Chikara Dojo:
I wonder how she will react to the very visible change in my physique. Oh well, that's why I have been wearing extremely loose clothes today, so as not to trip people up. However, my intuition says it will not work on her.
I entered the dojo. By now, most of the students were used to my presence; hell, someone even nodded in my direction.
"Hey, Kevin," Becca greeted me with a small smile. "You didn't come yesterday?"
"Yeah, been busy," I answered with a lazy smile.
Becca nodded with a smile and went back to practicing her katas.
Don't give me such a smile, girl. I might flinch when I put a bullet in your head when you finally reveal yourself to be a Hand agent.
I laughed internally at that thought.
Alas, a few vowed never to change. I flicked my middle finger at the glaring Darryl and Brian.
"Evening, Sensei," I greeted with a smirk, waving my hand slightly.
Colleen gave me a disinterested look. But the moment she looked at me, her eyes trembled for a split second, but she quickly controlled her expression.
Yep, she saw through the loose clothes.
"Continue with the regular regime," Colleen said dismissively, without sparing me another glance.
I nodded and started with the horse stance.
I knew the real fun would begin once the other students left, leaving just the two of us.
Colleen behaved as if everything was normal, training me just like every day. Hitting me with the stick once she thought I wasn't doing the stance properly. However, we didn't spar during this time.
Soon, it was finally time for the students to leave.
Now, just with the two of us, we stood in front of each other.
"Are you finally ready to spar with me, woman?" I taunted. "Or are you intimidated by my gains? Having second thoughts? That, maybe, I might really defeat you?"
Colleen just looked at me with an expressionless face, then she smiled. She actually fucking smiled.
"You are an enigma, Kevin Kolt," Colleen said. Her smile actually showed faint excitement.
"Feeling cold feet, woman?" I taunted further.
"Cold feet?" Colleen laughed, louder. Her bell-like laughter felt soothing to the ears. "No, rather, I feel excited. I don't know, and I don't care, how you did that. In the last hour, I had already confirmed that your changes are all natural."
"Oh, so it was that, huh?" I said, understanding that was the reason she occasionally touched me. I had a faint inkling that she was likely checking my pulse or whatever. "And here I thought that you were seducing me."
"Arrogant to the core," Colleen laughed. She went to the weapons rack, picked up a bokken. "But now it looks like it wasn't all empty talk, and you do have some confidence behind your arrogant actions."
She came back and stood in front of me. "That means, there is a chance you might really be capable of challenging me."
Colleen leveled her sword at me, her expression hardening into unbreakable resolve. "I, Colleen Wing of the Ozawa School, inheritor of the Heavenly Decapitator Style, formally accept your challenge."
She spoke as if swearing a blood oath to the heavens themselves. "If you win, my heart, body, mind, and soul are yours. My blade will strike down whomever you command."
"But if I win, your head is mine."
Behind Colleen, I could see a faint silhouette. I could only see it for a moment when she took that oath. It looked faintly like a person, but I wasn't sure because I could only see it for a split second. I wasn't even sure if I had actually seen anything.
Colleen's eyes blazed with unyielding pride. "I am a samurai—my word is my life."
"Now, Kevin Kolt, do you still dare to face me?"
I started laughing first weakly, then louder, and then loudly like a madman. "Finally, you are serious, woman."
Then, I stopped immediately, and my laughter ended abruptly. My face turned solemn to match Colleen's.
"I dare."
Colleen once again smiled. "Good. That means we are now increasing training intensity severalfold. I will not have you challenge me unless you are actually capable of challenging me."
Colleen put the bokken back and came back in front of me.
"Show me how much you have improved."
We stood facing each other.
Colleen made the first move—a sharp jab at my right jaw. I tilted my head, and the fist passed by my face.
She immediately followed the attack with an uppercut targeting underneath my chin. I used my palm to push the fist away. The fist grazed against my cheek as it went up.
The next attack was faster; the moment my focus was on her fist on my cheek, she kicked my shin. I kicked away her leg before it connected.
I was proud of dodging three of her attacks for the first time, but it seemed she smelled my complacency. She punched me directly in the solar plexus. I crossed my arms at the last moment, and the punch hit my arm. A pang of pain shot up through it.
She actually fucking smirked and punched again. This time, the punch was aimed at my face. My arms were in pain, and I didn't have enough time to block or dodge. I bent backwards. It felt as if time had slowed down as the fist moved forward above me.
I smirked, feeling proud of dodging five attacks.
