----
The third beep rang.
Jisuk disappeared.
No.
Not disappeared.
Moved.
Fast enough that ordinary eyes would have lost him completely.
One moment he stood across the room with his hands loose at his sides.
The next, he was in front of Jiwoo.
Jiwoo's eyes widened.
Too late.
Jisuk's fist drove into his side.
The impact knocked the air out of him, pain flashing through his ribs as his body twisted from the force.
Before Jiwoo could recover, Jisuk threw another punch.
This one landed against his face.
Jiwoo flew backward, shoes scraping against the floor before he hit the ground and rolled once.
"Jiwoo!" Inhyuk's body tensed.
Jiyoung's expression did not change, but her gaze sharpened.
Kayden's eyes narrowed from Asuka's arms.
Not cruelly.
Not with surprise.
With recognition.
He had expected this.
They all had.
A few days of training could not erase the gap between a beginner and someone raised in the awakened world.
Jisuk huffed.
"Is that all there is even after all that training?"
He looked down at Jiwoo, then slid both hands into his pockets.
The casual arrogance of it made the air feel sharper.
"This was way too easy," he said, already turning away. "And after I made the time to come."
He smirked toward the side of the room.
"How unfortunate. When both of you made the time to come and watch."
His gaze moved toward Jiyoung.
"So unlike you, sis, to make time to see a fight against some puny kid."
Jiyoung did not answer.
Jisuk blinked.
"Sis?"
Then a sound came from behind him.
A groan.
Quiet.
Pained.
But present.
Jisuk turned.
Jiwoo was pushing himself up.
One hand on the floor.
Shoulders shaking.
Cheek already reddening from the hit.
But rising.
Inhyuk's eyes widened slightly.
Even Jisuk froze.
Jiwoo got one knee beneath him, then stood fully, breath uneven.
He rubbed his face with the back of his hand.
"Ow…"
His voice was soft.
Almost embarrassed.
"That hurt."
Then he raised his hands again.
Guard up.
Stance ready.
The room went quiet.
Jisuk stared.
His attacks had hurt him.
Badly.
Hadn't they?
Jiwoo swallowed, forcing his breathing steady.
Idiot.
He had gotten distracted.
He had known the fight would begin after the third beep. Kayden had told him. Asuka had told him. Inhyuk had told him.
And still, for one split second, some foolish part of him had assumed Jisuk would wait.
That he would speak.
That there would be a pause.
There was no pause in battle.
Kayden's voice echoed in his head.
Danger doesn't wait for you to be ready.
Jiwoo clenched his fists.
Jisuk sighed.
"This kid…"
Annoying.
That was the word that came to mind.
Annoying because he got up.
Annoying because his eyes were still clear.
Annoying because Jisuk had expected fear, frustration, maybe anger.
Instead, Jiwoo looked determined.
Jiwoo moved first.
He dashed forward.
Inhyuk straightened.
Jiyoung's eyes sharpened.
Kayden's tail stilled against Asuka's arm.
Jiwoo crossed the space faster than before, appearing in front of Jisuk with his fist already moving.
Jisuk dodged.
Jiwoo threw another punch.
Jisuk avoided that too.
His expression shifted from boredom to irritation.
Jiwoo was faster than earlier.
Cleaner.
The movements were still rough compared to someone with years of experience, but they were not random anymore.
He was aiming.
Adjusting.
Reading.
Jisuk launched a punch toward his face.
Jiwoo dodged.
Then countered.
One punch.
Then another.
Then another.
Consecutive strikes, sharp and fast, not strong enough to overwhelm Jisuk but fluid enough that the rhythm forced him to actually block.
Inhyuk's eyes widened.
"Whoa…"
The surprise slipped out before he could stop it.
Jiwoo's movements were fluid.
Too fluid for someone who had only trained for a few days.
Because his awakened ability was speed, his movements were naturally beyond ordinary. But now there was something else layered into them.
A cleaner route.
A better sense of timing.
A faint trace of technique where there had been only instinct before.
