The arena was illuminated by small lanterns lining the walls.
Sifu sat calmly in a corner, his staff resting beside him as he watched them.
Sifu:
"Today... I want you to show me what you have learned from your training... there are no excuses."
Suddenly, Sifu's gaze fell on Las.
"And no crying either... do you understand, you over there?"
Las took a fighting stance, forming a crooked grin. His eyes swept over Eli from head to toe.
Las:
"Hehehe... with such a small body, you're going to fight me? I could just blow on you and you'd fall over by yourself!"
Eli's icy stare pierced through him, and her tail suddenly twitched in annoyance, swinging violently from side to side.
Eli:
"You do realize what you just brought upon yourself, right?"
Sifu raised his hand.
"Begin."
Las raised his fists in a clumsy guard and shouted mockingly:
Las:
"I'm comingggg!! Short little kitty... psst psst psst!"
Las charged forward.
As Eli saw him approaching, she lazily stepped to the side and grabbed his tail from behind, causing him to lose his balance and fall face-first onto the ground.
Las grabbed his forehead and looked angrily at Eli, who stood above him smiling happily and looking at him mockingly.
Las:
"That's not fair... you pulled my tail."
Eli:
"There are no rules in battle... didn't you know that?"
Las quickly got back up, rubbing the new bump on his head.
Las:
"Alright, now I'm serious... I'll show you my new move. I call it the Dance of Uncontrolled Fire..."
His face became serious. He raised his right fist in front of his face and placed his left hand near his stomach, leaning slightly to the right.
Suddenly, he sprinted toward Eli, swinging his arms and legs wildly as if performing a failed capoeira dance while spinning his body around.
But before he could finish his kicks and punches, Eli had already disappeared from his field of view.
Las:
"Where did you go?!"
He looked around and said mockingly:
Las:
"I knew it! You got scared and ran away! No one survives the Wrath of Fire!"
Suddenly, he felt a tail smack his back.
A voice echoed behind him.
"Hey... psst psst."
Las instantly spun around, taking the same attack stance again, but nobody was there.
Las:
"Come on, cat! Come here and witness the Wrath of Fi—"
Something suddenly yanked his tail from behind, and he once again crashed face-first into the floor.
Eli:
"The wild fire has just been extinguished."
Las rolled across the floor, holding his head.
He staggered back to his feet, sweating, determination burning in his eyes.
Las:
"No... I won't lose..."
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Las:
"Inner peace... inner peace..."
Suddenly, a drop of water fell from the ceiling directly onto his nose.
He sneezed loudly.
Eli seized the opportunity and swept his legs with her tail.
Las landed flat on his back.
Sifu struck his staff against the floor.
Sifu:
"Eli wins."
Las remained sprawled on the ground with three enormous bumps on his head and stars spinning around his eyes.
Las:
"Owww... why is it always me..."
Eli smiled mockingly.
Eli:
"Because you're just a sweet little banana monkey."
The corners of Sifu's mouth curled into the faintest smile beneath his glasses.
He turned toward Las.
Sifu:
"A small body does not mean weakness. Remember this:
Speed and intelligence, when combined with flexibility, are far superior to greater strength built upon arrogance and excessive confidence."
Las, with cartoonish tears streaming down his face, protested:
Las:
"It wasn't arrogance... she cheated! She pulled my tail and she knows I hate that!"
Eli burst into laughter again.
The camera in the corner of the arena seemed to zoom out, showing the entire small chamber from above.
Eli yawned, stretched, and turned her back on him.
Las, with the bumps on his head still glowing, clenched his fists.
Las:
"You'll see..."
He slowly stood up and began sneaking toward her from behind.
His hand rose. His eyes burned with petty revenge.
Suddenly, he felt a gust of air approaching.
Sifu appeared in front of him as if he had teleported.
The staff came crashing down onto Las's head.
Las immediately collapsed, crying like a spoiled child.
Sifu's voice echoed loudly as he struck his staff against the floor.
Sifu:
"Rule Number Four! Absolute and unbreakable! Never strike an opponent from behind. Only a coward does such a thing."
The chamber filled with the echo of his words.
Drops of water from the ceiling began falling faster, as if emphasizing his warning.
Eli turned around with a half-smile.
Eli:
"Heh... so you were really going to hit me from behind, huh? Only a stupid little monkey would think of something like that!"
Las shouted through his tears:
Las:
"I AM NOT A STUPID LITTLE MONKEY!"
Sifu closed his eyes and took a calm breath.
Sifu:
"Strength without honor... is weakness.
And you, Las... are still quite weak. You still have much to learn."
Las sat on the floor, teeth clenched, sweat dripping down.
Anger burned within his eyes, but beneath it was a spark of determination.
Las:
"One day... they'll understand my worth... you'll see who the little monkey is."
Eli approached him with that teasing smile on her face.
She bent down and extended her hand.
Eli:
"Come on, little monkey... get up."
Las looked at her hand, his eyes stubbornly filled with pride, and looked away.
Las:
"I don't need help. I'll get up by myself."
Sifu's staff came down once more, creating another bump—this time forming two protrusions like small horns.
Sifu:
"Rule Number Five!"
His voice thundered through the chamber.
Sifu:
"Never refuse the hand of a friend... because one day that hand may become an extension of yourself."
Las began crying again while holding the mountain of bumps on his head.
Las:
"I'll get an iron helmet and then we'll see how you hit me... old turtle!"
Sifu:
"Old turtle, huh?"
Sifu took his staff and smacked Las on the rear.
Las jumped into the air, grabbing his backside.
Sifu:
"That's how."
Eli collapsed into laughter, holding her stomach.
Eli:
"Pffft! Hahahaha! With those horn-bumps, I don't even know if you're a monkey or a goat!"
Las jumped to his feet, shaking his fists.
Las:
"I AM NOT A GOAT!"
Sifu remained calm. He turned his back and began walking into the shadows of the underground hall.
Sifu:
"That's enough for today. Tomorrow... you will learn the true meaning of teamwork."
The camera in the corner focused on Las as he shouted at Eli while she laughed mockingly.
Then it slowly turned toward Sifu as he headed for the exit—