Bear Vs Bear -2-

There's something that needs to be explained: every person trying a new video game might not immediately grasp proper character control or gameplay mechanics. It's necessary for them to play the game for a certain period to become accustomed to the movements. In our case, this is even more challenging, as each bear differs in weight and shape, making adaptation not as simple.

Vasyl asserted, "If I move swiftly in a straight path and deliver a precise strike towards him, I'll bring him down to the ground. A straight-line dash is the easiest during receiver control." He based this strategy on his observation that Yuriy hadn't fully adapted to his device yet, particularly since Yuriy had remained stationary for a while.

Yes, Vasyl's belief in complete naivety turned out to be accurate as he lunged towards the enemy. He charged forward, and in an instant, when he was just half a meter away from Yuriy's bear, Yuriy opened his eyes. Both of Yuriy's elbows moved, and with them, the bear's arms moved as well. Then, his right leg bent with an incredibly precise synchronized motion with the arm movement. This synchronization was challenging to execute on the first attempt, but Yuriy managed it. He altered Vasyl's bear movement effortlessly, flipping it upside down, causing it to crash onto its head, shattering the ground.

The audience's cries filled the air after the powerful blow Vasyl received. Silence had dominated the atmosphere until then, and even Vasyl didn't exactly comprehend what had just transpired.

Vasyl exclaimed, "Impossible! He mastered that move in a minute? This person, he's worse than a genius monster. Damn it, it's difficult to regain my balance."

With difficulty, Vasyl's bear managed to stand upright. The peculiar thing about the control was that the bears' movements resembled those of humans, as if they had become human in their way of moving. Even the expressions on the bears' faces, which typically looked bear-like, appeared entirely human. It was as if the bears had become believers that they were humans.

Vasyl's bear retreated with backward movements, a strange retreat that seemed like a practitioner of the martial art systema. This explained Vasyl's distinctive movement style.

A powerful exhale erupted from Yuriy's bear, prompting Vasyl to cautiously pose a question with a firm and alert tone, "Will he attack? These are feints of someone about to strike. Should I create distance between us? If I get cornered, I won't have time to comprehend his moves. Alright, I'll do that."

Vasyl complied, creating a substantial distance between himself and Yuriy, not wanting to be caught off guard by a swift direct attack.

Suddenly, Vasyl's expectations were met. Yuriy's bear moved with lightning speed, its movements no longer resembling those of a regular bear. Yuriy managed to distribute movement evenly across the bear's muscles, granting the necessary strength for swift motions. Each muscle engaged in a movement would quickly shed kinetic energy, rendering it light and ready to be propelled by the muscles holding kinetic energy. This phenomenon turned the bear into a speedster, leaving everyone around in awe. Yuriy understood this complex concept in an impressively short time, instilling a sense of fear in those witnessing his control. He guided his bear as if it were an extension of himself. How far could he take his video game skills? Far enough to rescue his mother from death, but unfortunately, he couldn't save her.

Despite Vasyl's anticipation of Yuriy's movement and his strategic creation of distance to comprehend the possible angles Yuriy might exploit during his attack, Yuriy's movement was a direct and astonishingly rapid one, too challenging to anticipate. Vasyl exclaimed, "Too fast, I'll intercept it!" He raised his bear's arms, but the distance he had put between them due to a control misjudgment was too wide. Yuriy executed a direct punch to Vasyl's bear's face, sending it crashing to the ground once again.

The crowd erupted in renewed admiration for Yuriy, their excitement growing as they witnessed his advancement against Vasyl. Except Vasyl, who shouted out his frustration, "Damn it, how is he doing this? I can barely control my own receiver, and he's like one of those video game prodigies who master any game they touch on their first try. No, he's one of them, no doubt." These words seemed like the acknowledgment of a person coming to terms with his defeat.

Yuriy thought he had won, even Vladyslav began the countdown in reverse until ten. But in the last moment, Vasyl's bear stood up, leaving Yuriy perplexed. He muttered, "This bear is strange; it seems to have an incredibly high endurance. I wonder if Vasyl can sense that."

Vladyslav blew the whistle for the next round to start. This time, Yuriy's bear began jumping in quick, consecutive leaps, as if a wrestler warming up. Upon landing from the last jump, the bear vanished from its spot. Its speed was extraordinary, almost impossible to track. Vasyl's reaction was one of disbelief as he exclaimed, "He's vanished! I can't see him." Vasyl spun around to find the bear already behind him. "Wha... When did he get to...?" Before he could finish his sentence, Yuriy had already thrown a preemptive punch to the bear's abdomen, causing it to collapse. What Yuriy did was dash towards a blind spot near Vasyl. Since Vasyl hadn't fully mastered controlling his bear yet, he struggled to turn the bear's body precisely and counter Yuriy's attack.

A sense of despair began to creep into Vasyl's heart. Was there a solution to facing his genius opponent? Suddenly, a few words mixed with arrogance escaped Yuriy's lips as he addressed Vasyl, "Facing you, Vasyl, is like smurfing against low-level players." What Yuriy meant by "smurfing" was when a skilled player creates a new account in a game to face lower-skilled opponents, essentially destroying them.

