CHAPTER 10: THE FINAL TRAINING
Woli's voice echoed across the training yard.
"That's enough rest. Ren, Aiko – step forward."
Ren raised his head. His blue hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat, but the focus in his blue eyes had not faded.
"Understood."
Aiko, on the other hand, jumped up from her spot. Her pink hair bounced on her shoulders, her green eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Ready!"
Woli looked into the eyes of all three young ones. His voice was calm but as heavy as ever.
"We're approaching the end of the real training. But this final stage – I promise you, it will take you far beyond where you are now."
After this motivating speech, Ren and Aiko moved to the center of the yard. They stood facing each other. Both regulated their breathing.
Ren was still a little dazed. He had lost his composure in the fight against Kaito, only to pull himself together at the last moment. But now it was different. His mind was clearer. His blue eyes were sharper.
Aiko, however, was fully ready. Not just to fight, but to learn. It was as if she had already figured out the Ren system. There was neither excitement nor fear in her green eyes – only focus.
Then the awaited sound came.
"BEGIN!"
At the signal, Aiko attacked first. She thought she would confuse Ren with her speed and agility.
But there was something she didn't know.
Ren had become even calmer after the previous fight.
He was maintaining his cool.
"I can use my Ten very well right now. While reading her Ren with Ten, I can also defend myself with Zan."
He thought to himself.
"Then I can concentrate my Ren into a single point with Po and attack. I can do this."
Aiko had entered punching range. She launched her attack.
Ren's eyes narrowed.
"Here she comes. First punch will be a left straight."
Just as Ren had predicted, Aiko threw a straight left punch. Ren read the punch and easily slipped away.
His blue hair swung in the air.
"Yes. I can read Ten."
But suddenly he hesitated.
"But wait… Master Woli said that opponents of equal strength cannot read each other's Ren. That means they can't use Ten. Then how did I use it? Was this a trick?"
Just then, Aiko threw a right kick.
Ren was too late to respond.
BAM!
Ren was thrown two meters back. He rolled through a cloud of dust but immediately got back on his feet.
Woli's voice was sharp.
"Get your head together, Ren. You're thinking too much. Remember – all you have to do is focus."
Ren took a deep breath. His blue eyes sharpened again.
"That's right. My focus is enough to win this fight."
He gritted his teeth.
"Alright, let's end this."
Ren suddenly charged into an attack. His steps were so fast that his feet barely touched the ground.
Aiko's green eyes widened in surprise.
"Hmm… so he's not affected. Too bad I can't use Ten. What should I do?"
Ren thought to himself: "She looks confused. Good. I should use that."
He suddenly jumped. He landed behind Aiko.
The moment Aiko turned around, Ren threw a right hook.
The fist landed directly on Aiko's temple.
THUD!
Aiko staggered. Her vision blurred for a moment. She took a stumbling step back.
Ren's blue eyes were cold.
"I used your own move against you. How did that feel?"
Aiko's green eyes blazed with anger.
"Ren, you bastard! You'll pay for this!"
Then she attacked again.
But Ren was still thinking.
"I don't understand. How can I use Ten? Our powers are almost equal. How is this possible?"
His eyes narrowed.
"Yes, right now she's about to throw a left kick."
At that moment, Aiko threw a left kick. Ren stepped back again.
"Now she looks like she's about to throw a spinning kick. Her Ren is moving in that direction."
He had read it again.
"I really can read it."
From the sidelines, Kaito watched anxiously.
"Master, I just noticed something. It seems like they're not using Zan."
Woli nodded.
"Correct. They got too caught up. That's why they forgot."
Then he shouted.
"DON'T FORGET TO USE ZAN!"
Ren's eyes lit up.
"Right! Zan!"
Aiko's spinning kick landed directly on Ren's head.
But Ren wasn't affected.
Aiko's green eyes narrowed.
"Hmph… so you've completely mastered Zan. But my plan is still working."
Ren thought to himself: "Here she comes again. Doesn't this girl ever get tired? Now she looks like she's about to jump. Her Ren is concentrating upward."
Just then, Aiko jumped.
"She's trying to get behind me. I won't allow it!"
Ren jumped into the air along with Aiko.
They were face to face.
Aiko smirked.
Ren's eyes widened in surprise.
"W-What are you smiling at?"
Just then, Aiko drove her kick into Ren's liver.
BAM!
Ren crashed hard to the ground, disappearing into a cloud of dust.
Aiko, however, landed gracefully. Her pink hair flowed gently in the breeze. Her feet touched the ground silently.
Kaito's mouth hung open.
"Everything was going so well… what happened?"
Woli's voice was calm.
