TRIAL BY COMBAT

Fuse and Kagawa exchanged a concerned glance, their initial confidence shaken by Ryker's effortless deflection.

"We need to rethink our strategy," Fuse whispered.

Kagawa nodded.

"Agreed. We can't take him down with brute force alone."

Meili watched the exchange, her mind racing with the implications.

"I wonder what both of them might come up with against Ryker?"

Kai's gaze remained fixed on Ryker, his expression unreadable.

Fuse and Kagawa retreated to the edge of the training area, their heads bent in hushed conversation. Meili's eyes lingered on them, wondering what new strategy they might concoct.

As the next round was about to begin, Meili, her concern for her friends overriding her interest in the fight, turned away from the circle, her footsteps taking her towards the edge of the arena.

Ryou, still shaken from his clash with Ryker, sat on the sidelines, the focus in his eyes now dimmed by defeat. Meili, her heart going out to him, approached Ryou with a hand outstretched in comfort.

"Are you okay, Ryou? I saw the hit you took. That was brutal."

Ryou, his gaze distant, managed a small smile.

"Yeah, it was. You should watch for those as well." Ryou replied, his tone a mixture of weariness and resignation. "But I'm fine, Meili. It takes more than one good hit to keep me down."

Meili nodded, a slight relief in her smile. "Good to hear. I know how stubborn you can be." Her gaze turned to Koko, who sat a few feet away, her features unreadable. "Koko," Meili called out, her voice gentle. "Are you alright? You seem...troubled."

Koko's eyes, which had been fixed on the training circle, flickered over to Meili's concerned gaze. "I'm fine," she said, her voice almost too quiet to hear over the clamor of the battle.

Meili, noticing the tension beneath Koko's calm exterior, leaned in gently. "Koko, it's okay to admit you're worried. We're all struggling; this test isn't easy for any of us."

Koko's voice wavered, her composure cracking. "Worried? No... I'm not worried. I'm just... disappointed." A single tear escaped, trailing down her cheek.

Koko continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "Lian's my closest friend, and I wasn't there to save her. Who knows what dangers she's facing right now? I know we're all giving it our all in training, but I can't shake this feeling of being weaker than the rest of you. Losing to a man in a blindfold… it just says it all."

Meili placed a reassuring hand on Koko's shoulder, her voice calm yet firm. "Koko, losing to Si-Fu Ryker doesn't make you weak. He's our master for a reason, and his blindfold didn't make him any less skilled. Strength isn't about winning every fight; it's about learning and growing from each one. You care about Lian—that shows your heart. And trust me, that's a strength even Si-Fu would respect. Don't let one training session make you doubt everything you've worked for."

Koko wiped her eyes but still looked uncertain. "It's just... I thought I was better than this. Ryou held his ground longer than I did. I barely lasted a few minutes before he disarmed me like it was nothing. How am I supposed to protect anyone if I can't even hold my own?"

Meili knelt down to meet her gaze, her expression unwavering. "You're not alone in this, Koko. Ryou didn't 'hold his ground' because he was stronger—he lasted longer because you distracted Si-Fu long enough for him to adapt. You gave him that chance without even realizing it. That's teamwork, Koko, and it's just as important as individual skill."

She paused, her tone softening. "Si-Fu's training isn't meant to break us; it's meant to prepare us. If you're feeling weak now, it's because you're being tested. The real strength comes in how you use these moments to rise stronger, not just for yourself, but for Lian and the rest of us too. None of us are perfect alone, but together? We're unstoppable."

Koko blinked, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "You really believe that?"

Meili smiled. "I do. And so does Si-Fu. So I think that's why he pushes us so hard—because he sees what we're capable of, even when we can't see it ourselves."

Kai, however, remained fixated on Ryker, his eyes burning with intensity. His mind whirled with calculations, searching for the perfect opening to exploit.

Ryker, still blindfolded, seemed to sense Kai's gaze. A hint of a smile played on his lips.

"Kai, I can feel your eyes on me. You're thinking, plotting. But are you prepared to face the truth about your own abilities?"

Kai's expression didn't waver, but a spark of irritation flared within him.

Kai's gaze never wavered, his expression a mask of calm determination.

Ryker's smile grew, his blindfolded gaze seeming to bore into Kai's very soul.

"I sense a fire burning within you, Kai. A flame that fuels your ambition, your desire for power. But is it enough to overcome your limitations?"

Kai's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides.

Meili watched the exchange, her concern growing.

"Kai, don't let him get to you," she whispered.

But Kai didn't respond, his focus solely on Ryker.

Fuse and Kagawa, meanwhile, had finished their hushed conversation.

"We're ready, Sifu," Fuse called out.

