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The sun hung high in the sky, baking the vast training grounds of the Gilded Empire. The morning drills had ended, and many of the warriors-in-training had begun their individual regimented training. Some worked on their footwork, others sparred in the designated combat zones, but Kumuna? He was still under the watchful and unforgiving eye of Orwin.
Kumuna stretched his sore limbs, rolling his shoulders with a sigh. He hated to admit it, but his body was already feeling the strain of his weighted gear. He was fit—more than most—but compared to these trained warriors, he was leagues behind.
Orwin, who had been casually crouching on a nearby log, observed Kumuna’s exhaustion with an amused expression.
“Man, do I really still gotta wear this?” Kumuna finally asked, tugging at the heavy tunic draped over his body. “Feels like I’m fighting while carrying a damn boulder.”
Orwin’s golden eyes flicked up to him. “Yup.”
Kumuna groaned. “Oh, come on, man. Look, I get the whole ‘extra weight equals extra strength’ thing, but you gotta admit—I’m already fit.”
Orwin’s tail flicked as he leaned back slightly. “Compared to normal people, yeah. But this ain’t your old world, kid. Here? Your strength is nothing. You barely got the endurance to keep up, and if I took those weights off, you’d still be struggling.”
Kumuna sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “…Yeah, yeah. I get it.”
He respected Orwin enough to not argue, but damn if he wasn’t frustrated.
Orwin smirked at the reluctant acceptance, standing up and rolling his shoulders. “Alright. You’ve been adapting well enough, but now let’s really test what you’ve learned.”
Kumuna raised an eyebrow. “Test?”
Orwin cracked his knuckles. “Yeah. We’re gonna spar.”
Kumuna’s heart skipped a beat.
“S-Spar? As in… fighting you?”
Orwin’s grin widened, showing off his sharp canine teeth. “That’s right. But don’t worry, I’ll hold back.” He tilted his head mockingly. “I’d say… I’ll use about 2% of my power.”
Kumuna blinked. “2%?!”
Orwin snorted. “What? You thought I was gonna go all out and turn you into paste? Nah, kid, that’d be counterproductive.”
Kumuna sighed, shaking out his hands as he got into his stance. Wolf Stance. Stay light, fast, and unpredictable.
Orwin nodded in approval. “Good. Now, come at me.”
Kumuna lunged forward, aiming for an opening. His newly learned stance made him faster, more flexible, allowing him to weave in and out quickly. He slashed forward with a swift palm strike, but—
Smack.
Orwin barely moved. He simply batted Kumuna’s attack aside with the back of his hand.
Kumuna gritted his teeth and adjusted. He pivoted, switching angles—jab, duck, spin-kick.
Smack. Smack. Smack.
Every attempt was effortlessly deflected.
It was infuriating.
Orwin wasn’t even fighting back—he was only blocking, letting Kumuna exhaust himself.
Kumuna stumbled slightly.
“Again,” Orwin said simply.
Kumuna narrowed his eyes and tried again—a feint, then a right hook.
Smack.
“Again.”
Kumuna’s frustration boiled over.
He tried again.
Smack.
And again.
Smack.
Every single time, his attacks were brushed aside like nothing.
His heart pounded in his chest, his breath ragged.
Orwin’s golden eyes studied him carefully.
“Again,” he said, voice calm.
Something snapped in Kumuna’s mind.
His frustration finally exploded.
“Enough of this shit!” Kumuna shouted as he rushed forward, abandoning technique, swinging wildly in a reckless flurry of punches.
And then—
Orwin moved.
Faster than Kumuna could track.
A sharp, open-palm strike slammed into Kumuna’s chest, knocking the air from his lungs.
Kumuna gasped, stumbling back before collapsing onto the ground, coughing and clutching his ribs.
He lay there, staring up at the sky, his body aching, his frustration still burning inside him.
Above him, Orwin loomed, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Silence hung between them.
Then—
Orwin sighed. “You let your anger get the better of you.”
Kumuna winced, his pride taking more damage than his body.
Orwin crouched beside him. “Listen, kid. You’re strong. You’re quick-witted. Hell, you know how to get under someone’s skin. But the moment you get frustrated? You fold.”
Kumuna looked away, biting the inside of his cheek.
Orwin continued, voice steady but firm. “I get it. It’s frustrating as hell, being blocked over and over. But that’s the point. In battle, emotions can get you killed. Anger makes you sloppy. Fear makes you freeze. Hesitation? That’s just another way to die.”
Kumuna slowly sat up, still catching his breath.
“I need you to be a warrior of both mind and body,” Orwin said. “You got potential, but you have to learn control.”
Kumuna stayed silent for a moment, then took a deep breath in… and out.
A sense of calm washed over him.
He stood back up, wiping the sweat from his brow.
He met Orwin’s gaze and got back into his stance.
“Alright,” Kumuna said, voice steady. “Let’s go again.”
Orwin grinned.
“Good.”
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