Max and Baldur stood firm, glaring at each other. The young man's aggressive stance contrasted with the old man's unflappable serenity. Oliver and Gouten could only stare at the scene, uneasy.
-Will Mr. Baldur know how to fight? -Gouten asked quietly, without taking his eyes off the old man.
-He appeared floating in the sky and told us that he practised martial arts in this very dojo," Oliver replied, with a hint of doubt. I suppose so.
-I'd forgotten that detail... but still..." Gouten confessed, doubt creeping into his voice. "Will he be on the same level as Max? We've only seen him fight...".
-I think we'll know soon enough," Oliver muttered, pointing his chin at the two warriors, who stared at each other in complete silence.
Max frowned and clenched his fists tightly, while Baldur shook his right hand to relax it. A gentle breeze crossed between them, charged with the tension that precedes any confrontation.
Without warning, Max lunged forward with impressive acceleration, looking to land the first blow. Baldur, however, deflected the attack with ease, palm-swiping it to the right. It was such a smooth motion that Max barely felt the contact.
But Max reacted immediately. He swiveled his hips and launched a straight kick at Baldur's stomach, hitting him hard and forcing him back just a few inches.
Max resumed his stance and, in astonishment, looked down at his own fist. He hadn't felt Baldur's hand deflecting his attack.
-He deflected me as if his touch was the caress of a drizzle," Max analysed silently, not losing his guard. He didn't use force, he just took advantage of the momentum of my own blow... How annoying...
He went for the second blow. Baldur resumed his defence, watching his every move. Max threw the punch hard, but at the last instant he deflected it downward, using it as a prop to propel himself into a curved right leg kick.
A flash of yellow flickered in the air as his leg impacted Baldur's waist. As soon as his feet touched the ground again, Max spun on his axis and connected with another strike, generating another flash of gold.
-Are Max's blows that strong? -Gouten asked in amazement. I see flashes of gold every time he hits....
-What the hell am I hitting...? -Max wondered, surprised to see Baldur still intact. What are those yellow flashes that appear every time I hit...?
He watched him for a moment, analysing the old man's every move.
-Could it be that he is creating energy barriers before each impact? -But that requires an extraordinary control over the vital energy... the "Ki"...
He took a deep breath, adjusting his posture. "I'll have to change my strategy to connect my blows... otherwise, this fight will go on forever...".
Baldur stretched out his arm, both fingers outstretched. A jet of pressurised water spurted from his fingers, pushing Max into a tree. Oliver and Gouten watched in amazement, unable to look away from the old man's attack.
But Max was undeterred. He clasped both hands together and, with a silent roar, launched a sphere of golden energy that shot through the air like a cannon.
Baldur remained calm. In a single motion, his fingers caught the sphere of energy and, gently twisting his wrist, he deflected it into the sky, effortlessly dispelling it.
-He focuses his ki on his fingertips to deflect attacks..." Max analyses as he leans to the right and builds momentum. But that water... where did it come from?
Baldur calmly stands upright again, raising his arm and pointing forward.
-You still have time to give up...
-No way..." Max replies with a frown. You haven't hit me directly yet. You just pushed me with that water...
-That's the weak mentality I was talking about," Max scornfully tells him. If that's how you think your environment works, I don't want Oliver and Gouten to become warriors with the same attitude.
Max stood his ground, smirking scornfully.
-I know perfectly well that your Ki control is far superior to mine... but if you don't attack, you're showing me the most pathetic side of your beliefs...
-My beliefs don't allow me to raise my hand against a young man who is still learning... That includes you, Max. Attack me, and I'll show you how I defeat you... without taking a single blow.
-He's baiting me..." Max thinks, as he takes a slow step to the left. It's impossible to defeat a Senkayn warrior without hitting him, be it from a distance or melee... the blow must exist...
-You're very funny, Mr. Baldur..." Max says with a smirk, "I've never heard you say so many stupid things together...".
-Sometimes I can be a bit funny, Max," Baldur replies, stroking his bushy brown beard with a serenity that seemed unwavering.
-He got distracted..." thinks Max, as he reaches out and pulls his arm back hard, as if pulling something towards him. I'm back in control now, so come back! -Max shouts.
The golden sphere he had thrown earlier obeyed his command, spinning through the air like a comet and speeding towards Baldur.
He swung to the side, watching as the sphere seemed to head for the ground, only to suddenly straighten its trajectory and circle around both warriors in a pseudo-circular motion, finally returning to attack Baldur.
-Interesting," Baldur muttered, calmly analysing the pattern. But Max is a trained soldier... he won't use the same trick twice knowing it failed.
Then the old man invoked his technique.
-Water Art: Atlantic Dome," Baldur proclaimed.
Immediately, a dome made of crystalline water enveloped him completely, forming a liquid dome that blocked both Ki's projectile and Max's fist, which came from an unexpected angle. It had all been a meticulously planned feint by Max.
