Bada's Dojo
The rhythmic sounds of fists striking pads, bodies thudding against mats, and the occasional sharp "kiai!" of students executing their techniques could be heard from outside.
Arjuna took a hesitant step inside, his eyes widening as he took in the scene. The place was massive. He noticed the air carried the faint scent of sweat, incense, and polished wood.
Rows of students, clad in dark gis, moved in perfect synchrony under the watchful eyes of their instructors.
Training dummies lined the walls, some looking fresh, others battered beyond recognition. A massive calligraphy banner hung above the sparring area.
"Steel is made in fire. Warriors are made in battle."
Bang!
A wooden dummy exploded into splinters as a massive figure sent it flying across the room. The students didn't even flinch, while Arjuna did.
"Who let a lost kid in here?"
The voice was a booming growl, and its source was even more imposing. Before Arjuna's eyes was the man who had just obliterated a training dummy with a casual backhand.
Bada was built like a walking fortress. His sleeveless gi barely contained his massive frame, every muscle seemingly carved from stone. His wild, unkempt hair only added to his barbarian-like aura.
A scar ran across his nose, and his arms were wrapped in thick bandages that looked like they had seen many battles.
Behind him, towering like a nightmare, stood Genderuwo. Its fiery red eyes radiated in the dimly lit dojo, its massive, gorilla-like form barely fitting. The creature coughed a deep grunt, its presence sending a shiver.
…That's a lot of muscle.
Bada cracked his neck. "Took your sweet time getting here."
"I came straight here," Arjuna stared at Genderuwo, who seemed to be staring back.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Bada waved him off. "So, you're the supposed genius. The doc said you need a training session."
"Right," Arjuna nodded, trying to shake off his nerves. "I figured I could—"
Bada clapped his hands together, sending out a shockwave of sound. "Then let's brawl."
?what?
Bada grinned. "No fancy magic. No ghost tricks. Just fists."
"Hold on. Isn't training supposed to be, y'know, gradual?"
Bada ignored him and gestured toward the sparring ring. "Get in."
Arjuna hesitated. He liked his bones unbroken. But something about Bada's sheer presence made it hard to refuse. This guy wasn't just strong; he lived for battle.
A student walked past and whispered, "You're gonna die."
Great.
Sighing, Arjuna stepped into the ring. Genderuwo rumbled approvingly from the sidelines.
Bada rolled his shoulders. "Alright, kid. First lesson—"
He lunged.
Arjuna barely had time to process the movement before a fist the size of his head was rocketing toward him.
He threw himself to the side, narrowly dodging as Bada's punch crashed into the floorboards. The impact sent a shockwave through the dojo, rattling the wooden beams.
"WHAT KIND OF TRAINING IS THIS?!" Arjuna looked at Bada.
Bada laughed. "Lesson one: Don't get hit!"
Arjuna barely had time to complain before the next attack came.
The brawl had begun.
Arjuna barely had time to breathe before Bada charged toward him again, a human bulldozer with zero brakes.
"STOP MOVING!" Bada swung a fist the size of a small boulder.
"THAT'S A TERRIBLE INSTRUCTION!" Arjuna narrowly ducked under the blow. The wind pressure alone sent his hair flying.
The dojo shook. Students peered over from their training, some whispering bets. Genderuwo sat on the sidelines. The massive specter let out a deep, gravelly chuckle.
Arjuna jumped back, barely dodging a stomp that cracked the floorboards. "How the hell is this a lesson?! Where's the explanation? The techniques?!"
Bada grinned. "The technique is not dying!"
He charged again.
Arjuna, running purely on survival instincts, twisted his body, avoiding a brutal elbow strike. He landed a light jab on Bada's ribs, only for his fist to feel like it had punched a mountain.
"Ouch!" Arjuna recoiled, clutching his hand.
Bada blinked. "Did you just punch me?"
Arjuna didn't like the way he asked that. "Uh… yeah?"
Bada grinned way too wide. "Good. My turn."
His fist blurred.
Arjuna swore he saw a shockwave as he barely managed to twist away, but the sheer force of the punch still sent him tumbling. He hit the ground and rolled, stopping just before slamming into a training dummy.
He groaned, picking himself up. "That was unnecessary."
"Lesson two!" Bada cracked his knuckles. "If you hit, be ready to be hit back!"
Arjuna exhaled. "I'm always ready to be hit back."
Bada lunged. Arjuna dodged. Bada lunged again. Arjuna dodged again.
It became ridiculous. With Arjuna twisting, flipping, and leaping out of the way, Bada chased him like a relentless storm.
A student leaned toward another. "This is less of a fight and more of a game."
The other nodded. "I give him two more minutes."
Bada, growing increasingly annoyed, punted a training dummy out of frustration. It flew across the dojo and exploded against the far wall.
Arjuna, sweating bullets, tried to reason. "We should slow down and talk this through."
Bada's response was to crack his neck and grin wider. "Alright. I'll stop holding back."
Arjuna's stomach dropped.
Bada disappeared.
BOOM!
Arjuna barely had time to react before an unstoppable force slammed into him. He crashed to the ground, gasping for air as Bada stood over him, victorious.
One second, he was standing. The next, he was mid-air, crashing through several training dummies. His back scraped the floor, and he bounced like a skipping stone before landing flat on his stomach.
The dojo fell silent.
"…Oof," someone muttered.
Genderuwo rumbled with laughter. "Hmph. Weak."
A student sighed. "I was hoping he'd last longer."
Arjuna groaned, pushing himself up. "Still… alive…"
Bada rolled his shoulders. "Not bad. You survived that."
"Gee. Thanks." Arjuna staggered to his feet. His whole body ached.
Bada smirked. "Think you can keep going?"
Arjuna took a deep breath. He wasn't winning this. Hell, he wasn't even competing. But something burned inside him.
Poci's power. The surge of ghostly energy is waiting to be tapped into. But that wasn't part of this fight. This was just him.
He spat to the side, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah."
Bada's grin widened. "Good answer."
He rushed forward, fist cocked back.
Arjuna exhaled. This time, he stepped forward. With the adrenaline pumping through his veins, he focused on his opponent, ready to give it everything.