Chapter 23 - Kuina (1)

"Would you like to spar with me?"

Raiden looked at the little girl with a raised eyebrow. He had only been in the dojo for a day, so he hadn't interacted with Kuina personally until now.

"Sure," Raiden replied with a nod, masking his initial surprise with a friendly smile. He picked up a wooden sword from the nearby rack and gestured for Kuina to take her stance.

Kuina's eyes sparkled in excitement. She had been waiting for this moment ever since she witnessed Raiden spar with her father, Koushirou.

She was considered the 'best talent of the dojo,' but deep down, Kuina knew that it was only because the other children in the dojo were local kids. She had heard stories from her father's eccentric friends, who occasionally visited them, about absurdly strong people out there. It was hard for her to believe them, but then again, they didn't have any reason to lie about it.

Kuina quickly pulled out her wooden sword and took her stance. And almost instantly, Raiden knew that the girl was very comfortable and confident in that stance.

It was Kuina who initiated the attack. She didn't waste any time and swung her sword in a lightning-quick strike, aiming for Raiden's side, forcing him to block swiftly.

'He blocked it. So easily.' Kuina clicked her tongue.

Raiden was much taller than her, so he obviously had much larger reach. What she wanted to focus on right now, was to find a weakness in his technique. Afterall, she knew that she wasn't his match in terms of physical strength, either.

'Look at that. So controlled and balanced. No wonder Zoro lost.' Raiden couldn't help but be impressed. 'This girl is a monster.'

Kuina's footwork was impeccable, allowing her to maneuver around him with ease. She anticipated his movements, countering his attacks with precision. Her strikes were not as powerful, but they were unbelievably strategic, aiming to disrupt Raiden's balance and force him on the defensive.

As the spar continued, Kuina began pressing Raiden. She feinted, testing Raiden's reactions, and then launched a series of rapid strikes aimed at different angles. Raiden responded in kind, blocking and parrying with equal precision.

'Alright, let's dish some of it back.' Raiden thought, deciding to test the girl.

Raiden went on the offense. With a swift movement, he aimed a series of quick strikes at Kuina, testing her defenses. Kuina stepped back, her footwork flawless as she evaded and countered Raiden's attacks.

Their wooden swords clashed with increasing intensity, echoing through the dojo. Raiden focused on analyzing Kuina's movements, seeking patterns and weaknesses he could exploit. Despite his experience, Kuina maintained the upper hand with her strategic maneuvers and unwavering focus.

The only advantage Raiden had at the moment, was his superior physical stats. But Raiden had decided to fight at her level and match her speed and strength. So currently, Kuina has a significant advantage over Raiden.

Kuina too sensed it, and it only made her bolder. She launched a flurry of blows, each one aimed with precision wanting to keep the pressure up.

Raiden responded in kind, blocking and parrying with equal precision, but he could sense Kuina's ferocity growing with each exchange.

Unfortunately for Raiden, the girl managed to catch him off guard. It was a well-executed maneuver, a combination of a precise attack and a Raiden's brain fog, that momentarily breached his defenses. Raiden staggered back, the impact of her strike reverberating through his arms.

'Caught me,' Raiden thought in surprise. 'She's not holding ba-'

Before he could even finish his thoughts, Kuina launched another attack, wanting to keep the pressure on.

Unknowingly, Raiden's reflexes took over. He was so surprised by the sudden attack that he responded instinctively with a swift counterattack without holding back, like he was previously doing.

And that was all it took. It was a full-powered swing that broke Kuina's wooden sword into pieces with a loud crack.

The girl staggered back, her eyes wide with shock as she fell to the ground.

Raiden immediately threw away his wooden sword and rushed to check on Kuina, who was still in shock from the sudden turn of events. She lay on the ground, staring at the broken pieces of her wooden sword scattered around her.

"K-Kuina, are you alright?" Raiden asked, concern evident in his voice.

Kuina blinked, trying to process what just happened. She had been confident, almost certain of her victory moments ago. But now, she lay defeated, her weapon shattered.

"I... I was winning," Kuina muttered to herself, disbelief coloring her voice. "No. He...he was holding back?"

The realization hit her hard. Raiden had been testing her, holding back his true strength throughout the spar. She had pressed him, pushed him to the point where he could no longer hold back, and in that moment, he overpowered her effortlessly.

Tears welled up in Kuina's eyes as she struggled to hold back her emotions. Doubt and despair flooded her mind. "I... I knew it," she stuttered, her voice breaking between sobs. "I can never beat a boy..."

"H-hey, Kuina..." Raiden awkwardly tried to comfort her.

"Ah! I-I'm fine, Raiden-san. T-thank you for the spar." She tried to reassure Raiden that she was alright, her words coming out in a stuttered rush. With a quick, awkward bow to Raiden, she scrambled to her feet and fled from the training ground.

Raiden stood there, watching her go, a mix of emotions swirling inside him. He felt a pang of guilt for unintentionally crushing Kuina's spirits. The girl was already really insecure, and he was sure that he made things worse.

Yet, there was also a strange excitement in him—he knew the girl was talented but this was much more than what he expected.

"There's no way I'm letting her die," Raiden muttered to himself, a comically psychotic grin spreading across his face. "I want to see what kind of change she'll bring to this world."

"Dude, that's creepy. Stop smiling like that," a mocking voice interrupted from the sidelines.

