บท 5: Improvement
A few days went by quite uneventfully and another came. Kenichi was still having his daily muscle training with Akisame and Ohma his reaction speed training with Apachai on another side of the courtyard.
Ohma's forearms were covered in bruises. He stood in a defensive stance and Apachai was prepared for another strike.
"How many hits was that?" Sakaki asked, not having counted.
"89 hits he's dodged," Kensei informed him. "20 times he was hit. His reaction speed is improving considerably."
"Will he… Survive another… Hit?" Shigure questioned.
"Don't be concerned that boy is too tenacious. ." The Elder assured her, before saying. "And even if he does drop dead, it'll be an amazing feat to take to his grave that he lasted against 20 of Apachai's hits."
Apachai charged in and threw a straight right, which Ohma dodged by waiving to the side and dived in through Apachai's guard. Apachai then threw a left hook to counter him but Ohma ducked down to avoid the hook then came up for an uppercut. Apachai saw this and brought up his knee to hit his stomach but Ohma back-stepped to dodge the knee. Ohma then threw an overhead aimed at Apachai's head, but Apachai took advantage of his superior reach and used a high kick aimed at the head. Ohma bobbed his head around the kick and pivoted his leg to slide over to Apachai's unguarded right to kick him in the liver, but Apachai saw this and used a quick-shift to change his stance and used his leg to deflect Ohma's attack.
"Well now, looks like he's finally getting the hang on it." The Elder noticed. "His evasiveness is improving every day and he's become more adept at thinking several steps ahead with every blow."
"This whole exchange is a situation of 'hit without being hit," Kensei added. "Because of the difference in power, he can't even afford to block so all he can do is constantly dodge until he sees a chance to strike. And a careless or halfhearted move will end in failure so he can only bide his time and wait for an opportunity to show itself."
"Not just that, if the hit is going to come at the exact same spot even an amateur could dodge it but Apachai is mixing in faints here and there to try and throw him off, he's conditioning the punk to be able to see through an enemies tricks and only move when he needs to." Sakaki chimed in. "Apachai wants the punk to able to go into a fight while being able to avoid taking a hit as much as possible, 'cause that a fundamental mindset to have in Muay Thai."
Among everyone watching, Miu was the only one who didn't understand what was going on. As she stared, watching the two exchange blows and Ohma keeping up with Apachai, all she could do is try to comprehend what was happening.
"I don't understand it when they started he couldn't even follow Apachai's movements and yet now he's keeping up with him perfectly." Miu thought, not getting it. "How did he improve so much in just the course of three days?"
As the exchange of blows and Technique continued, Ohma kept avoiding Apachai's attacks while counting his progress in his head.
Apachai aimed a low-kick at the right kneecap, which Ohma dodged by shifting to the left.
"27."
Apachai raised his left arm and brought down his elbow towards Ohma like a guillotine. Ohma jumped back a bit to get out of the elbow's path.
"28."
Apachai knelt slightly and reeled back his right fist to throw a power uppercut at the chin with the weight of his entire torso behind it. Ohma tightened his footing and swayed his body back making the uppercut a few centimetres away from grazing him.
"29."
Now that Apachai was done going through all the hits he had used before he was now ready to use a new one. Using the momentum of his uppercut, Apachai shifted his weight and spun his whole body around to throw a roundhouse kick with his right leg.
Ohma's eyes widened when he saw it. An opening had finally presented itself, Apachai's entire body was being held up only by his left leg. Ohma quickly capitalized on that and dove in, ducking underneath Apachai's kick and slide kicking Apachai's left ankle. This made Apachai's leg slip back and messed up his balance, leaving his wide open.
"Here is my chance."
"This timing." Ohma cocked back his fist. "This angle." He planted his right foot on the ground to put his back into his punch. "This position." And he finally threw his straight right aimed at Apachai's chin. "It'll be perfect."
WHOOSH!
However, just before his fist could make contact, quick as a flash Apachai vanished without a trace and Ohma's punch only hit the air. Hardly able to comprehend what had just happened, Ohma instinctively turned his head around to look behind him. And just as his head was halfway around, he could make out a gloved fist that was about to make contact with his head, it was so close Ohma only saw a bright flash of red appear out of nowhere.
'Not this time. Redirection Kata: Flowing Edge."
POW!
Apachai's fist grazed through Ohma's backhand changing its trajectory while ripping apart both Ohma's and his own glove in the process. Ohma's knees gave and he collapsed on the ground on them. Meanwhile, Apachai just stood there looking as though he had just realized what he has done.
"Oops."
Sakaki face-palmed. "That idiot, he got too carried away in the end and forgot to hold back."
"Apachai always had trouble holding back, when training a Disciple you should always use less than 10% in a spar, unfortunately, Apachai always goes beyond that limit." Kensei shook his head. "This was a lucky situation that the boy could keep."
"It was because the boy created an opening himself rather than waiting for one." The Elder informed them. "Because he was in the perfect position to be countered Apachai's instincts took over and he forgot this was training. Muay Thai is engraved into his mind, he sees an attack opportunity he takes it."
