STEPHEN VS DOMINIC 2

                                    

                                          
Stephen was momentarily surprised when Dominic accepted the challenge, then admired his friend's courage.
"Isn't it a bit too ambitious to go up against a master fighter like me, Dom?"

Dominic stared at Stephen without blinking. "I never say no to gaining experience. And I'm free all day tomorrow, my friend."

Stephen smiled at this response. He hadn't expected Dominic to be this bold, but he always appreciated this kind of attitude. As he slowly walked across the fighting arena, he noticed Dominic kept glancing at the ceiling. Being on the top floor of the building made escaping almost impossible. Here, they were confined to battle in an enclosed space.  

Without taking his guard, Stephen launched a hard kick at Dominic's leg. However, the hardness of Dominic's metal leg hurt Stephen's foot. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Stephen realized he couldn't ignore this advantage. Dominic hadn't anticipated the move and seized the opportunity to throw a punch at Stephen's throat.  

Stephen dodged the punch by throwing himself to the ground, creating distance. As he got up quickly, Dominic aimed a kick at his throat. Stephen retreated in momentary shock, unable to believe his friend could move so swiftly.  

Stephen touched his throat. A wound from a previous fight had reopened, and blood began to trickle out. Smirking slightly, he tore the bottom of his shirt and wrapped it around his neck.  

"So, you want to play dirty, huh, Dom?"

Dominic replied with a mocking expression. "I don't believe there are rules in a fight. It could've been a matter of life and death, after all."

Stephen raised his guard and advanced toward Dominic. Dominic stepped back a few paces, glancing around. For a moment, he smiled and looked at Stephen.  

Stephen couldn't make sense of that smile. He couldn't figure out what his friend was up to. He charged at Dominic and threw a punch at his face. Dominic dodged by dropping to the ground, successfully creating distance from Stephen.  

Dominic was out of breath. Sweat dripped down his forehead and ran along his cheeks as he realized Stephen was wearing him down.  

"Hey Dom, we can't keep this up all day. I thought you'd put up a better fight," Stephen taunted.  

Dominic paused for a few seconds, then shook his head. The motion puzzled Stephen. He noticed Dominic had been acting strangely ever since he accepted the challenge.  

Stephen began approaching Dominic slowly. However, Dominic maintained the distance by continuously backing away.  

"Running won't do you any good, buddy. It'll only take one move to finish this."Dominic smirked slightly. "If I were you, I wouldn't be so sure. Maybe you're still underestimating me."

Stephen was growing impatient. Dominic's evasive tactics were getting on his nerves. Still, he didn't want to seriously hurt his friend, so he had to proceed carefully.  

"Hey Stephen, do you remember the game of tag we used to play as kids?" Dominic said suddenly.  

Stephen hesitated for a moment. "Yeah, we played in an old abandoned house. It was almost falling apart. But what does that have to do with this?"

Dominic's smile widened. Stephen sensed his friend was planning something. He knew it was time to end this fight.  

"Enough talk," Stephen said in a sharp tone. "Let's focus on the fight."

Dominic charged at Stephen. Stephen immediately raised his guard and retreated. Dominic launched a hard kick at his leg, but Stephen easily blocked the attack.  

Dominic ran toward the corner of the room, stepping into an open area, then abruptly stopped and began backing away. Stephen couldn't figure out the purpose behind this move.  

"The fight doesn't end until one of us wins, Dom. What do you think you're doing?"

"Don't worry, buddy. Only one of us will walk away victorious. But I'm sure it won't be you."

Stephen laughed mockingly. "It's funny to hear you say that while running away like a coward."

Dominic crouched and picked up an old bowling ball. Stephen, who knew the building had once been a bowling alley, was stunned by this move, trying to figure out what Dominic planned to do with it.  

Dominic hurled the ball with all his strength toward Stephen's direction. Stephen dodged, avoiding the hit. But Dominic retrieved the ball and this time kicked it into the air, aiming a powerful strike at Stephen.  

The bowling ball bounced off a surface and rolled away. However, Dominic's kick sent Stephen crashing to the floor, where he landed on a rotted beam from the ceiling.  

When Dominic saw his friend trying to get up, he felt a chill behind him. Stephen was clutching a bloodied dagger in his hand.  

Dominic backed away but noticed the markings on his shoulder beginning to glow. Stephen, strangely, couldn't move. His eyes were filled with rage, locked onto Dominic.  

Stephen growled as he struggled to move. Realizing he could take advantage of this strange power, Dominic launched a hard kick at Stephen's chest with all his might. 

As Stephen was flung back, Dominic knew he had emerged victorious, even if he didn't fully understand what had happened.