Inhyuk's expression turned serious.
Impressive.
Very impressive.
Jisuk gritted his teeth as he blocked another strike.
"All you have is your speed, you jerk!"
Wind burst from him.
The pressure shoved Jiwoo backward, breaking the rhythm of his attacks.
Jisuk's arm wrapped in compressed wind.
He struck.
Jiwoo crossed his arms to block, but the force still drove him back several steps.
Jisuk's eyes gleamed with irritation.
"I told you before. I can match your speed!"
He rushed forward.
Inhyuk's gaze followed him sharply.
"Jisuk is increasing his speed," he said, half to himself, half as analysis. "His movements are as impressive as ever. He's completely adjusted to Jiwoo's speed."
Asuka stood still.
Kayden sat still in her arms.
Neither reacted outwardly.
Inhyuk was not wrong.
Jisuk had adjusted well.
He was talented.
Experienced.
Quick to adapt.
Against most speed-type awakeners at Jiwoo's level, that would have been enough.
But Asuka had already seen the shape of this fight.
And Kayden already knew the truth.
Jisuk had adjusted to the speed Jiwoo had shown.
Not Jiwoo's limit.
Not even close.
Jiwoo saw Jisuk coming again.
Wind around his arms.
Speed beneath his feet.
A sharper angle than before.
Just like last time.
Just like the first fight.
Jiwoo inhaled.
Mr. Kayden and Asuka said it.
He isn't as fast as me.
He's catching up.
That's all.
Jisuk closed in.
Jiwoo moved.
Faster.
The space between them stretched in Jiwoo's perception. Jisuk's movement, once overwhelming, became clearer. Not slow, not truly, but readable.
Jiwoo backed off in a blur.
Jisuk's eyes widened.
Inhyuk's mouth parted.
"His speed increased…"
Jiyoung's gaze sharpened further.
Jisuk clicked his tongue and kicked toward Jiwoo's head.
Jiwoo dropped low.
The kick passed over him.
He placed one hand briefly against the floor, using it as a pivot the way Kayden had forced him to practice again and again until his arms shook.
Then he kicked upward.
Aiming for Jisuk's head.
Jisuk barely raised his arm in time.
The impact struck his guard and forced him back half a step.
His expression twisted.
Annoyed.
Angry.
Jiwoo was faster.
That fact pressed under Jisuk's skin like an insult.
Jiwoo did not stop.
He pushed forward again, launching repetitive strikes like he had done against the punching bag.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Not perfect.
Not polished.
But steady.
Focused.
Kayden's eyes narrowed.
Then, despite himself, his expression shifted.
Pride.
Quiet and sharp.
The brat did not freeze.
He had expected Jiwoo to hesitate in real combat. To lose rhythm once pain entered the equation. To let fear disrupt the route of his energy.
But no.
Jiwoo was hurt, nervous, inexperienced—
and still moving.
Still applying what he had been taught.
Still improving mid-fight.
Good.
Very good.
Inhyuk was watching with open shock now.
Jiwoo's movements were better than he expected.
Far better.
How much training had he done in those few days?
How was he adjusting this quickly?
But—
His gaze moved to Jisuk.
What a shame.
It would not be enough to knock Jisuk out.
Not yet.
Jisuk blocked another attack.
Then another.
His patience snapped.
"Fuck," he growled. "I'm done playing with you."
Wind swirled around his arm.
Denser this time.
Sharper.
He punched.
Jiwoo dodged.
Barely.
The compressed wind grazed his side.
Pain sliced through him, and the force of the attack slammed into the floor behind him.
The ground dented slightly.
A boom rolled through the training room.
Inhyuk stiffened.
Jiyoung's eyes cooled.
Jisuk's wind gathered around both arms.
"I take it easy on you, and you take me for a pushover?!"
"Jisuk!" Inhyuk shouted. "You're overdoing this. Jiwoo could get seriously hurt!"
Jisuk did not listen.
He rushed forward again, anger driving his movements now.
