CHAPTER 6: THE FIRST TRAINING
Half an hour after the training began, Kaito was out of breath, his face battered and bruised, yet he kept attacking. His black hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat, and the fire in his brown eyes refused to die. But every move he made missed its mark.
Ren, on the other hand, waited with a cold demeanor. His blue hair swayed slightly in the wind, and his blue eyes showed no expression. It was as if he had already read all of Kaito's movements.
"You're underestimating me too much, Ren," Kaito said through gritted teeth. "You'll pay for that."
Ren raised one eyebrow. "Show me, then."
"Here it comes!"
Kaito threw a wide punch with all his might. But Ren, as if he had seen it coming, simply pulled his head back slightly and easily slipped away.
"Ahh… I can't land a single hit," Kaito muttered. He was out of breath, but giving up wasn't an option. "This time I'll succeed."
He attacked again. First a punch with his right – Ren dodged left. Then Kaito quickly followed up with an elbow strike from his left. This time, Ren pressed his palms together and blocked the elbow.
At that moment, Kaito threw another punch with his right. Just as it was about to land…
Ren ducked. The punch hit nothing but air.
Seizing the opportunity, Ren drove his fist into Kaito's solar plexus with all his strength. The impact was so hard that Kaito's breath left his lungs.
Just as Kaito was about to fall, the image of Zaryx flashed before his eyes. He clenched his teeth and forced himself upright.
"Hmp… that one really hurt," he said, struggling to breathe. "I can barely breathe… But I won't fall. I won't fall just to spite you, Ren!"
Aiko watched from the sidelines, her green eyes wide with worry. Her pink hair was scattered across her shoulders.
"That's enough, you two! This is just training!"
Woli's voice was cold.
"Stay out of this, Aiko. This is how real fights are learned. Tooth for tooth, blood for blood. No pain, no reward. Don't ever forget that. NOW ATTACK!"
Kaito's eyes gleamed. "I'll catch you this time."
He thought to himself: "I'll do the same combination, but there'll be something extra after the punch. Get ready, Ren!"
He charged at full speed. First a wide right punch – Ren dodged left. Then a wide left punch.
Ren shook his head. "Still the same moves?"
He easily dodged right.
But Kaito didn't hesitate. He threw a right elbow, the same as before. Ren pressed his palms together and blocked it again.
"I know what comes next," Ren said coldly. "Now you'll throw a left punch."
Kaito threw his left punch. But this one was different – fast and straight.
BAM!
The punch exploded right in the middle of Ren's face. But Kaito didn't stop. He immediately ducked and swept a kick. Ren lost his balance and started to fall.
"There! I got you!"
But just then, an uppercut caught him on the chin.
BAM!
"Ahhh! Where did that come fro—"
Another one – a right hook. He didn't fall, but he staggered.
There was surprise in Ren's voice. "Why? Why won't you fall, damn you?"
He started throwing lefts and rights with all his strength. Kaito was pushed back with every punch he took. His face was covered in blood, one eye swollen shut. Still, he wouldn't fall.
"Fall! Fall! FALL! FALL, YOU BASTARD!"
Aiko screamed. "Ren, stop! You're going to kill him! Master, do something!"
But Woli was perfectly calm. He stood with his arms crossed, watching as if waiting for something. There was curiosity on his face.
Ren threw one final punch with all his might. But at that moment, Kaito raised his bloodied head. Despite the blood and bruises, he was smiling.
"I found it."
Just as Ren's devastating punch was about to land, Kaito turned his head just one centimeter to the right. The punch hit nothing.
And Kaito threw a straight left punch with everything he had. It was so fast, so hard, it felt like it was tearing through the air.
BAAMMM!
The punch exploded right in the middle of Ren's face. Blood sprayed from his nose. His knees buckled, and he nearly lost consciousness.
Woli clapped his hands together. "Enough. I've seen what I needed to see."
Aiko watched in shock, her mouth hanging open.
Kaito limped toward the tree where Woli stood. With each step, he stumbled but planted his feet firmly.
Ren's voice came from behind. He was struggling to get up.
"What… what did you find, Kaito?"
Without turning around, Kaito smirked. "Your weakness."
"Weakness? What is my weakness?"
"Find it yourself, Ren."
As Kaito was about to keep walking, Ren suddenly grabbed his leg.
"Please, Kaito! Please tell me what my weakness is!"
Kaito turned in surprise. "Why are you so insistent about this? A moment ago, you were trying to kill me!"
There was a strange fire in Ren's blue eyes. "I would beg – I would even become a slave – for someone who teaches me something. So please… tell me what my weakness is."
