The Iron Den wasn't just a gym.
It was a crucible.
By the time Jace limped onto the main training floor at dawn, the scent of blood and bleach was already thick in the air. His legs ached from the gauntlet run. His ribs screamed with every inhale. The faded lights buzzed overhead like flies around carrion.
But something was different today.
More eyes.
More presence.
The forge trainees were no longer shadows on the wall they were real, flesh-and-bone predators.
Seven of them. Each wrapped in bruises and tape. Each pacing like lions just waiting for something weak to enter their cage.
And Jace could feel it.
He was the something weak.
Then he noticed her.
Sayaka Kanzaki.
She walked with surgical precision, all clean lines and calm power. Shaved sides, long black braid tight like a whip. Her eyes were cold, impassive not like someone trying to size him up, but like someone deciding where she'd strike first.
Tattooed kanji climbed from her collarbone to her jawline.
Jace barely blinked before she stood in front of him.
"You're the new chew toy?" she asked, voice light, almost bored.
He met her stare. "You always open with kindergarten insults, or am I special?"
Sayaka smiled just a flicker of amusement, but it vanished quickly. "I break bones for less."
Coach Ryuu barked a laugh from across the room. He stood beside a cracked heavy bag, arms folded, watching like a devil god overseeing a sacrifice.
"She's not just talk, Takeda. Sayaka's the top trainee here. Last one standing from my previous batch. No one's knocked her down in six months."
Sayaka's smirk twisted. "And Ryuu's last project before he gave up on us. Until you showed up and started coughing blood on my mat."
The tension thickened.
The air felt hotter. The hum of the overhead fluorescents seemed to fade beneath the sound of Jace's heartbeat.
Then System Ping.
[ Incoming Challenge – Forge Trainee: Sayaka Kanzaki]
Classification: Intermediate Combatant (Unarmed Hybrid)
Style Bias: Precision Striker / Counter-Grappler
Win Rate Against Current Stats: 6%
Do you accept this challenge?
Y / N
Potential Rewards:
+150 XP
+Combat Memory Fragment
+Reputation with Forge Trainees
+Increased System Sync (Bonus Unlocks)
Penalties (if loss):
Internal Bruising (Minor)
Confidence Penalty
Temporary Trait Cooldown
Jace didn't hesitate.
He clicked Y mentally.
"Let's dance."
Round One: Wolves Circle the Wounded
The others gathered in a loose circle around the mat, silently.
Coach Ryuu blew a sharp whistle.
Sayaka moved first.
Not fast. Not aggressive. Just... sharp.
She snapped a jab into Jace's cheek before he could blink. A second followed, brushing his nose.
The third was a feint.
The low leg kick came under it, timed perfectly.
CRACK.
His thigh lit up in agony. He stumbled, knee buckling, vision blurring.
[Damage Taken: -4 HP]
[Status Applied: Leg Staggered – Movement Penalty: 8%]
[Fight IQ XP Gained: +2]
He tried to close distance with a wrestler's instinct clinch and control.
Sayaka slipped the clinch with a pivot and drove an elbow into his taped ribs.
Pain shot through his body.
[HP Reduced – 61% Remaining]
[Pain Tolerance II – Progress: 7% → 10%]
[Reflex XP Gained: +4]
[System Tip: Opponent rhythm – 3 beats. Look for second-beat vulnerability.]
He gasped, nearly dropped but something inside refused to fold.
Instead of backing away, he faked retreat, then dropped low.
Shoulder in. Hips turned. Takedown attempt
Sayaka anticipated it.
She sprawled beautifully, slammed her forearm into his back, and flipped his momentum. His face hit the mat.
Hard.
[Grappling XP Gained: +6]
[New Fragment Detected: Sweep Recovery I – Locked]
Coach Ryuu's voice cut through the haze like a whip. "You move like a high school junior. This ain't folkstyle, rookie. This is war."
Sayaka stepped back, breathing steady.
"You're trying to win with instinct," she said. "That won't save you here."
Round Two: The Pattern Break
Jace wiped the blood from his lip and stood, wincing.
He didn't lunge this time.
Didn't chase.
He watched her shoulder.
One... two... three...
There it was. Her left shoulder twitched just before she kicked.
He stepped into the kick.
Clinched hard.
And slammed his knee upward into her ribs.
THUD.
She grunted and staggered.
[Strike Landed: Effective – -8 HP to Opponent]
[XP Gained: +12]
[Passive Triggered: Iron Engine I – Stamina Regen Boost +2%]
[Opponent Status: Winded (Minor)]
Jace's eyes lit up.
He was learning. Adapting. Fast.
Sayaka spat to the side. "Not bad."
Then she stepped forward and headbutted him.
White stars filled his vision.
He barely remained standing.
[Damage Taken: -5 HP]
[Status Applied: Light Concussion Risk]
[Pain Tolerance II: 11% → 13%]
Bell rang.
End of Round Two.
Aftermath: There Are No Clean Wins
They stood facing each other, chests heaving.
Blood on both sides now.
Sayaka's left eye had started to swell. Jace's nose was definitely broken.
Neither had won.
But neither had backed down.
Coach Ryuu walked between them, slowly.
He looked at Sayaka. "You held back."
She didn't respond.
He turned to Jace. "And you didn't fold."
Then: "Enough. She's done for now. You? Go hit the mitts."
[Sparring Match Complete]
Outcome: Technical Draw
XP Gained: +112
Trait Progress: Fight IQ – 82/100 → Trait Close to Unlock
Combat Memory Fragment Gained: Close Quarters Entry I (Locked)
Forge Trainee Reputation: +10
Sayaka Impression: [Neutral → Curious]
That Evening – Beneath the Buzz of Fluorescents
Jace sat by the vending machine, holding a bag of half-melted ice against his nose.
He'd stuffed toilet paper in each nostril to keep the bleeding down. His face looked like someone had taken a crowbar to it.
Sayaka sat across from him, sipping something neon blue from a can with unreadable Japanese script.
Her braid was loosened now, a few strands stuck to her forehead.
She didn't speak for a long time.
Then finally: "You're raw."
Jace snorted. "You headbutted me."
She smiled faintly. "Still raw."
He nodded toward her swollen eye. "Didn't walk away untouched."
Sayaka shrugged. "Pain's payment for progress. You're not soft I'll give you that."
Silence returned.
Jace tilted his head. "So… why didn't you finish me?"
Sayaka's gaze darkened. "Because Ryuu wanted to see how much you'd take. Not how much I could give."
She stood, crushed the can in one hand, and tossed it into the overflowing bin.
As she walked away, she paused beside him.
"I broke someone's ribs last week because they touched my braid."
Jace looked up at her.
"You didn't even blink," she added.
He didn't reply.
She smiled the first real one.
"Maybe that's why you didn't lose."
Then she was gone.