~ Third Person Pov ~
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Eli had welcomed Ayano within his home once again. This time, the elders that were quietly speaking amongst themselves, had all turned towards him, and for a brief moment, they were equally all stunned at what they had seen, but just momentarily.
Eli had realized the change immediately, smiling with himself
One of them immediately spoke up to Eli, saying. "I never thought I'd have to say this, Jang... But, is what I'm looking at even real?"
Eli smiled slyly, "Oh, it's very real." He responded.
Ayano came in, still curious as to who all these old coots were to begin with...
"Ah!? Where are my manners...? Everyone, this here is Ayano Keiji. The youngster who I was informing you about earlier." Eli said quickly.
Ayano quickly bowed his head... "Hello, everyone..." He said, not sure of what else to start with other than that.
All of them looked at each other, before laughing loudly.
"Hahah! He's quite mannerable at least. The name is Zack Lee, little Ayano. And, we're all glad to meet you, that's for sure." The man name Zack said, his hair was sliced back, with strands of black still about.
Ayano for some odd reason, did NOT feel any better with how this old man had said it...
"I'm Vasco kiddo." Another old man said, he was one of the larger one in terms of stature.
Then another stepped in, this one had an eye that almost looked conjoined, "My name's Vin Jin, a pleasure kid; and if you must know, the condition's called polycoria." He added.
Ayano swiftly apologized, "Sorry for doing that... Was it that obvious?" He asked.
Vin nodded, "Yeah, but it is fine, really. I'm used to it kiddo..." He waved off.
"Well, my name is, Hudson... Hudson Ahn." This elder in particular had patches of pale blond mixed in with gray hair, he looked somewhat American, or even a European mixed person. At least, that's what Ayano vaguely thought at first glance...
'Also, why did he same his first name twice...?' Ayano thought to himself off handedly.
Before he could continue this thought, another one of the elders interjected. "I'm Warren Chae, a pleasure to meet you son, I've heard a quite bit about you; nothing but good of course." he said. The man was one of the taller of all of them that were here but he had a lithe build, just like Eli had.
Still...
'Nothing but good, huh...?' Ayano thought, instantly glancing towards Eli, who looked away in response... 'Sure didn't feel like it ya' old coot.' But, he kept his face calm.
"I guess that just leaves myself, and Jay... I'm Jihan Kwak, and next to me, as you've heard is Jay Hong. He isn't much of a talker, as you can see." The man said, introducing himself and his friend.
Jihan's eyes were shaped cat-like, and their color were a piercing silver; interestingly enough, Ayano thought that this man resembled a snake, if it had a human form... As for Jay... Ayano was a bit, confused to say the least.
"Excuse me, but, what do you mean...? I'm sure I heard his voice too." Ayano pointed out.
Jay in response, slowly pointed at himself, with his head tilting to the left a little "-No way... You-You understand me?-" He heard a voice, but didn't at the same time.
"Whoa!?" Ayano backed up slightly... "H-How did you just, do that...?" Ayano asked. Jay hadn't said a single word out of his lips, yet his he had spoken, clearly too.
Jihan then spoke up, seeing the mess; "Are you saying you heard Jay speak? Hold on son... Jay doesn't speak... But, we more, or less understand what he's trying to say, it took us quite a while... You're the first person other than him that immediately understood Jay's language."
"Really?? I guess that explains it, sort of...? I'm still a bit spooked, it's like I can hear him, but I can't at the same time, it's weird..." Ayano said. This of course interested the other's, but they made no real comments about it, for the time being at least .
Clap!!
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"Well then, it seems like we are all acquainted with each other... So, let's get on to business, shall we?" Eli suddenly stated. The rest of the elder's demeanors had changed in response, going from welcoming, to oddly serious.
Ayano picked up on the change instantly, but also wondered what Eli had meant by business, much less why he was here to even see it in the first place...
As if on cue, old man Jang turned toward his pupil, "You may be wondering why these men are here in the first place... To cut a long story short. They are all here to train you."
"What...?" Confused, he looked at his teacher, "What do you mean they're here to train me? Actually, why didn't you tell me about this? And, do I even get a say in this?" He finished.