"You've improved since before, but you still have a long way to go before you can match up with me!"
Jiwoo dodged.
Jisuk struck the floor.
Another boom.
"I can make sure you don't ever challenge me again!"
Jiwoo's eyes widened, but his body moved.
He evaded again.
Jisuk's teeth clenched.
"Are you going to keep running away?!"
He closed the distance and punched.
Jiwoo blocked.
The impact drove through his arms.
Even with awakened energy focused into defense, pain exploded through his bones. His body felt like it had cracked apart from the inside.
He staggered back.
His breathing hitched.
Jisuk saw that he was still moving.
His expression twisted further.
"How is it that you're still moving, huh?"
Wind gathered in his hand.
Compressed.
Focused.
Dangerous.
Asuka's fingers tightened around Kayden.
Kayden felt it.
Not panic.
Control.
Absolute control.
Watching the line.
Jisuk lowered his hand.
"Try to block this!"
"Jisuk, stop!" Inhyuk shouted.
Too late.
The blast hit Jiwoo.
Compressed wind exploded across his body, lifting him from the floor and throwing him backward. Thin cuts opened across his arms, shoulders, and cheek, not deep but sharp enough to draw blood. His body struck the ground and rolled.
Inhyuk's jaw tightened.
This was serious.
Jiwoo's movements had been better than expected. Much better. But Jisuk's recent good behavior had made Inhyuk too complacent.
He should have expected this.
He should have stopped it sooner.
His gaze flicked toward Asuka.
She had not moved.
She still stood at the side of the room with the cat in her arms, blindfolded, calm, silent.
Too calm.
It unsettled him.
Not because she did not care.
Somehow, that was not the feeling.
It was the opposite.
She cared so much that the stillness felt deliberate.
Restrained.
Like a blade held in its sheath by choice.
Asuka felt his gaze.
She did not turn.
Her attention remained on Jiwoo.
Her brother was hurt.
On the ground.
Bleeding lightly.
Breathing hard.
The future had shown this.
Every line.
Every impact.
Every wound.
And the future had also shown what came next.
Jiwoo was not one to stay down just because pain told him to.
Not anymore.
Inhyuk turned sharply toward Jisuk.
"Jisuk Yoo. Damn it! Go easy on him!"
Jisuk rolled his shoulder.
"What did I do? He started it!"
Inhyuk's expression darkened.
"This is your fault. You and my sister." Jisuk's voice sharpened, defensive and angry. "Why should I be the one who takes it easy?"
Asuka's mouth went very still.
Arrogant.
That was her first thought.
Jisuk was not cruel in the way Delein had been.
He was not malicious enough to kill a weaker opponent.
But he was arrogant.
Too used to being strong.
Too used to acting first and being scolded later.
Too unwilling to take accountability when his pride was touched.
He had underestimated Jiwoo.
And because Jiwoo had proved less helpless than expected, Jisuk had lashed out.
Still—
Asuka's grip on Kayden loosened slightly.
He had controlled the wind.
Not kindly.
Not gently.
But enough.
The blast had cut, thrown, and hurt Jiwoo.
It had not rendered him unconscious.
It had not torn deeply.
It had not broken his body.
There was a line.
Jisuk had approached it.
Not crossed it.
Yet.
Then Jiwoo moved.
A hand pressed against the floor.
Slowly, shaking, he pushed himself up.
Inhyuk stared.
Jisuk turned.
Even Jiyoung's eyes widened slightly.
Jiwoo got one foot beneath him.
Then the other.
He stood, blood at his cheek, breath rough, arms trembling.
But standing.
He lifted his guard again.
His voice came quiet, hoarse, but steady.
"You're right."
Jisuk stared.
Jiwoo swallowed.
Then looked at him.
"Also…"
His fingers tightened.
"It's not over."
Jisuk's expression cracked.
"How can he still get up?"
Kayden's eyes gleamed.
Of course he got up.
The attack had not been direct.
Not fully.
Jiwoo had seen it.
