Chapter 324: Man vs. Midge (2/2)
Seeing the two men calmed down, the referee breathed a sigh of relief. He was not looking forward to having to stand in between the two finalists. This was not only because Nick was powerful and huge enough to send him flying, but because since the referee had heard most of Ben's verbal villainy, he somehow feared that turning his back to Ben would lead to the short man two-handed finger-jabbing his ass for some reason.
…
It was better to be safe than sorry…
So, while keeping Ben within his line of sight…the referee explained the rules of the match. As the seconds until their first collision became short and shorter, the room grew hotter, the audience staring with intensity at the two men in the middle as they chatted amongst themselves. However, as intriguing as this matchup was due to the contrast, there wasn't a single person in the audience who gave Ben any chance.
Nick's ability was famous here. He'd even defeated a number of brown belts and instructors. Even if Ben beat some tough opponents, they weren't on Nick's level. He wasn't the kind of opponent that would lose to a white belt. So, although interested in seeing what antics would happen between the two of them, the people in the room muttered amongst each other, making clear their thoughts.
”The little one's about to get the dad treatment…” Nick did, in fact, look like he was Ben's dad, about to take off his belt and dish out discipline…
”That little dude's crazy, but Nick is verifiably psychotic. I saw him choke out a dog in an alley one time.”
…
In Nick's defense, he believed the dog had it coming…
”Yea. Did you hear what that white belt said to him? Nick is not going to let that go. I don't know if I can stay here and witness a murder…”
”I know what you mean. That would be disturbing.”
”No, I can't be at a crime scene cause I've got warrants.”
…
Regardless of what they said, almost no one in the room believed in Nick, except for a couple of people. Fariq showed an earnest expression, waiting to congratulate his buddy. He didn't know if Ben could win, but he still believed he could do it, telling those nearby to not underestimate Ben.
On the other side of the room, Valentina's eyebrows were knitted. They'd been in that state for a long while, because she understood Ben better than anyone here. So she could see the differences in his technique today. Although he still did those hateful verbal assaults, when he was actually grappling, he was smoother, faster, and more refined. His movements…were approaching brown belt level!
She didn't understand how he did it, but after also noticing that Nick was having an off-day, she was no longer was so sure how this match would turn out. No, her instinct was telling her something—everyone would be in for a shock today!