Vasyl shouted back, "What did you just say, you arrogant pro?" Then Vasyl began to contemplate as things grew more challenging for him, thinking to himself, "Damn it, what's the plan now? I can't even control my receiver perfectly. What do I do?" Suddenly, Vasyl noticed Yuriy's bear sitting on the ground. "S-Sitting down? What does that mean?" Vasyl scrutinized the scene for a moment and deduced its meaning, "He's contemplating through his bear. W-What am I seeing? How did he come up with this idea? He must be trying to clear his mind to delve deeper into the bear's senses and gain better control over it. This person is truly something else." Then Vasyl's eyes widened, "Wait a moment, if he's clearing his mind to gain better control over his bear, that means... I can do the same?"

Vasyl's realization led him to a new line of thought, potentially giving him an opportunity to match Yuriy's tactics.

Vasyl sat down with his bear on the ground, deciding to engage in meditation to clear his mind as well. He felt it was something he needed, especially considering how poorly his control over his future had been. This puzzled the spectators, and whispers began to fill the air as they tried to make sense of the situation. Vasyl continued, "I remember the meditation sessions I had with Grandma Susan." Suddenly, Vasyl began to hear words in his mind, spoken in the voice of an old woman who used to repeat certain phrases, "If you want to wield the weapon in your hand as if it's a part of your body, you must first adapt to it. And to do that, you need to empty your mind. Don't think of anything, don't think of anything. You're the kind who cares about trivial details, which keeps your mind cluttered all the time. When the mind is full of information, its focus weakens. Focus, Vasyl, focus. Imagine a door in your forehead, and you're sitting atop a high hill. A gentle breeze taps your forehead, dispersing through your brain, touching your thoughts, then pushing them out through another door beneath your head. Yes, Vasyl, stop thinking altogether. Excessive thinking is of no use if it hinders your concentration."

Yuriy noticed Vasyl's sitting posture as well, and he stared at him for a moment, puzzled by his actions. Then he sarcastically remarked, his tone indicating a complete lack of concern for his opponent's decisions, "Don't tell me he's trying to mimic me?" With a powerful leap, Yuriy's bear stood on its hind legs. Slowly, Yuriy approached Vasyl's bear step by step, and Vasyl's bear remained seated on the ground.

As Yuriy stood face to face with Vasyl's bear, he addressed Vasyl, saying, "Hmm? Are you really trying to mimic me? What you're doing now is similar to what novice chess players do when facing a strong opponent. They imitate their moves, thinking it will help them win." Vasyl didn't respond; he contented himself with a blank expression on his face, a sign that he was immersed in his meditation.

In an instant, Yuriy felt a sense of irritation. He threw a direct punch at Vasyl's bear, but this time things were different. With a precise and calculated movement, Vasyl's bear blocked Yuriy's punch, using only one hand. It was as if he had finally understood the mechanics of controlling the bear. Yuriy's reaction was a surprised "What?" accompanied by a hint of concern.

Yuriy jumped backward with his bear, assuming a defensive stance. After a moment of silence, he landed back in his position. The crowd erupted with even more intense excitement than before, especially those who had bet on Vasyl's victory. "Didn't I tell you he would come back? This person is a professionally trained soldier. There's no way he would lose to a rookie soldier. He knows exactly what he's doing," someone exclaimed amidst the fervor.

Vasyl's bear stood on its hind legs and assumed a fighting stance, ready to attack. Vasyl shouted, "Osse!"

Yuriy stared at Vasyl for a moment and then assumed a resolute fighting stance, saying, "Show me what you've got."

Vasyl's bear lunged forward swiftly on all fours, but Yuriy noticed something peculiar and commented, "Moving on all fours like bears? Why is that? I can also observe some hesitations in his control over his bear's movements. Ah, I see. Instead of moving himself, he's giving signals to the bear for movement. That's why the bear's actions appear natural." Yuriy sighed, saying, "He's still far from mastering full control over his bear. He must be one of those with weaker understanding." Well, not that Vasyl truly had a weak understanding, but it's safe to say Yuriy was an exceptional genius.

As Vasyl's bear lunged for an attack, Yuriy suddenly vanished from his spot. "H-He disappeared. Will he repeat the same attack? Yes, he must be attacking from directly behind, just like before. I'll turn around. I'll definitely turn around to face the back," thought Vasyl resolutely. He turned around to see Yuriy's bear near him. "I've caught his movement, and now I'll counter...." Before Vasyl could finish his sentence, Yuriy disappeared once again from his spot. Before Vasyl could turn around again, Yuriy had already delivered the most powerful blow he had ever landed, a series of strong strikes that hit Vasyl's bear's body repeatedly until it fell to the ground. Yuriy's bear then sat on top of it, continuing his words, "I apologize for this, Vasyl, but your game sense is extremely weak. In video games, when you use a specific attack pattern, you should avoid repeating it in the next rounds because the opponent becomes aware of it in advance. So, the surprise attack I just executed was a mere feint for the real attack. You fell into the trap easily, and that's what makes my strategy superior to yours in the team."