F3 Perception and Novice-level Danger Sense worked in tandem and helped me with the spar.
Unfortunately, my happiness was short-lived; before I could come back, I felt a sharp pain in my leg and fell. Colleen had hit me with a leg sweep.
"Your improvement is impressive," Colleen praised with a smile. "It's surreal that someone can improve so much in so few days."
Then her face turned displeased. "But you are still making basic mistakes. How many times do I have to tell you? Don't just stop after a dodge or block, but counterattack."
"Fine, fine," I shook my head. "I let the success get to my head and forgot about that. I will not do it again."
Colleen made a face, as if to say, "But I am sure you will do it again."
I rolled my eyes seeing that and got up.
"As for the sudden change," I said off-handedly. "It can't be repeated quickly. You may only see such a sudden change again after three months."
The multiverse travel feature comes only once every three months. So, I can only go on my second trip to another world after three months.
Colleen looked both confused and as if she understood something. Then she just nodded and moved on.
We started sparring again. This time, I punched first, which she effortlessly dodged. She counterattacked immediately.
The spar continued for two hours. My time was over long ago, but both of us were too engrossed in the spar that we didn't feel the passing of time. Of course, most of that was just me getting beaten up by her.
We might have continued for even longer, but some uninvited guests made us realise how much time had passed.
A rhythmic thump of footsteps interrupted our spar.
More than twenty men filed into the dojo. All of them looked East Asian. All of them wore identical two-piece black suits, white shirts, black neckties, and black shoes. Only the man in the lead wore a three-piece black suit with a bow tie. Only one man wore a suit of a different colour. He walked a step behind the leader and wore a three-piece gray suit, with a similar coloured necktie, shoes, and round glasses.
"You are still teaching in this dump, Colleen?" The man in the lead asked. His eyes openly roamed Colleen's body.
"What are you doing here, Wei Long?" Colleen replied flatly, her eyes narrowing in restrained anger. "I told you I want nothing to do with your Axe Gang. Stay away from my dojo."
"How dare you speak to Brother Sum like that?" The gray-suited man interjected, his face twisting in rage. "To be favored by him is an honor others would kill for."
"Easy, Advisor Chan," Wei Long said casually, waving him off. "Colleen's just overwhelmed by the proposal. She doesn't know how to say yes yet."
Chan flashed an oily, servile smile. "Precisely as you say, Brother Sum. Forgive my outburst."
"Colleen, I appreciate your skill as a master," Wei Long continued, his voice silky yet edged with threat. He adjusted his bow tie with a flourish, eyes roaming the dojo like a wolf claiming turf. "But surely you see the opportunity. With our strengths united, we could rule Chinatown together."
"Rule Chinatown? Just you?" Colleen shot back, disdain curling her lip.
Chan's face flushed with fury again, but Wei Long cut him off with a raised hand.
"Yes, just us," Wei Long replied, his smile tight, a flicker of anger beneath it. "The moment we hit town, we crushed the Crocodile Gang—wiped out their leaders, seized their turf and rackets, and folded the survivors into our ranks."
"The Crocodiles were small fry," Colleen countered, unflinching. "Defeating them doesn't mean you can swim in Chinatown's deeper waters."
"Oh, I'm well aware," Wei Long said, his grin widening lazily. "That's precisely why I offered this alliance."
He stepped closer, his tone heating with fervor. "If a master martial artist like you joins me, together we'd dismantle every gang in Chinatown, one by one. Rule with an iron fist. And from there? The whole of New York." By the end, his eyes gleamed with manic intensity, fists clenched at his sides.
"Of course," Wei Long's tone shifted, his eyes calculating. "I know Masters have their pride. That's why I proposed the idea of marriage. You will be the co-ruler with me."
I stayed quietly at the side as the exchange progressed. Not because I was a well-mannered guy who didn't interrupt when adults talked.
No, I was quiet because I was too stunned to speak.
Axe Gang? What the fuck?
Was GTA not enough? Now there is Kung Fu Hustle, too.
Fuck Marvel.
I used the Observe skill on the men. All the grunts were either F2 or F3. Was that a fucking joke? There were even two fucking elites.
Name: Li Qiang
Codename: Poison Palm Li
Rank: E1
Name: Jun Kai
Codename: Stone Fist Jun
Rank: E1
Then the leader and his advisor.