Kaito was moved by these words. He took a deep breath.
"Your weakness… is losing your cool."
Ren raised his head. There was a mix of surprise and respect on his face. He whispered quietly:
"I am grateful."
Kaito smiled and walked to the tree. He leaned his back against it and looked up at the sky.
Woli turned to Aiko. "Your turn. You'll fight Ren. He hasn't taken too much damage – he can fight."
Aiko jumped up excitedly. "Got it, Master!"
"Ren, Aiko – ready? FIGHT!"
Aiko attacked immediately. She sprinted toward Ren with incredible speed. Her pink hair streamed behind her in the wind. She threw a punch with all her strength.
Ren's eyes widened. "So fast… even faster than me."
He countered with a left punch at full power. Aiko's right fist and Ren's left fist met in the middle.
BOOM!
A heavy sound echoed through the yard. Ren didn't stop – he immediately threw another left punch.
Aiko took a deep breath and ran straight toward the punch.
Kaito's jaw dropped. "Huh? Why is she running toward the punch?"
Woli's voice was calm. "Just watch, Kaito."
As the punch came at full speed, Aiko suddenly jumped. She lightly touched Ren's fist and used the momentum to propel herself behind him. Then, without hesitation, she landed a perfect punch to his liver.
BAM!
Kaito shouted. "Whoa! How did she hit his liver from that angle?"
Woli nodded. "That's why I told you to watch, kid. Watch and learn."
Ren staggered from the liver blow, almost falling. But just as he was about to drop, his legs suddenly stiffened – he didn't fall.
He thought to himself: "I must stay calm. That's what Kaito taught me. If I keep my cool… I will never lose."
He turned his face toward Aiko. His voice was cold again.
"Aiko… I think your strengths are your punches, your speed, and your agility. Those three make a very strong combination. But you still have one flaw."
Aiko asked in surprise. "Huh? What is it?"
"I'll tell you if you beat me."
"Fine, Ren. It's a deal!"
Aiko sprinted toward Ren again, faster than before. Her feet barely touched the ground.
Ren closed his eyes. "Keep your cool, Ren. You can do this. You can beat her."
His eyes opened. He threw a straight left punch.
Aiko smiled. "Again? Alright, bring it on. You're making a big mistake if you think I'm that easy."
As Ren's punch came at full speed, Aiko prepared to do the same move again. Just as she was about to grab his fist and jump…
Ren suddenly stepped back.
Aiko's eyes widened. "Huh?"
Her jump was wasted. She landed vulnerable and defenseless.
The moment her foot touched the ground, Ren drove his left fist into her solar plexus with all his might.
BAM!
Aiko cried out in pain and collapsed.
Ren spoke calmly. "Your flaw is your impatience, Aiko."
Woli stepped in. "Alright, that's enough. Rest for a bit."
Ren walked toward the tree where Kaito was resting.
Kaito shouted. "Whoa! That was incredible! Amazing, even!"
Just then, Ren stopped in front of Kaito and bowed his head. His blue hair fell forward.
"I am grateful again. If you hadn't taught me my weakness, I wouldn't have won that fight. Thank you."
Kaito raised his hands in surprise. "N-no problem, really. We're… friends, after all. Helping you and teaching you things is my duty."
Ren raised his head. There was a strange light in his eyes. "Friend… That's a beautiful word."
Aiko shouted from the ground as she struggled to get up. "Ren… you monster, you jerk! Why did you hit me like I was your enemy?"
Ren shrugged. "We're not playing games, Aiko."
"You—"
Woli's voice cut through sharply. "Enough. Get up. We're starting again."
Aiko whined. "But Master, we just started resting!"
"The door is right there," Woli said. "Anyone who wants to leave can leave."
No one said a word.
"Alright then. Begin."
Hours later, the training was over. The sun was setting, and the stones of the yard were painted red by the last light of the day.
Woli stood before the three of them.
"A good first day of training, brats. First place, Ren. Second, Aiko. And last place… you, Kaito."
Kaito's eyes widened. His face was still covered in blood and sweat, but his swollen eyes showed his surprise.
"Why am I last, Master?"
"Because you did nothing but get beaten up."
"But I beat Ren once!"
"He beat you dozens of times, brat."
Kaito was silent for a moment. Then he lowered his head. "Yeah… I guess that's true."
"Go to your quarters. Tomorrow morning at six, everyone meets here."
The three shouted in unison. "Yes, Master!"
Woli turned to leave. Just as he was about to go, he stopped and turned his head slightly.
