underground fights.

Rimi hated a person with all her heart; she loathed someone who had killed someone precious to her. She despised the very person standing in front of her, and although she attempted to move, the boy simply smiled, making Rimi realize he was a demon, one who, for now, had plans with his master. Hugh held her back, gripping her hands; his hands trembled. There was something dangerous about the boy that Rimi couldn't comprehend.

-Why did you stop me?- Rimi asked, pouting slightly, but her murderous intent was evident. The killer of Ryuto was about to clash with Lugh, seeking to confront him for his disdain.

-He would have killed you without mercy. He is a true assassin… even now, he smells of blood, and his eyes gleam with contempt. He likely wants to kill you, waiting for your attacks to claim ignorance, - Lugh remarked.

-Rimi is strong, - the girl pouted.

-That's not true. He killed Ryuto, who was far superior to all of us. Even Master Ogata called him talented. First, become strong, and then we can kill him, - Lugh said, but he no longer appeared superior in any regard. Kei's power was overwhelming; he sensed a barrier that was doubtful to breach. This was not like their training or the various fighters they faced; he truly fought to kill. The danger was palpable in the air, unlike anything he had felt with other opponents. This was a man who would never back down from a fight; he seemed to live for such encounters.

-Rimi can't wait that long; it hurts her deeply to fail like this. The love for Ryuto-sama cannot be buried in silence. She completely hates how he flaunts himself while Ryuto is dead,- said the blonde girl, pouting, while Kei trained in the adjacent room at level 4, blinking and firing numerous metal pellets. Ogata observed everything closely, teaching him the ways to lose.

Rimi silently cried in anger; these people had brushed aside Ryuto and completely forgotten everything they had lived through together as friends, forgotten like the candelabra neglected in rusted castles. Rimi hated Kei Kazama and believed he would pay with a debt of blood.

-Come here,- Lugh said, leading her to a small room. It wasn't wise to show weakness in front of a group of shadows and villains; they would have no mercy on their companions. These were people who took advantage of every minor detail, and he had already begun to notice Loki's abusive behavior. The guy acted like a madman and always laughed in secret, isolated and broken.

-Rimi wants to kill him,- she stated.

…

Meanwhile, Kei, on the side of the wall, was hitting the target, becoming powerful and completely enhancing his assimilation abilities. He took Ogata's style with such ease, then switched to his Sei style and began to refine all his skills while practicing ways to improve his inner form, his inner eye. He hadn't been trained in that manner; he was using instinct along with another skill that aided him: predicting the battle based on his instincts. Normally, this was how he read the battle, while the inner eye focused on reading battle patterns, utilizing Ki as the source to enhance his abilities.

-Lower your knees a bit when executing those kinds of strikes; it's better to have a different class of strikes behind your steps. Many times, if you twist your knees during a thin turn, you can set up a rapid counterattack, as it's almost like a preparatory attack,- Ogata advised, having spent time teaching the young man the use of his knees, which Kei was starting to incorporate as his skills.

Among all his available techniques, he had to completely change his approach from Agito Kannoh, who only devoured and devoured but chewed on so many styles that he never settled on something unique and concrete. Kei's goal was to devour + add + synthesize onto a base style, which was the shapeless style + Niko's style, taking it to the extreme. He aimed to be like an elusive fish but preferred dangerous attacks aimed at causing damage. So, he integrated boxing into his shapeless style. But that wasn't enough; he then began to study Muay Thai, Kempo, and Jiu-Jitsu. With additional skills, he found that the best way to gain abilities was by reinforcing them, but it was complicated. Sometimes fighters had different preferences for certain strikes and styles, and simply practicing without control could lead to a situation where each learned skill might improve.

-Hit my weak points. You must attack where you can destroy: the organs, the veins, the areas that are inherently weak in humans,- Ogata instructed.

Kei began to use his best skills to strike at vulnerable spots like the heart, throat, kidneys, lower abdomen, carotid artery, and areas where the muscle was easiest to tear.

-Keep attacking, - Ogata urged, delivering numerous blows of different styles, each aimed at improving Kei's speed of attack. It resulted in him curling up from a blow delivered by Ogata to the center of his stomach, enough force to shatter Kei's spirit completely. Ogata's strike was no simple feat.

-Come on, Shou, we have many things to do,- Akira said.

-Sure, master. I'll beat these old-timers, and then we can go have tea for dinner,- Kannoh Shou replied.

Taking notes and scheduling for the upcoming days, he prepared for the tests of Kuremisago, facing various martial artists. The only problem was that all the matches were to the death, and Kannoh often finished them in seconds, meeting the expectations set by those around him, whether through swift strikes or adapting their moves as his own. Frequently, after a fight, he would take time to listen to the elders and their many stories in silence.

-This will be very easy,- Shou remarked, moving his hands, not daring to take a step, his petulant smile in place.

With two quick karate steps, he delivered a kick, dodging a central strike aimed at his chest and another lunging one with open arms. But he was faster than an average person and ended the fight with a high kick. Even now, it was effortless. Akira Hongo nodded in satisfaction.

-You've improved, Shou. Let's go, - Akira said. Kano Shou's bodyguards nodded; they were two young men trained by Akira Hongo to protect them from danger.

-But you'll need to be careful; you still have a lot to learn in the coming years. If you don't learn well that you can never be arrogant in battles, you will lose, - Akira Hongo advised, knowing his disciple would soon face the disciple of his former rival, Shio Sakaki.

-Yes, yes. I'll win, no matter what, - Kano declared.

...