Morning light spilled into the dojo, soft yet merciless on Kaizen's tired body. His fight the previous night had left him sore in every joint, but Bang gave no reprieve. The old master stood before the gathered disciples, arms crossed, eyes sharp as blades.
"Strength tested in the dojo is only half-formed," Bang declared. "Real discipline reveals itself in chaos when the world doesn't wait for you to find your balance. Today, you will learn this truth."
The disciples straightened, their eagerness palpable. Among them, Renji's smirk widened when Bang's gaze fell on Kaizen.
"You," Bang said, pointing. "And you, Renji. You will accompany the others to the southern district. Reports say thugs are terrorizing shopkeepers there. Small threat, but an opportunity to temper your fists."
Renji's smirk turned into something sharper. "Understood, Master." He glanced sideways at Kaizen, his voice low. "Try not to embarrass the dojo."
Kaizen met his stare, silent, but the spark of rivalry burned between them like oil meeting fire.
The group set out mid-morning, their white training uniforms replaced with simple travel clothes. Kaizen walked at the rear, his senses tuned to every street noise. The city hummed with life vendors calling out, carts rolling over cobblestones, children darting through alleys. Yet beneath the everyday bustle, Kaizen felt something simmering.
The southern district was poorer, its streets narrower, buildings older. Shopkeepers glanced nervously at every corner, and conversations hushed when the disciples passed.
"They're afraid," Kaizen thought, his jaw tightening. "This isn't just rumor."
Renji, walking ahead, seemed unconcerned. He spun a staff lazily in one hand, more eager for spectacle than duty.
They found trouble quickly.
At the marketplace, a group of six thugs stood in front of a small bakery, one of them kicking over baskets of bread while the owner begged. "Please! I paid last week!"
The largest thug shoved the man aside. "And this week, too. Unless you want your shop burned down."
Renji cracked his knuckles, eyes gleaming. "Perfect. Let's show them the power of Bang's disciples."
He rushed forward before anyone could speak. His staff swept wide, cracking into one thug's ribs. The man fell with a grunt, but chaos erupted instantly the others drew knives and pipes, charging at Renji.
Kaizen's muscles tensed. Renji was skilled, yes, but reckless. And in a crowded marketplace, every swing risked hurting the innocent.
Kaizen darted forward. A knife slashed toward Renji's back Kaizen intercepted, his arm redirecting the blade harmlessly past. His counter elbow struck the thug's chest, sending him stumbling.
Renji glanced back, annoyed. "I didn't need your help!"
Kaizen ignored him. Another thug charged with a pipe, swinging wildly. Kaizen sidestepped, guiding the strike into the ground, then swept the man's legs. The thug collapsed with a yelp.
Meanwhile, Renji fought aggressively, every strike brutal, efficient, and loud. His staff cracked bones, sent opponents sprawling but his eyes shone with pride rather than focus.
The crowd gasped and scattered, some nearly caught in the chaos. Kaizen gritted his teeth. He doesn't care if someone gets hurt. He just wants to win.
The fight escalated when the gang leader emerged from the bakery, dragging the trembling shopkeeper by his collar. Unlike the others, he was larger, older, and carried a spiked club.
"You little dojo rats think you can interfere with my business?" the leader roared. He shoved the shopkeeper aside and swung the club with terrifying force.
Renji met him head-on, blocking with his staff. The impact rattled the wood, nearly breaking it. Renji grinned, pushing back.
"Finally, a real fight!"
Kaizen's instincts screamed. The leader wasn't like the others his strikes were calculated, brutal, honed by years of street violence. Renji's arrogance would get him crushed.
The club swung again, narrowly missing Renji's skull. Renji countered recklessly, his strike glancing off the man's shoulder. The thug barely flinched.
Kaizen lunged in, catching the next swing with both hands. The force sent pain shooting up his arms, but he redirected it downward, slamming the club into the ground instead of Renji's ribs.
The leader snarled, swinging his fist at Kaizen's face. Kaizen twisted, letting the punch pass, and slammed his palm into the man's jaw. The leader staggered, dazed.
Renji seized the opening, staff cracking against the man's temple. The leader dropped with a heavy thud.
The fight was over.
The marketplace erupted in cheers. Shopkeepers rushed forward, thanking the disciples, showering them with words of gratitude. Kaizen bowed politely, though his gaze lingered on the fallen men. Violence had silenced them but for how long?
Renji, however, basked in the praise. "Did you see that?" he told the others. "Master Bang will hear of this. We showed them what happens when you challenge the dojo."
Kaizen frowned. "This wasn't about pride. It was about protecting them."
Renji's grin faltered, replaced with irritation. "Don't lecture me. You slowed me down with your interference. If it weren't for you, I'd have finished them faster."
Kaizen's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. He had felt the weight of the leader's strikes, the precision behind them. If Kaizen hadn't intervened, Renji might not be standing.
But pride blinded him.
Back at the dojo, the report was given. Bang listened silently, his expression unreadable.
When they finished, his gaze shifted to Kaizen. "And what did you learn today?"
Kaizen answered quietly but firmly. "That skill without control endangers others. Strength is meaningless if it cannot protect."
Bang nodded once, then turned to Renji. "And you?"
Renji hesitated, then lifted his chin. "That hesitation only prolongs battle. A clean victory requires overwhelming power."
The dojo fell silent. Bang's eyes narrowed slightly, disappointment hidden in the lines of his face. "Both of you are wrong."
Kaizen and Renji blinked.
Bang continued, his voice like stone. "Protection requires both control and decisiveness. Mercy without clarity leads to ruin, but so does power without restraint. Remember this if you cling only to one half of the truth, you will fall."
The words weighed heavy in Kaizen's chest. Renji, however, only looked away, jaw clenched.
That night, Kaizen sat alone by the courtyard pond, moonlight rippling on the surface. His reflection stared back tired eyes, bruised knuckles, doubt shadowing his thoughts.
Renji's words echoed in his mind, sharp as blades. You slowed me down… hesitation prolongs battle…
Then Bang's voice, heavy with wisdom. Both of you are wrong.
Kaizen clenched his fists, water dripping from his fingers.
"Then what is right?" he whispered.
The answer did not come. Only the night wind, carrying the faint laughter of Garou somewhere in the distance mocking, hungry, waiting.