Name: Sum Wei Long
Codename: Brother Sum
Rank: F2
Name: Chan Ming Fai
Codename: Advisor Chan
Rank: F1
The weakest was the slimy advisor, but if he had the position of the advisor to the leader, then brawn was useless anyway. His brain must be cunning enough to keep that role.
I had the feeling these weren't the only members of Axe Gang. Wei Long didn't bring the whole gang with him. But if that was the case, then as long as firearms weren't involved, just this gang was enough to replace one of the rulers of Newark easily, and might even pose a threat to the other two.
"Once you agree, you will not face many rules. You can even keep teaching in the dojo if you like teaching that much. I will even renovate your dojo," Wei Long said as if granting a huge favor.
"You will not even need to teach those poor peasants for little change," Wei Long said with disdain. His expression turned to arrogance, "Instead, you can train the gang members, and you can earn many times over what you might currently."
"Not interested," Colleen said, waving her hand dismissively. "You can leave."
"And don't you dare insult my students," Colleen continued with faint anger.
Anger appeared in the eyes of all the Age Gang members. Wei Long's subordinates took a step in front, but he raised a hand, and they stopped. But they continued glaring at Colleen.
Colleen looked at them with disinterest. She looked unworried, as if even if they all attacked together, she wouldn't flinch.
"Calm down, boys," Wei Long said with a playful smirk, his eyes glinting with mock amusement. "She's just shy—that's all. Don't girls love playing hard to get? Let her have her fun... for now."
"As for your students," Wei Long continued. "Why do you care so much for them? What use are they?"
Then he turned to me.
Oh, fuck. I groaned internally.
"Take this whelp beside you as an example," Wei Long said, eyeing me with a superior expression. "You protect him as if he matters."
His gaze sharpened.
"But he's dead weight. One of my weaker men could put him down in seconds."
I internally sighed tiredly.
Listening to their leader, the gang members laughed mockingly as they looked at me.
One of the F2 gang members stepped up. He said respectfully, "Let me show this whelp his place, Brother Sum."
Wei Long didn't reply; he looked back at Colleen. "What do you say, Colleen? Since we are in a dojo, how about a friendly spar between my subordinate and your student?"
"Don't worry, he won't cripple or kill your dear student," Wei Long added with a condescending laugh.
"Of course," Wei Long said with a smirk. "You are free to refuse, but that just means that your students are useless." He burst out laughing. His underlings laughed with him.
"Just him?" I said with disdain.
I had heard enough being treated as if I were an irrelevant mob character.
"Oh?" Wei Long's gaze changed, with a faint surprise on his face. "The whelp has a mouth."
His underling was already fuming at my insult.
I ignored Wei Long and focused on his minion instead. "Didn't you want to spar?" I said, cracking my knuckles. "Let's do it."
Wei Long's jaw tightened at the utter disrespect. The minion was raging but still had enough self-control to look at Wei Long and ask for his permission. Wei Long gave me a long stare, then nodded back at his underling.
The gangster gave me a venomous glare, and we walked towards each other and stopped at a distance. Colleen didn't even try to interrupt in the spar. She was confident in my skills to handle some no-name goon. Instead, she automatically took the role of referee and stood between us.
"Hajime." Colleen gave the signal, and the spar started.
"Brat," the gangster said, walking towards me menacingly. "Let me teach you why you should respect your betters."
I gave him a bored look and didn't even bother moving from my position. The moment he arrived, he punched my head, which I dodged easily. Then, without giving him any time, I counterattacked and punched his temple. Poor dude was out in a punch.
Wei Long and his goons looked at me with wide eyes. He looked at Colleen, who looked as if she had expected the outcome.
Wei Long's gaze hardened. He looked back and gestured towards one of the F3s. The guy nodded and walked towards me. The thug looked at me seriously as he took a stance.
I also took a stance this time. He was at the apprentice level of martial arts like me, but my stats were superior to his.
"Hajime."
Both of us took a step toward each other, sizing each other up. Slowly, we moved towards each other.
He started with a low kick, but I blocked it with my own. He winced from pain as he took a step back.
He didn't let up. He immediately followed with a jab, which I parried with my left hand, leaving an opening for me to use my right fist. I didn't waste the opportunity and aimed for his solar plexus. He inhaled sharply and staggered back, clutching his abdomen.
He coughed a few times, regaining his breath. He looked at me with renewed ferocity and charged, swinging a wild haymaker. I easily ducked underneath it and swept his legs out from under him. He hit the ground hard, the air knocked out of his lungs again.
He didn't stay down for long. Before I could finish him off, he rolled to the side and jumped back to his feet.