"Tomorrow, a real training awaits you… A training against me."
Half an hour after the training began, Kaito was out of breath, his face battered and bruised, yet he kept attacking. His black hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat, and the fire in his brown eyes refused to die. But every move he made missed its mark.
Ren, on the other hand, waited with a cold demeanor. His blue hair swayed slightly in the wind, and his blue eyes showed no expression. It was as if he had already read all of Kaito's movements.
"You're underestimating me too much, Ren," Kaito said through gritted teeth. "You'll pay for that."
Ren raised one eyebrow. "Show me, then."
"Here it comes!"
Kaito threw a wide punch with all his might. But Ren, as if he had seen it coming, simply pulled his head back slightly and easily slipped away.
"Ahh… I can't land a single hit," Kaito muttered. He was out of breath, but giving up wasn't an option. "This time I'll succeed."
He attacked again. First a punch with his right – Ren dodged left. Then Kaito quickly followed up with an elbow strike from his left. This time, Ren pressed his palms together and blocked the elbow.
At that moment, Kaito threw another punch with his right. Just as it was about to land…
Ren ducked. The punch hit nothing but air.
Seizing the opportunity, Ren drove his fist into Kaito's solar plexus with all his strength. The impact was so hard that Kaito's breath left his lungs.
Just as Kaito was about to fall, the image of Zaryx flashed before his eyes. He clenched his teeth and forced himself upright.
"Hmp… that one really hurt," he said, struggling to breathe. "I can barely breathe… But I won't fall. I won't fall just to spite you, Ren!"
Aiko watched from the sidelines, her green eyes wide with worry. Her pink hair was scattered across her shoulders.
"That's enough, you two! This is just training!"
Woli's voice was cold.
"Stay out of this, Aiko. This is how real fights are learned. Tooth for tooth, blood for blood. No pain, no reward. Don't ever forget that. NOW ATTACK!"
Kaito's eyes gleamed. "I'll catch you this time."
He thought to himself: "I'll do the same combination, but there'll be something extra after the punch. Get ready, Ren!"
He charged at full speed. First a wide right punch – Ren dodged left. Then a wide left punch.
Ren shook his head. "Still the same moves?"
He easily dodged right.
But Kaito didn't hesitate. He threw a right elbow, the same as before. Ren pressed his palms together and blocked it again.
"I know what comes next," Ren said coldly. "Now you'll throw a left punch."
Kaito threw his left punch. But this one was different – fast and straight.
BAM!
The punch exploded right in the middle of Ren's face. But Kaito didn't stop. He immediately ducked and swept a kick. Ren lost his balance and started to fall.
"There! I got you!"
But just then, an uppercut caught him on the chin.
BAM!
"Ahhh! Where did that come fro—"
Another one – a right hook. He didn't fall, but he staggered.
There was surprise in Ren's voice. "Why? Why won't you fall, damn you?"
He started throwing lefts and rights with all his strength. Kaito was pushed back with every punch he took. His face was covered in blood, one eye swollen shut. Still, he wouldn't fall.
"Fall! Fall! FALL! FALL, YOU BASTARD!"
Aiko screamed. "Ren, stop! You're going to kill him! Master, do something!"
But Woli was perfectly calm. He stood with his arms crossed, watching as if waiting for something. There was curiosity on his face.
Ren threw one final punch with all his might. But at that moment, Kaito raised his bloodied head. Despite the blood and bruises, he was smiling.
"I found it."
Just as Ren's devastating punch was about to land, Kaito turned his head just one centimeter to the right. The punch hit nothing.
And Kaito threw a straight left punch with everything he had. It was so fast, so hard, it felt like it was tearing through the air.
BAAMMM!
The punch exploded right in the middle of Ren's face. Blood sprayed from his nose. His knees buckled, and he nearly lost consciousness.
Woli clapped his hands together. "Enough. I've seen what I needed to see."
Aiko watched in shock, her mouth hanging open.
Kaito limped toward the tree where Woli stood. With each step, he stumbled but planted his feet firmly.
Ren's voice came from behind. He was struggling to get up.
"What… what did you find, Kaito?"
Without turning around, Kaito smirked. "Your weakness."
"Weakness? What is my weakness?"
"Find it yourself, Ren."
As Kaito was about to keep walking, Ren suddenly grabbed his leg.
"Please, Kaito! Please tell me what my weakness is!"
Kaito turned in surprise. "Why are you so insistent about this? A moment ago, you were trying to kill me!"
There was a strange fire in Ren's blue eyes. "I would beg – I would even become a slave – for someone who teaches me something. So please… tell me what my weakness is."
