“He’s right,” Rufus said. “There’s no way she would have quietly let you take it.”
“That’s why I didn’t tell her,” Farrah said.
“Good call,” Jason said. “I still think there was something shady going on with that woman.”
“Didn’t you say she was a priestess of Purity?” Clive asked.
“Exactly,” Jason said.
“It’s been a while since we’ve all been here together,” Rufus said as they stood in the yard behind Jory’s clinic. There was less space than in the past, with construction materials taking up much of the room. Jory had purchased the large building next to the clinic, and renovations were in full swing.
Like Jason, Rufus, Gary and Farrah had all been carrying out contracts. Some they did together, others alone as they each pursued other projects. Rufus had preparations for his academy's joint venture with the Gellers, while Farrah had been undertaking work for the Magic Society. Gary had been exploring the use of local materials in crafting weapons and armour. He sold the work he was satisfied with at the trade hall, with no small success. The rune tortoise shield he made with Farrah had auctioned well, getting him a lot of attention.
They started with weights training, which left Jason feeling inadequate. Rufus was bad enough, with the strength of a late-stage bronze ranker, but Farrah and Gary were worse. Farrah had a strength power from her earth essence and Gary’s race were all physically powerful. They were lifting half-ton barbells in each hand, while at least Rufus had the decency to struggle with one. By comparison, Jason was an out-of-shape guy in his first week at the gym.
The others stopped to cool down as Jason headed inside, using his power to help the waiting patients. With clinic hours reduced by the expansion and Jason often away on contracts, the clinic was more busy than ever.
“Haven’t seen those friends of yours in a while,” Jason said to Jory. “The fighter didn’t get hurt too badly, did she?”
They had just healed up a pit fighter who had been cursed by an opponent.
“No, she’s out of the pit fighting game again,” Jory said. “Haven’t seen them in a while.”
Back outside, Rufus was waiting for Jason.
“Time to see if those skills have atrophied,” Rufus said.
“Actually,” Jason said, “I’ve been working on something. My martial art, the Way of the Reaper…”
“What’s wrong?” Rufus asked.
“Just saying it out loud makes me realise how over the top that name is. Where did you say that skill book came from?”
“I didn’t say,” Rufus said.
“Not like it matters,” Jason said. “I’m a kung-fu wizard of darkness and blood. The good ship Chuunibyou has well and truly set sail.”
“Were you approaching some kind of point?” Rufus asked. “Or were you just going to stand there and spout nonsense?”
“He’s done it before,” Gary said, prompting a hurt look from Jason.
“He’s done it a lot,” Farrah added.
“Farrah, you too?” Jason asked.
“You were saying something about your martial art?” Rufus asked impatiently.
“Right, yes,” Jason said. “So, my martial art has five forms. Different approaches, different situations. At first, I thought it was about choosing the right form for the right enemy. Then I spent a lot of time fighting people in the mirage arena.”
“I heard about that,” Rufus said. “Danielle said she had a recording to show me. I heard you were challenging all comers for most of a week. What did you learn in that time?”
“That the Gellers really teach their kids how to fight,” Jason said. “I lost a lot of times.”
“What else?” Rufus asked.
“Only using a fifth of your martial arts is like… only using a fifth of your martial arts. The forms aren’t just five mini martial arts bundled into a skill book anthology. It was only when I started mixing things up that I realised the key to the whole thing.”
“Which is?” Rufus asked.
“The real trick to the style is understanding how and when to move between forms. A well-timed, well-executed change in approach can clinch a victory.”
Rufus took up a fighting stance.
“Show me.”
Rufus was faster and stronger, with more skill and experience. In all their time training, Jason had never landed more than a glancing blow. Not only did this latest sparring session follow the same pattern, but Jason was performing worse than he had since the early days. Farrah and Gary watched from the side, using piles of bricks as furniture.
“I’m not impressed,” Rufus said after knocking Jason into the dirt again. “You’re full of openings, more than when you first used the book. I think your attempts to change things up are making you lose what the book gave you in the first place.”
Jason picked himself up from the dirt, body aching from the punishing lesson. He brushed himself down and resumed a fighting stance.
“Prove it,” he said.
Spectating from the side, Gary chortled.
“It’s on now,” he said.
Jason’s clear eyes locked on Rufus, who shook his head.
“Some people need the truth beaten into them,” he said.
He came at Jason, hard and fast. Jason floundered back, narrowly avoiding a clean hit while almost tripping over his own feet. Rufus held the momentum ruthlessly, pushing Jason into a corner both figuratively and literally. Jason stumbled as a finishing blow came ramming at him, but then his body shifted. Rufus’s blow hit nothing but air as Jason shunted into his body, pushing Rufus off-balance. Jason’s elbow crashed into the side of Rufus’s head, ringing it like a bell.
Rufus staggered and Jason pressed, but suddenly Rufus was moving twice as fast and a fist slammed into Jason’s gut, doubling him over and lifting him right off his feet. An elbow crashed down on the back of Jason’s head, but Rufus stopped it before he smashed open Jason’s skull. Jason collapsed to the ground anyway.
“Good,” Rufus said, stepping back.
“Doesn’t—”
Jason barely got a hoarse word out before a coughing fit sent blood speckling into the dirt. He pulled a healing potion from his inventory and tipped it down his throat.
“I think you might have gone a bit hard, there, Rufus,” Gary said.
“He did well,” Rufus said. “Made me use my full strength for a moment. It was good.”
“Doesn’t feel good,” Jason croaked.
“On your feet,” Rufus said coldly.
“Come on, Rufus,” Farrah said. “You hit him so hard he had to drink a potion.”
“Which he did,” Rufus said. “So now he can get up.”
Rufus walked over to where Jason was still laying in the dirt.
“This is where he gets to choose,” Rufus says. “Is he going to be adequate, or is he going to be great? Stand up or lay down. What’s it going to be, Jason?”
Jason pushed himself up and onto his feet.
“You know,” he said, “Instructor Rufus is kind of a prick. Haven’t you heard of positive reinforcement?”
“All those openings you were showing,” Rufus said. “They’re a trap.”
“Well, some of them are traps,” Jason said. “It took you a while to go after the right one.”
“Only once you close all those real openings will you have made the style your own,” Rufus said.
“No,” Jason said. “Once I transform every opening into a trap, then I’ve made it my own.”
Rufus grinned.
“I like the ambition. You have a lot of work to do.”
76
Preparations
“Mr Asano,” Gilbert greeted, “always such a pleasure.”
“Morning, Bert. Your message said you found something for me?”
“Ah, yes,” Gilbert said, looking reluctant. “Loath as I am to refer you to my brother, he does have something that meets your specifications quite neatly. Of course, I could offer you something adequate myself, but adequate isn’t the Gilbert’s Resilient Attire for the Discerning Gentleman way.”