Until we keep our promise part I

"This fight, the brutality of this encounter…"

Izuru thought as he observed the state Rin was in.

"If this had been one of the tournaments that the sect usually holds from time to time, Rin Ikari would definitely have been the winner."

The disciple of Kaina spoke as he looked at Rin, who was still motionless on that platform.

"She did it on purpose. She patiently waited for the moment I would launch that counter, and when she saw it, she hit herself. Damn it, her goal was never to defeat me."

Rin thought as he clenched his fists in frustration. He knew very well that after this fight, there was a high chance Kaina would make a record of him, and with that, the possibility of obtaining a good mentor would be severely reduced.

"Well, there are many of you, and it's getting dark. Who will be next to fight?"

Leonard Lowsley, Kaina's disciple in charge of supervising the last test, spoke with fatigue in his voice.

"The sensation of fighting and winning is not something I can copy just by watching. Now I just want to see what you all see, let me enjoy your perspectives!"

Izuru thought as he dashed toward the platform. The opportunity to fight one of the aspirants with the best average in the previous tests does not sound so attractive if you are someone average.

But it's different if you know that this aspirant has no experience in combat. The moment Izuru touched the platform, absolutely all the aspirants, including the top 10, tried to become his opponent.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, moron?!"

"Get out of my way! I'll be the one to face him!"

"Idiots! Stop getting in my way, or I'll do the same to you as I did to that Eren guy!"

Izuru could only watch in astonishment as the aspirants, eager to crush him and claim an easy victory, jostled around.

"That's why I hate dealing with kids. You owe me big time, Instructor."

Amid the shoves, yells, and insults, the sound of someone stepping firmly on the ground was enough to bring complete silence.

"Shut your mouths and move away from the platform."

It didn't take more than those words and a cold, serious glare to make everyone step back, even Robert and Pyo Wol felt intimidated.

"What a nuisance. Now I'll be the one making the pairings. So… you, shorty, come here."

"Yes, sir!"

"What are your names?"

"Izuru Kamubu… Just Izuru."

"Ryuuzen Gohara."

"Very well. Do you know what will happen if either of you goes overboard in this practice?"

"I don't really know,"

Izuru responded sincerely.

"Instructor Kaina Tsusumi will make a record, and from personal experience, I can tell you that the best mentors don't accept disciples with records. So your survival in this sect is at stake. The one in front of you is an opponent, not an enemy. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir!"

Replied both Ryuuzen and Izuru.

"Then fight."

After receiving the order, Ryuuzen confidently approached Izuru, eyes focused and ready for battle. His stance was firm and balanced: his front foot slightly ahead, his body leaning slightly forward.

Ryuuzen saw Izuru take a combat stance that seemed odd to him. His right arm was raised and bent, fist closed in front of his chest, which Ryuuzen interpreted as a defensive guard. His left arm was more extended forward, fist also closed, giving the impression he was ready for a strike or a shove.

His breathing changed completely, and in response, his naturally purple eyes turned crimson red, and at the same time, the distinctive scent of Qi filled the air.

"Can that kid really control Qi? And not only that, the purity and quality of his Qi are top-notch. The sect has found a new talent; now it's just a matter of guiding him correctly,"

Leonard thought as he examined Izuru's stance. Nowhere in Deshret had he seen a stance like this. Maybe it was similar to boxing?

"Seems like he was just bluffing. Did he lie to us all? Looks like a boxing stance, maybe kickboxing. Damn it, what am I thinking? It doesn't matter what he's planning; I just have to be stronger than him, and I'll win."

With that thought, Ryuuzen squared up with Izuru, his serious and determined look telling Izuru everything he needed to know. Izuru immediately stepped back.

"He's taller than me, but not by much. I'll be able to hit him without issue, but first…"

Izuru took a deep breath, eyed Ryuuzen, and posed as if about to slit someone's throat.

"What a cocky kid,"

Ryuuzen said as he watched Izuru with annoyance.

"I can clearly remember my uncle doing this before practice, and now…"

Izuru dashed quickly towards his opponent, only to be met with a jab that he easily dodged before countering with one of his own, which Ryuuzen also avoided.

"The games are over, kid."

Ryuuzen spun on his axis and, without hesitation, landed a powerful kick to Izuru's abdomen, making him lose his breath and sending him hurtling backward.

"So strong… I made a mistake believing he'd let me experiment at my leisure."

Izuru quickly got back up, approached Ryuuzen cautiously, and launched another jab, but instead of dodging, Ryuuzen chose to block the attack with his elbows.

"Do you know when a fight is won?"

"Huh? Isn't the point of fighting to show your superiority over your opponent?"

Izuru said as he blocked Ryuuzen's punch and tried to mimic the kick he had received, though Ryuuzen blocked it effortlessly.

"While you're not wrong, a fight isn't won that way. The winner of the fight is the one who inflicts more damage on the opponent,"

Ryuuzen said with a grin as he delivered a strong blow to Izuru's chin, making him fall backward.

"And it seems the only one who understands this is Pyo Wol. You're not a match for me, false prodigy."

End of the chapter.