Xu Wenwu's gaze swept slowly across the assembled warriors.
Will win the one who knows when to fight and when not to fight. He thought observing the hesitation in their eyes.
His scrutiny was intense, passing over each of them until his gaze settled on Erik as if expecting something.
Just as Xu Wenwu was on the verge of disappointment, the boy stepped forward bowing slightly in respect. "I am willing to fight" He declared, his voice steady and calm.
He wasn't trying to impress Xu Wenwu. In truth, he couldn't care less about earning the man's favor.
The reason why he accepted the challenge was that he noticed that Li and Midnight were about to volunteer.
Without hesitation, Erik stepped up first, hoping to protect them from making a fatal mistake.
Those two are really stupid.. He thought sighing inwardly.
While both Midnight and Li were prodigies in hand-to-hand combat with futures that promised to place them among the top martial artists in the world.
They were still just kids.. Talented, but JUST KIDS.
Gao Lei's age and experience gave him a significant advantage, at least for now. And Erik wasn't about to let two of his future possible assets die needlessly in a fight they weren't ready for.
As he moved to one side of the courtyard, hands in his pockets. Erik's mind churned with conflicting thoughts.
"Sacrificing someone for the greater good." He whispered, glancing up at the sky. "Is that really the right thing to do?"
The battlefield of his previous life had taught him that death, though never desirable was sometimes necessary.
But the weight of that necessity still pressed on him, making him question whether it was truly the right path.
With a light sigh, he stood on the opposite side and prepared himself for what was to come.
It's too late now to turn back anyway. There's no point in dwelling on it. What's done is done. Besides, does it even matter when he's lookin' at me with such murderous intent? He thought, meeting Gao Lei eyes, which were filled with a deadly resolve.
Erik's mind flashed back to a distant memory, something his 'father' N'Jobu, had once told the previous owner of his body: "Son, he who raises a weapon against another must be ready to lose his own life."
Fixing his gaze on Gao Lei, Erik's thoughts hardened. Wanna kill me? I hope you're prepared to die too.
On the other side of the courtyard, the young man was ecstatic.
When he had stepped forward, he hadn't expected anyone else to be reckless enough to accept the challenge and fight him to the death.
So, when Erik advanced, he was genuinely surprised.
Gao Lei was one of the few here who had already taken a life.
Usually, it depended on one's skill. But generally, after four or five years of training one reached a level sufficient to undertake their first mission. An initiation marked by a first kill.
He had been fifteen when that moment came and since then, he had participated in several more missions, steadily increasing his kill count.
Killing wasn't new to him.
As he watched the boy approach, hands casually in his pockets as if he were already certain of his victory, a surge of anger coursed through him.
Is this kid an idiot or just plain ignorant? He wondered. He acknowledged Erik's talent.. There was no doubt the boy was gifted. But he was only eleven years old.
A mere child. Gao Lei shook his head, slightly annoyed.
But now that we're here, I can't afford to go easy on him, he thought. If killing him is the price I have to pay to make a better impression, then so be it!
I'll do it as quickly as possible.
He could tell that Wenwu held Erik in high regard and that only fueled his determination.
I'm going to make him change his mind, Gao Lei whispered fixing Erik with a glare full of murderous intent.
"Begin" Xu Wenwu commanded, his voice cold and emotionless.
The word hung in the air, heavy with finality.
The two stood a few paces apart, the tension between them palpable.
The other members of the Ten Rings watched in silence, their breaths held in anticipation.
Erik's heart beat calm as he kept his eyes locked on his adversary, who was already shifting into a fighting stance.
Gao Lei, on the other hand was already formulating his strategy. He planned to overwhelm Erik quickly using his experience and size advantage to crush the younger boy before he could even mount a defense.
But Erik, with his hands still in his pockets made no move to adopt a stance or prepare himself in any visible way.
He simply stared at Gao Lei, his expression unreadable as if waiting for something.
The calm before the storm..
Lei, frustrated by the boy's nonchalance, decided to close the distance with a sudden burst of speed.
He charged first, a fierce cry escaping his lips as he launched himself at him.
His fist shot forward, aiming for the boy's head, but Erik's Spider-Sense tingled giving him ample warning.
With a fluid motion, he bent backward, letting Gao Lei's punch pass harmlessly over him, almost like he was moving in slow motion.
As Gao Lei momentum carried him forward, Erik twisted his body bringing his leg up in a swift, acrobatic kick aimed at Gao Lei side.