Ryker nodded, his blindfolded gaze shifting toward the duo.

"Then let us proceed. Show me what you've learned."

As Fuse and Kagawa prepared to face Ryker, they shared a nod of understanding.

"Alright, here's the plan," Fuse whispered, gripping her wooden sword. "I'll use my taijutsu to get in close and create an opening. Meanwhile, Kagawa, you'll use your mass manipulation to become incredibly heavy and anchor yourself. Then, when Ryker tries to attack, you'll suddenly shift to your light form and strike from an unexpected angle. We'll keep going with that and see what happens. "

Kagawa nodded, his eyes gleaming with understanding.

"Bujutsu —Tidal Surge, Heavenly Reckoning!" he whispered, cracking his knuckles.

With a deep breath, Fuse and Kagawa charged forward, their movements fluid and synchronized. Fuse unleashed a flurry of swift kicks, while Kagawa complemented her with a series of powerful punches.

Ryker stood firm, his blindfolded gaze never wavering. He raised a hand, and the air seemed to ripple around him.

Fuse and Kagawa's attacks slowed, as if they were pushing against an invisible barrier.

Just as it seemed like Ryker was about to counterattack, Jaggy stirred in the corner of the circle, his eyes fixed intently on the battle. A hint of a smile played on his lips, and he seemed to be waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Ryker, still blinded to the world around him, was in a heightened state of awareness, his senses tuned to the sounds and movements of his opponents. Ryker's heightened awareness, tuned to the subtle vibrations in the air around him.

Suddenly, like a thunderous wave, water came crashing towards him, menacingly forming sharp blades of water.

"Hm, Jaggy again!" Ryker said, his body coiled like a spring, ready to unleash his counterattack.

As the razor-sharp water blades danced through the air, Ryker remained poised, his body coiled like a spring, ready to unleash his counterattack. But Jaggy was not alone in his assault; Fuse and Kagawa pressed on, their attacks finding renewed strength in the chaos created by the water elemental.

"Now, Kagawa! Light form!" Fuse cried.

Kagawa instantly transitioned from his heavy state, shifting into his light form, his body almost floating above the ground. Like a leaf caught in the wind, he twisted and turned, dodging Ryker's counters with graceful ease.

As Kagawa danced around Ryker's defenses, Fuse pressed on with her attacks, her wooden sword now a blur of motion.

"Air Blade!" she shouted, her feet barely touching the ground as she leapt into the air, her sword humming with power.

The blade of air cut through the water, sending droplets of liquid in all directions as it aimed for Ryker's blindfolded face.

But Ryker, seemingly unfazed by the onslaught, weaved through the storm of water and air, his hands a blur of motion— WHOOSH

The deafening sound of impact echoed through the training circle, a testament to Ryker's swift reaction and masterful deflection.

As the battle raged on, Meili watched with bated breath, her concern growing with each passing moment. She knew that Fuse, Kagawa, and Jaggy were skilled warriors, but Ryker's mastery was on a completely different level.

Kai, meanwhile, remained fixated on Ryker, his eyes burning with intensity.

"You'll have to do better than that," Ryker said, his voice calm, almost amused.

The remark was a spark that ignited the fires of determination in Kagawa and Fuse, their eyes flashing with renewed resolve.

"Then we shall," Kagawa growled, his body shifting back into its heavy form.

Fuse echoed his sentiment with a fierce grin, her sword now a swirling vortex of air.

"I hope this works out. Sword style — Wind Hurricane!"

As Fuse unleashed her 'Wind Hurricane', a maelstrom of cyclonic energy, the air was filled with the deafening roar of rushing winds. The ground trembled beneath their feet as Kagawa channeled his mass manipulation technique to the utmost limit, his body becoming heavier than a black hole's singularity. "Let's go!!Bujutsu— Mass Overdrive"

Together, they formed an unstoppable combination of raging winds and immovable mass.

The other students watching the battle couldn't help but gasp in awe. Meili's eyes were wide with wonder, her mind racing with the implications of Kagawa's incredible density. "That's incredible ," she breathed."When did he learn to do that?"

Kai's eyes narrowed, his expression intense. "Not impossible," he muttered. "Just highly unlikely for guy like that. I need to see more of his technique."

Ryou, still nursing his wounds from his earlier battle with Ryker, watched with a mixture of admiration and envy. "Tsk, lucky," he said, shaking his head.

Koko, meanwhile, looked on with a concerned expression. "Is Kagawa okay?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry. "That kind of density can't be good for his body."

But before anyone could respond, Ryker's calm voice cut through the din of the battle.

"Nimbly as a Wasp," he murmured, his hands tracing intricate patterns in the air.