In that fraction of a second before impact, he had read the angle and shifted his body so the blast struck where it would do the least damage. He had focused awakened energy into the areas most vulnerable, protecting his core and joints instead of wasting power trying to block everything.
A beginner should not have made that choice so quickly.
A beginner should have panicked.
A beginner should have frozen.
But Jiwoo had moved.
Not much.
Enough.
Kayden's mouth curved slightly.
All in a fraction of a second.
Did he get that battle reaction speed from his little sister?
Asuka's head tilted faintly, as if she heard the thought.
Kayden did not look at her.
He did not need to.
They both knew.
Jiwoo Seo was not polished.
Not experienced.
Not strong enough.
But his instincts were waking up.
And Jisuk Yoo, standing across from him with irritation turning into disbelief, was about to learn that knocking Jiwoo down was not the same as making him stay there.
Inhyuk stared at Jiwoo for a moment too long.
Then he found his voice.
"Will you be okay?"
Jiwoo's breathing was rough.
Blood trickled thinly from a cut near his cheek. His arms trembled from the force of the wind blast, and his stance was not as steady as before.
But his eyes were clear.
"Yes," Jiwoo said. "I can still fight."
Inhyuk's hand tightened at his side.
The power behind Jisuk's attack just now had been intense.
Not enough to kill.
Not even enough to permanently injure if treated quickly.
But still intense.
Too intense for a beginner to take cleanly and stand again.
Jiwoo seemed shaken, but he was not broken. Not even close to unconscious.
There had to be more to it than his body simply being in good shape.
Did he do something to reduce the impact?
Did he actually defend himself?
Inhyuk's fingers curled into his palm.
A part of him wanted to test Jiwoo's powers.
Not cruelly.
Not recklessly.
But as an awakened user.
As an observer.
As someone who had just realized that this gentle boy might be much more interesting than he had first assumed.
Across the floor, Jisuk was staring too.
Who is this kid?
That attack should have put him down.
Jisuk lifted one finger, wind curling faintly around it as his expression darkened in thought.
Does his ability let him defend too? Not just increase speed?
His eyes narrowed.
Then his mouth curved.
Well.
He guessed Jiwoo was better than he thought.
But that was about it.
More wind compressed into his palm, dense and sharp.
If he can put up with that…
Jisuk grinned.
I just have to attack harder.
Jiwoo saw the wind gathering.
His heart sped up.
Fear rose first.
Then determination pushed through it.
He lifted his guard.
Inhyuk noticed Jisuk's energy increasing.
His gaze sharpened.
He did want to see how Jiwoo would perform.
He wanted to understand how much of the last few moments had been instinct, how much had been training, how much had been raw ability.
But if they continued like this, Jiwoo might actually get hurt badly.
Inhyuk stepped forward.
"That will be enough for now."
Jisuk turned sharply.
"What?"
Inhyuk's voice was firm.
"I've concluded that it will be too dangerous to continue. That will be all for today."
Jisuk huffed.
Then glanced back toward Jiyoung and Inhyuk with irritation.
No wonder.
Both of them had come to see the fight.
They were trying to protect that kid.
Jiwoo's eyes widened.
"If it's because of me, I can still continue!"
Inhyuk looked at him.
"Jiwoo, you've done extremely well. You surprised me. You're a far better awakener than I expected."
Jiwoo swallowed.
"However," Inhyuk continued, "if you continue, you will be hurt severely. Jisuk has not even used his power to its full potential yet."
Jiwoo went still.
Not his full potential?
Inhyuk's expression remained serious.
"If he does, you're going to get seriously hurt."
Kayden was not surprised.
Jisuk had not gone all out.
Not yet.
He was arrogant, emotional, and clearly annoyed, but he was still holding back a portion of his power. There was more wind compressed beneath his control. More reach. More destructive force. More experience.
Kayden's gaze shifted to Jiwoo.
What will you do now, Jiwoo Seo?
Give up?
Or fight more?
Asuka remained still.
She already knew.
Jiwoo lifted his head.
