Joseph gritted his teeth. His rapidly depleting stamina made his face flush red. However, he forced himself to hold on, not wanting others to see that he was all show and no substance.

Zachary stayed expressionless as he stepped forward and aimed a sharp kick toward Joseph's throat.

Joseph sneered and dropped his palm, ready to snap Zachary's ankle in retaliation. Little did he know that Zachary's move was a feint, not a real attack. The kicked foot retracted in mid-air and pulled back, and taking advantage of this opportunity, his other leg suddenly stepped forward.

Using the retracted leg as a pivot point, he delivered an explosive kick toward Joseph's neck.

"Crap!" Such rapid changes in technique, combined with the heavy force, left Joseph scrambling and finally cursing out loud.

He frantically raised his arms, trying to protect his head and neck. However, having lost too much energy, he was still a beat too slow.

A crisp slap echoed as Zachary's kick landed with the pr