The kick connected, but Erik held back his true strength, making it seem like a regular hit.
Still, the impact sent Gao Lei stumbling to the side, the wind knocked out of him momentarily.
The young man quickly regained his balance, his eyes narrowing in frustration.
He surged forward again, anger written across his face. His arms became a blur, hands snapping out in a flurry of rapid kung fu strikes—straight punches, hooks, palm strikes, each aimed with practiced precision at Erik's chest, ribs, and head.
Erik slid his hands free of his pockets, his body loose, his expression calm. He moved with a deliberate ease, swaying just enough to let most of the strikes whip past him.
A fist sliced the air an inch from his jaw, another grazed his shoulder.
Now and then, he let a body shot connect—dull thuds landing against his ribs, his stomach, his chest.
The impacts didn't really do anything but he played along for the show. He absorbed them, letting Gao Lei believe the strikes were landing effectively.
Minutes ticked by in the storm of motion. Gao Lei's breath grew sharper, heavier, his attacks more frantic. Erik, by contrast, taking advantage of his smaller size, flowed like water-Dodging, weaving, giving ground when he chose, stepping back in when it suited him. His movements carried an almost lazy grace, as if none of this demanded real effort from him.
The young man growled in frustration, switching tactics.
He attempted to grapple Erik, using his superior wrestling skills to gain control. He lunged, trying to grab his arm and pull him into a hold but the boy was too evasive.
He twisted out of Gao Lei grip with ease, flipping backward and landing lightly on his feet. He smirked, his nonchalant attitude only infuriating Gao Lei further. "C'mon, that all you got? Your ass is way too damn slow." Erik taunted deliberately, his voice dripping with confidence.
He was conscious of the age gap between himself and Gao Lei. Even if his body looked older and bigger than it actually was, likely thanks to his spider-enhanced physiology forcing him toward peak condition and beyond as he grew..
He couldn't afford to crush Gao Lei in a one-sided battle. That would raise questions he wasn't ready to answer.
So he used another tactic.
He knew Gao Lei was already angry, arrogant and eaten up with envy. It didn't take much to push him further.
And he also knew that anger could cloud judgment. Rage made movements sharper but also sloppier, easier to read, easier to counter.
Lei snarled angry and rushed forward again, this time throwing a low kick his shin cracking against Erik's calf.
The boy let it land, his leg absorbing the sting with a fake flinch' for the observers.
Lei then pressed forward, trying to capitalize, his elbow whipping up toward Erik's head in a brutal strike meant to end the exchange fast.
That was when Erik stepped in. Instead of retreating, he surged forward, inside the strike.
His lead foot cut across the line of attack, his shoulder slipping past the elbow just as it sailed by. One hand clamped down on his opponent arm, the other pressing firmly against his neck and jaw.
With a sudden pivot of his hips, Erik redirected all of Gao Lei's momentum using his own strength against him.
Irimi-nage. The entering throw.
In an instant, the young man body was wrenched off its axis. His legs lifted, his torso spun, and Erik's force carried him upward and over in a vicious arc.
THUD!
He slammed into the ground flat on his back, the impact ringing through the hall. The air exploded from his lungs in a single ragged gasp, leaving him dazed, blinking up at the sky.
He then groaned, forcing himself up onto his knees, fury burning in his eyes. Before he could fully rise, Erik's body moved in a blur.
With a sharp inhale, he exploded upward, leaping clean into the air. His form twisted mid-flight, legs tucking as he somersaulted over Lei's head. For a split second, he was nothing but a shadow arcing above, before his feet hit the ground with a thud just behind him.
He stepped in, driving his elbow into Gao Lei ribs, using just enough force to make it hurt but not enough to give away his true strength.
The young man gasped in pain, clutching his side, but he wasn't done yet.
He spun around trying to get up, his arms lashing out in a desperate attempt to catch the boy off guard.
Erik, however easily ducked under his hands, sweeping Gao's legs out from under him with a swift, low kick.
He watched him with a bored expression, almost as if he was disappointed.
Gao Lei, panting heavily, glared at him with pure hatred. He couldn't believe he was being totally outmatched. His pride couldn't accept that fact or even allow him back down. "I am finishing this!" He growled, his voice laced with pain and defiance.
Erik's eyes hardened. He stepped forward, his movements suddenly becoming more deliberate.
