“Alright then, since you’re so eager, let’s get started. First, I want-“

“Wow, I get to watch Tamayo train? It’s an honor to be able to watch my opponent train!”

Sensei removed the cigarette from his mouth, simultaneously releasing a puff of smoke from his mouth.

“Rai, why don’t you focus on doing something else?”

“Why should I? As far as I’m concerned, this is currently my domain.”

“Alright, then I have a solution to this problem.”

Sensei used his left hand to snap his fingers. At the moment of the snap, Rai was standing directly in front of Sensei.

“Wait, what- WHAT ARE YOU UP TO-“

“I ask that you please refrain from destroying the house.”

“OR WHAT, GORILLA SKIN?!”

Sensei raised his left hand to Rai’s forehead and snapped his fingers against Rai’s forehead.

At the moment of impact, Rai found himself standing in the living room of Sense’s house.

‘TO HELL WITH THE OLD MAN! Kicking me out of the Void that I inhabit… And to think that I was looking forward to watching Tamayo fail at training. Now I’m stuck in the physical world again. So now what?’

Rai glanced around the house. His attention was caught by a slightly-opened door nearly obscured from view in the hallway.

‘Is that… a bathroom? I’ve always wanted to know how and why a human uses a bathroom…’

——

Savior: Original Story by OneSevenEight

Episode: Framed Perspective - Part 22

——

“So now that it’s just the two of us, let’s go ahead and get started. Tamashi, I want you to try to punch me.”

Tamashi’s face appeared to be filled with concern after hearing Sensei’s statement.

“Huh? You want me to punch you?”

“Yes.”

“In your face?”

“Yes.”

“But that’s so mean!”

“Why are you so concerned?”

“Because… well… YOU’RE OLD!”

Ash dislodged from the end of the cigarette and dispersed into the air as Sensei spoke.

“I promise, you’re not going to hurt me. After all, you won’t land a single punch.”

‘Wait, what? I won’t land a punch? This guy’s… What do you mean by “not landing a punch”? Jiji-sensei’s underestimating me!’

A majestic orange hue painted the sky of the Void as Tamashi slowly lifted his fist and clenched it.

“All it’s gonna take to start fixing everything is to figure out how to land one punch on Rai. I’ll be able to access some of his powers, which will be used to right what was wronged. That outcome has to happen, no matter what.”

Tamashi’s deep, rich blue eyes glimmered in the sunlight as he locked eyes with Sensei.

“SO I’M GONNA COME AT YOU WTH EVERYTHING I’VE GOT. DON’T TELL ME I WON’T LAND A PUNCH, JIJI-SENSEI!”

Sensei removed the used-up cigarette butt from his mouth in order to replace it with a new one. He flashed a toothy smirk as he lit the fresh replacement.

“Whenever you’re ready, Tamashi.”

Tamashi bent his knees and slightly lowered himself.

“YOU ASKED FOR IT!”

Using the power of his feet, Tamashi launched himself towards Sensei, rearing back his right fist.

As Tamashi floated through the air as if in a slow-motion shot, He maintained eye contact with Sensei. Intensity swirled in the air as Sensei matched Tamashi’s determined stare with a look of confidence and strength.

‘This is gonna work. I’m gonna make contact.’

Just as Tamashi was about to make contact, Sensei grinned.

In an instant, his entire body shifted to the left side of Tamashi.

“It appears that you were too slow.”

As Sensei calmly continued to smoke, Tamashi landed face-first onto the floor. When the floor entered Tamashi’s view, he was reminded of one of the most harrowing aspects of the Void.

“Gah- WAIT, THERE’S NO- BUT THERE IS-“

As Tamashi pondered whether the floor actually existed or not for the first time since re-entering the Void, Sensei approached from behind.

“Perhaps the largest issue with that attack was the obvious nature of it. You assumed that it was going with work without issue.”

Sensei slowed his walk as he neared Tamashi.

“There was absolutely no thought behind that attack. Why don’t you get up and try-“

Tamashi’s left foot sprung up from the ground and flew toward’s Sensei’s face. Sensei dodged to his left.

“Ah, you’re putting in more thought now. In that case-“

Tamashi forced himself off the ground with his arms and used his legs to swiftly regain his balance. He spun to his left and raised his right fist.

“-I’ll reveal my technique.”

Sensei caught Tamashi’s arm mid-air with his right hand, spun Tamashi around, and placed his left hand next to Tamashi’s neck.

Shock began to fill Tamashi’s mind as he felt the wind pressure from Sensei’s hand movement on his neck.

“Wait, wha- how -HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!”

Tamashi felt the plumes of smoke escape from Sensei’s cigarette on his back.

“It’s a fairly simple technique. I’m just predicting what you’re going to do next by reading your body language. As you can tell, that technique has worked out well so far.”

“Predicting what I’m going to do? But I thought I caught you by surprise in that last-“

“I was already planning in the case that you were going to launch a surprise attack. I was planning for multiple different scenarios when I approached you.”

Tamashi’s face featured a look of question.

“Wait, you were able to think about all that in the middle of a fight?”

Tamashi turned his head towards Sensei as far as he could and decided to add a follow-up question.

“Hey, Jiji-sensei, you seem to know way too much about the Seishin and you’re crazy good at fighting. So who are you?”

Sensei removed the cigarette from his mouth as it approached the end of its useful life.

“I’m just an old man who’s looking to fix the mistakes of the past. Now, it’s time for you to learn how to use my technique for yourself. It’ll be the key to landing an attack on Rai.”

As Sensei released Tamashi from his hold, Tamashi decided that he wasn’t satisfied with Sensei’s answer.

“You completely dodged the question! WHO ARE YOU?! Are you even human?”