Kaito was moved by these words. He took a deep breath.
"Your weakness… is losing your cool."
Ren raised his head. There was a mix of surprise and respect on his face. He whispered quietly:
"I am grateful."
Kaito smiled and walked to the tree. He leaned his back against it and looked up at the sky.
Woli turned to Aiko. "Your turn. You'll fight Ren. He hasn't taken too much damage – he can fight."
Aiko jumped up excitedly. "Got it, Master!"
"Ren, Aiko – ready? FIGHT!"
Aiko attacked immediately. She sprinted toward Ren with incredible speed. Her pink hair streamed behind her in the wind. She threw a punch with all her strength.
Ren's eyes widened. "So fast… even faster than me."
He countered with a left punch at full power. Aiko's right fist and Ren's left fist met in the middle.
BOOM!
A heavy sound echoed through the yard. Ren didn't stop – he immediately threw another left punch.
Aiko took a deep breath and ran straight toward the punch.
Kaito's jaw dropped. "Huh? Why is she running toward the punch?"
Woli's voice was calm. "Just watch, Kaito."
As the punch came at full speed, Aiko suddenly jumped. She lightly touched Ren's fist and used the momentum to propel herself behind him. Then, without hesitation, she landed a perfect punch to his liver.
BAM!
Kaito shouted. "Whoa! How did she hit his liver from that angle?"
Woli nodded. "That's why I told you to watch, kid. Watch and learn."
Ren staggered from the liver blow, almost falling. But just as he was about to drop, his legs suddenly stiffened – he didn't fall.
He thought to himself: "I must stay calm. That's what Kaito taught me. If I keep my cool… I will never lose."
He turned his face toward Aiko. His voice was cold again.
"Aiko… I think your strengths are your punches, your speed, and your agility. Those three make a very strong combination. But you still have one flaw."
Aiko asked in surprise. "Huh? What is it?"
"I'll tell you if you beat me."
"Fine, Ren. It's a deal!"
Aiko sprinted toward Ren again, faster than before. Her feet barely touched the ground.
Ren closed his eyes. "Keep your cool, Ren. You can do this. You can beat her."
His eyes opened. He threw a straight left punch.
Aiko smiled. "Again? Alright, bring it on. You're making a big mistake if you think I'm that easy."
As Ren's punch came at full speed, Aiko prepared to do the same move again. Just as she was about to grab his fist and jump…
Ren suddenly stepped back.
Aiko's eyes widened. "Huh?"
Her jump was wasted. She landed vulnerable and defenseless.
The moment her foot touched the ground, Ren drove his left fist into her solar plexus with all his might.
BAM!
Aiko cried out in pain and collapsed.
Ren spoke calmly. "Your flaw is your impatience, Aiko."
Woli stepped in. "Alright, that's enough. Rest for a bit."
Ren walked toward the tree where Kaito was resting.
Kaito shouted. "Whoa! That was incredible! Amazing, even!"
Just then, Ren stopped in front of Kaito and bowed his head. His blue hair fell forward.
"I am grateful again. If you hadn't taught me my weakness, I wouldn't have won that fight. Thank you."
Kaito raised his hands in surprise. "N-no problem, really. We're… friends, after all. Helping you and teaching you things is my duty."
Ren raised his head. There was a strange light in his eyes. "Friend… That's a beautiful word."
Aiko shouted from the ground as she struggled to get up. "Ren… you monster, you jerk! Why did you hit me like I was your enemy?"
Ren shrugged. "We're not playing games, Aiko."
"You—"
Woli's voice cut through sharply. "Enough. Get up. We're starting again."
Aiko whined. "But Master, we just started resting!"
"The door is right there," Woli said. "Anyone who wants to leave can leave."
No one said a word.
"Alright then. Begin."
Hours later, the training was over. The sun was setting, and the stones of the yard were painted red by the last light of the day.
Woli stood before the three of them.
"A good first day of training, brats. First place, Ren. Second, Aiko. And last place… you, Kaito."
Kaito's eyes widened. His face was still covered in blood and sweat, but his swollen eyes showed his surprise.
"Why am I last, Master?"
"Because you did nothing but get beaten up."
"But I beat Ren once!"
"He beat you dozens of times, brat."
Kaito was silent for a moment. Then he lowered his head. "Yeah… I guess that's true."
"Go to your quarters. Tomorrow morning at six, everyone meets here."
The three shouted in unison. "Yes, Master!"
Woli turned to leave. Just as he was about to go, he stopped and turned his head slightly.
"Tomorrow, a real training awaits you… A training against me."