Chapter 31
Henry moved first.
His fist came at Elijah's face—fast, controlled, nothing like the wild swings Elijah had faced in the underground ring. Elijah's body reacted before his mind caught up, his arm coming up to block, the impact jarring through his forearm.
He stepped back and Henry followed.
Another punch which Elijah ducked. A knee came at his ribs, and he twisted, the strike grazing his side. He threw a punch of his own a straight right, the same one Kai had drilled into him, and Henry caught it on his palm like it was nothing.
"Slow," Henry said. He wasn't mocking and Just stating a fact.
Elijah reset. His arms were still heavy from the workout, his legs still shaking from the run. But his mind was clear. Iron Mind held steady, cutting through the exhaustion, keeping him present.
He moved forward throwing Jabs, cross, hook. Henry blocked each one, his movements economical, nothing wasted. Elijah saw it now the difference between someone who had trained for years and someone who had been doing this for days. Every punch Elijah threw, Henry had already adjusted for before it left his fist.
Henry stepped in. His fist drove into Elijah's stomach. The air left Elijah's lungs, and he folded, his guard dropping. Henry's next punch came at his face.
Elijah moved his body twisting, the punch grazing his cheek instead of landing clean. He threw an elbow, caught Henry in the shoulder, and used the space to scramble back.
They circled each other. Henry's green eyes were bright now, something alive in them.
"Better," Henry said. "You read that one."
Elijah didn't answer. His chest was heaving, his arms hanging heavy.
Henry came at him again. Elijah blocked, threw a punch, blocked again. They traded strikes, each exchange faster than the last. Elijah's body was learning, adapting, the Eternal Grounded Tree technique feeding him what it could, but Henry was stronger. Not by much Elijah could feel it now, the difference between their base strength was narrow but enough.
Henry's fist caught Elijah's ribs. Elijah grunted and threw a punch back, catching Henry's jaw. Henry's head snapped to the side, and for a moment, something flickered in his eyes.
He smiled.
Then his breathing changed.
Elijah felt it immediately. The air around Henry shifted, his Ki surging, his movements sharpening. His next punch came faster, harder. Elijah barely got his guard up in time. The impact drove him back three steps, his arms ringing.
Henry said, his voice steady. "Let's see what you've got."
Elijah breathed.
In, Hold.
He reached for Zenith. Not the full surge—not the fire that had carried him through the park—just enough. Twenty percent, the same as Henry. The warmth spread through his chest, into his arms, his legs, his back.
He moved.
His fist found Henry's guard, and this time, Henry moved back. Elijah pressed forward, throwing punches in combinations, driving Henry toward the ropes. His body was responding now, the exhaustion pushed back by the Ki flowing through him. He felt faster and Stronger almost Henry's equal.
Almost.
Henry slipped under a punch, drove his shoulder into Elijah's chest, and the world tilted. Elijah hit the mat on his back, the air driven from his lungs. Henry was above him, his fist pulled back, then stopping.
He held out his hand.
Elijah stared at it for a moment, his chest heaving. Then he took it. Henry pulled him to his feet.
"You're stronger than I thought," Henry said. "Your base is almost mine. And your technique—" He shook his head. "Whatever that breathing technique is, it's high level. I could feel it. The way your Ki moved, the control. Most people with a technique that strong can't hold it steady like that."
Elijah didn't answer. His Zenith was still active, the warmth steady at twenty percent, not flickering, not dying. He could hold this for minutes or Hours, maybe. The system had given him control he hadn't earned, precision he didn't understand.
Henry was watching him. "You didn't push it. Why?"
"I wanted to beat you at your level."
Henry's eyebrows rose. Then he laughed—short, surprised. "You wanted to beat me at twenty percent. With a technique that could give you more."
Elijah shrugged. "Didn't work."
"No, It didn't." Henry's smile faded, replaced by something more serious. "But it could have. If you had more experience. If your body was trained to move the way your mind wants it to. You read me well and You adapted fast. The pieces are there, Elijah. You just need to put them together."
He moved to the center of the mat, his hands coming up. "Again."
Elijah blinked. "What?"
"Again. You have an hour before you need to leave. Let's use it."
They fought for the next hour.
Henry taught as they moved. He showed Elijah how to read weight distribution, how to see a punch coming before the fist left the shoulder. He corrected Elijah's stance, the way he dropped his hands when he was tired, the way he leaned into his punches instead of staying balanced.
"Your footwork is sloppy," Henry said, driving Elijah back with a combination. "You're thinking about your hands and forgetting your feet."
Elijah adjusted. His legs were screaming, the run still heavy in his muscles, but he moved. He planted, pivoted, threw a hook that caught Henry in the side.
"Better," Henry said. "Now do it again."
They sparred in bursts, Thirty seconds of full exchange, then a minute of recovery. Henry pushed him hard, but never past what Elijah could handle. Every time Elijah's form broke, Henry corrected it. Every time Elijah landed a clean hit, Henry acknowledged it with a nod.
By the end of the hour, Elijah was spent. His arms wouldn't lift and his legs wouldn't move. He stood in the center of the mat, gasping, sweat dripping from his face onto the floor.
Henry was barely breathing hard.
"You need to train your body," Henry said. "Your technique is strong, but your body can't keep up."
Elijah nodded, not trusting his voice.
Henry walked to the corner of the gym and picked up a water bottle, tossing it to Elijah. He caught it with shaking hands and drank.
"Same time tomorrow?" Henry asked.
Elijah looked up. Henry was leaning against the weight rack, his arms crossed, his green eyes steady. There was something in them now that hadn't been there when Elijah walked in. Respect, maybe. Or the beginning of it.
"Same time," Elijah said.
Henry nodded. "Good, and get some rest. You look like death."
Elijah laughed, the sound rough in his throat. "Feel like it too."
He gathered himself, his body screaming with every movement. His clothes were soaked with sweat, his knuckles raw, his ribs aching where Henry's punches had landed.
He moved toward the door, then stopped. "Henry."
Henry looked at him.
"Thanks, For the training."
Henry smiled. "I am just doing my part, leader."
Elijah stepped out into the morning light and didn't clearly hear Henry. The sun was fully up now, the streets of the 7th District. He started the walk home, his legs heavy, his body empty, but his mind clear.
The system screen appeared.
[Daily Tasks Progress]
Meditate on the Gathering part of Eternal Grounded Tree: DONE
Use system to create equipment: DONE
Go for a run wearing them: DONE
Go for a workout wearing them: DONE
Bath: PENDING
Clean teeth: PENDING
Get a haircut: PENDING
Ask Kai to send money for clothes: PENDING
Buy condoms: PENDING
Meet Lisa: PENDING
He closed the screen. There was still so much to do. But for now, he just walked, letting his body recover, letting the Ki in his chest settle.
Henry's words echoed in his head. The pieces are there, Elijah. You just need to put them together.