"Ohma!" Miu shouted in fear and concern, running up to him.
"I am fine," Ohma said while taking deep breaths.
"I am sorry." Apachai apologized with concern.
"Now, now." Kensei approached them. "It's not your fault, he knew what he was getting into when they started," Kensei assured her. "Besides he's not so bad, nothing's broken after all. Just a few bruises here and there, just send him to my acupuncture clinic and I'll help dull the pain a bit."
"I am fine," Ohma said. "Stop being annoying."
"I'll go check on Kenichi and Akisame then." Miu still concerned decided to walk off.
"Well, I guess that was the best he could hope for." Sakaki shrugged. "Still though, I'm impressed the punk lasted as long as he did. It's like he's some kind of monster prodigy or something. Kinda interested to see how far he'll go from here."
"Oh, in that case, why not take him on as a Disciple then?" The Elder suggested.
Sakaki's eyes went wide at that suggestion and he immediately barked. "For the last time Old Man; I don't take Disciples!" He shouted before walking away, while grumbling.
"Ha, he just can't be honest with himself." The Elder joked.
Shigure then got up and started to walk away too.
"And what about you, Shigure?" The Elder asked her, making her halt. "What do you think of the boy?"
"I don't know."
That was all she said before she was gone.
"Hmm, I couldn't agree more." The Elder muttered.
***********************
Ohma sat on the courtyard porch, the pain from the bruises grew as the adrenaline rush started fading away.
"I see it was the same for you." A voice came. Ohma looked up to see Kenichi, the fellow disciple he never interacted with much after the first day.
"Mind if take a seat?" Kenichi asked exhaustion in his voice, bruises covering his body.
"Sure go ahead," Ohma replied.
Kenichi collapsed on the porch, groaning as his back slumped onto the wall.
"How is Apachai training?" Kenichi asked.
"Easy if you have the reflex, speed, toughness," Ohma replied. "That's what are you training to build."
"Well unlike you I came here to actually learn how to defend myself from a bully. I still haven't got any damn training for what I came for. Do you what it's like to hide from your bully?"
Ohma paused for moments. "Never had experience with bullies, besides you are lucky in the training instance. Stop whining."
"Lucky? How exactly am I lucky?"
Ohma looked at him. "Because at least you have a constitution with the potential to grow stronger not everyone has that privilege. I knew someone who was just like you albeit with way more spirit ----"
"- Are you making fun of me?"
"Let me finish. He had talent, dedication but what he lacked was a strong constitution to get stronger at the same pace as you. He was born sickly, died nearly four because of weak organs related cases throughout his life but he fought back. So stop whining like you have the worst life out there. His life was worse than the bullying you are facing."
Kenichi remained silent then another voice from the rooftop.
"That punk right." First came his voice then Sakaki jumped down the roof before them. "Without sufficient conditioning training your strikes would do no damage to your opponent."
"I also won't do any damage if I don't know how to do it," Kenichi argued.
"Then you don't have to worry about it any longer. I heard from Akisame that your combat training starts from next week." Sakaki smirked and his eyes lit up.
"Really?!" Kenichi stood up.
"Save your energy, you still have a week of conditioning training left," Sakaki said before turning to Ohma.
"And you punk, Akisame is waiting for you in his clinic."
Ohma sighed. "Alright, then."
****************
-Somewhere near Ko High School
In the middle of a quiet part of town, inside a dark alley was the sight of a brawl. Right now fourteen rough-looking guys were all already bruised and beaten up brutally. One was knocked out and leaning by the wall, with an arm that was bent. Another one laying on the ground with a bloody forehead. A third one was conscious but in a lot of pain and was flat on his back. And then another one was just knocked to the wall and fell, leaning against the wall, he had blood coming from nose, lip and a missing tooth.
Walking up the one that was just knocked to the wall was the person responsible for beating all these thugs. Compared to the four of them who all looked like they were eighteen at least, the one who beat them looked younger than all of them.
A young girl, with short dark hair and violet eyes. She was average height and slender built, no one looking at her would believe she is the one who broke fourteen delinquents without breaking a sweat.
The girl walked up to the thug she just hit, who was breathing heavily.
"…We were out of line, we're sorry…" The thug said quietly, hoping to appease the girl. "…We get the message, you don't need to—"
He was interrupted when the girl kicked him in the gut and kept digging in her heel, causing him to cough up in pain.
"Oh come on, you didn't you say this territory belongs to you." The girl said, uncaring.
She then stopped and pulled back his leg, at that point the thug was unconscious.
"Pathetic, you low lives, I don't want to see you or anyone from your gang near my school ever again." She then took out his phone and clicked on one of her contacts named Seigen. This call connected. "It's done. These low lives wouldn't be bothering us anymore--"
" - No, don't worry no one died."
Having said that started to walk away and head for the end of the alley, intending to leave.
"Lucky you, you all get to live for another day." She said to them as he left.
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