"It's okay," he said. "I want to continue."
Inhyuk stared.
Jiwoo took a shaky breath.
"I'm really okay. I want to fight till the end."
Jisuk's expression shifted.
He sighed.
Despite himself, something like interest flickered in his eyes.
He was starting to like this kid.
Annoying.
Stubborn.
Ridiculous.
But maybe not boring.
"Let him be, Inhyuk," Jisuk said.
Inhyuk looked sharply toward him.
"He's begging to fight. He wants to keep going."
Wind surged more strongly around Jisuk's arm.
"He can learn from this opportunity. Get to know his own limits."
"Jisuk Yoo," Inhyuk warned.
Jiwoo stepped forward.
"Mr. Inhyuk, please don't stop us now!"
The room went tense.
Then Jiyoung spoke.
"Let him do as he wants."
Inhyuk turned.
"Chairwoman?"
Jiyoung's arms were crossed, her gaze fixed on Jiwoo.
"He will do better than you think."
Inhyuk stared at her.
If the chairwoman felt that way…
His eyes moved back to Jiwoo.
Was there really something special about him?
If that was the case—
Inhyuk exhaled.
"I understand."
Jiwoo's expression brightened.
"Then we will continue."
Jiwoo took that as his answer.
He moved immediately.
A blur crossed the training floor as he sprinted forward and threw a punch straight at Jisuk.
Jisuk dodged.
His eyes sharpened.
Oh?
Jiwoo had copied him.
That was exactly what Jisuk had done at the beginning.
Attack immediately after the match resumed.
Jisuk's mouth curved.
Jiwoo stayed close, throwing another punch, then another, refusing to let distance open between them.
He knew now.
If there was distance, he was at a disadvantage.
Jisuk's wind had reach.
His attacks could explode outward.
Jiwoo needed to be close enough to strike.
Close enough to force Jisuk to react.
Jisuk grinned.
Did he realize it yet?
Maybe he really could learn something from this fight.
He threw a punch.
Jiwoo dodged.
But the wind did not need to touch directly.
The compressed burst exploded near him and knocked him back.
Jiwoo crossed his arms as more wind lashed toward him. The force dragged across his guard, cutting at his sleeves and pushing his feet across the floor.
Jisuk's eyes gleamed.
"Your speed is definitely impressive."
Jiwoo's jaw tightened.
"But there's a limit to your strength," Jisuk said. "Your attacks need to make contact with me."
Wind surged.
"All I have to do is keep you away."
He was not wrong.
Jiwoo dashed forward again.
Jisuk lifted a hand.
A wall of wind erupted between them.
Jiwoo hit the pressure and bounced back, eyes widening.
"What was that?"
"A wall," Jisuk said. "I used wind to build one."
The wind curled around him, controlled and confident.
"When you have absolute control over your awakened ability, tricks like this are child's play."
His expression turned arrogant.
"Now do you see the difference between us? You can't beat me."
For one strange second, Asuka's mind went somewhere else.
White hair.
Blue eyes hidden beneath black cloth.
A grin too confident for anyone's good.
Her older brother, Toru, standing before a curse and letting it come close.
Too close.
Close enough to touch.
Only for the curse to stop.
Helpless.
Humiliated.
Infuriated.
The closer you try to get to me, the slower you go.
Satoru Gojo had said it with that awful arrogance of his, playful and cruel and unbearably proud.
Jogo had nearly combusted from humiliation.
Asuka's mouth softened by the smallest degree.
Jisuk, for one passing second, reminded her of him.
Annoying.
Arrogant.
Talented.
Loud in the way only people who had rarely been truly denied could be.
Not the same.
Not even close.
But enough that Asuka felt a flicker of old fondness beneath her irritation.
Kayden watched Jisuk from her arms.
The brat definitely had experience.
He had figured out Jiwoo's attack pattern. He was no longer rushing because he did not need to. His ability was stronger, more versatile, and better trained. He could keep distance. He could strike without contact.
It was the right decision.
Annoying, but right.
