“Congratulations, you passed!”

I hear, as the dean returns the test sheet to me.

[4th year final (5/5), Name: Alan Inozo, Score: 144/147, Result: Passed]

“With this, you have officially graduated from our humble institute. We are very proud of you.”

I couldn’t help but grin. I am finally done. The past year was fun, but all good things must come to an end. I have my dreams to fulfill and there is no use staying here any longer. A crib, once outgrown, becomes a cage.

“Thank you sir. It was fun staying here”

“I am glad to hear that. Be sure to attend the end of year festivities in a month’s time. I am sure your friends will be happy to celebrate with you.”

I nodded.

***

The music hunter will arrive in about two weeks, so until then, I decided to stay on campus. I still had time to ‘compose’ more piano pieces. And I can’t really do that without a piano. As things stand with money, I don’t have enough to casually afford one. At least until a certain ‘money bag’ rolls around.

With all that free time, I decided to head to the martial arts area. There were still two hours until the session started, so I took advantage of that and entered.

The atmosphere was completely different inside. The ever present smell of wood and the structure of the place felt right. Just standing inside could make one feel like this was the real deal. A real martial arts hall.

After I finished admiring the sight, I did a quick warm up, before performing the kata {1} we were taught.

The movements were simplistic and weren’t difficult to perform. From the little experience I had with martial arts, I could tell that they were different from the katas of my previous world. Instead of focusing on fighting opponents within the same discipline, they were focused on fighting almost any opponent. In a sense, it was closer to MMA, but more refined and less bruteish. A welcome change.

Sweat started to form on my face. Not because of focusing but because of my aura. I was purposefully using it to go against my movement. With practice, I managed to change its properties enough to help me train. Weights weren’t an option, since the amount I needed would be absurd. While I could use a boulder , it was just too impractical to use. And a child lifting several tons of rock would raise some suspicion. So the supernatural was the only realistic solution.

An hour of training later, I was drenched. My training shorts were soaked, but that didn’t stop me. Without even sparing a glance, I continued training.

Today, I allowed myself to satisfy my vanity. It was a reward of sorts for doing everything I had planned. By forbidding myself from it, I raised its psychological value and used it as a reward. Something to encourage training.

So without a hint of guilt, I started doing the ineffective, but cool exercises.

Everything from walking on hands and doing one handed pushups every step to the human flag {2}. Simply put, the bragging poses. And I enjoyed every second of it.

Slowly people started trickling in, so I stopped training. Instead, I drank a few mouthfuls of water, took a quick shower and settled for meditation. Half an hour later, Bolin, the ‘new’ martial arts teacher arrived and with that, the lesson started.

*

“As you know, today will be the last lecture for the year. The exams are approaching and you need to concentrate on them. This time of year is important for your futures, so please, make an effort.”

“But that doesn’t mean you can slack off on your training. Take these words to heart. A healthy body, a healthy mind, a strong body, a strong mind.”

“Osu!” Respectfully shouted everyone. {3}

“Treat today as a celebration of sorts. For some, this is the last time we see each other. I wish all of you a happy future.”

“So, let’s leave a good memory that they can think of fondly.”

“With all that said, enjoy yourselves.”

As he spoke his last words, he pulled a ball out of nowhere and threw it, announcing the start of the ‘cleaning’ game.

Childish creams reverberated through the hall as everyone started running. Balls flew everywhere and everyone tried their best to catch or dodge them.

‘This is chaos’ I thought, before joining in.

***

As the evening drew closer, the excited screams lessened. Everyone was tired and they called it a day.

‘I must admit, it was really fun.’

I was about to go to the wardrobe, when Bolin stopped me. With a curious expression, I looked at him.

“Would you mind having a quick word Alan?”

“Of course”

“Let’s get a bit of fresh air, shall we?”

I nodded as I followed him outside.

*

“There is another reason why I ended the club early.”

“I am going to watch the heaven’s olympia.”

I pretended to be confused and looked at him quizzically.

“And what is this heaven’s olympia?’

I haven’t heard any mention of it as of yet, even though it was supposed to be world famous in canon. Maybe it became known later?

“It is THE underground fighting arena. The best fighters from all around the world gather and clash. It is an event of unimaginable proportions. Even professional hunters participate.”

“And how strong are they? You seem pretty strong, so how would you match up to them?”

Bolin chuckled, embarrassed. He took a deep breath before saying with a serious tone.

“The likes of me cannot even come close to their strength. The last time I went, I felt immense danger just standing near them.”

After a short break, he continued.

“Even a look from them could kill me.”

My eyes widened. Well I guess they used [REN] to shoo away the weaklings.

“But with all that said, danger brings opportunity.”

“It would be an eye opener for you. It certainly was for me.”

I stared at the ground, thinking. ‘Should I go?’ It was risky, but it could also bring great benefits. Just experiencing their strength first hand could help me. It would expand my horizons and increase the chances of my plans succeeding. Was this not worth a little danger?

With my determination set, I started gathering more information.

“And why are you inviting me?”

“I can see great talent and ambition within you, burning brightly. I want to show you the vastness of martial arts, even if just a glimpse. It will make you stronger. And seeing a student grow is the greatest pride of a teacher.”

I was a bit surprised, even a bit embarrassed. I never had anyone like that in my life.

‘So this is what a good teacher is like huh?’

“But as you already might have guessed, the whole thing is a bit shady. All sorts of illegal businesses take place and kidnapping is not out of the question. But even with all of that said, I think you are more than ready. Be it maturity or strength, you don’t lack either. And as long as you stay close, I can guarantee your safety.”

“But at the end of the day, this is still your decision. You are the master of your own life and I will not force you to go. It is up to you to decide.”

I took a deep breath before asking.

“When are we leaving?”

Bolin looked a bit surprised, but smiled.

“Two days from now, at 4 am sharp. Prepare two weeks worth of luggage. This time, it will take place in Korjea, on the Azian continent. It is on the other side of the world, so the ship ride alone will take 4 days. We will be back in 12 days at the latest.”

I nodded before leaving.

‘I still can’t get used to the different culture. He wasn’t concerned with the fact that he is bringing a child onto a dangerous journey. And to top it all off, he didn’t even bother asking my guardian. But I guess this is the norm here.’

‘Anyway, I am excited. Better prepare early. I haven’t ever been to Asia. This will be fun.’

{1} - a system of individual training exercises in martial arts.

{2} - this: https://www.streetworkoutstkilda.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/human-flag-beast-1.jpeg

{3} - Martial arts ‘salute’ in HxH. The Zushi pose.