We rained a flurry of punches on each other. We blocked most of the others' punches, but a few landed. I was only hit by occasional punches, but he was hit by more.
The gangster looked tired. His body was covered with bruises. His lips busted.
I, on the other hand, wasn't affected much. A few hits with my constitution were easily manageable.
I used that opportunity and punched him in the stomach. He keeled after that. Clutching his stomach and groaning in pain.
The spar was over, and Wei Long's carefree mask was cracked.
"Li Qiang," Wei Long barked.
"Brother Sum," Li Qiang responded respectively.
Wei Long's eyes never left me.
"You're next."
Li Qiang walked towards me with a cruel smile. I noticed he was wearing black gloves on both his hands.
But this time Colleen intervened. She stood in front of me. "Aren't you ashamed, fighting a third-rate warrior as a second-rate warrior?"
"Don't worry, Master Colleen," Li Qiang said with a smirk, but unlike Sum Wei Long, he had a touch of respect in his tone, likely as a lower-level martial artist to a higher-level martial artist. "It is just a spar. As a senior, I am just going to give some pointers to a promising junior."
Colleen didn't buy into his nonsense. But just as she was about to refuse, I interjected, "I agree."
Colleen looked at me with a gaze asking, "Are you sure?"
"I wanna try," I said with a relaxed smile.
"See, Master Colleen," Li Qiang said. "Your student agrees."
Colleen gave me a last look and moved aside.
I looked at Li Qiang. I wasn't in any misconception. Just because we both were in the E1 grade didn't mean I had a 50-50 chance of winning. I wasn't sure if I could even win the fight. The only reason I agreed to a fight was to learn the difference between a second-rate and third-rate warrior.
"Hajime."
"Show me what you can do, little whelp," Li Qiang said mockingly.
I kept calm and didn't let him rile me up.
I started with a simple jab to his chin. He easily dodged it by rotating his body. Without even giving me time to pull back my fist, he hit me with a backfist, pivoting his body back in position for extra impact. I blocked the fist with my right guard.
I took a step back to create distance between us. Then I proceeded with another punch. Li Qiang responded with a palm strike. The fist met the palm in mid-air. Our hands were still for a moment before both of us pulled our hands back.
"You have high strength," Li Qiang complimented. Then mocked with a smirk, "But raw strength without an appropriate level of skill to use it is just empty strength."
The spar continued for ten minutes straight. None of us got the upper hand, but the scales were slowly tilting in Li Qiang's favour as time passed because of his better skills.
We separated as we smoothed our uneven breaths. The situation was the reverse of my previous fights. This time, I was hit more times, and I was barely able to hit my opponent. And that was only because I felt Li Qiang wasn't going all out. Otherwise, I would've lost long ago.
As we were about to resume the fight, Sum Wei Long's voice cut in between.
"Li Qiang," Wei Long called. "Stop playing, finish it fast."
"Yes, Brother Sum," Li Qiang agreed. His face turned serious. "You heard what the boss said, junior."
Li Qiang took off his gloves. I was surprised to find out that his hands were greenish-black, especially his palms.
Is that where the name, Poison Palm Li, came from?
"Be grateful, junior," Li Qiang said condescendingly. "You are going to see the great Five Poisons Palm technique."
"Kevin, be careful of his palms," Colleen warned.
"They are poisonous," I said before Colleen could complete. "Yeah, kind of obvious from the name."
Colleen looked at Li Qiang with a hard expression. "You are from the Five Poisons Sect."
"Oh?" Li Qiang looked surprised. "I am honoured that Master Colleen knows about the junior's sect."
Wei Long chuckled. "What's wrong? Worried for your student?"
Colleen didn't reply to him; she turned to me.
"Kevin, you can continue fighting," Colleen said with an encouraging nod. Then, her face showed slight worry, "But admit defeat as soon as you can no longer continue."
I nodded back and turned to Li Qiang.
Li Qiang took a new stance, then he said, "Li Qiang, Five Poisons Palm, Five Poisons Sect."
His palms lit up in faint green light, which I assumed was chi.
Yeah, now he is completely serious.
I took a stance too, my face serious. "Kevin, Chikara Dojo."
He moved. I didn't even properly register him moving towards me, and he had already attacked me.
My danger sense flared, and I rotated my upper body. Li Qiang's chi-covered palm, aimed at my shoulder, passed by me.
He was fast, and that was not all due to martial arts. He had some E1 stats. Though for now, I didn't know what he used to break through the human limit.
