Ok Family House, Benson Avenue.
The sky was orange. The chandelier above the dining room shone over the dining table. A big family was gathered around it, laughing, and eating.
Lumian, with his mouth shut, cut the beef into small pieces and then ate them one by one, not showing any kind of emotion in his face.
"..."
Sozen wiped his mouth with the napkin, then put it down beside the plate, and stood up out of the seat.
"Lumian, my study, please."
The rest of the family turned quiet and looked at the two with curious expressions, wondering what was going on.
"Yes, father."
Lumian put his fork and knife down. He stood up. Then he followed his father up the stairs all the way to his study.
The study looked cozy and inviting, with a large mahogany desk and shelves filled with books.
"I received a word today that Cleo had quit my dojo. It ca as a very big surprise indeed, especially after you said that she will visit soon."
Sozen said and sat behind the desk.
"...She did?"
Lumian said, feigning surprise.
He already knew that was going to happen after he happened to overhear Cleo and Jock’s conversation.
"This Kiernan Hunter... Do you think he poached her? She participated with a student of his, after all, and who knows, he might have already been teaching her before the competition.
"She hadn’t been coming to the dojo for a while, saying that she is busy, but what if she had been in the Martial Redemption dojo all this ti?"
Sozen said.
"That is against the Rules of the Masters. Poaching is fine, but a student can’t be in two dojos at the sa ti."
"I don’t think that is the case, master. I think she had been unhappy with Ok Family Dojo for a while now, and since she beca close friends with Jock, she decided to join him there."
Lumian said.
"Why has she been unhappy? She got the best trainers with her at all tis, and we helped to nurture a positive environnt for her to grow in."
Sozen asked with a frown.
He was feeling quite betrayed and thought that there was sothing going on between Lumian and Cleo as well.
They were close friends, but he didn’t think that it was only friendship and thought that there was sothing deeper going on.
Thus, he believed that Lumian and Cleo would get married one day and would inherit the dojo from him in the future.
"...I don’t know, father. It is a question that you must ask her."
Lumian asked.
"...So you don’t think that she has been secretly being taught by Kiernan all this ti?"
Sozen asked.
"Rule of the Masters is explained to every master who is seeking the master status. Kiernan knows the rules, and he wouldn’t get his dojo disbanded because of one student.
"Instead, she would’ve just quit the Ok Family Dojo a week ago instead and joined him, but it also would’ve been risky.
"Kiernan hadn’t shown his capabilities as a teacher, but he showed that with Jock, as in only a week, he trained him to an impressive level.
"It made Cleo confident enough to change dojos."
Lumian said.
"You are most likely correct, my son. I just don’t understand what he has in his dojo that I don’t."
Sozen said with a frown.
’A better martial arts style.’
Lumian thought inwardly.
Of course, he would never dare to say that aloud, as Sozen himself created Ok Family Style, and it was his pride.
If anyone dared to disrespect it—it didn’t matter whether they were family or not—he would crush them under his iron fists.
"I guess we need to keep a close eye on Kiernan and his Martial Redemption dojo. There is only one way for him to make a na for his dojo quickly.
"It is by participating in the tournants. We will have our students participate as well and focus our efforts on them."
Sozen said.
’...I don’t know whether I should participate. If I am really what Kiernan said that I am, I might lose control again and, this ti around, kill soone.’
Lumian thought to himself, a conflicted look flashing past his eyes.
...
Martial Redemption Dojo, Action Street, late in the evening.
"Ah..."
Cleo stood in the yard, hundreds of acupuncture needles protruding out of her body, and she was looking as stiff as a statue.
She was standing in an Iron Style Stance.
"You’re starting teaching her with that too? I thought there were other thods to teach that, and you only did that because it is quickest to force to learn that.
"We don’t have another deadline, so why?"
Jock asked.
"...Well, we do have. In a couple of weeks, I hope you two are capable of participating in one tournant that I am interested in."
Kiernan said.
"R-Really?"
Jock said in surprise.
It made his heart beat quickly, as he really didn’t think that he was prepared to participate in another tournant.
"A tournant? Could it be the All-Mixed Beginner Tournant?"
Cleo asked in surprise.
"That’s it. It is a good tournant for what I have planned. All styles are allowed there, and it is for newer martial artists."
Kiernan said.
"Isn’t that a solo tournant...?"
Jock asked with a twitching lip.
"Yes, of course."
Kiernan said.
"I-I don’t even know how to attack. I was only able to perform well because Cleo was with , but now I have to fight all by myself?"
Jock asked with dread.
"In these couple of weeks, I will teach you how to attack. The most basic versions of my techniques."
Kiernan said.
"Finally..."
Jock said with a relieved look and then, with a wry smile, asked.
"Those techniques won’t make my bones break, right?"
"They won’t. It is still part of Iron Style, but very llowed versions of my techniques. I reduced the destructiveness and focused on control and precision.
"It is a good starting point for you to start learning Iron Style in all of its entirety."
Kiernan said.
"W-what about , master?"
Cleo asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.
She also wanted to learn the powerful Iron Style techniques!
"You’re in a different position from Jock, Cleo. You had already been training well before him and have a good physique already.
"I think you are even capable of using so techniques."
Kiernan said.
"Yay!"
Cleo said excitedly.
When Kiernan was Martial Soldier, he had worse conditioning than Cleo, as when he reincarnated, his forr self was really bad at conditioning.
So, in this case, Cleo was in a very good situation to start properly learning Iron Style.
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