Fuse's sword cut through the air, a blur of motion as she unleashed her 'Wind Blade' technique. The winds swirled around the blade, infusing her strikes with elemental power. Kagawa stood firm, his body like a mountain, a gravitational force that threatened to uproot even the sturdiest of opponents.

Ryker, his eyes hidden behind the blindfold, stepped lightly, his movements nimble and precise, almost like a dancer.

Fuse's strikes became a blur, the winds around her sword cutting through the air in a deadly whirl. Each slice of the blade sent a razor-sharp gust of wind towards Ryker, who continued to dance around them, his hands a blur of motion.

Kagawa, sensing an opportunity, suddenly shifted his stance, his body becoming even denser, a gravitational vortex that threatened to drag Ryker into its crushing embrace.

"Got you!" Fuse cried, her blade slicing through the air with renewed vigor.

But Ryker was not caught off-guard. ", Oh, really".

Ryker's blindfolded face remained impassive, his expression serene despite the chaos swirling around him. As the razor-sharp winds slashed towards him, he moved with a grace and agility that belied his age.

Then, in a flash of speed too quick for the eye to follow, Ryker launched himself into the air, seemingly defying gravity itself as he leapt clear of Fuse's blade and Kagawa's vortex.

"Hiyah!" Fuse cried, her blade carving a deadly arc through the air.

As Ryker hung suspended in the air for a moment, a brief reprieve from the onslaught of Fuse and Kagawa's combined attacks, Fuse's blade hurtled towards him with deadly intent. But Ryker, his hands still tracing those intricate patterns in the air, drew on his own momentum, spinning his body in a graceful arc that brought him down behind Fuse in a blinding flash of motion.

CRACK!

The sound of Fuse's sword colliding with the wooden sparring circle echoed throughout the arena, a sharp reminder of Ryker's prowess.

"Uh oh," Kagawa said, his voice laced with alarm.

GWAPWAPWAP(Kagawa's Bujutsu - Mass overdrive, his body shrinking back down to normal size as the technique ran out of steam.)

Kagawa, his body struggling to maintain its immense density, suddenly stumbled, his form rippling with fatigue. Fuse, though attempting to hide her own exhaustion, could not conceal the sweat beading on her brow, the labored breaths escaping her lungs.

"We can't keep this up much longer," Fuse panted, her voice barely audible above the din of their ragged breathing.

Ryker, his keen senses picking up on their waning strength, seized the moment. "You're right," he said, his voice low and even. "You can't keep this up. But I can."

With a swift motion, he darted towards Kagawa, a flash of movement that seemed to slice through the air itself.

"No!" Fuse shouted, lunging forward in a desperate bid to intercept Ryker. But she was too slow, her movements hindered by her own exhaustion. Ryker was going to reach Kagawa first...

In a last-ditch effort, Fuse gathered the last of her strength, channeling it into her wooden sword. She released her grip, and with a fierce swing, she sent the sword flying towards Ryker with a gust of wind. The sword spun through the air like a meteor, its trajectory seemingly guided by the wind itself.

Surprisingly, Ryker seemed to notice the attack only at the last second, his reflexes, for once, not quick enough to anticipate the incoming blow.

With a deft flick of his wrist, Ryker managed to avoid the sword's razor-sharp edge, but not before it sliced cleanly through his blindfold.

"Woah, didn't see that coming," he muttered, his voice a low growl.

Fuse, exhausted, collapsed to her knees, her gaze fixed on Ryker.

The older man stood still for a moment, his gaze burning into Fuse. Then, he bowed his head, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Well done, you two."

Fuse, too tired to respond, simply nodded, her breathing still heavy from the exertion. Kagawa, likewise, struggled to maintain his composure, his body slowly returning to its normal density.

Ryker, his eyes now open, took in the scene with a critical eye. "Fuse, your control over the wind is still lacking, but your tenacity is commendable. Kagawa, your density manipulation is impressive, but your stamina needs work."

He paused for a moment, then added, "You both fought well."

As the other students began to whisper amongst themselves, their awe at Ryker's display of skill palpable in the air, Ryker continued.

"You must also learn to read your opponent, anticipate their moves. Only then will you truly master the art of combat."

Fuse and Kagawa nodded, their expressions both respectful and resolute.

"Now," Ryker said, his voice still calm, but with a hint of steel in his tone. "Clean yourselves up and rest. I expect the last two to be ready."

Kai, his expression hard and determined, stepped forward, his fists clenched at his sides. "You can count on it, Sifu Ryker," he said, his voice low and even. "And we're gonna win."

Meili, watching the exchange with wide eyes, bit her lip. "Really Kai, why'd you have to make things more intense." she whispered.