Raiden turned to see Ronan leaning casually against the training ground's entrance, arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"Shut up! And what are you doing here? Weren't you out to swim?" Raiden retorted, his grin fading into a scowl.

"Yeah, but I heard noises from the training ground. I wanted to see who you were fighting with. That girl is amazing," Ronan replied, stepping forward.

"Yeah, she sure is," Raiden admitted, his expression softening.

"So? She'll be the next one?" Ronan asked, a hint of seriousness and curiosity in his voice.

"Hopefully," Raiden nodded, determination in his eyes. "Now, fuck off. I'm going for a bath."

Ronan chuckled. "Don't take too long. We still have to train together."

"Yeah, yeah," Raiden waved him off, heading towards the bathhouse. Kuina actually managed to land a pretty solid hit on him and even made him bleed. Just thinking about having to take a bath with it was pretty scary, but there was nothing he could do. Gotta get cleaned up.

_____

Kuina stood alone in the quiet dojo, the faint echoes of her earlier sparring session with Raiden still reverberating in her mind.

She had stepped into the spar with mixed feelings, not entirely confident in her victory but she knew that all she could do was to give it her all. As the battle progressed, she realized she had a chance. And just for a moment, she had believed in her victory.

She picked up another practice sword and began swinging it, not really caring about form or stance. Each strike was fueled by her frustration and self-doubt, her mind replaying the moment Raiden had effortlessly broken through her defenses.

'I almost had him,' she thought, her teeth gritted in anger. 'But he was holding back the whole time. How can I ever be strong enough to beat a boy if they're always stronger?'

Kuina's thoughts were a tangled mess of confusion and despair. She had always prided herself on being the best in the dojo, but now she couldn't shake the feeling that her victories were meaningless.

She had heard the stories from her father's friends about the strong people out in the world, but seeing Raiden's strength firsthand had made her realize how much further she had to go. And the worst part of it all, was the fact he was not even that much older than her.

Deep down, Kuina wanted to win because she needed to prove to herself that she could be better than the boys, that she could defeat them and earn her father's respect. Only then would her father consider her worthy of inheriting the dojo. But she had lost.

Her mind wandered to her father's teachings and his constant encouragement. But deep down, she knew that he didn't believe she could be strong enough to inherit the dojo.

And that crushed her more than she liked to admit. No matter how much she trained, no matter how many spars she won, the nagging doubt persisted. 'Will I ever be strong enough?'

With each strike, she tried to push the doubts away, but they kept creeping back. 'What if I can't? What if they're right?'

Kuina paused, her chest heaving with exertion, tears welling up in her eyes. She felt lost, unsure of how to move forward. All her wins, all the praises she had received, seemed distant now, overshadowed by the overwhelming weight of her insecurities.

She dropped to her knees, clutching the wooden sword tightly. "Why can't I be strong enough?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why does it have to be like this? I hate it! I don't want to lose!"

Her thoughts raced, searching for answers, but finding none. She felt trapped in a cycle of doubt and frustration, unable to see a way out. And she hated it.

Kuina's grip tightened on her sword, breaking it into pieces.

.

.

.

'Oh god. This is going to be much harder.' Raiden thought, rubbing his forehead in exasperation.

He had been watching Kuina from the top of a nearby tree with a deep frown. He had been observing her relentless training for some time now, noting the frustration and anguish etched on her young face, something that didn't belong there.

With a swift movement, Raiden jumped down from the tree, landing gracefully near Kuina, startling the little girl. "It's pretty pathetic that you can't take a loss," he said, his voice cutting through the silence.

Kuina's head snapped up, eyes wide with surprise and anger. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice trembling with a mix of emotions.

Raiden ignored her question, stepping closer and reaching for her hand. "Let me see your injuries," he said with a serious but a softer tone. He gently took her hand, revealing the splinters embedded in her small palm.

She slapped his hand away, glaring at him. "Stop mocking me! I don't want your pity." she yelled, her frustration boiling over.

Raiden frowned, his eyes narrowing. "That's exactly what you're doing, pitying yourself." he replied sternly. He sat down in front of her, his expression serious. "Graciously accept your defeat and learn from it."

Kuina's eyes flashed with anger and confusion. "Learn from it? What am I supposed to learn from a defeat where I lost simply because of my weaker body?" she shouted, her voice breaking.

Raiden looked at her calmly. "If you can't do anything about it, why worry so much about it?" he asked, his words striking a chord within her.

"You're young, Kuina. You have your whole life ahead of you. You're bound to get stronger once you hit puberty. So don't rush it."

Kuina fell silent, her mind racing. She stared at Raiden, her emotions overwhelming her. Finally, she burst into tears, her sobs wracking her small frame. "What am I supposed to do now?" she asked through her tears.

Raiden gently bonked her head, then ruffled her hair. He wiped away her tears, his touch surprisingly gentle. "Don't rush," he said softly. "Take your time. You're already so much stronger than others. I know you can grow up to be stronger than anyone."

He looked into her tear-filled eyes, his expression sincere. "I trust you, Kuina. If you can't believe in yourself, believe in me."

Kuina stared at him with wide eyes, tears and snot flowing down her face. Without a word, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

*Sniff*

*WAAH!*

*Sniff*

Raiden let her cry, his arms wrapping around her in a comforting embrace. He held her, offering silent support as she poured out her emotions.

'Ah, shit! There goes my shirt.'

_____