Part-97

  The leader boy, momentarily stunned by James' swift dodge, stumbled slightly. This ued turn of events silehe snickers from his friends, repg them with a look of surprise. James, seizing the opportunity, straightened up ahe leader's bewildered gaze.

  The leader, clearly frustrated by the missed punch, snarled and wound up for another swing. But James wouldn't give him the ce. Thanks to his Judo training, his body rimed for rea. He remembered Ryan's words about using the oppo's momentum against them.

  As the leader's fist unched forward, James dipped u once more. This time, however, he didn't simply dodge. He used the leader's forward momentum to his advantage. With a swift movement, James executed a teique he'd been drillilessly – the Snake Jab.

  Three rapid strikes, precise and trolled, nded on the leader's pressure points on his throat. The effect was immediate. The leader's eyes widened in surprise as a gasp escaped his lips. He clutched at his throat, the air trapped in his lungs as he choked for a breath.

  Capitalizing on the momentary window, James followed up with a well-pced uppercut. It wasn't a knockout blow, but it was enough to send the leader stumbling backward, coughing and wheezing. The surprise attack, coupled with the unfamiliar teique, had thrown the leader off his game.

  Seeing their leader falter, the other boys, who had been emboldened moments ago, hesitated. The sed-in-and, a stocky boy with a shaved head, roared and lu James, aiming a reckless kick. James, his focus sharp, easily sidestepped the attack with a well-timed pivot.

  This created the perfect opening for another Judo teique – the De Ashi Barai, the very move he'd been practig with Zia. With a smooth sweep of his leg, James khe sed-in-and off bance, sending him sprawling onto the hard ground with a surprised grunt.

  The remaining boy, unsure of what had just transpired, charged at James with a wild swing. James, however, remained calm. He tered with a thundercp sp, a powerful open-harike delivered diagonally across the boy's face. The impact wasn't enough to knock him unscious, but it was enough to send him reeling back, his hand flying to his stinging cheek.

  It was a swift and decisive dispy of James' skills. He wasn't using Auto bat, relying instead on muscle memory and the teiques he'd absorbed through grueling training.

  The market stood frozen in stunned silehe se had gone from a tense frontation to a one-sided dispy of dominan mere seds. The group of boys, who had moments ago been bullying vendors, now y sprawled on the ground, groaning i. James, chest heaving slightly, stood tall amidst the stunned crowd.

  James surveyed the se, a mix of adrenaline and disbelief swirling within him. The bullies were subdued, their earlier bravado repced by whimpers and groans. He turned his attention to the old woman, etg his features. "Are you alright, ma'am?" he asked, approag her cautiously.

  Just as he reached out to help her up, a blur of movement caught his eye. A young woman, her face a mask of fury, materialized in front of him. "How dare you touch my grandma!" she shrieked, her voice ced with e. "I was at the meat shop when my friend told me someoacked her. I won't let you bully her!"