We return to the terrifying alley, where a hooded man stashes things in his jacket and points his knife at the redhead lying on the ground, rubbing her cheek. Emily continues trying to control her trauma. No matter how hard she tries to take a step forward by remembering how her master saved her, she feels powerless. Her legs won't stop trembling, her mind betrays her, making her feel worse and worse. Nausea overwhelms her due to the immense disgust she feels for herself. Just as she is about to leave, she feels a sharp pang in her chest, and her mind is filled with a single image, taking her back about three weeks.
-FLASHBACK-
Emily is on her knees in the middle of the forest, a few tears on her cheeks, as her savior walks away from the spot.
Emily: "Please, I don't want to suffer like yesterday again! I'm always weak, everyone takes advantage of me... but when that monster touched me, I felt I didn't have enough strength to even deserve to be alive. And if... if... if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here today!"
Warrior: He looks at her, sheathes his sword, and jumps onto a large rock. "If you want to be my apprentice, you must move this rock over there." He takes a branch, throws it, and it sticks into the ground about five meters away.
-END FLASHBACK-
That image manages to lessen the trembling in her legs. Her gaze changes as a small idea forms in her mind: "Maybe I'm not that strong or that brave, but I'm already on the path to change that, and this will be MY FIRST STEP!" She takes her scarf, covering her face up to her nose, and pulls up the hood of her sweatshirt.
The thief moves closer, ready to stab the girl, when he suddenly hears footsteps beside him. The moment he turns around, he is met by a trembling fist that, despite the shake, sends him flying out of the alley onto the street, causing him to drop everything he had stolen from his victim. Emily gathers everything from the ground and places it into Leslie's hands. Before the redhead can even open her mouth, Emily says, disguising her voice:
Emily: "Go on, get out of here. I'll handle this."
Leslie: "But you..."
Emily: "I said go!"
In an instant, the redhead obeyed the order, fleeing the scene and leaving the young woman alone with the criminal lying in the street. She just let out a deep sigh, placing her hand on her chest, thinking, "Phew, I feel like my heart is going to jump out. Even if I can't conquer my fear, I can ignore it for now." She falls to her knees, trying to calm down, when some noises make her turn towards where the delinquent had fallen. He was struggling to get up, and upon regaining some balance, he spits out blood along with four white objects.
Thief: "AAAAAHHH! MY TEETH! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY, YOU WRETCH!" Picking up the weapon from the ground, he charges at her.
Emily: "What do you mean, 'wretch'? What makes you think I'm not a woman?"
Thief: "You're a weirdo, you wretch! How can you be a woman? You have no curves!" he yells while running.
The girl, still fearful and now a bit humiliated that even a criminal says she doesn't look like a woman, ignores the fact that her opponent is mere millimeters away. The moment he attacks, she jumps back about two meters, surprising herself with her own capabilities. But in that split second she lost concentration, the criminal managed to cut her shoulder slightly, forcing her back. As she was about to receive another attack, she barely dodged it, starting to be invaded by doubt again. She thinks, "What do I do, what do I do? If I had already finished my test, I would have at least learned a couple of moves." Thinking about her test with the rock, she remembers what her master had told her days ago about needing to stop applying different levels of force. Seeing her new abilities, she gets an idea.
Emily jumps away from her opponent. When she touches the ground again, she jumps once more, but this time towards where the enemy is. Concentrating on delivering a good hit, she raises her leg, sending the thug crashing into a lamppost and knocking him unconscious. Before leaving, she calls the police to arrest the criminal. After that, she quickly returns home.
Another day in the normal, sweet city of Guarly. Emily is a bit worried about what will happen if her father sees the wound on her shoulder, when suddenly a very excited redhead snaps her out of her thoughts, showing her a paper she has in her hands.
Leslie: "Look! I got a seven! It's THE BEST GRADE OF MY LIFE!"
Emily: With a surprised face, "I'm glad, I suppose..."
Leslie: "You're the best teacher..."
The girl stops listening to what her joyful classmate is saying, noticing a bruise on her cheek. Swallowing hard, she pretends to pay attention while only feeling regret.
Later, in the forest, after a good while, the young woman has managed to reach the halfway point of her challenge.
Master: "Well, you're motivated today. Besides the fact that you finally understood the lesson."
Emily: Regretfully, "Yes... I realized it while thinking at home."
Master: "Yeah, uh-huh. I'm sure it has nothing to do with that lovely gash on your shoulder, right?"
Emily: Turning completely red, she decreases the force of her push, trying to change the subject. "No, of course not... But tell me, how did you realize I wasn't applying consistent force in my task?"
Master: Disinterestedly, "Whatever, don't tell me. Well, it was simple. When you made the rock shake, you were exerting a lot of force with your upper body, but you couldn't move it. And when you managed to move it, by not applying integrated force to the rock, you fainted from all the effort made by your lower body."
The girl simply nodded, continuing with her task. By dusk, being only a few centimeters away, her entire body begs her to stop. But resisting the idea of leaving this for tomorrow, the young woman, with one last movement, manages to complete the test.
Master: "Well, another one... Look, this is your last chance. If you decide you want me to train you, this will fill your life with problems. You will risk not only your own life but also the lives of your loved ones. From here, you are at the foot of the mountain."
Emily: She remembers the redhead's bruise, bites her lip, and bows. "Yes... I want you to train me."
Master: With a face of rage, looking at the sky. "Oh, great! Another one!"