious expression. His veins are turning black, and small holes are opening around his body.

  Byron jumps toward him, and Ken is barely able to keep track of his movements. He tries to dodge his punch, but as Ken takes a step back, he is suddenly pulled toward Byron.

  “What?” Ken says in shock.

  Unable to move away, Byron lands a powerful hook, catching him. Ken feels his stomach crumple under the punch, stumbling back in pain.

  “Heh, I expected this to tear right through you!” Byron remarks as he exhales slowly.

  What the hell was that? I’m sure I dodged that earlier.

  Byron raises his hand and aims a hole in his arm toward Ken, his forearm slowly expanding.

  “Stand still,” Byron commands.

  Instinctively, Ken jumps to the right, hiding behind a broken wall. Suddenly, a strong blast of air shoots from his palm, destroying a small part of the road.

  Ken looks at the destruction in shock, and the crowd makes a worried sound. Before he can understand what's happening, Byron suddenly peeks around the corner, staring directly at him.

  “No more running away!” Byron laughs, a crazed stare in his eyes.

  “I raise 20 years!” Ken shouts, his strength returning to him. The crowd's cheers become louder.

  Ken feels himself being pulled toward Byron, but now he can see it happen slowly. He jumps back, but as he does so, he notices the holes on Byron's body widening.

  He barely dodges Byron's punch, causing him to stumble. Ken takes advantage of Byron's inexperience and tries to land a punch. The holes around Byron’s body shoot out hot steam, scalding Ken's hand.

  “ARRRGH!” Ken grunts in pain before retreating. The crowd's cheers are beginning to dwindle, becoming quiet. He feels his strength slipping. As he moves away, he feels a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. A burst of air pierces through.

  “Crap!” Ken says as he stops. Byron laughs as he runs toward him. Ken is expecting him to shoot again, but he doesn’t; Byron only charges toward him.

  A sudden realisation hits him. Byron’s direct attacks flash across his mind. Every time he attacks up close, he sucks in air. He remembers the blast that tore the street apart. Only after he does the pull can he release it to attack!

  Ken tests his theory by trying to hit Byron. If he is correct, he shouldn’t be able to release steam to protect himself. He waits for Byron to get closer.

  I bet my arms I can hit Byron in the next 30 seconds!

  He feels his energy rise within him and watches Byron closely. He steps in and is about to deliver a decisive blow to him. He waits until he feels a slight pull toward Byron and counterattacks. Ken dodges left and throws another punch. Steam suddenly shoots out from the pores on Byron’s body, scalding his hand. Not wanting to lose again, his fist connects before he retreats.

  He can hear the crowd cheer as he shakes off the pain.

  “Alright! Our contestant has won the bet! And he gets 2 years back!” the announcer declares.

  Ken isn’t paying attention to the announcer; his main concern is with Byron.

  “Hahahahaha! Even if I lose everything, Ken! I’ll be sure you don’t leave here alive!” Byron manically laughs.

  Tch, how is he able to keep this up!

  Byron rushes at him, and Ken is unsure how to fight him without inflicting further harm on himself. Everything slows down around Ken as he thinks for a moment. He looks at his burnt hand, and the wound from Byron earlier is bleeding profusely. He doesn’t have many options.

  This is a fight of pure power.

  He tries to think of what he can put on the line to help him. He turns to Byron.

  He gave up his allies and himself just for power. I...I need to let go… I need to commit to staking my future.

  Ken feels his body and mind relax, coming to terms with his fate. He thinks of Senzo and how he would react.

  “Alright, Ken! This crowd wants a show, let's give them one they will never forget,” he hears Senzo’s voice tell him. “We’ll burn out in a glorious blaze!”

  Ken feels the world around him stand still, waiting for his words.

  Ken takes a deep breath and shouts, “I bet all of my years that I will defeat Byron in the next three minutes!”