The sea was silent.
No gulls. No wind. Only the soft, steady rhythm of footsteps pressing against the water's surface. Each step echoed like a drumbeat across the night, drawing every gaze toward the lone figure walking closer.
Garou.
His silver hair shimmered in the lantern light, his movements relaxed, unhurried. Yet with every step, the pressure around the floating village grew heavier, as though the ocean itself recognized his presence and recoiled.
Kaizen's fists tightened until his knuckles ached. Sparks flickered along his arms, faint but insistent. The storm inside him strained against its chains, begging to be released.
Not yet, Kaizen told himself. If I let go now, I'll lose before it even begins.
Garou stopped just short of the pier, the water rippling beneath his feet. His grin stretched wide as he looked up at the three waiting figures: Bang, Renji, and Kaizen.
"Well, well," Garou said, his voice calm but sharp enough to cut through the silence. "The famous master, the loyal disciple… and the boy who dares to cage a storm."
Kaizen swallowed hard. His throat was dry, but he forced words out. "Why are you here?"
Garou tilted his head, amused. "Why else? I've heard whispers of you. A child who holds back power most men would drown in. A creature walking the line between discipline and disaster. Tell me, boy… are you hero, or monster?"
Kaizen clenched his jaw. "I'm neither. I'm just"
"A liar." Garou's grin widened. "I can smell it on you. That storm inside don't you feel how it claws at your skin? You think you've tamed it, but you're only delaying the inevitable. Sooner or later, it'll eat you alive."
The storm thrashed harder, as if agreeing with Garou's words. Kaizen gritted his teeth, forcing the chains tighter in his mind.
Bang stepped forward, his stance firm. "Enough. This boy is my student, Garou. If you've come to test him, then you'll face me first."
Garou's eyes flicked to his old master. For a moment, something unreadable passed over his face resentment, perhaps, or buried respect. But then his grin sharpened again.
"No. Not yet. I'm not here for you, old man. Not tonight." His gaze shifted back to Kaizen, piercing and unrelenting. "I came for him."
The pier creaked as Kaizen stepped forward. His body screamed at him to stop, every bruise and cut a reminder of his limits. But the fire in his chest burned brighter than the pain.
"You want me? Fine. But you'll get nothing unless you fight me straight."
Garou chuckled. "Straight? Boy, nothing in battle is straight. The world is crooked, unfair. Monsters don't follow rules, and neither do I." He raised a hand, curling it lazily into a claw. "But I'll humor you. Show me if your chains hold, or if they snap."
The first clash came in a blur.
Garou moved first, his body twisting into a sudden, fluid strike that cut the air like a blade. Kaizen barely had time to react. His arms rose instinctively, blocking the blow, but the force sent shockwaves through his bones. His feet slid back along the pier, wood splintering beneath him.
He's fast!
Before Kaizen could recover, Garou was already there again, his fist swinging low for Kaizen's ribs. Kaizen twisted, deflecting, sparks dancing across his skin as the storm tried to break free. He countered with a sharp elbow strike, aiming for Garou's jaw.
But Garou wasn't there. He flowed around the attack like water, his grin widening as his heel lashed out. Kaizen caught the kick with his forearm, pain jolting up his arm.
Garou's laughter rang out. "Good! You're faster than I expected. But you're still holding back."
Kaizen's breath came heavy. He lunged forward, fists flying in rapid succession strikes drawn from Bang's teachings, Renji's drills, his own countless hours of practice. Each punch carried intent, precision.
Garou blocked them all with casual grace. To him, Kaizen's effort was nothing but a dance.
"You fight like a man who doesn't trust himself," Garou mocked. "Tight. Restrained. Afraid. Do you think discipline alone will save you?"
Kaizen roared, shoving forward with a heavy strike that forced Garou a step back. "Discipline is all I have!"
For the first time, Garou's eyes narrowed. His grin faltered into something sharper. "Then let's see how long it lasts."
The battle raged across the pier. Planks shattered under their feet, lanterns swayed wildly as the village trembled with each impact. Villagers peeked through windows, clutching each other in fear as the sound of fists and wood echoed into the night.
Bang and Renji stood at the edge, ready to intervene, but neither moved. This was Kaizen's fight his trial.
Kaizen's chest heaved, his vision blurring from exhaustion. Every strike he landed was met with two more from Garou, each one faster, heavier, more relentless. Still, Kaizen held on. Still, he refused to unleash the storm.
Garou's grin returned, feral and wild. "Not bad, boy. Not bad at all. But you're making the same mistake every so-called hero makes believing control is strength. Let me show you the truth."
His hand shot out like a serpent, seizing Kaizen's wrist. With one brutal motion, he yanked the boy forward and slammed him into the pier. The wood cracked beneath Kaizen's back, air exploding from his lungs.
Pain flared through his body. His chains wavered. Sparks burst wildly along his arms, the storm screaming to be freed.
No! Kaizen fought to hold it back, but the pressure mounted with every heartbeat.
Garou leaned down, his eyes glowing in the lantern light. "I can see it. The monster inside. Stop lying to yourself. Let it out!"
Kaizen's vision blurred. His body trembled. The storm thundered against its cage, begging, demanding release.
But then
A voice cut through the chaos.
"Kaizen."
Bang's voice. Steady. Firm. Rooted like stone.
"You are not your storm. Remember your training. Remember your breath."
Kaizen's chest seized, then loosened. He drew in a ragged breath, forcing the sparks to dim. His chains tightened again, reforged with sheer will.
Garou's grin twisted into frustration. "Hah. Interesting. You're stronger than I thought. But make no mistake, boy. This is only the beginning."
He shoved Kaizen back and leapt lightly onto the water, retreating into the shadows. His voice carried across the waves, sharp as a blade.
"Next time, I won't hold back. And neither will you."
The sea swallowed his figure. Silence returned.
Kaizen lay on the shattered pier, chest heaving, the storm within him still thrashing violently but chained.
For now.