Tricks
Trickery, schemes, stratagems, ploys, and ruses: they were all different names for the same thing in the context of a fight.
'And this master in front of me, who's currently dashing towards me, this supposed "Kaiou," he's the greatest Houdini of them all.'
Kaiou Dorian, the most versatile of the death row inmates. Unlike Yanagi, who relied on the Way of the Void, or Speck, who relied on his strong body despite its age, Dorian was different.
As a master tactician once said: "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat."
'What's the harm in being prepared?'
Kaiou Dorian, a master of both the martial arts and deception. Having served as a private in Japan for the United States Army shortly after World War II, he started his training in Japan and eventually made his way to China.
There, he learned from the Temple and achieved great heights in the art of Chinese Kenpo, even attaining the title of Kaiou despite being a foreigner. The first Westerner in history to earn the title of 'Kaiou' was now facing the youngest 'Kaiou' in history, both having been previously trained by the same master. It was a match made in heaven, brought forth by destiny.
'But still, it's so disappointing facing him like this while we're both shackled.'
It's unknown when Kaiou Dorian exactly lost faith in his martial arts, choosing to instead resort to "tricks" to win his battles. His over-reliance on them eventually led to his downfall.
I dodged his strike, which seemed to be quite similar to Sunkei, except he used his palm instead of his fists. Instead of taking the opportunity to counter-attack, I followed my head rather than my heart and reached into his clothes with the precision of a surgeon, removing the object I had been expecting to find.
'I know it hurts, Kuzan, but you have to do it.'
It seemed as if the man was confused by my actions, having been unable to fully register them in the midst of his attack, as well as due to their speed and precision. He decided to pat himself down, finally understanding what I had just done.
"Ah, boy, I got it now. So you didn't miss."
"Mind giving it back?" The man spoke with a smile on his face, pointing to the object I was currently playing with in my hands, constantly flicking it up and down in the palm of my hand.
"Come on now, Mr. Magician, I'm sure you have many more of these 'tricks' that you can work with."
It was an interesting toy, a small "lighter"-shaped box which, instead of carrying propellant, contained a wire that cost tens of thousands of dollars per meter to purchase.
"This astronaut's wire, made of a titanium composite, is sharp enough to cut metal with its tensile strength of 4 microns to 200 kilograms of tension, and is light enough to match a spider's web," I continued berating the man's choice of "weapon" while using his own voice, "it's certainly fun to play with."
"Isn't it, Kaiou Dorian?"
"HAHAHAHA," it seemed like the man in question couldn't contain his laughter at my impression of him, wiping away the tears in his eyes as he spoke. "Looks like you've done your homework, kid."
"Always prepared, that's my motto." I continued the charade, throwing away the "toy" as far as I could, sending it to the moon.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, looks like you'll have to buy more." I taunted the man with a fake frown on my face.
"Don't worry, boy, I have a lot of tricks left." The man quipped while dashing towards me, trying to land a Nukite hit on my face.
'Stupid,' performing such a simple technique on a fighter who has nearly reached mastery in Karate is asking for trouble. I decided to respond in turn by punching straight forth to match his strike, smashing his fingers to pieces in the process.
He wouldn't let such a tiny amount of pain get to him, however, as for a man of his caliber, someone who had survived hanging on the gallows for over ten minutes, this much pain was nothing.
With the dexterity of a leopard, he utilized his momentum to spin forward in the air, trying to land an axe kick directly into my face. He wasn't called a master among magicians for nothing, as even within his attack, he decided to include another one of his "tricks."
It was funny, really, like a new kid on the first day of school showing off his cool shoes that were both skates and shoes. Unlike the kid, however, this grown child's shoe didn't have wheels on its heels but rather blades that seemed to pop up out of nowhere.
'Must be a spring-loaded mechanism in the shoes,' I tried to decipher how the magic trick was performed while utilizing a horizontal Karate chop to cut the blade, making it fly into the air. I then dodged his kick and picked up the piece of metal that had fallen onto the ground.
