ALL NOVEL Chapter 86 – Wild Dragon
Floyd's demeanor shifted to one of seriousness. With swift intent, he lunged forward, employing his Dragon Claw technique. Le Mai Linh, having seen this move before, skillfully evaded.
Screesh!
"That move is truly dangerous," Le Mai Linh reflected internally. As she readied herself to counter, Floyd, not allowing her the moment, immediately unleashed Breaking Swipe.
Whiiishh!
Le Mai Linh had anticipated this. She sidestepped to the right, noting a vulnerability on Floyd's side. she used her left foot to propel herself upward. With both hands gripping Floyd's head, she swirled her body to the right. As she did, Floyd's right-hand claw swiped, narrowly missing where she had been moments ago.
Now, with Floyd's arms crossed, Le Mai Linh found a golden opportunity. As she spun to face him, still gripping his head tightly, she swiftly brought her right knee up, aiming for his head.
Floyd had little option but to turn his face leftwards, but he couldn't entirely evade. Le Mai Linh's knee made contact, leaving a swollen mark on his right cheek.
The pain was evident, but Floyd wasn't deterred. Without a clear strategy, he just spontaneously began spinning, claws outstretched, tracing circles in the air.
Le Mai Linh was caught in his arc, but the hit wasn't too damaging. Floyd's move resembled a prototype of Protect.
In that instance, Floyd's demeanor transformed. Floyd seemed to embody and substitute for Axew, as if he was both giving orders and doing the fighting against the opponent.
"Axe!" Even his voice mimicked Axew's.
Le Mai Linh, taken aback, noted this change in his aura. The Floyd now confronting her displayed hints of Kung Fu, reminiscent of the styles that imitate animal combat.
She wasn't the only one taken aback. Chen Yu and the other spectators were equally stunned.
"Axe!" Without warning, Floyd launched himself at her once more with the Dragon Claw!
Screesh!
Having become familiar with Floyd's patterns, Le Mai Linh evaded, positioning herself in his blind spot, accurately predicting his subsequent Breaking Swipe.
She saw an opening, and she initiated her counterattack. But as she reared back to deliver a kick, hoping to follow with a combo and grappled his neck, Floyd preemptively shifted into his Protect stance, catching her on the waist.
The move caught Le Mai Linh on her waist.
Without pausing, Floyd pressed on, his Dragon Claw readied. Completely zeroed in and laser-focused on her, his gaze detected a subtle movement from Le Mai Linh; he instantaneously pivoted into Protect move.
His instincts were spot-on. Le Mai Linh hadn't retreated far; she had sidestepped the strike to get close enough to grapple his neck. But Floyd's Protect move sent her flying backward.
The blow wasn't enough to keep Le Mai Linh down, and she quickly regained her footing.
Floyd had already predicted her next move: she would begin running to disorient him, and when an opportunity presented itself, she would strike.
In truth, their speeds were quite similar. Though Floyd might have been slightly faster, it was Le Mai Linh's exceptional flexibility and use of her body that gave Floyd challenges.
It felt akin to facing an opponent who employs cheesy tactics like Sleep Powder, Spore, Substitute, Leech Seed, Light Screen, and Reflect to outmaneuver their opponent.
In an unexpected move, Floyd raised his right hand, gesturing in front of Le Mai Linh with Taunt. His face, a cold mask, beckoned her forward, much like the iconic Bruce Lee.
Unsure of the effectiveness of this Taunt, Floyd acted on pure instinct. However, to those who were watching, this gesture painted Floyd as both supremely confident with arrogance, as if he was deliberately underestimating Le Mai Linh.
Le Mai Linh's face tightened with visible anger, she was provoked. In a swift, calculated move, she lunged forward, but sensing an impending danger, she cleverly made it look as if she tripped, diverting to her left.
Screesh!
