Baldur walked through the long corridors of the hospital, checking a sheet that indicated room D-13. He passed doctors and nurses until he finally reached the desired room. There, he found Tao and his disciple, Neo, in bed.
He stopped at the door and looked at them both. Tao, his neck immobilized by a cervical collar, turned his eyes to look at his old friend.
"Baldur... it's been a long time..." Tao said in a dull voice. "This is a bad time to come over for tea..."
"I came as soon as I heard about the attack on your dojo," Baldur replied, concern in his eyes. How are you feeling?
"He killed them all, Baldur..." Tao replied, on the verge of tears. "He killed all my boys... the children I watched grow up... he killed them as if they were nothing..."
"Master..." Neo called weakly. His face was completely covered in bandages; only his lips and nose were exposed. Who arrived? Is it Dad?
"No, Neo... your father will be here in an hour. He went to buy you some bananas," Tao replied, averting his gaze from his student. His voice sounded tense, almost broken. Neo and I survived only because we mastered ki, Baldur... I didn't think it was time to teach my boys, and now look at them... please, don't make the same mistake.
Baldur nodded with a frown, crossing his arms and taking a deep breath.
"That madman is attacking martial arts schools..." he said with concern. He's already taken the lives of 32 people.
Tao looked down, his eyes reddened.
"The bastard has superhuman strength... I hit him three times, Baldur, and I noticed how he got stronger with each blow."
Baldur sighed, a mixture of frustration and anger on his face.
"Kawaki confronted him, but he got away..."
Tao raised his head, barely managing a grimace of resignation.
"Who wouldn't escape from Kawaki? That guy always carries a machete everywhere he goes..." argued Tao. "And don't change the subject, you sly old man... Teach your disciples how to use ki! Ouch!" he shouted, only to complain about the pain in his neck.
"I'm not a teacher..." Baldur confessed. "I don't teach or train anyone..."
"What about those kids at your house?"
"They're not my students... I just take care of them."
"But... you're the pillar of water. Our master chose you... he left everything to you for a reason... Why?" Tao asked.
"You know what happened to me..."
"You can't break with a sacred legacy just because of a family inconvenience," Tao clarified, but immediately retracted. "I don't want to minimize what happened to you, Baldur... It's a shame about your son... but think about those boys now... If no one stops this genocidal maniac, he'll reach all four schools... and the most vulnerable one right now is the Water School."
"You're right, Tao... I must resume my responsibility..." said Baldur. "Tell me about the attacker... Did you say he got stronger with every blow you gave him?"
"Yes..." he confirmed. "He's big, over 2 meters tall, dark-skinned, and a bag of muscle... and if you don't recognize him yet, he's bald..."
"Thank you very much..." Baldur thanks him, bowing down. "Do you need anything?"
"Peace, Baldur..." Tao replies. "I'll only get it if they stop that bastard..."
"You can count on it, my friend..."...
"Come on... move those arms!" Max ordered. "Hit each other harder..."
Oliver and Gouten were having their first trial fight. They ran across the grass, trying to land a blow on each other.
Oliver threw a hook, but Gouten dodged it by ducking. With a quick leap forward, he headbutted his cousin in the stomach, causing him to writhe in pain.
"Ouch..." Oliver groaned, clutching his stomach.
However, he received a slap on the back of the head from Max.
"Stop whining and hit back!" Max ordered, pushing him with his foot toward Gouten, who met him with a straight right to the face.
Gouten threw two more punches, but Oliver dodged them by leaning back and then ducking, only to replicate the same jump his cousin had made earlier, connecting with a headbutt to Gouten's stomach.
11: frustration.
Baldur walked through the long corridors of the hospital, checking a sheet that indicated room D-13. He passed doctors and nurses until he finally reached the desired room. There, he found Tao and his disciple, Neo, in bed.
He stopped at the door and looked at them both. Tao, his neck immobilized by a cervical collar, turned his eyes to look at his old friend.
"Baldur... it's been a long time..." Tao said in a dull voice. "This is a bad time to come over for tea..."
"I came as soon as I heard about the attack on your dojo," Baldur replied, concern in his eyes. How are you feeling?
"He killed them all, Baldur..." Tao replied, on the verge of tears. "He killed all my boys... the children I watched grow up... he killed them as if they were nothing..."
