"Ugh… What the hell happened? My head is killing me…"

A light wind brushed across his still frame, as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Where am I?"

Cyrus skimmed his surroundings noticing the vast grassland he laid upon, he swiveled his gaze to the right witnessing mountains that pierced the heavens. 

"Ouch!"

In his stupor, Cyrus tried to sit up, yet his body was aching all over, as if thousands of needles were being lodged in every crevice of his body.

"What happened to me? Did I get my ass beat?"

A gruff, yet whimsical voice chuckled behind him. "That's precisely what happened, my boy."

Cyrus tilted his head back, glaring daggers at the old man. "Was it you who did this Grandfather?" His accusatory gaze demanded an answer.

The old man waved his arms in a placating manner, whilst holding back a laugh. "No, it wasn't me. Do you not remember challenging your friend to a duel?"

Memories rushed into Cyrus's head as the events from earlier hit him like a truck.

Flashback…

"Hey Shin, wanna duel?"

Shin glanced behind his shoulder examining Cyrus's confident smirk before letting out a mirthless chuckle. "You'll lose again." His tone was flat expressing a great sense of boredom.

"Don't be like that, I've gotten stronger!" Cyrus tightened his fist and gave Shin a determined stare.

Shin let out a tired sigh before giving in, "fine, I'll kick your ass again."

"Ya right…" 

Shin is known for being the strongest Junior student in the Norma mountains, he defeats his opponents with quick succession, never sparing them a second glance. He sports a teal gi and white shaggy hair; his eyes are a deep magenta, his facial features would make most jealous. His skin is that of a tan complexion.

The two walked through the bustling village, as vendors encouraged others to buy their products, street performers spit fire and did "magic" tricks, weight lifters did competitions, and people entered the bar.

"The city seems lively today, huh Shin?" 

Cyrus glanced around, absorbing the various activities.

"Ya… Hey, let's hurry to the training field…"

"Uh, sure."

Their pace quickened as they apporched the village gates.

'I wonder what's wrong with him? I can get not wanting to fight me but, leaving the village like this is a tad strange.' Cyrus mused.

As they approached the gate, two guards intercepted them with iron spears.

"Where are you going?" The guard was of average height and sported a black gi with black Bejin shoes; his black hair cascaded over his shoulders, as his green eyes were laced with suspicion, his skin was of a tan complexion and his fists were wrapped in bandages.

"Ya, what business do you have outside the village walls?" The other guard was taller than normal, he dons a white gi with teal Begin shoes, his gray hair was short and spiky. His red eyes peered into the boys; his skin was pale and his hands gripped his spear.

Shin's bored expression quickly morphed into one of annoyance. "We're leaving to train… Jackasses."

The guards had varying reactions, the gray haired one narrowed his eyes as if wanting to strike; yet the black haired one merely smirked and let down his spear.

"Oh, I thought you had other intentions, there's been sightings of suspicious individuals appearing, please understand." His tone was apologetic, but the shit eating grin on his face betrayed that.

"Ya, ya whatever. Let's go, Cyrus."

"Ya…"

I traipsed him, heading down the path that leads to the training ground. Lush foliage encapsulated the mountain, as wisps of fog slowly began to shroud it.

"Are you ok shin?"

Shin nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders as he mulled over a response. "Ya, just annoyed for how stuck up those guards were." His tone was flat and expression void of emotion.

"I see…"

Shin shifts his gaze towards me, as if he thought of something to ask.

"Hey, Cyrus."

"Ya?"

"Did you tell your grandfather about this duel?"

My steps halted as sweat dripped down my face, "shit! Shit! Shit! He's gonna kill me! I'll meet you at the field!" I took off in a mad sprint.

Shin sighed exasperatedly. "What an idiot. Well I guess I should get going…"

"Hey, are you done training-"

I sped past him, not giving any thought into what he had to say. 'That old man will work me to the bone if I leave without telling him.'

A while later in an isolated part of town, I arrived at a fairly decent wooden house. Its exterior was rather average, only having a well kept porch with a wooden chair placed on the left side of it. 

'Hopefully he doesn't know I left, that old man somehow knows everything.'

I walked up the shabby wooden steps, they faintly creaked under the weight of my shoes. Approaching the door, I knocked.

"Hey! Gramps! You in there?!" I pressed my ear against the door, hearing heavy steps arrive.

"Oh, you've returned."

The old man's stature was above average, his unkempt white hair was plastered over his face, he dons a white gi and sports various scars across his frame. His brown eyes lazily peered into mine; he was of a dark skin complexion and he held a small note book in his left hand.

I lowered my eyes from his seemingly intense gaze, "grandfather, can I go to the training field, and duel Shin?"

The ancient man rubbed his chin and pondered for a moment. "Why should I allow you to go?" His amusement was evident by the smirk on his face.

I sighed internally, "to become the greatest student in all of Norma, and for my great teacher to be recognized amongst all!" My tone was boring and full of sarcasm.

A tick mark appeared on the man's forehead as he slammed his fist onto my head. 

"Get hell out of here you brat!"

I held my head in pain, forcing back the tears. "I'm leaving!"

At the training field…

Shin gazes up into the sky counting clouds, bored as ever. 'When is that idiot coming? It's been fifteen minutes.'

"Huff, huff, I'm here…" I was out of breath, tired from sprinting all the way here.

Shin dug in his gi and threw something at me, "catch it's an energy booster we got from below, I believe they used "Zenshi" to create it."

The bottle was made of glass, the liquid inside resembled that of mercury. "Zenshi, huh? Isn't that what the instructors use to enhance their bodies?"

Shin nodded, "ya, but they also use some weird technique paired with it. Also, down below I heard that people there use Zenshi to create "magic."

My eyes opened slightly, "magic? I thought it wasn't real."

Shin leaned against a tree and gazed into the sky once more, "ya so did I, we really don't know anything about this world…"

I drank the liquid and clenched my fists, "once I get strong enough I'll leave this place and explore this world."

Shin glanced at me with his eyebrows raised, "we'll see about that, let's just get this over with."

"Ya!"

Shin placed his right foot forward and extended his left arm, he firmly placed his left foot behind him and loosely clenched his right hand, barely extending it forward. 

I adopted a similar stance, simply reversing it. The air was still, as we both braced for the fight.

'Now!' I unleashed a flurry of jabs and kicks, shin shifted his position digging deeper into the fertile ground, he extended his right arm forward intercepting my assault. 

"Ha!" Shin threw out a palm strike with his right hand breaking through my defenses, then continued with a front kick to my gut.

"Gah…" I gasped for air, slowly getting my bearings. Shin was not done with his assault though, and launched a roundhouse kick to my temple, quickly I ducked and parried an incoming knee strike.

"You're no joke. Still as strong as ever, but I won't lose to you." 

I dashed towards him weaving through the jabs and hooks, "got you!" I landed an uppercut on his chin, forcing his head upwards.

Shin grit his teeth glaring at me, "damn you."

I continued my assault by landing a palm strike on his stomach, "ugh!" Spit retreated from Shin's mouth as he landed on his feet. "I'm done playing with you." Shin's gaze harder as he vanished from my visage.

"What the?!"

"The instructors aren't the only ones who can utilize Zenshi, Cyrus."

Shin appeared in front of me, gaze completely focused, he thrust his right fist into my solar plexus and muttered, "Tempest oath." I was sent hurling already passed out.

Shin rubbed his arm in pain, the gi around it exploded and his skin bruised; torn cloth riddling the ground.

Flashback end…