The group of teenagers walked outside in the night. The music from the party could still be heard as they walked into the garden. The garden had a small fountain that filled a moat. In the middle of the moat was a circular patch of grass. This was their makeshift ring.

They stopped near a concrete stool. Zen placed his mask and sword on the stool while Li Yue did the same with her jian.

“So, which of you will fight us?” Li Yue asked. She looked at Jun Nee. “Will it be you, Girl? Perhaps you want to avenge your hideous dress.” She and her friends laughed at this as she went to join them, leaving the three alone to talk.

Zen turned to his friends. “So… I think we all know I’m not going to be fighting here. Any takers.”

“I think we all know I’m not going to fight,” Jun Nee said. “My specialty is running away… fast.”

“No need to explain yourself, Jun Nee.” Yin Zheng said. “We all know I was the one who was going to thrash this pompous noble.” Yin Zheng turned to Zen. “But I’m not sure about betting your equipment, Wang Zen. I mean… didn’t they belong to your father?”

“They did.” Zen said.

“If I lose, you’ll lose them.”

Zen nodded, “So don’t lose.”

Zheng nodded and stepped forward.

“So, you will be the one facing me?” Li Yue said.

“You’re volunteering to fight?” Zheng said in genuine shock. “You do know your friends won’t help you and there are no guards to help you.”

“Please,” she said, “You think I can’t sense your power. You may be the strongest in your little friend group, Dirt Boy but even then you are weaker than me.”

“I see you have never been in a proper fight before,” Zheng said. “Measuring power is not just about how much ki you have.”

“Psht, what nonsense are you speaking?” Li Yue said as she entered the ring. “Ki is power. And I have more ki than you. Therefore, I am stronger.”

Zheng stood opposite of her. “Fine, then I’ll teach you what power is and put you in your place also.”

Li Yue clicked her tongue.

Both took ready stances as they faced each other.

“Alright, here are the rules!” Zen said. “If any part of you steps out of the edges of the ring, or touch the water around, you lose. If you give up or get knocked out for 10 seconds, you lose. If any of your friends interfere during the fight, you lose. You understand?”

Zen looked around to see if there were no objections. There were none.

“Okay, start!” Zen said.

Zheng’s body began pulsing. And aura made of shite ki grew from his body and engulfed him.

Zen’s eyes widened.

Li Yue charged forward and so did Zheng.

When Li Yue was close enough, swing her arm and tossed something forward. Three small, white discs flew forward from her palm.

Zheng stopped in his tracks and raised his arms to block.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

The three discs exploded near Zheng, the force sending him sliding back.

“That is a powerful technique.” Zen said.

“Of course it is!” one of Li Yue’s friends said. “That’s the famous Li Family’s Exploding Ki Coin. Your friend does not stand a chance!”

Jun Nee looked at Zen in worry. “Zen’er? Is that true? Doe Yin Zheng stand a chance.”

“Sure he does,” Zen said. “Even I at full health would probably have no problem dodging that attack. And by the way,” Zen said, “when I said that was a strong technique, I was talking about my friend, Yin Zheng’s technique.”

“Liar!” the one who had spoken out said.

“Really?” Jun Nee said.

Zen nodded. “I think Zheng is using something called Shuddering Shield Aura. It is a defensive technique that disrupts and dissipates any ki that enters the auras vicinity. It is amazing he has learned it.”

Jun watched as Zheng dodged another coin, which exploded in the air while two more fell very short of reaching him. “Do you know how to use that technique too?”

Zen shook his head no. “I gave him the scroll for the technique as my going away gift. My family had failed to figure the technique out, I’m amazed he was able to.”

Li Yue threw three more coins at Zheng, who leapt back again. Two uselessly fell to the ground and vanished while the other exploded against nothing.

“You are every good at running away, Coward!” Li Yue said. “How about you come at me.” She beckoned him forward with her fingers.

Zheng dashed forward at her as she took a ready stance.

BOOM!

An explosion detonated where Zen had stepped and blew him back off his feet, where he landed on his back.

Zheng looked disorientated as he tried to lift himself off the ground.

Li Yue dashed forward. Ki grew from the tips of her fingers, resembling long and sharp nails that could rip anything to shreds. She leapt into the air and descended onto Zheng with a banshee wail.

Zheng came to just in time to see her coming down on him. As soon as her ki nails breached his Shuddering Shield Aura, they vanished, allowing him to block her hand. He used his foot and leg to vault her over himself and away.

She landed roughly, rolling in the grass and almost fell over the edge.

“No!” Jun Nee said in frustration at seeing Li Yue almost eliminated.

Zen breathed out, not knowing he was holding in a breath.

Li Yue rose to her feet, as did Zheng.

“What happened, Zen?” Jun Nee said. “Where did that explosion come from?”

“Her exploding coin.” He said. “Seems it had a second function. She can either throw it as a projectile or she can plant it as a land mine.”

“But… that will make it difficult for him to move around.”

Zen nodded. “With her ki technique, Li Yue can make the ring into a mine field and one wrong step could cost Zheng the match and me my blade and mask!”