The days after Renshiro's defeat were uneasy. The dojo felt heavier, as though each training session carried the weight of an unseen storm. Students whispered not about me now, but about what would follow. No one truly believed the Iron Fist Dojo would let the matter rest.
Bang carried himself as though nothing had changed. He corrected stances, barked instructions, and guided us through kata with the same steady patience as always. But his eyes sharp and unblinking betrayed that he was waiting.
And the storm came sooner than expected.
It was a morning like any other when the sound of many footsteps echoed outside our gate. Heavy, purposeful, like drums of war.
The doors slammed open.
Renshiro stood at the front, his face twisted into a smirk. But he was not alone. A dozen figures followed him each clad in the same dark gi, their bodies thick with muscle, their eyes burning with the hunger of fighters eager to prove themselves.
At their center stood a man larger than any I had ever seen. His arms were thick as tree trunks, veins bulging, his shaved head gleaming in the sunlight. His presence sucked the air from the courtyard.
Kuzen. The master of the Iron Fist Dojo.
Bang stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back. He was calm, but his presence alone steadied the room.
"Kuzen," Bang said evenly. "It has been many years."
Kuzen's lips curled into something between a smile and a sneer. "Years wasted, Bang. You hide here, teaching children restraint, while the world outside demands strength. My students grow sharper, harder, unyielding. Yours… still soft."
His gaze swept over us, landing on me for the briefest second. He chuckled. "Especially this one."
My fists clenched, but I stayed silent.
Bang's voice did not rise, yet it cut like steel. "Strength without discipline is nothing more than violence. That has always been your flaw, Kuzen."
The giant's grin widened. "Then let us see. Dojo against dojo. My students against yours. And we will see which philosophy survives."
The courtyard erupted in murmurs. Bang raised a hand and silence fell. His gaze swept across us disciples who had trained under his guidance for years.
"Very well," Bang said. "But under my rules. No killing. No crippling. This is a test of spirit, not a massacre."
Kuzen snorted but agreed with a nod.
And so, the clash began.
The first match was chaos. Two of Kuzen's disciples stepped forward, fists wrapped tight, eyes blazing. They moved like beasts unleashed charging, striking, aiming not to test but to break.
Our students struggled. Their techniques, rooted in flow and precision, buckled under the sheer ferocity of the Iron Fist style. One by one, they were overwhelmed, thrown to the ground.
The crowd of rival disciples jeered, laughter echoing.
Garou watched, his eyes narrowing. He looked more thrilled than concerned, his lips curling into a sharp grin.
When the next challenger stepped forward, Garou didn't wait for Bang's signal.
He strode into the circle, cracking his neck. "My turn."
What followed was unlike anything the courtyard had seen.
Garou met the Iron Fist disciple head-on, blocking a strike with his forearm before slamming his elbow into the man's jaw. The crack echoed. The disciple staggered back, but Garou didn't stop. He pressed forward, every strike brutal, merciless.
Bang's voice boomed. "Garou! Control yourself!"
But Garou didn't listen. His blows grew faster, sharper, fueled not by training but by something darker. The disciple fell, unconscious, blood trickling from his lip.
Garou smirked, standing tall. "Weak."
The Iron Fist disciples roared in anger. Kuzen laughed, clapping his massive hands together. "At least one of your pupils understands true strength."
Bang's face hardened, lines of frustration deepening.
And then, Renshiro stepped forward again. His eyes locked onto mine.
"You. Survivor. Step up."
The courtyard froze. My heart pounded, but there was no escape. All eyes were on me.
I stepped into the circle, my feet heavy as stone.
Bang's voice reached me softly, just enough to hear. "Remember your breath, Kaizen. Flow. Do not meet force with force."
I nodded, exhaling slowly, steadying my body.
The fight began with a roar.
Renshiro charged, fists swinging like iron hammers. His strikes were heavier than before, fueled by rage and humiliation from our last encounter.
I moved. Redirected. My arms burned, my legs screamed, but I flowed. Each breath timed, each movement guided by Bang's teachings.
Yet Renshiro's pressure was relentless. His fists slammed into my guard, his knees drove toward my ribs. Every block rattled my bones. Every dodge was a fraction too slow.
"You can't win," he growled. "You're nothing compared to us!"
I gritted my teeth, sweat dripping into my eyes. His power was overwhelming but not unstoppable.
I exhaled sharply, stepping inside his guard. My palm struck his elbow, redirecting his punch. My other fist snapped upward, striking his chin.
For a moment, the storm broke.
Gasps erupted as Renshiro staggered. His eyes widened, fury igniting hotter than ever.
He roared, unleashing a flurry of wild strikes. I guided, redirected, moved like water. But then he feinted. His fist curved, catching me off-guard.
The blow slammed into my ribs. Pain exploded through my body. I collapsed to one knee, gasping for breath.
Renshiro raised his fist for the finishing strike.
And then Garou's voice cut through the chaos.
"Pathetic. You call that strength?"
Renshiro froze, turning just enough for me to see Garou's smirk.
"That's not strength," Garou said, stepping forward. "Strength is crushing your opponent until they can never rise again."
His eyes gleamed. "Kaizen, get up. Don't let him finish you. Or I will."
The words lit a fire in my chest. I forced air into my lungs, forced my body to move. My legs trembled, but I rose.
Renshiro snarled and charged again. But this time, my mind was clear.
Inhale. Exhale. Flow.
I sidestepped, redirecting his momentum. My fist struck his ribs sharp, precise. He gasped. Before he could recover, I twisted, striking his chest with an open palm. The impact sent him stumbling back, breath stolen from his lungs.
The courtyard erupted in shock.
Renshiro fell to one knee, clutching his chest.
Bang's voice boomed. "Enough!"
The fight ended.
Kuzen's laughter thundered through the courtyard. "Impressive. Perhaps not as soft as I thought. But this is far from over, Bang. The world belongs to those who take it, not those who flow around it."
He turned, his disciples following like shadows. Renshiro cast me one last glare before limping away.
When the courtyard fell silent, Bang's gaze swept across us. His eyes lingered on Garou, hard as stone, before softening slightly on me.
"You both walk dangerous paths," he said. "One chasing destruction, the other chasing discipline. The future will show which endures."
Garou smirked. "We'll see, old man."
I bowed, my chest aching, my breath ragged. But inside, something burned brighter than pain.
For the first time, I wasn't just surviving.
I was standing.