"Aiko made a plan. And she succeeded."
"Is it over?"
Woli didn't answer. He just watched.
Because it wasn't over.
Ren slowly got to his feet. His blue hair was covered in dust, but there was no sign of pain on his face.
Aiko's green eyes widened in shock.
"How? I kicked you in the liver really hard! You should barely be able to breathe right now!"
Ren raised his head. His blue eyes were calm.
"Your plan was good, Aiko. But I knew something was wrong from the very beginning. Normally, Ten shouldn't work. But I could read your Ren."
He took a deep breath.
"You let me read your Ren on purpose. That way, I would always be one step ahead of you. But actually, you were planning to be one step ahead of me."
He tilted his head slightly.
"It was a good plan. But it won't work on me."
Aiko's green eyes narrowed. But there was also a hint of pride in them.
"So you figured out my plan. Then… let's move to the final stage."
With these words, Aiko attacked again.
Ren's inner voice: "Now my Ten isn't working. Good."
Aiko raised her fist. She took a deep breath. Her green eyes were shining.
"Hmph… I'm ready. I can do this. I haven't practiced it at all. But the requirements are ready. I can succeed!"
Ren was thinking the same thing.
"Her raw strength is greater than mine. I need to take a risk."
Woli's voice came from the sidelines.
"Watch carefully, brat. This is the final stage."
Kaito held his breath.
"Yes, Master!"
And at that moment…
Aiko's hand glowed with an orange light.
Ren's eyes widened in shock.
"Th-That's… Po!"
Kaito shouted. His brown eyes were wide open.
"WOW! Aiko is using Po! When did she learn to concentrate her Ren into a single point?"
There was appreciation in Woli's voice.
"Concentrating all the Ren in your body into a single point is difficult. But Aiko has succeeded. I'm impressed."
Ren raised his arms. A shield of pink energy appeared around him. The light shimmered through his blue hair.
Aiko swung her fist, glowing with orange light.
BOOOMM!
A massive flash of light erupted. The stones in the yard trembled. The wind blew in the opposite direction.
Kaito squinted his eyes. Woli watched the battlefield with complete seriousness. There was no expression on his face.
When the flash of light faded…
Aiko's fist had stopped just one centimeter away from Ren.
Ren's fist was also glowing with an orange light.
And Ren, with the last of his strength, swung his fist.
The fist struck Aiko with full force.
BAM!
Aiko flew through the air. Her pink hair scattered in the wind. When she hit the ground, she disappeared into a cloud of dust.
Ren collapsed from exhaustion. He struggled to breathe.
Both of them had depleted their Ren to zero.
They had no strength left to speak.
Woli immediately shouted.
"Brat, go pick them up. Lean them against the tree. Now!"
Kaito ran immediately. He put Ren's arm over one shoulder, then Aiko's. He leaned them against the trunk of a nearby tree. Both were gasping for breath.
Woli came to their side. His eyes scanned the faces of all three young ones.
"I'm impressed. The three of you have truly impressed me. You have completely mastered Ren. Congratulations."
Then he turned to Ren.
"Ren… why did you take that risk at the end? That punch could have penetrated your Zan."
Ren spoke breathlessly. His weak voice barely came out.
"B-Because… no risk… no reward…"
A faint smile appeared on Woli's face. But it disappeared immediately. He straightened up.
"Ren and Aiko… have learned Po. Your turn, Kaito."
Kaito didn't say anything. His black hair swayed in the wind. His brown eyes shone with determination.
He walked toward the wall across from him.
He closed his eyes. He took a deep breath.
"I have to do this. I can't fall behind my friends. If I want to avenge my family… I have to succeed!"
He opened his eyes.
All his Ren concentrated into his fist.
And he threw his fist at the wall with all his might.
BAM!
The wall shattered instantly. Stone fragments scattered everywhere. Kaito rolled backward through the dust cloud.
He collapsed to the ground. He struggled to breathe. But his fist was still clenched.
Woli nodded in approval.
"Well done, brat. You succeeded. And I knew you would."
He crossed his arms.
"But even if you've mastered Ten and Zan… mastering Po is difficult. That's why Po, aside from Kyu, is the hardest principle."
He turned his face to all of them.
"That's enough for today."
Kaito struggled to sit up.
"But Master… it's still noon. Weren't we supposed to train for ten hours?"
Woli's voice was calm.
"Don't push yourselves any further today. Besides… you're going to be very tired tomorrow."
The three asked curiously, almost in unison.
"What's tomorrow?"
Woli turned his back. He paused for a moment. Then he turned his head slightly.
His voice was heavy and clear.
"The Djinn Binding Ritual."
To be continued...