Ryu lowered his gaze, fidgeting with his hands as he tried to steady himself. He had made his choice, yet now, with the rush of adrenaline gone, he realized how foolish he’d been to react like that—to challenge the Boss to a sparring match of all things.

  “Sensei, I’m sorry,” he murmured, staring at the floor. “I shouldn’t have spoken to theBoss – your disceple - in that way. It was... thoughtless.”

  Fei Long studied him for a moment, then let out a dry chuckle. “Thoughtless is putting it mildly, kid,” he replied, resting a hand on Ryu’s shoulder. “You, a whelp, picking a fight with one of the world’s most feared Reapers—and for what? A wounded ego? Just because he ‘insulted’ me?”

  Ryu looked up, a little stung by his master’s words. “I owe you, Sensei. What he said insulted me, yes, but it was an insult to you as well... and I can’t let that go. I don’t care if he’s the Boss.”

  Fei Long sighed, shaking his head. “You really are like him. Am I doomed to be surrounded by idiots? If it were anyone else, you’d already be dead… But,” he added with a slight grin, “you wouldn’t be you if you didn’t act so recklessly. Now, there’s no time for regrets. Go and fight. But let this be the last time you lose control like that—got it?”

  “Yes, Sensei.” Ryu bowed low, then paused, glancing back at his master. Fei Long crossed his arms with a feigned look of indifference. “Try to don’t become his sandbag” he said with a hint of encouragement in his smile.

  Just behind the restaurant lay Fei Long’s dojo, a place Ryu knew inside out. It was simple yet grand, built of dark wood and adorned with modest lanterns. In colder months, the air was thick with incense, while in summer, open windows welcomed the gentle rustling of bamboo from the adjacent garden. Traditional weapons and shields lined the walls, displayed like trophies of a bygone era.

  Tonight, though, the dojo was enveloped in an almost reverent silence. Jinsuke took his place at the center of the tatami mat, with unfazed expression. Taejin remained to the side, while Fei Long settled quietly near him, ready to observe the imminent sparring.

  “Well, Ryu,” Jinsuke drawled, sounding almost bored. “I hear you wield a metal staff. Go on, let’s see what you’ve got.”

  Ryu obeyed, gripping his steel staff and feeling the familiar weight in his hand. To him, it was more than a weapon; it was an extension of himself, his trusted companion in countless training sessions.

  “And you?” Ryu asked, noticing Jinsuke’s empty hands.

  “Oh, me? I only use these.” He held up his hands, then smirked as he tucked one behind his back. “Actually, I think I’ll only use one hand against you. Hope that’s not a problem.”

  Ryu felt his blood boil. “One hand?” he echoed, tightening his grip until his knuckles turned white. He felt mocked, and that insult only fueled his resolve.

  Jinsuke’s smirk deepened. “The rules are simple, boy. All you have to do is touch me once, and you’ll get to stay here with Sensei, plus I’ll entrust you with an important mission. But if you give up, you’ll leave District 5 and forget everything you know about us. Understood?”

  Ryu nodded, gritting his teeth. Just landing a single hit could change everything for him, and he knew this condition could swing in his favor. [This rule… it’ll backfire on you] he thought with fierce determination. “Yeah, I get it.”

  Without a word, he stepped forward, gripping the staff more tightly than before. Observing Jinsuke’s "fighting stance"—a relaxed posture with only one hand raised in front—Ryu couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation, thinking that Jinsuke was doing this just to mock him in front of the Sensei.

  But Ryu wasn’t about to back down. With steely resolve, he channeled his Force, releasing a violent burst of energy that filled the room. Yet, none of the onlookers even flinched.

  [His Force... it's not that bad.] Jinsuke thought, unimpressed. In response, he simply focused his Force into the one hand he’d be using to face Ryu. “Well? What are you waiting for? Come at me, kid.”

  Taking a steadying breath, Ryu launched his first strike, aiming for Jinsuke’s left shoulder. But Jinsuke, with almost casual ease, raised the back of his hand, deflecting the attack effortlessly.

  Undeterred, Ryu rotated the staff and lunged again, this time targeting Jinsuke’s side. Yet each strike was met with the same dismissive ease. Jinsuke remained unmovable, blocking each attack without shifting from his spot, like an immovable wall standing firm against a storm.

  Fei Long observed with a keen eye, his face impassive. Next to him, Taejin muttered, “The kid’s quick, but he has no chance against Jinsuke’s reflexes. He’s dancing to Jinsuke’s rhythm like a puppet.”

