The next morning, as the sun barely rose over the village, Towan and Elliot stepped into the backyard of the rented house. There, their master awaited, already warming up with smooth movements.
"Today, we’ll do something different," he announced, stretching as the boys positioned themselves before him. "I want you both to face me together."
"Really?" Towan said, grinning with excitement. "Finally, we’ll see how we measure up against you!"
Elliot looked less enthusiastic, crossing his arms. "Are you going to use essentia, Master?"
"Not this time," the master replied calmly. "I’ll rely only on my body and technique. I want you to understand something important: essentia is just a tool. If you don’t control your body and mind, it’s useless."
The brothers exchanged glances and nodded, each taking their stance. Towan, always impulsive, leaned forward, ready to strike immediately, while Elliot maintained a more defensive posture, assessing the situation.
"Whenever you’re ready," the master said, assuming a relaxed stance with a serene smile.
The match began with Towan charging straight in, trying to surprise the master with a direct strike to the torso. But with an elegant movement, the master sidestepped, using Towan’s own momentum to push him away.
"You’re too predictable, Towan!" the master called as he returned to his starting position.
Elliot seized the moment, attacking from a different angle with a series of quick strikes aimed at the ribs. The master blocked each one with precision, moving just enough to avoid taking damage.
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"Don’t just attack reflexively, Elliot! Think about the flow of the fight," the master advised, deflecting the last punch with his forearm and stepping back a few paces.
"Let’s attack together, Elliot!" Towan shouted, quickly recovering. Both brothers charged simultaneously, attempting to coordinate their movements to corner the master.
The master remained calm, relying only on his technique and experience to counter them. Each time one attacked, he deflected the strike smoothly, turning to avoid being caught between them. At one point, he blocked a kick from Towan with his forearm, used the momentum to spin, and placed his hand in front of Elliot’s face, stopping his next attack without even touching him.
"You’re improving," he said with a smile, "but you still rely too much on brute force. Your movements need more purpose."
Frustrated but determined, the boys tried changing their strategy. Elliot focused on keeping the master occupied with constant attacks, while Towan searched for an opening.
When Elliot threw a straight punch, the master caught his wrist, but at that moment, Towan came from behind, aiming to sweep the master’s legs. The master jumped, releasing Elliot and landing gracefully.
"That was better," he said, "but you’re still too slow."
The match continued for several minutes. The boys were sweating and panting, while the master showed barely any signs of fatigue. Finally, with a swift move, the master grabbed Towan’s arm mid-attack and used him to block a strike from Elliot, leaving both on the ground.
"That’s not fair!" protested Towan, trying to get up.
"In a real fight, there’s no such thing as 'fair,'" the master replied, helping them to their feet. "Essentia can give you strength and speed, but if your movements aren’t connected, there will always be someone who can outmatch you, even without using it."
Elliot nodded, processing the lesson. "So this training isn’t just about improving our strength, but also our coordination and strategy?"
"Exactly," the master said, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "You don’t have to be the strongest in the tournament. But if you learn to think clearly and work together, you can face any challenge."
Towan, though still a bit frustrated, finally smiled. "Then we’ll try again tomorrow! This time, we’ll definitely beat you, Master."
The master chuckled softly. "I hope so. Now, go have breakfast. We have a long day ahead."