Gao threw one last desperate overhand punch, but Erik saw his telegraphed arm coming from miles away. With a fluid motion, he reached forward and clamped a hand around his opponent's hip, the other seizing his arm.
With a fluid pivot, he turned his back to him, dropping his center of gravity low. His hips slammed into his opponent waist like a wall and with a sharp pull on the arm and a powerful lift of his hip, Erik hoisted the older boy clean off the ground.
O-goshi. The major hip throw. A pretty simple Judo technique.
Lei's body arced through the air before crashing flat onto the ground with a bone-jarring thud. The impact rattled the place, air leaving his lungs again in a strangled wheeze.
Before he could even think of scrambling up, Erik followed through, sliding behind him in one smooth motion. His arm snaked around his neck, locking in tight from behind. His grip was iron, pressing against the sides of the throat—not enough to crush, but enough to keep him from rising.
He leaned in, cold and unflinching, his forearm holding Gao Lei down like a vise.
"It's Over." Erik said quietly, his voice devoid of any visible emotion.
Gao Lei struggled, but Erik's grip was unyielding.
Xu Wenwu's voice cut through the training hall like a blade of ice.
"Kill him."
The command was delivered without flourish, cold and absolute.
Erik's grip tightened around the young man's throat. For a heartbeat, he didn't move—his gaze flicked up toward Wenwu, reading the faint crease in the warlord's brow, before dropping back to the boy squirming beneath him.
Why am I hesitating? The thought gnawed at him. He knew Gao Lei wasn't clean. No one in the Ten Rings was. He had blood on his hands—but was it the blood of innocent people ? He didn't know for sure.
Today, he had tried to kill him outright. That alone should be reason enough.
I should feel nothin'. No pity. No hesitation. Just cold resolve.
And yet, there it was—the pause. The flicker of doubt. Something inside him resisted, clawing against the instinct to snap the neck in his hands.
He narrowed his eyes, his arm still locked tight around his throat. What's wrong with me? He's tried to end me. He wouldn't hesitate if our positions were reversed. So why the hell do I?
The hesitation lingered, silent but heavy, as if the room itself could hear it.
Xu Wenwu's lips parted, ready to speak again, when Erik exhaled heavily through his nose. A low sigh, the sound of a decision made.
In one swift, precise motion, he wrenched Lei's head sharply to the side.
CRACK.
The sound echoed through the training hall, final and merciless. The body went limp in his arms, the fight extinguished in an instant.
He then released him, letting the corpse slump to the ground, his expression unreadable as silence settled thick over the room.
Xu Wenwu nodded approvingly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied him.
The other members of the Ten Rings watched in stunned silence, realizing that they had just witnessed something far beyond their expectation.
The master took a few steps forward, his eyes cold and calculating.
Erik stood still, Gao Lei's lifeless body in front of him, the reality of the situation slowly sinking in.
"What is the lesson?" Xu Wenwu asked, his voice sharp as he advanced stopping just beside Erik.
He gestured toward Gao Lei body with a sweeping motion of his hand. "Look at your brother!" He commanded, as if daring Erik to confront the brutal truth lying on the ground.
Erik turned his gaze to the body, his mind swirling with thoughts, his eyes momentarily lost in the depths of his own reflections.
The silence was deafening, but Xu Wenwu's voice cut through it like a blade.
"Life is combat… You know this truth!" Xu Wenwu continued, his voice rising slightly as he began to circle around Erik, his eyes never leaving the boy.
"Abandoned by your parents… Without a home. Without people to care for you! You should've died." He said, a bitter edge creeping into his tone as he circled, something unreadable flickering in his gaze.
"But instead, you fought." Xu Wenwu emphasized, pausing for a moment as if to let the words sink in.
"As you did here today, you fought… And you won!" His voice carried an eerie satisfaction as he completed his circle around Erik, standing before him once more.
"In combat, you face your enemy." Xu Wenwu declared, his voice taking on a commanding tone. "Without doubt, without pity or remorse! To survive, you must learn to fear nothing at all."
His final words echoed in the courtyard, resonating with a cold, unforgiving truth.
Erik stood there for a moment, his expression unreadable before turning to face Xu Wenwu. He gave a slight bow, his face calm and collected, as if he hadn't just taken a life.
The Boy put his hands back in his pockets, walked away from the lifeless body of Gao Lei without looking back.
He knew what he had just done, but he also knew it was necessary. There was no room for weakness in this world and Erik had just proven that he was anything but weak.