The water rippled as a single drop broke the surface of a puddle, while Max's fist stood firm against the warm but impenetrable liquid.
-That water again... but now it spoke the name of the technique," Max whispered, leaping backwards away from the water.
-I touched it...it's liquid, it's wet...but it's different...it's not natural water...it's Ki. That water is made of life energy particles. Can he control natural water too? -he pondered, frowning curiously.
When his feet hit the ground, Max was quick to gain momentum. His fist pierced the water like a needle piercing a woven wool coat, and the pile of water collapsed to the floor, evaporating instantly.
Max watched as Baldur evaded his attack by moving nimbly inside the small dome; even their gazes met through the thin layer of water.
He stepped through, his foot touched the ground again, and he turned immediately to launch a second attack. However, something suddenly caught his attention. Max jerked his arm, but couldn't bend it properly.
-What the hell is the meaning of this? -he grunted, surprised.
-I call it a soft fist," Baldur replied in a calm voice.
-Nobody asked you! -Max shouted, pointing his numb arm at Baldur and trying to launch a Ki attack.
His eyes widened in surprise as he felt he was having difficulty concentrating the energy in the palm of his hand.
-My arm is paralysed... and something is interfering with the flow of energy..." Max analysed, frowning. What the hell did he do to me? Wait a minute...
-Did he say soft fist? -Max wondered, trying to flex his arm. But at no point did he touch me or hit me directly...! Why is he talking about the name of a punch?
-An imperceptible, harmless blow... it's not even a fist, Max," Baldur explained with a calm smile. It's just a touch, as delicate as a flower petal or a drop of water.
-It was originally a fist," Baldur continued, "My old master used it to teach us the principle of Ki manipulation. But I perfected it: I transformed it into a simple touch that releases a small amount of Ki harmlessly... or so it seems. To the body, it's zero damage, almost absurd.
His voice deepened, and his gaze fell on Max.
-The real problem arises when that touch is applied to key points... like the nervous system...
-My arm is numb because your energy is interfering with my nervous system," Max replies, holding his affected arm.
-You're very perceptive, Max," Baldur nods calmly. Or at least you are when you decide to use your head.
-What the hell are you getting at? -Max asks, his tone heavy with annoyance. This is a fight... Not a history class!
-In fact, it's both, combined with a very important lesson," Baldur replies calmly. With a smooth movement, he removes his hat and sits down on the floor, crossing his legs.
-An imperceptible blow? -asks Gouten, marvelling. "That's incredible, Oliver! -he says, turning to look for his cousin. However, as he looks around, he notices that Oliver is no longer in his place. Oliver...?
Baldur sighs and looks at Max.
-I want to apologise to you, Max," he says gravely. I didn't take the time to ask you: How are you feeling?
-What are you getting at? -Max asks with a frown.
-Nothing," Baldur replies calmly. I just want to know your motives... Why are you so strict and hard on them?
-Are you an idiot? -Max replies, his tone laden with irritation.
-We'll never be able to have a conversation if you don't open your mind, Max," says Baldur, his voice calm.
Max snorts at those words and replies:
-I've already told you... I want Oliver and Gouten to be strong... almost as strong, if not stronger than me...
-But what's the reason, Max? -insists Baldur, without getting upset.
-I'm not going to answer that," Max mumbles, taking a step back.
-Max..." says Baldur, stepping forward.
-Give me time to talk, will you? -Max interrupts him, his voice sounding more restrained. You know how I am... Be patient, I'll tell you when the time is right.
-Okay, I understand..." Baldur replies, nodding gently. Then he turns his eyes to where Oliver and Gouten should be, but sees neither of them.
-Where did they go...? -Max asks, as he feels Baldur's 'soft fist' override the effect of the 'soft fist' on his arm.
-Come... let's go find them," the old man tells him, standing up calmly.
In the distance, thuds echoed against the wood. Max swallowed, immediately deducing that it was the same exercise he had imposed on Oliver and Gouten. Baldur walked calmly towards the source of the sound, with Max following close behind.
On the way, they bumped into Gouten. The boy was paralysed, his face showing a fear he did not know how to express. He could only look straight ahead, without moving or speaking.
-Gouten, what is the matter with you? -Baldur asked with concern.
-Where is Oliver? -Max added, his voice thick with tension, behind the old man.
With a trembling hand, Gouten pointed ahead.
-There he is...
When Max and Baldur looked up, their bodies froze at the scene.
The thuds were louder than ever, and the wood of the trunk was stained red. Oliver was pounding the tree with desperate force, his teeth clenched, his fist bloody and his knuckles raw. Tears of frustration rolled down his cheeks.
-I'm weak... I can't break through the bark..." Oliver whispered, pounding relentlessly. I'm so weak... what good am I if I'm weak... am I a disgrace... I sure am....
His blows continued, one after another, as blood stained the bark of the tree.
-I am weak...
-Weak...