"Want this back too?" I asked the man with a smiling face, again throwing away his little toy to join its brother on its journey to the moon.
"Come on now, show me some better 'tricks,' Mr. Magician," I pleaded with the man, imitating the voice of my sister to drive home the point, "surprise me."
"Very well, little man," it seemed as if he was finally getting serious after seeing all of his previous tricks prove worthless against me.
He got into a stance that I recognized instantly, starting to move his arms and legs slowly but with meaning, similar to those old grandpas performing Tai-Chi to improve their health at the local parks.
'So that's your game.' I was again amused at his actions, finding them fun.
'Let's see if I can get through your "shield," oh great Kaiou.'
I pushed forward, using my skills to outmaneuver the speed of attacks, weaving through his defenses, and landing a crushing blow to his jaw.
'Thanks, [Ultra Instinct].'
I was stopped in my continuous attacks, however, by the man's begging, who was now pleading for his life on the ground.
"Please stop, no more, please." He continued to beg at my feet like a child having been reprimanded by their parents, "please."
[Dorian POV]
'And to think I was actually having a little fun with you boy.'
'Preparation only takes you so far, boy. You're just an upstart who challenged a master at his own game.'
"I heard about your little show at the arena," I slowly walked up to the kid, speaking aloud despite knowing full well that he was unable to hear me right now, "I'll show you a real performance."
I coughed a little to soothe my throat and began my song as I moved my hand closer to the boy, who was currently lost in his dreams.
"MA VIIIIIEEEEEEEE, ONCE I HAVE FINALLY FOUND YOU I'LL NEVER LET YOU GO, YOU ARE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE YOU SEE-"
[Kuzan POV]
"THUCK" I knocked his song right out of his mouth.
It seemed that my acting had worked, convincing the man that I was truly under his spell. It was foolish really for him to assume that such a trick would work on me.
'I trained in the same place as you, you know.' I had long learned to counter such small tricks on the subconscious, utilizing the techniques taught to me by Master Shikai Bun to not be affected by his hypnosis.
Thus, I decided to have a little fun, choosing to attack as he made his way closer, cutting off his song in the process.
'Still, as much as it pains me to do this, it's time to finish this little magic show.'
It was a straight punch to the ribs, just a single punch, doing not nearly enough damage to the man as Master Orochi would in the near future.
The man coughed hard at the attack that had just landed on his chest, seemingly losing his ability to even breathe, about to throw up from the hit.
Time seemed to freeze as I analyzed my next move.
I could see it, coming up his throat, the grenade he had been previously hiding in his stomach.
It would have been so easy to end it right then and there, a single strong kick to the neck would set it off, ending the man.
'It's so easy, come on DO IT!'
Still, I held onto my rationality, reminding myself of the consequences of my own actions. I decided to use my last strand of willpower and deployed one of Xiao Li's smoke bombs to "escape" from the convicted felon.
I ran away from the fight that was all but over, making my way back to the same high-rise as before.
"FUCK" I screamed aloud to let out my frustrations while I smashed in a wall, causing it to crumble into pieces.
I was furious at myself for not being able to finish the fight, for holding back during it, having to spend all that time trying to convince the man that I was 'scared' of his little 'tricks.
But I convinced myself yet again, remining myself that it was for the 'greater good'.
"How did it go?"
'Looks like she was waiting for me to return.'
I responded to her question with a small sigh escaping my lips, letting out my disappointments.
"As expected."
[Xiao Li POV]
It seemed that he was still in a bad mood at the outcome of the fight, despite knowing going in that he would be unable to "finish" it completely.
I remembered asking him, confused at his actions that he told me about in advance, convincing me to not "interfere" in his future matches.
"Why, Kuzan? I get why you're fighting him, but why not 'finish him off'?"
He responded with a somewhat annoyed look on his face.
"Because it's more fun this way in the long run."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Xiao Li," he continued his explanation for his actions that were so unlike him, "have you heard what they say about the flutter of a butterfly's wing?"
[Kuzan POV]
'It better have been worth it, old man, otherwise I won't stop at just your son, I'll devour you instead.'