"Master..." Neo called weakly. His face was completely covered in bandages; only his lips and nose were exposed. Who arrived? Is it Dad?
"No, Neo... your father will be here in an hour. He went to buy you some bananas," Tao replied, averting his gaze from his student. His voice sounded tense, almost broken. Neo and I survived only because we mastered ki, Baldur... I didn't think it was time to teach my boys, and now look at them... please, don't make the same mistake.
Baldur nodded with a frown, crossing his arms and taking a deep breath.
"That madman is attacking martial arts schools..." he said with concern. He's already taken the lives of 32 people.
Tao looked down, his eyes reddened.
"The bastard has superhuman strength... I hit him three times, Baldur, and I noticed how he got stronger with each blow."
Baldur sighed, a mixture of frustration and anger on his face.
"Kawaki confronted him, but he got away..."
Tao raised his head, barely managing a grimace of resignation.
"Who wouldn't escape from Kawaki? That guy always carries a machete everywhere he goes..." argued Tao. "And don't change the subject, you sly old man... Teach your disciples how to use ki! Ouch!" he shouted, only to complain about the pain in his neck.
"I'm not a teacher..." Baldur confessed. "I don't teach or train anyone..."
"What about those kids at your house?"
"They're not my students... I just take care of them."
"But... you're the pillar of water. Our master chose you... he left everything to you for a reason... Why?" Tao asked.
"You know what happened to me..."
"You can't break with a sacred legacy just because of a family inconvenience," Tao clarified, but immediately retracted. "I don't want to minimize what happened to you, Baldur... It's a shame about your son... but think about those boys now... If no one stops this genocidal maniac, he'll reach all four schools... and the most vulnerable one right now is the Water School."
"You're right, Tao... I must resume my responsibility..." said Baldur. "Tell me about the attacker... Did you say he got stronger with every blow you gave him?"
"Yes..." he confirmed. "He's big, over 2 meters tall, dark-skinned, and a bag of muscle... and if you don't recognize him yet, he's bald..."
"Thank you very much..." Baldur thanks him, bowing down. "Do you need anything?"
"Peace, Baldur..." Tao replies. "I'll only get it if they stop that bastard..."
"You can count on it, my friend..."...
"Come on... move those arms!" Max ordered. "Hit each other harder..."
Oliver and Gouten were having their first trial fight. They ran across the grass, trying to land a blow on each other.
Oliver threw a hook, but Gouten dodged it by ducking. With a quick leap forward, he headbutted his cousin in the stomach, causing him to writhe in pain.
"Ouch..." Oliver groaned, clutching his stomach.
However, he received a slap on the back of the head from Max.
"Stop whining and hit back!" Max ordered, pushing him with his foot toward Gouten, who met him with a straight right to the face.
Gouten threw two more punches, but Oliver dodged them by leaning back and then ducking, only to replicate the same jump his cousin had made earlier, connecting with a headbutt to Gouten's stomach.
-Do you see what I mean? -Baldur asked. You just trash your brother and praise your cousin... but it's not just that... you see them as your own soldiers, don't you? Tell them about your personal mission, Max.
-I don't have to talk about it with anyone," Max replied dryly.
-Do you know that will only bring your own ruin? -said Baldur, frowning at him. Not only yours, but those you drag with you....
-I've had it... I've had it with you...! -Max muttered, full of rage. Fight. Let's define this with a battle... if you feel so capable of giving me orders... accept it!
-Did you have to go this far? -Baldur muttered with a sigh. All right, Max... I'll indulge you.
-That's the way I like it... if I win, he won't interfere with my business, and he won't interfere with my lessons..." Max posed, adopting a fighting stance.
-Huh? You're going to fight?! -asked Gouten in surprise, looking at Oliver, sharing his astonishment.
-Setting conditions? Sounds good to me..." nodded Baldur, raising his hand and taking a straight but relaxed stance, with one hand pointing at Max. If I win, you'll adjust your training methods... and forget about involving Oliver and Gouten in your much-vaunted revenge... unless they decide to help you themselves. There, I'll stay out of it...
-I'll teach you not to be an old meddler," Max growled with determination. I swear I'll win....
Baldur just watched him in silence, his eyes reflecting a mixture of serenity and resolution. Gouten and Oliver exchanged nervous glances, knowing that what was about to happen was not just a duel of strength, but of ideals.