Like a phantom, Floyd instant appeared, his claw carving a fierce arc through the air. Without missing a beat, he surged towards her, his right hand, previously on the left, now swooping downward in a potent strike. Almost immediately after, his left hand mirrored the motion, slashing downward in a harmonious follow-up.
"Axe!"
The move mirrored the devastating force of Breaking Swipe.
Le Mai Linh, with grace and agility, arched her body backward, narrowly evading the first strike. Sensing the subsequent blow from him, she fluidly softened her body, seizing Floyd's advancing left hand. Using this grip, she redirected her momentum to pivot to the right, her legs snapping up in a maneuver to ensnare Floyd's head.
Just as she readied her right shoulder for a counter, a sudden whirlwind motion from Floyd introduced another assault—his signature spin, the Protect Move.
For the third time, this move connected with Le Mai Linh. While its impact was softer than the brutal Dragon Claw or the sweeping Breaking Swipe, the damage was unmistakable.
In the subsequent blur of motion, Floyd leaped with predatory intent, hand poised for another deadly strike. Le Mai Linh's instincts screamed, prompting her to sidestep with a dancer's grace before retreating to safety.
"Axe!"
This unfamiliar maneuver unfurled, reminiscent of the 'First Impression' move in its raw power.
But Floyd wasn't done. Channeling his energy, he rocketed forward with such blistering speed that he seemed a mere blur, intending to ram into Le Mai Linh with a force resembling Extreme Speed or Tackle moves.
Le Mai Linh softened her body as she responded reflexively, going pliant to cushion the expected impact. She managed to regain her footing, but Floyd was relentless. With a swift motion, he pulled her left hand, yanking her off balance. Simultaneously, his right arm coiled around her waist in a python-like grip, hoisting and tossing her away as if emulating the Wrap Move.
Gasping, "Cough," Le Mai Linh absorbed the impact, scrambling to her feet. Yet, Floyd was relentless, unleashing a rapid sequence—First Impression, Tackle, Dragon Claw.
All Le Mai Linh did was dodge; she found herself struggling, continuously dodging Floyd's relentless sequence of moves.
The scene was profoundly barbaric. Chen Yu, who was observing, shook his head. "This style is hard to imitate. It's not merely about having immense physical strength; it also demands a mastery of both reaction and speed."
"It may seem a freestyle, but there's a complete set of moved to his actions. A blend of offense with smatterings of defense and grappling. Surprisingly, Youngest has sculpted his own Martial Art," he continued a hint of envy in his tone.
As the clash persisted, Floyd's dominance became evident, rendering Le Mai Linh unable to mount a counterattack. Despite her impressive speed, she seemed a touch slower, slightly outpaced by Floyd's frenetic and barbaric tempo.
The audience's mood shifted from excitement to unease, with even Jonathan, initially exhilarated, feeling overwhelmed by the wild intensity of Floyd's fighting style.
Recognizing Le Mai Linh's diminishing stamina, Floyd hesitated, compassion evident, "Sister Linh, let's pause."
His intention was clear; he didn't wish to further humiliate her.
Drawing ragged breaths, Le Mai Linh shot back, a mix of exhaustion and defiance, "And you said you knew no martial arts?"
"I simply freestyle, emulating my beasts in combat. It's impossible to know martial arts," Floyd explained hurriedly.
This revelation left the audience, including Le Mai Linh, stunned. She inquired, "You've molded your fighting style after your beasts?"
"Exactly. The resemblance in my style? That's Axew and Dratini for you," Floyd confessed, sheepishly blushing as he rubbed the back of his head.
Le Mai Linh pondered this, admiration evident in her gaze, "So, in essence, you've birthed a martial art inspired by your beasts?"
"You can't really term it as 'martial arts', Sister Linh," Floyd countered.
"No, this definitely qualifies as Martial Arts. Remember, some Kung Fu originated by imitating animal movements. Youngest, you should name your style," Le Mai Linh suggested.
Floyd paused, deep in thought. "How about 'Wild Dragon Style'?"