This time, it wasn't a one-on-many brawl. Instead, Wayne and Chen stood on the game's stage, each using their own physical appearance.
Wayne said, "Hit me."
"Are you sure?" Chen asked. After all, whether in the game or in reality, Wayne was no match for Chen in a pure fight.
"I'm sure." As soon as Wayne spoke, he settled into Ryu's combat stance.
Chen gathered energy in his hands, green ripples appearing around his wrists as he launched a Sonic Boom.
Slap!
Wayne opted for a guard and blocked it easily.
"That's it?" Chen teased.
"Just come at me. Less talk..." Wayne retorted.
Having been beat up for the past few days, Chen was looking for an outlet. "You said it! Don't regret it!"
He lunged forward immediately. Following a dash, he performed a forward jump into an aerial heavy kick aimed at Wayne's head.
Wayne maintained his standing guard. Upon landing, Chen didn't stop; he immediately crouched and delivered a low kick. Wayne switched to a crouching guard, blocking it once again.
Chen was about to speak—Is all you're going to show me constant guarding?—but before he could, Wayne's entire body flashed red, and he threw a heavy punch.
Chen, who had just stood up and was recovering from his recovery frames, quickly held his arms up to defend.
With a loud thud, although the strike was blocked, the sheer force sent Chen sliding back several meters before he could stop.
"What was that?!"
Before he could get an answer, a green light flashed on Wayne's body. He zipped forward like a teleportation dash, appearing right in front of Chen. Still in a state of surprise, Chen didn't change his defensive stance and was grabbed by Wayne in a throw, being hurled toward the corner of the stage.
"And what was that?!" Chen still had questions, but he didn't dare be careless. He stood up quickly and fired a kick to keep Wayne at a distance as he pressed toward the corner.
But this time, a brilliant blue light appeared. Wayne raised his right forearm and perfectly parried Chen's kick. For a split second, time seemed to slow down. Stuck in the recovery frames of his move, Chen watched helplessly as red light flashed on Wayne again. A heavy punch landed squarely on his nose, smashing him against the corner and leaving him instantly stunned.
Wayne didn't follow up; he waited for Chen to recover.
"What did you do to me just now?" Chen asked. "Why couldn't I hit you or block it?! And what are all these messy red, green, and blue lights on you?"
Wayne didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked again: "What do you think is the biggest difference between you and Rexxar?"
"Still playing riddles? Taste my fist!" Chen cracked his neck, loosened his shoulders, and charged at Wayne once more.
This time, Wayne didn't block at all. No matter what move Chen threw, Wayne used that blue flash of light to perfectly parry the attack. Once Chen was parried at close range, Wayne would hammer a red heavy punch right into his face—specifically his face, which was larger than a washbasin.
In the end, a top master who was once in the top 100 of Street Fighter V was "Perfectly" KO'd by Wayne in Street Fighter VI. Chen sat on the floor after the battle, questioning his life choices.
"What do you think is the biggest difference between you and Rexxar?" Wayne repeated.
Anyone is extremely confident when things are going well, believing their decisions and actions are correct. Only when facing setbacks do they cool down and reflect on where things went wrong.
Chen was in that state now.
"What exactly is different? I'm a Pandaren, he's a Half-Orc?"
Wayne nodded. "And?"
Chen thought for a bit. "I'm a monk, he's a hunter?"
"Finally getting to the point. And then?"
Chen started rubbing his belly. "I'm a Brewmaster Monk, he's a Beast Master Hunter?"
"Keep going."
Chen rubbed faster. "I... I know moves he doesn't?"
"Nonsense. Think again. Where does your power come from?" The fur on Chen's belly was nearly being rubbed bald. "My power... comes from Chi?"
"And did you use it?"
"I..."
"The Sonic Boom is Guile's Chi. The Hadoken is Ryu and Ken's Chi. The Kikoken is Chun-Li's Chi. Where is your Chi?"
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Chen looked at his hands. "My Chi..."
"Think back. When you first arrived in Azeroth and fought the Kul Tiran Navy alongside Rexxar and Samuro—did they admire your martial arts because of these Street Fighter moves?" Wayne said. "Chen, you shouldn't be obsessed with their moves in this game. No matter how well you imitate them, you will never be them. You should be the one being imitated."
As Wayne spoke, two swirls of green mist rose from Chen's hands. It was no longer the yellow-green sonic energy of Guile, but the true Chi belonging to Chen, the Brewmaster Monk.
"You've found your Chi," Wayne added. "Now, where is your wine?"
"This is a game. It's a place where you can drink as much as you want without getting drunk."
Chen sprang up. "Nonsense! Chen never gets drunk! Again!"
The two started another round. This time, Wayne took the offensive, while Chen began integrating Jamie's moves into his own Drunken Fist.
Wayne's words reminded him of his time on the Wandering Isle. The monk masters there had split into the Houjin and Tushui philosophies based on their understanding of martial arts. The Tushui followed a path of solemnity through meditation, rigorous training, and self-reflection, adhering to the philosophy of "inaction leading to all action." The Houjin advocated for "engagement," believing that doing nothing was the greatest evil.
Although the two factions were as incompatible as fire and water, they coexisted perfectly on the Wandering Isle like Yin and Yang, tolerating one another.
Chen hadn't joined either faction, just as he refused to join the Alliance or the Horde to become the enemy of the other. He was a very traditional Pandaren, always searching for a middle path that allowed fire and water to blend and Yin and Yang to coexist.
And he had achieved it. He had only forgotten it temporarily after his long travels and seeing so many new things at the net cafe.
But now, after a few exchanges and four swigs of wine, the Pandaren monk who had mastered many styles and traversed Azeroth was back!
Holding a mouthful of strong liquor, he sprayed out a "Yoga Flame." Wayne blocked it all with blue parries. Then, Wayne flashed green and charged. Upon closing in, Wayne attempted a throw, but Chen broke it immediately. The impact of their strength sent them both back two steps.
Wayne aimed an overhead kick at Chen, trying to press him toward the corner. Unexpectedly, Chen mimicked Wayne's earlier stance, raising his hand to block. The Chi in his body gathered naturally, and a blue aura manifested around him!
Now he understood. This defensive mode was called "Drive Parry!"
Once he mastered this method of utilizing "Drive," the Chi he had been training since childhood was mobilized instantly.
Wayne flashed red, unleashing a "Drive Impact!" The fist was about to land. Even if it were blocked, Chen would be slammed against the wall and knocked down.
Chen chose to strike second but arrive first. A fraction of a second later, he unleashed his own "Drive Impact!" This counter-impact sent the wide-open Wayne flying.
As soon as Wayne hit the ground, Chen flashed green with a "Drive Rush" and closed the distance. Climbing up, Wayne knew things were bad—the student had surpassed the master.Chen caught the rising Wayne before he could block and unleashed a flurry of Drunken Fist strikes.
This time, Wayne was the one KO'd. He sat on the floor, taking several deep breaths.
"These Drive moves... others can use them in the game but can't learn them in reality. But you are different, Chen." Wayne said. "If you practice this enough, next time Snowman Snowfall asks to spar, he might not even touch you."
"And then there's this Drunken Fist. I believe even if Jamie met you, he would want to be your apprentice."
"With this, you'll have no problem dealing with Rexxar himself. Even if those four train with you again, your win rate will completely flip."
"But a simulation is just a simulation. I'll notify Samuro once you are fully prepared."
Chen cupped his fist to Wayne and then clenched both hands, full of confidence.
"I am a Pandaren monk! The power of both Houjin and Tushui resides within me!"
"And I haven't used that move in a long time!"
"He has three beast companions. Who said I was alone?!"