The morning sun crept over the battered rooftops of Z-City, its pale light struggling to pierce the lingering haze of smoke. Repairs were underway, but the scars of the recent battle remained etched into the streets. Villagers worked in silence, casting quick, uncertain glances toward the dojo that sat at the edge of their floating district.
Inside, Bang stood in the training yard, his arms crossed, watching Kaizen stretch in preparation. The old master's gaze was sharp, colder than usual. Renji leaned against the wall nearby, his staff resting across his shoulders, eyes narrowed.
Kaizen felt their scrutiny like daggers. He'd hardly slept, his mind replaying Garou's words. Power like yours doesn't belong in chains. The thought clung to him, poisonous and enticing all at once.
"Today," Bang said at last, his voice cutting through the morning stillness, "you will spar with me."
Kaizen stiffened. He'd sparred with Bang before, but the old man rarely took things seriously. This time, the weight in his tone suggested otherwise.
"Yes, Master."
Renji smirked faintly, as though eager to see Kaizen falter.
Bang stepped into the center of the yard. "No holding back your techniques. Flow with intent. Strike as though your life depends on it."
Kaizen's pulse quickened. He bowed, then settled into stance, fists raised.
For a long breath, silence. Then Bang moved.
The master's strike was a blur, a palm aimed at Kaizen's chest. Kaizen barely twisted aside, the wind of the blow grazing him. He countered with a quick jab, but Bang redirected it with effortless precision, guiding it into emptiness.
"Again," Bang ordered.
Kaizen pressed forward, unleashing a flurry of punches, each sharper than the last. But Bang flowed around them like water, his every movement calm, controlled. Not once did he strike with full force, but his presence alone pressed Kaizen into desperation.
The storm stirred. Kaizen felt it crackle beneath his skin, begging to surge forth. His punches grew heavier, sharper, his eyes burning with faint light.
Bang's expression hardened. "You feel it, don't you? That pressure within."
Kaizen gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his brow. "Yes, Master."
"Then use it," Bang commanded. "But do not let it use you."
The words struck deep. Kaizen forced his breathing steady, trying to thread the storm into his strikes. For a moment, it worked his fists moved with unnatural speed, his power sharper, focused. Bang actually had to block, the clash echoing through the yard.
Renji's eyes widened slightly.
But then, the surge grew wilder. The edges of Kaizen's aura distorted, flickering with an energy that bent the air around him. His strikes lost rhythm, turning savage, desperate.
Bang's palm shot forward, striking Kaizen in the chest with controlled force. The boy staggered back, gasping, the storm flickering violently.
"Focus!" Bang barked. "You cannot simply unleash it you must direct it!"
Kaizen roared, charging again, fists blazing with unstable energy. The ground cracked under his steps. For a fleeting instant, Bang's eyes flickered not with fear, but with recognition.
This is no ordinary power.
He intercepted Kaizen's strike, twisting his arm and pinning him to the ground in one fluid motion. Kaizen thrashed, the storm flaring wildly, but Bang's hand pressed firmly against his back, anchoring him.
"Calm yourself, boy!"
Kaizen's breath came ragged, the storm screaming inside him. For a terrible second, he thought it would consume him completely. Then he remembered Garou's grin.
Why choke it down? Let it breathe.
The thought nearly broke him. But then, another voice cut through Bang's, steady as stone.
"You are stronger than this power. Prove it."
Kaizen's body trembled violently, but slowly, painfully, the storm receded. His breathing steadied. The distortion faded.
Bang released him, stepping back with measured calm. Kaizen collapsed onto his knees, fists shaking.
Renji's voice cut the silence. "You see, Master? He's a danger. He can't control it. Not truly."
Bang's gaze flicked to Renji, stern. "And yet he did. Even at the brink, he returned to himself. That is no small feat."
Renji scoffed, turning away. "For now."
Kaizen lowered his head, shame burning hotter than the storm.
Later, as the dojo quieted, Bang sat alone in his chamber. The spar replayed in his mind the surge of Kaizen's power, its wildness, its potential.
He poured tea with steady hands, though his thoughts were anything but calm.
This boy… this power… it is not human. Yet it is not entirely monstrous either. A storm that walks in flesh. If I cannot guide him… then he may become something even Garou cannot rival.
Bang's fist clenched around the cup.
"I cannot fail him," he whispered.
Outside, Kaizen sat on the dojo steps, staring at the darkening sky. The storm inside him felt quieter now, though far from gone. He replayed Bang's words again and again. You are stronger than this power. Prove it.
But Garou's voice slithered through the cracks. Why choke it down?
Kaizen buried his face in his hands, torn between two worlds discipline and chaos, control and freedom.
He didn't notice the shadow watching from the rooftops.
Garou crouched above, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Interesting," he murmured. "Bang still thinks he can tame the storm. But storms don't bow to masters. They consume them."
His grin widened. "Soon, boy. Soon, you'll see which voice is right."
The night wind howled, carrying Garou's laughter across the rooftops.