Pause System: Harem In The Apocalypse

In the middle of of a blank white room. Two figures could be seen.

One of the figures belonged to Gray whereas the other figure belonged to a dark shadow with no specific form

The two could be seen with their weapons sheathed, ahead of one another waiting for the countdown.

[3… 2… 1… Commence.]

The figure of the two vanished as they kicked off towards one another.

Gray covered the furthest distance in the shortest amount of time. He appeared ahead of the shadow with a punch in motion.

The shadow, raised one arm blocking the punch.

Gray threw a hook from the sides which were open.

But missed as the shadow took a step back.

The instant Gray stepped in to begin his barrage, the shadow countered, sending a side kick to the side of his head.

Gray ducked to avoid it, and moved in for a sweep, only for his eyes to widen as a knee suddenly appeared before him.

The shadow had predicted that move.

*SwoosH!*

Gray had stopped in his tracks and tilted his body all the way back, barely avoiding the knee as it went right past him.

Regardless, now was the perfect opportunity to counter.

While it was still airborne, he grabbed it's leg before swinging it down to slam it onto the ground.

But to his surprise, the shadow wasn't budging.

It had gripped onto his shirt holding on tight to prevent it from doing so.

A pair of elbows suddenly followed after as they were thrust towards Gray's undefended head.

*BAM!*

A fist was suddenly caved into the shadow's face before it could do so.

It's figure could be seen sliding backwards as it wiped the blood of it's nose.

It raised it's arms into a mixture between a Boxing and Muay Thai stance.

One leg ahead of the other, slightly bent to allow for rapid movement and to be able to pivot for a kick at any given moment. Both arms raised up, to be able to defend whenever.

Gray imitated this very same stance.

A few seconds past and neither of them had made a move.

*Drip*

The moment Gray's cold sweat landed on the room's floor. They leapt.

*BAM!*

And clashed.

Their punch landed exactly on each other's fist, knocking their hands back.

Despite that, they punch and punch again.

Accurately landing on each other's fist with each punch.

Each punch made Gray's hands ache and tremble, they grew number from each clash.

But that was nowhere near anything that could stop him.

A barrage of punches followed, none of them landing a clean hit on the other as they were either parried or missed slightly.

The one to break the chain of punches was Gray who kicked at the shadow's face.

The shadow raised it's arm, tucking it in to it's head to block it as it stepped in.

[Pause Martial Arts: Trajectory Shift]

To the shadow's surprise. The kick never landed on it's guard, but rather. The side of it's liver.

*BAM!*

It stumbled to the left from the excruciating pain which followed.

Gray stepped in, sending two straight jabs at it's chin.

It raised it's guard to block, but was a second too slow due because of the pain.

*Bam!* *Bam!*

Both jabs landed cleanly on it's chin, causing it to bop it's head back twice.

While stepping in once more, a right hook could be seen coming from Gray's side.

*BAM!*

It slammed onto the shadow's face, causing it to fall to the left.

Before it's figure could touch the ground. Gray had already sent another hook from the left.

*WHAM!*

It slammed against the side of the shadow figure's face, causing it to fall to the other side.

But once again, before it could fall Gray attacked.

He attacked and attacked and attacked, putting the shadow figure in a stun as he unleashed a barrage of punches on him.

For the very last punch it's figure had started to fall over backwards. It could no longer defend.

Veins bulged out of Gray's arm, he grit his teeth as he winded up for the last punch.

Disregarding his entire form, as it slammed into the shadow's face. Resembling a pitcher as he dug the fist deep into it's face.

*KABAAAM!*

The shockwave from the punch reverberated throughout the lit up room, blood splattered all over Gray's hand from it's nose as it went flying back.

Wiping the blood off his hand with a tissue the system had given him, Gray turned to it and said.

"Next."

[Congratulations! The user was able to successfully use a move from the Pause Martial Art.]

[Current moves in arsenal – Trajectory shift – Shift the trajectory of any attack you've executed on the very last second.]

[Pause Blow – A high speed jab which upon landing on the attacker, puts them in the paused state.]

[Immovable Fortress – The User pauses himself to cancel out Newton's Laws and remain frozen in place after being attacked. The attacker is also paused if he comes into direct contact with the User]

Those were the three which were currently available for him to use.

The only thing which stook badly with him was that they mainly relied on pause.

[This fighting style is still at a beginner level. A version which does not utilize pause for situations where the skill fails to work can be created and implemented by the User.]

[An example would be trajectory shift. This move has only been recently implemented based on training. Pause blow and immovable fortress have always existed.]

[The more the user uses the style the more it grows. This is the first level of the Pause Martial Arts Style.]

[The price for the mastery of has significantly decreased in the pause shops.]

[Other marital arts, such as boxing, kick boxing, Muay Thai have all been added to the list of masteries which can be bought.]

"What happens if I buy the mastery?" Gray asked.

[The level of the Martial Art which you've chosen to master will rise. New moves will be unlocked and you will become more proficient in using it.]

"Alright… Next." Said Gray coldly.

[The system recommends you take a moment to rest, you have been fighting non-stop for the last hour.]

[The synchronisation is almost complete.]