Inhyuk saw it too.
At first, Jisuk had lost focus because Jiwoo's movements were unexpected. But over time, Jisuk adapted well.
Too well.
It would get harder for Jiwoo now.
Their skill levels were too different.
Jisuk lifted one hand.
"Check this out."
Wind exploded outward.
The blast struck Jiwoo before he could close the distance, throwing him backward. His body hit the floor and slid, new scratches opening across his skin. Blood marked the floor in thin, sharp lines.
"Jisuk!" Inhyuk snapped.
Jisuk threw both hands out.
"Why is it my fault again? This kid wanted to fight till the end!"
Asuka's expression remained still.
Jisuk was not entirely wrong.
Jiwoo had wanted this.
He had chosen to continue.
He needed to understand pain in battle.
Not because pain was noble.
Not because suffering made someone stronger by itself.
But because the awakened world would not pause every time he was hurt.
If he wanted to stand in front of others, he needed to know what it meant to be struck and still think.
Still breathe.
Still choose.
If Jisuk tried to kill him, Asuka would draw the line.
If Jisuk tried to cripple him, Asuka would draw the line.
But this—
This was harsh.
Arrogant.
Painful.
Still within the frame of a fight.
Jisuk looked toward Inhyuk.
"If you keep interrupting, do you think he'll survive if he meets an aggressive awakener?"
Asuka tilted her head slightly.
Jisuk was already quite aggressive.
Though, of course, there was Mr. Kayden.
Her teacher.
He was far more dangerous, far more aggressive, and far more unreasonable.
But Kayden had no intention of truly hurting her or Jiwoo.
Jisuk, on the other hand, was arrogant.
Prideful.
Rough.
But within reason.
"Better he learn now," Jisuk said, "than die while fighting someone unprepared."
Kayden's eyes narrowed.
Jisuk had made the wind explode before Jiwoo could react properly. It was not because Jiwoo lost focus. Not completely. Jiwoo simply lacked experience with awakened abilities like this.
He had no frame for a wind wall.
No frame for delayed impact.
No frame for attacks that did not need to touch.
Of course he could not block it.
Not yet.
Jiyoung finally moved.
"Take Jiwoo to the treatment center."
Inhyuk nodded immediately.
"Yes, Chairwoman."
He stepped forward.
Then Jiwoo coughed.
The sound was rough.
Painful.
But awake.
"…Wait a second."
Everyone stopped.
Kayden's gaze shifted sharply.
Concern flickered through him before he crushed it down.
Jiwoo's hand pressed against the floor.
His arms shook.
His breathing was ragged.
Blood marked his sleeve, his cheek, his shoulder.
He looked like standing should be impossible.
But he pushed up anyway.
"I can still fight."
Inhyuk's face tightened.
He stepped closer.
"Jiwoo, please stop. That is enough."
Jisuk, for once, agreed.
"He's right. You keep this up and you'll really get hurt."
Jiwoo kept rising.
Shaking.
Unsteady.
Determined.
Inhyuk stared at him, stunned.
How was he even standing right now?
The wounds on the outside of his body were probably nothing compared to the strain inside. His muscles. His ribs. His pathways. The repeated impact of wind against a body that had barely recovered from a broken leg days ago.
"Jiwoo," Inhyuk said carefully, "I understand how you feel, but I can't let this fight continue."
Jiwoo lifted his head.
His eyes were tired.
But clear.
"It's my decision."
Inhyuk flinched.
Not because the words were loud.
They were not.
They were quiet.
Gentle.
Jiwoo-like.
But they landed with weight.
Jiwoo stood there, trembling but upright.
"Thank you for worrying about me," he said.
Then he raised his guard again.
"But I can take care of myself."
The room went silent.
Jiyoung watched him without blinking.
Inhyuk stared, caught between duty and respect.
Jisuk's expression shifted again, irritation tangled with disbelief.
Kayden's eyes gleamed.
Asuka's hold on him remained steady.
Jiwoo breathed in.
"I'm going to fight till the end."
----