After William finished stretching, annoyed that Jada found Arthur attractive, he asked him, "Why aren't you warming up?"
"My body's always kept warm, boy. To adrenalize it requires a certain level of engagement."
"If that's your way of saying I need to go all out," William said, getting pumped, "then I'll give you everything I've got!"
"Good," Arthur said, stepping forward. "This part will be centered around understanding your own body and how to use it effectively in combat. Jada… you might be strong in many ways, but the truth is that you have limitations in your physical strength. It's affecting your chakra and, consequently, your overall performance."
Jada's eyes widened as she took in this revelation. She wanted to ask how he knew that despite never having seen her fight, but her admiration of him kept her silent and made her undoubtful.
With one smooth motion, Arthur lifted his arms and entered a defensive stance. "Don't hold back, boy…"
William's heart pounded in his chest. "Oh, you're so going down!" Then he charged, swinging a punch. But the moment his fist connected, Arthur flowed his attack to the side. "What the—?!"
Then, bang!
He was uppercut in the chin, sending him flying upward as his body arched through the air.
Jada's eyes widened in disbelief. She had witnessed the two fight before, but the power Arthur wielded at that moment seemed much stronger than the last time she had seen him.
How was this possible?
Little did either of them know, Arthur, regardless of what he was doing, never stopped training!
William landed hard on his back, but without hesitation, he instinctively flipped to his feet.
"I was just testin' ya!" he nervously laughed.
'So his overall resilience hadn't changed one bit…'
As he lunged at Arthur again, Arthur simply kicked at William's knee, forcing him to stumble backward.
This forced William to comically grab at his knee. "Owe!" he exclaimed, bouncing up on one leg. "Just what the heck are ya made out of anyway?!"
Truth be told, if Arthur was like iron before, he was like steel now.
"In any fight," he explained, "a good strategy is to throw your opponent off balance… especially if they're trying to gain momentum."
William grinned, brushing off the moment. "Alright, listen! I'm gonna take you seriously now!" He then straightened up, shaking off the earlier mishap. "No more playing around!"
Charging once more, his punch missed as Arthur suddenly appeared right behind him.
Snap!
Arthur gripped a hand around his neck, holding him in place.
"Take note, Jada; I will heal him afterward." She bobbed her head up and down rapidly. "The body is fragile, and understanding how it works is crucial in a fight."
"Wait—what are you—" William began, but Arthur interrupted him.
"For instance, when fractured, the area that causes the most pain is right here."
Bang!
A fist was dug into a precise spot behind William's shoulder blade. "Ahh!" He then doubled over, trying to catch his breath as tears formed in his eyes. "That actually—"
"The game is called anatomy. Every fighter you encounter will have some understanding of this, but what I'm teaching is different than their knowledge."
Jada was actually scribbling notes down.
Without waiting for William to fully recover, Arthur targeted another point.
Bang!
His fist collided with William's abdomen, enough to knock the wind out of him.
"This," Arthur began, "is the solar plexus. A strike here disrupts your breathing and can incapacitate an opponent temporarily."
William clutched his torso, stumbling backward.
Jada was the least bit concerned. She just kept writing, dying to take notes on everything she was witnessing. And as entertaining as it might have looked, she came to understand that Arthur's knowledge rivaled that of medical professionals.
"Next, you have the liver."
Bang!
Another precise blow to William's side was delivered, prompting an involuntary grunt from him.
"An attack there can overload the body's ability to deal with things such as poison." Arthur then lifted William up by his hair. "So in a prolonged fight, it can lead to a knockout."
"Okay, okay!" William wheezed out. "You don't have to keep hitting me to prove your point!"
"We're not finished." Bang! "The kidneys are crucial as well."
That hit made William cry out in disbelief.
"It filters the blood, manages waste, and balances fluids. A punch there can cause severe pain, crippling your ability to function normally." William rolled on the floor. More comedic than hurt. "It could even injure an opponent to the point of muscle failure."
"This is so fascinating!" Jada noted.
"Even more crucial," Arthur continued, "is the area around your neck." He gently rotated William to face him. "This area here's incredibly sensitive." Bang! "A simple strike disrupts not only breathing but also the signals sent to the brain."
William's hands flew to his neck, clearly bewildered.
"O-kay!" he attempted to say. It took him a moment to fully form a complete sentence. "I… can see… where this is going…!"
Arthur stepped back a little to contemplate the next area to address.
"The temples and jaw can also be glaring weaknesses," he noted, glancing over at Jada, "but for now, let's focus on recovery techniques."
Once again, Arthur turned to William, who raised his guard, only to be shocked that he wasn't hit.
"To assist in that recovery," Arthur continued, "pain should be used as a reminder to boost your own defenses."
"Oh, I get it," William managed to say, lowering his guard. "But that still hurt, ya crazy idiot!"
"That's the point of sparring," Arthur calmly replied, "to push beyond your limits." Then he turned to Jada. "For you, observing William's reactions is just as important as understanding what I've been teaching… Note how he adapts, how he stands after taking a hit, and what adjustments he makes afterward."
Jada again scribbled down a torrent of notes.
"Wait!" William suddenly said. "How does beating me to—" Before William could react, Arthur delivered a sharp jab to his ribs. "Ahh!" he staggered before finally doubling over. "That really hurts!"
"As well as it should," Arthur said. "A direct strike there can disrupt one's ability to breathe right. Yet here you are, still able to talk. Consider yourself fortunate for being so tough."
"Okay!" William said, trying to get back up. "Let's move on already!"
But Arthur wasn't finished.
"Next is the celiac plexus." He moved in close again. "If the first strike fails, one here will surely take their breath away."
"W-wait, give me a—"
Bang!
Again, he struck, driving his fist into the flesh beneath William's ribs.
The sensation was excruciating as William felt the very air inside him escape entirely. Then he fell to his knees, clutching his sides.
Jada was simply processing all of the information, intrigued by how martial arts could really destroy the interconnected workings of the body.
"Next," Arthur said, "the jaw, like I promised…" Before William could brace himself, Arthur executed a quick, precise jab that caught William right on the side of his jaw, sending shockwaves of pain through his head. "It houses the nerves that influence the muscles used during speaking. One good strike there can disorient anyone in a fight."
The world around William had slightly blurred as he tried to maintain his composure. "You're… killing me!"
"You're not dead yet…"
"Yet?!"
"Next is the temple." Arthur struck just above William's ear, causing his head to rattle and vision to swim. "Hitting there can make someone fall unconscious."
Surprisingly, William kept standing. "I think I'm gonna black out!"
Arthur inclined his head slightly. "The body gives us feedback, Jada. Pay attention to it, and you can learn when it's better to attack or retreat." As William writhed on the ground, trying to recollect his thoughts, Arthur moved in once more, this time aiming for the sternum. "Next is the spot that houses the heart and lungs."
Bang!
A firm blow was delivered right into the center of William's chest.
"A strike there can be fatal with enough added force…"
William gasped again, clutching his chest as he fought to get air back into his lungs. On his knees, he looked up at Arthur, bewildered and exhausted.
"I get it!" he cried out, finally at his mercy. "She's learned enough! Just please, stop!"
With a sense of definitiveness, Arthur stepped back to conclude the lesson.