The Unexpected Turn – Master’s Hidden Power

The crowd was on the edge of their seats, the tension almost unbearable. Kael and Ren stood tall in the centre of the arena, breathing heavily, their bodies battered but still filled with determination. The battle had raged on for what seemed like an eternity, but for the first time, it felt like they might actually have a chance of defeating the one who had always been their unchallenged superior—their master.

Their strikes were sharp, calculated, and together they had learned to read each other's movements like an instinctual dance. The power that had once seemed so distant was now coursing through their veins, and the duo was truly in sync. They had pushed the master to the limit. His body had begun to show signs of strain, his movements slower, less fluid. Every hit landed by Kael and Ren felt like it was making a difference. The crowd roared with excitement, unable to tear their eyes away from the spectacle.

But just as the tension seemed unbearable and the crowd believed that victory was within their grasp, something... unexpected happened.

Kael aimed a powerful punch toward the master's face, his fist cutting through the air with blinding speed. It connected, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. The master stumbled back, his posture faltering for a second as if the blow had truly shaken him. But then, to the utter shock of everyone watching, the master did something that no one expected.

He started laughing.

Not just a chuckle or a smirk, no. It was a full, belly-deep laugh, one so genuine and childish that it echoed across the arena. His shoulders shook, his head tipped back in uncontrollable amusement. The very idea that they had been able to land such a blow seemed to have struck him as absolutely hilarious.

Kael and Ren froze mid-motion, their jaws dropping in disbelief. They looked at each other, then back at the master, who was now rolling on the floor, clutching his sides as if they were the funniest thing he had ever seen. He was laughing so hard that his face turned beet red, and tears even welled up in his eyes.

"Ha...ha...HAHAHA!" The master bellowed, gasping for breath between fits of laughter. "Is this how you think you've finally beaten me?! This is too good! I'm going to die of laughter here!"

Kael and Ren stood in stunned silence, unable to process what was happening. The crowd, too, was taken aback, unsure whether they had just witnessed something completely unexpected or if it was some kind of elaborate prank.

"Wait… what?" Ren muttered under his breath, glancing at Kael, who looked equally as perplexed. They were supposed to be the ones in control now, but instead, they were watching their master laughing like a child who had just seen the funniest thing on Earth.

The master, still rolling around on the floor like an overjoyed child, finally began to calm down, wiping tears from his eyes. He looked up at his students, his expression suddenly shifting from jovial to serious—but not in the intimidating way they were used to. No, this was the look of someone who had just revealed something monumental.

"You two… think you're winning, huh?" The master's voice, though light-hearted, had an edge of amusement. "You think this is all I've got?" He chuckled once more before pushing himself to his feet with exaggerated slowness. The crowd was still silent, unsure of what to make of this absurdity.

Kael, ever the serious one, clenched his fists. "Master, what's so funny? We've pushed you further than anyone else ever has. What are you playing at?"

Ren, his brows furrowed in confusion, nodded. "You can't be serious. You've been holding back this whole time, haven't you?"

The master straightened, his eyes glimmering with a mischievous spark. "Oh, I've barely been trying," he admitted, grinning. "I've only been using… oh, let's say about 0.5% of my power." He paused, letting his words sink in, watching the realization dawn on both Kael and Ren's faces.

"What?" Kael's eyes widened in disbelief, his voice trembling. "You've been holding back this whole time? You—" He was cut off as the master raised a hand, silencing him.

"You two have done well," the master continued, his tone shifting into one of genuine respect. "But you still have a long way to go. You've learned a lot, but you've been fighting at your peak against only a fraction of mine. Now… let me show you just a little bit more."

With a sudden, fluid motion, the master's aura shifted. It was subtle at first—almost imperceptible—but the very air in the arena seemed to vibrate. The ground beneath them trembled, and the skies above darkened as if some unseen force was gathering. The audience shifted nervously, their previous shock replaced with an overwhelming sense of fear.

And then, the master spoke again.

"Alright," he said, his voice now commanding, carrying the weight of a thousand storms. "Let's kick it up to 1%."

The change was immediate.

The moment the master released even a fraction of his true power, the entire arena shook. The force was so intense that the spectators—elders, students, and even the most seasoned fighters—felt their knees tremble. The ground cracked beneath the master's feet as his aura expanded outward like an unstoppable wave. His eyes glowed with the intensity of an ancient, unmeasurable power that rippled through the very fabric of the universe.

Kael and Ren, still recovering from the shock of his earlier antics, now felt the full weight of their master's presence. They were physically pushed back, their feet sliding across the floor, as the pressure of his power bore down on them. It was like trying to stand against a storm that had no end.

Kael gritted his teeth, struggling to remain standing. "This… this is insane!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of the master's rising power.

Ren, too, found himself struggling to breathe, the air thick with pressure. "We can't… We can't even move against this!"

The master smiled—a wide, almost playful grin that sent a chill down their spines.

"You two have a long way to go," he said, his voice the only calm thing in the chaos. "But you've certainly earned my respect. Now, let's see if you can survive at 1%. Show me what you've got left."

And with that, the battle resumed.

But this time, the duo wasn't facing their master as they had before. They were facing the true depth of his power, the true might of someone who had held back all this time. Kael and Ren, though exhausted, though battered, steeled themselves for the fight of their lives.

But deep down, they both knew that the odds had shifted dramatically in the master's favour. They were about to be tested like never before.

The audience held its collective breath...