Last chapter of the first story arc

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"Now," Akira said slowly. "Are you ready for our fight?"

"Yes, Master," Akiza replied.

The two made their way to the empty spot in the Dantian where they regularly fought. They both had a feeling that this would be the day, it would be the day that Akiza would finally be able to land a clean hit on Akira.

"You are now stronger than me physically," Akira said. "The breakthrough into the Spirit Stage is an improvement that is incomparable to all of the other previous ones. On the count of three."

"One," said Akira.

"Two," said Akiza.

"Three!" they both shouted.

This time, Akiza dashed in a straight line towards Akira with more power and speed than she ever had before. She let the energy in her body flow to her leg as she threw a powerful kick. Powerful blue fames bursted outwards from the impact and even Akira could feel the heat of it. If he had not blocked that attack, it might have been a killing blow.

Akira lifted his shield to intercept and a loud BOOM could be heard. The blow was still blocked by Akira, but he could not push Akiza back as she moved back to retreat.

"So I still cannot force my way through that easily," Akiza said.

"Did you think it would be that easy?" Akira responded.

"Of course not, otherwise you would not be that strong Master!" Akiza shouted.

"My turn!" Akira shouted in response. Akira charged foward and threw his shield at Akiza.

"I know this trick," Akiza said to herself. She deflected the shield with her right arm and saw Akira charging straight at her. She immediately dropped to the floor by doing a split and prepared a flame enhanced punch to hit Akira.

At that moment, Akira stabbed his huge sword on the ground in order to stop his momentum, and propel himself upward using the sword as a base for a double jump. He leaped high up into the air. Akiza backed away as Akira came smashing down on Akiza's location.

"Nice dodge," Akira said as he retrieved his sword and shield.

Akiza continued her attack and charged at Akira. Akira braced himself for the impact, but Akiza did a side turn and attempted to hit Akira in the back.

"Not fast enough!" Akira shouted as we swung his arm. This was a trick that Akiza attempted during one of her early fights and Akira was prepared for it. He braced himself for an enhanced punch from Akiza that would have to counter with to parry the attack.

However, that punch never came. Akira had made a mistake in judgment. In the past, Akiza had relied on power that Akira could match, but this time, Akiza did not use power. She grabbed onto Akira's arm and used it to pull herself up and throw a fire enhanced right hook at Akira.

"You win," Akira said as he braced himself to receive that punch. A loud BOOM sounded as Akira fell to the floor for the first time.

After three months of repeated sparring for hours each day. Akiza finally landed a blow on Akira. However, it was nothing like the injuries that Akiza received. Akira may have been injured and looked like he was bleeding, but he got up like it was nothing at all. "You used your speed to your advantage," he said.

"Yes, Master," Akiza said.

"Can I ask how you came up with this?" Akira asked.

"I studied all of our fights closely," Akiza said. "You usually counter each attack with what is most effective to prepare for your next attack or counterattack. In the past, I always met power with power, but as time went on, I knew. I was much smaller. When you told me my body could not handle the breakthrough, I knew that I was not as strong as you, so I had to use something else to my advantage. The only two things that came to mind was size and Internal Energy. You always block my attacks, and I always have the chance to retreat, which means that I was faster and weaker than you. Even with the fire I was not strong enough to break your defense, which means I still had to hit your head. So, I used your own strength against you by using your own arm as a support to help me hit you."

"Very well done," Akira said. "From this day on, I acknowledge your strength."

"You give me too much credit," Akiza said as she bowed.

"No, think about it, Aki," Akira said. "We have been fighting for three months. You have the amount of combat experience against people that others would not get in decades."

Akiza thought about the words and realized what Akira meant. Training is rarely a fight to the death, but when they were fighting, Akira was always fighting to kill. She had won against an opponent who was much stronger and experienced than her. She had learned how to read attacks, how to use her own physique to her advantage, and how to use her own Internal Energy in a fight. "Thank you for your teachings, Master."

"You are ready," Akira said. "Tomorrow, you will leave this forest. It is time for you to see the world."

Akiza felt uncomfortable that she had to leave her Home behind, but she knew that she could not live in the forest forever. She wanted to go to Riyadh to see if anyone in her caravan survived.