Ryu reappeared, standing firmly upon his fourth step. In truth, he had put in more effort than he expected for such an early step, but he didn't show any of that fatigue now. After all, the Phoenix Martial Forms focused heavily on recoverability. Although Ryu had used it as a cheap trick to agitate the wind, the underlying benefits remained the same.
"Grandpa, isn't Ryu great?" Yaana clapped, her small, delicate palms reddening under the strain. It seems she had forgotten that just moments earlier, she too had expected Ryu to lose.
The old General could only roll his eyes. She hadn't even married yet, but she was already taking the side of the man she liked in all things.