  Fei Long nodded, with a hint of a smile forming on his face. “Jinsuke’s reading his movements, using the bare minimum effort for maximum result. He knows perfectly well that Ryu is a novice, so he simply watches his moves, then easily deflects those clumsy and predictable attacks as if he were playing with an infant.”

  Fei Long’s eyes tracked every block and parry, noting the incredible precision. “His technique… it’s sharper than I remembered.” He couldn’t help but wonder if, in skill and strategy, his former pupil had surpassed him.

  Ryu, who believed he had his chances to win the sparring, he slowly started to understand that Jinsuke was really playing with him. His staff, while offering greater reach, was continually batted aside, each strike deflected with infuriating ease. Every time he sought an opening, he found only a hand waiting to block his assault. The more he attacked, the more Jinsuke deflected, not once retreating, like a mountain unshaken by the storm.

  Within minutes, Ryu’s breathing grew labored, his arms burning from the effort, but he refused to relent. In a desperate attempt to break through, he mixed in kicks, hoping to lower Jinsuke’s guard. Yet even those were deflected; Jinsuke sidestepped them or intercepted them with calm, measured movements, like a master correcting an overeager student.

  At last, Jinsuke smirked, with his voice dripping with scorn. “Is that really all you’ve got? Already winded? And here I thought my old master had chosen… someone impressive.”

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  A flush of frustration crept up Ryu’s face. He charged again, putting everything into a downward strike. But just as he thought he’d found an opening, Jinsuke shifted, launching a counterattack. Ryu barely saw his hand moving before he was struck squarely in the chest by a sharp, precise punch. The blow didn’t hurt as much as the precise control behind it; it felt surgical.

  “Too fast for you, kid?” Jinsuke sneered.

  Ryu gritted his teeth, determined not to give up, and swung his staff from above. But before he could process what happened, Jinsuke struck his shoulder with another deft, angled punch. The blow came from a new direction, with a different speed, but the pain was just as intense, and Ryu stumbled back.

  Taejin, observing with his arms crossed, muttered, “He has no idea what’s hitting him…”

  Fei Long’s gaze was unwavering, focused on every move. “Exactly,” he replied calmly. “Jinsuke’s varying his angles and rhythms, leaving Ryu no room to anticipate or adapt. It’s like a barrage of attacks from every direction, always from the same origin point...It’s a simple but superb strategy..”

  As Taejin listened to Fei Long, he noticed something curious: there was a hint of amusement in Fei Long’s expression as he watched the clash between his two students. The sight puzzled the Boss’s right-hand man. If Fei Long truly appreciated the level Jinsuke had reached, he should also be concerned for Ryu. Yet there was no trace of worry on his face—only that slight, almost enigmatic smile.

  [What a strange man… what could he find so amusing?] Taejin wondered, before turning his attention back to the sparring match still underway.

  Jinsuke’s relentless onslaught continued. Each punch seemed casual, effortless, yet Ryu took each blow squarely on vulnerable spots. The pain swelled, exhaustion setting in, as recent wounds from his last mission compounded his fatigue.

  “He should be down by now,” Taejin murmured as Ryu struggled back up. “Why does he keep getting up?”

  “Stubbornness,” Fei Long answered without hesitation. “He won’t stop until he’s drained every last ounce of strength.”

  Fei Long’s lips curled into a faint smile, and he glanced at Taejin. “Ever tried caging a tiger?”

  Taejin’s brow furrowed “What does that have to do with this?”

  “Watch closely, and you might understand,” Fei Long replied with a gleam of intrigue in his eye.

  As the fight raged on, Jinsuke looked at Ryu with slight irritation. Though the match had become a one-sided beatdown, Ryu continued to rise, advancing each time with even fiercer resolve.

  “You are certainly stubborn, boy,” the Boss of the Hand sneered. “But you stand no chance of winning. Even if I dozed off right here, you couldn’t touch me. And yet, you keep coming. Why?”

  Ryu, raised his gaze, with a breathing ragged. "Because... even though I’m young, I’ve faced far worse than this.” - After a pause, he added - “And because I believe in my Sensei. If he chose me as his student, there must be a reason. He must have seen something in me.”

  At that moment, Jinsuke felt a sudden flash of memory—one he’d nearly forgotten—of himself as a young man, standing right here in this same place, seeking training from Fei Long. He remembered, with a bitter smile, how Fei Long had initially thrown him out, challenging him to prove himself.

  [No...] Jinsuke shook his head, dispelling the thought. [He’s not like me. I had talent.]