"Sharp reflexes, junior," Li Qiang praised. "But for how long can you dodge?"
"Since earlier I said I would give you some pointers, so let me give you some now," Li Qiang said, countering my punch with his guard.
I kicked his shin, but he kicked back. I felt a sharp pain in my leg.
"First. Just as skill is important, knowing where to hit is important, too. If well placed, even a weak attack can cause great pain."
He kicked with his other foot. I sidestepped to dodge the kick. But the kick was feint, a punch hit me directly in the right ribs.
"Second. Feinting is an important skill in a fight. A good feint can easily turn the tides of a fight."
"The last."
I was feeling weak. A faint chill was spreading in my body.
I attacked with a hammerfist, but he easily dodged it.
"Always be ruthless to your enemy."
The moment he said that, he attacked with a palm strike. My Danger Sense once again went into overdrive. I hastily brought my arm and blocked the palm with it. Cold sweat covered my face because the green-lit palm was aimed at my heart.
Li Qiang looked surprised that I blocked his attack. Anger appeared in his eyes, and he looked ready to attack again.
I wasn't having that anymore. "I admit defeat."
But Li Qiang didn't stop; he ignored my shout. The intensity of chi increased on his hands, reaching his elbows.
I was getting ready to dodge the next attack. But Li Qiang stopped suddenly. The tip of a bokken was on his neck. I hadn't even realized when Colleen appeared beside me.
"The spar is over," Colleen said with a tone of finality.
A bead of sweat dropped from Li Qiang's face. He looked alternately between Colleen and me. Then, he bowed his head to Colleen and said, "I understand, Master Colleen."
Li Qiang gave me one hard look and went back to Wei Long and the rest.
Sum Wei Long gave me a long look. Then he turned to Colleen, "Think about my proposal, Colleen. You can take time to think, but I only want to hear a positive response."
Saying so, he left with his goons.
When the Axe Gang members left, I finally noticed my arm. The forearm had turned greenish black. And the blight was slowly spreading. The chills were stronger, and there was some pain in the arm. Only my E1 vitality was stopping the poison from spreading too fast.
I pulled up my shirt, and there was a black mark on the lower-right ribs where Li Qiang punched me.
Colleen also looked at the damage. Her eyes showed faint remorse.
Oh, is she feeling guilty that I got so injured and poisoned because of her?
Initially, I was thinking of leaving immediately and sleeping to recover. But I changed my mind to milk the situation.
"I shouldn't have let you fight him when he decided to use his sect's martial art," Colleen said in a low voice.
She gently touched the blackened area on my arm. I hissed loudly in pain.
Was that too performative? It was.
Did it work? Abso-fucking-lutely.
Colleen pulled back her hand immediately. The guilt was more pronounced on her face.
"Come with me," Colleen said. "We need to treat the poison. I don't think even your strange ability to recover quickly may help with it."
Actually, it can, but I didn't correct her.
"I know someone who can," Coleen continued, starting to walk towards the exit. I shrugged and followed behind her.
She picked up some keys on the way out and closed the dojo door behind us. She took us to the parking.
I walked towards my car, but she shook her head. "You are in no position to drive. I will take us there."
Well, I was starting to feel a bit dizzy, so that it might have interfered with my driving.
I followed behind her, curious about her ride. Seeing her ride, I was genuinely taken aback.
Colleen sat on her bike, put in the key, and revved the engine. "Get on."
This is going to be fun. I smirked internally.
I sat behind her and looped my arm around her waist. She immediately stiffened from the close contact.
"There is a handle behind," Colleen said carefully. "You can hold onto that."
"But I am feeling dizzy," I said with a slightly pitiful voice. "What if I fell?"
A million emotions passed on Colleen's face. Finally, she sighed in defeat, "Fine."
We drove out. The whole ride, which was actually very short, I stuck to her back, holding her waist tightly.
We were still in Chinatown and stopped in front of a small closed block. It had only one entrance. The building inside still looked old compared to the more developed neighbourhood.
Seeing that and then remembering the Axe gang, I suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
"What is this place called?" I asked as we both stood at the entrance.
Colleen was quiet for a moment. She looked as if she were having an internal debate about whether to tell. Finally, she said the words with the frustration of someone who had tried hard to change something, but who, because some people stuck in old ways refused to change, had failed.
"Pig Sty Alley"
*********************
[Author's Notes]
What do you think would have happened if Kevin had said that he didn't dare?