Be prepared

They went at it again.

What followed was the most one-sided exchange yet. With Noah's Chi control disrupted, Lucas pressed relentlessly, landing blow after blow. Noah defended as best he could, but it was like trying to stop a tsunami with a paper fan.

A right cross caught Noah's jaw, sending him sprawling. He tasted blood, felt his vision swim. But he forced himself up, refusing to stay down.

"Why get up?" Lucas asked, genuinely curious. "You know you can't win."

Noah wiped blood from his lip. "Who said anything about winning?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you trying to accomplish?"

"Learning," Noah replied simply. "Isn't that why you brought me here?"

A slow smile spread across Lucas's face. "Now you're getting it." He reset his stance. "Again."