  He clenched his jaw and fixed his gaze on Ryu. “Since you don’t seem to understand... come forward again. This time, I’ll put more force behind my blows. Be ready.”

  These words would have frightened anyone else standing face-to-face with Jinsuke, yet they didn’t faze Ryu in the least. It was as if he had slipped into a state of trance, beyond fear. He knew now that neither strength nor speed would allow him to match Jinsuke. The skill gap between them was a vast chasm, and Ryu could feel the weight of that difference. He thought about using Divergent Strike, but he knew an attack like that wouldn’t land. For one, Jinsuke had too much experience to be caught off guard by such a move; and besides, as Fei Long’s student, he would surely know that technique. On top of that, Ryu still wasn’t able to fully master it.

  But as he pondered his next move, a bold idea formed in his mind—a strategy that might just catch his opponent by surprise.

  [At this point... I don’t think I have any other options] thought Ryu, feeling a mix of hesitation and fierce determination. He was willing to risk everything to win.

  He decided to take a gamble, feigning a clumsy misstep as though he were about to collapse. He swung his staff in an exaggeratedly slow arc, faking exhaustion. Then, in a final act of desperation, he shifted his weight to one side as if he was losing balance.

  Jinsuke observed Ryu’s awkward movements, his slow and unsteady attack. Unimpressed, he casually raised the back of his hand, preparing to counter and strike back again. But just at that moment, Ryu let go of the staff entirely, twisting his body at the last second toward the opposite side. Channeling every ounce of strength into his legs, he ducked low and lunged forward in a flash, managing to dart out and brush Jinsuke’s shoulder with a quick, almost imperceptible touch.

  A heavy silence fell over the room as Jinsuke felt the touch, with his hand moving to his shoulder in disbelief; a flicker of shock crossed his face as he realized he had just lost the challenge.

  Fei Long exhaled slowly with a look of satisfaction playing across his features, while Taejin looked on, wide-eyed, as though he’d just witnessed an impossible illusion.

  “A tiger in a cage…” Taejin muttered, finally understanding Fei Long’s analogy, with his gaze on Ryu shifting with newfound respect.

  Jinsuke stood still for a moment, then turned slowly, his eyes fixed on Ryu, who had collapsed to the floor in utter exhaustion. A faint smile, almost like a mark of respect, crossed Jinsuke’s lips. [In truth] he thought, [he does remind me a bit of myself... maybe of who I used to be] He saw in Ryu a reflection of his own younger self, the same reckless determination.

  “You fought cleverly... and managed to touch me, even if by trickery,” Jinsuke remarked with a calm tone, despite he was faintly irritated. “I didn’t expect you to have the nerve to try something like that.”

  Ryu, worn out but his heart still pounding, nodded in silence. He had won the trial, having drawn on every bit of physical and mental strength he possessed.

  Jinsuke crossed his arms, allowing a hint of a smile. “Today, you’ve forced me to let my guard down, but remember, it was only a lucky strike. I’ll give you the credit... but just this once.”

  From the far side of the room, Fei Long chimed in, a note of satisfaction in his voice. “So, Jinsuke. Do you still think this ‘old relic’ doesn’t know what he’s doing?”

  Jinsuke’s mouth curled into a sarcastic smile, and he shook his head. “I was wrong to judge you, Sensei. My apologies.” The Boss inclined his head in a small bow of respect.

  “Good, I’m pleased you see it that way,” Fei Long replied, clearly pleased to have won this “bet.” He then turned his gaze to Ryu, with a faint smile of irony on his lips. “As for you kid... your movements were awkward, sluggish, and predictable. I can hardly believe you let yourself be pounded in such a pitiful way.”

  Ryu let out a short, breathless laugh. “Heh... Heheh...” He knew that, despite the light tone of Fei Long’s words, there was truth in them. He still had much to improve, and he swore to himself that he’d never again feel so outmatched again.

  “Well... he won. And in this world, that’s what counts,” Jinsuke interjected, stepping forward. The Boss knelt down slightly to meet Ryu’s gaze directly.

  “You remember what was at stake in our challenge, don’t you?” Jinsuke asked, as his expression turned serious again.

  Indeed, aside from the right to stay in District 5, there had been another reward, something even more intriguing. Ryu hadn’t paid it much thought earlier, since his only aim had been to prove himself against Jinsuke. Now, though, he remembered: a mission, personally commissioned by the Boss himself.

  “...Yes,” Ryu replied in a faint voice, feeling his curiosity spark to life.

  Jinsuke, noticing the interest in Ryu’s eyes, gave a sly smile and leaned closer. “So… how do you feel about going back to school?”