Eli, simply smiled politely, "To answer your first question, yes. As for your your second; Hmm... No. You have no real choice in the matter to be completely frank. In fact, you lost the choice the moment you agreed to be my student. Sorry."
Ayano looked completely dejected. Their were a total seven people here, and all of them were absolute monsters in their own rights. He could tell it instinctively.
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Ayano exhaled... Looking up in the sky with a melancholic expression, "Haha... I'm cooked; I'm actually cooked."
Until he felt his shoulder get grabbed; "Nonsense little Ayano... You'll be fine!" Eli said, "I think..." He mumbled that more so to himself. "So, let's get on with the demonstrations."
"Ah... Sure, demonstrations..." Ayano repeated.
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All of them made their way into Eli's basement.
"Not bad at at all Jang..." Zack commented.
"I know, I made it myself, it took me a few years too, but it was well worth it." Eli explained.
All of the elders then lined themselves towards the back nearing the wall to make some space.
"Alright, Ayano, I want you to show your martial arts forms in full detail, don't hold yourself back as well..."
He nodded, "Alright...?" Ayano said, however, he wasn't sure what to really start with first.
He scratched his head for a bit 'I guess... I'll just start with the first one my list... Judo.'
He took a breath.
Not shallow, not frantic—steady, low, from the breathing technique like he'd practiced the night before. He let that moment of calm stretch over his shoulders, roll down his arms, and root his stance firmly. His foot slid forward slightly, then pivoted. knees bent, posture low—he assumed the initial stance of seoi nage; the shoulder throw, one of the first techniques he had mastered.
Of course, all the elders seeing this were, surprised.
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"The boy's entire demeanor changed..." Warren stated. The others nodding in agreement.
Without a partner, Ayano's movements flowed despite being through imagined resistance. The way a pianist might moved their hands without a keyboard. He gripped an invisible gi, turned, dropped his hips, and twisted as if hauling weight over his back. Then again. And again.
Seeing him pull it off, they were all stunned, "No way..." Zack said this time, wondering if this was even real.
He followed with osoto gari, a major outer reap, the motion slicing across the air like a scythe—his balance never wavering a single bit. Each throw looked as if it was becoming sharper, each step he took efficient. A silent kata, performed not to impress any, but to show who he was at his foundation.
Zack's eyes narrowed a touch, but not from suspicion—more from analysis. He was nothing short of amazed.
'This kid... Eli was right... He has movement of mastery... No, it's reaching beyond even that. But, there's no essence of it being there...' Zack thought to himself. The others were thinking along the same line of thought, especially Jin.
Ayano then transitioned from Judo into his taekwondo sequences without pause, his body beginning to shift like a new instrument picking up a different melody entirely. Where Judo had been grounded and close, Taekwondo was explosive and aerial...
Fwush!!
His leg whipped high into a turning kick, the air slicing with a crisp hiss as he snapped into a double roundhouse. He landed softly, almost without sound entirely then spinning immediately into a jump back kick.
"Son of a gun..." Vin Jin mumbled. "This kid's the real deal."
Vasco's eyes widened considerably. He had thought the boy had potential the moment he saw him, but this? "He wasn't just proficient in Judo, the kid's reaching beyond with even this too... As much as Didn't want to admit it... He's already forging a path." He said to the others.
They all nodded in unison, but what they were seeing was nothing short ridiculous...
"It's one thing to be on a path to a single martial art, but to be on a path with two of em'? It's unheard of..." Jihan quickly stated.
"See?" Eli suddenly said. "I know it sounded untrue, but this boy is even more unbelievable... He's already on a path with two other martial arts as well, believe it or not." Eli added, causing all of them to look at him as if he were joking.
Hudson spoke up this time. "Two more...? What about the other martial arts he knows, how far has he gone with them?"
Eli smiled, "He's on a level of just normal mastery with them, or slightly even above if I'm being frank. This boy... He's improving every day since we've sparred, with no end in sight at that. Not only that, he's showing clear signs of mastery, and beyond without any of the essence behind it."
Hudson, simply nodded, finding the response somewhat acceptable...
"-Still... If he's not showing the essence of mastery... That either means two things; he's not really skilled at all, he just knows the moves really well, which seems to least likely be the case here, or-" Jay said.
Eli then interjected;
"Or, the boy simply hasn't even come close to reaching his own wall..."
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END