Elder Ye stood in front of the students, poised and alert. Training weights were strapped to his arms, each weighing 5 tons. Yet, he moved with ease and agility that defied the immense weight.
"Each one of you, from now until the end of the lesson and for every subsequent class, will wear these weights," Ropin Ye said. In front of the students were arm weights and ankle weights.
They proceeded to wear them. Itekan could barely lift even one of the weights, and it took all his willpower to avoid giving up. After several grueling minutes, he managed to put on the ankle weights.
But there was no joy, only more pain. He couldn't move at all. His entire body was weighed down by the combined force of over 10 tons, and he had yet to wear the arm weights.
For the next hour and a half, the fifty students struggled to push their limits, fighting not just the weights on their bodies but the pressure on their minds.
Itekan couldn't believe it. He felt like his body would break at any moment, and the class had barely lasted twenty minutes.
Old man Ye didn't allow them to rest. As soon as the last student had strapped on the weights, he seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"Great, isn't it? Just refreshing!" He said, watching them suffer.
"For the next week, you'll all train with these weights on. Every punch, kick, jab, and swing will be made with these," Ropin Ye said.
"Now! On a straight line, we'll be practicing a type of martial art called Grappling Arts," Ropin Ye said, his hands behind his back.
"The one we're starting with is called BJJ," Elder Ye said, motioning for one of the students to come forward.
Despite the torture of the weights, the student made his way to the front.
"We're starting with techniques from the standing position..." Elder Ye explained, sparring with the student before him. With one slight move of his hand, the student was on the floor.
"'Quedas' are what we'll be practicing today. They require proper timing, balance, and leverage," Elder Ye said. As his sparring partner stood, Elder Ye performed the move again, immediately bringing his opponent to the ground.
"Pick a partner, and gather on the training ground," Elder Ye ordered. Everyone scattered, quickly choosing their partners. Itekan walked up to Kutote, who was still standing at the edge.
"Hey, let's spar together," Itekan said, extending his hand. Kutote glanced at him, his face expressionless.
"No!" He said, brushing past Itekan and picking someone else. Itekan was dumbfounded but quickly regained himself. Kutote always acted that way. At least this time, he didn't just ignore him—progress!
Within minutes, all fifty students were paired up.
Itekan was paired with a girl with green hair. She had a few freckles and seemed a little shy.
"Let's have a good spar," Itekan said, grinning widely and stretching his hands out to her. She nodded shyly, her face flushed. Itekan couldn't help but think she looked like a tomato with her green hair and beet-red face.
"I'm Itekan Lie, what's your name?"
"R-Rose," she mumbled.
"Rose! I like that name," Itekan said, and the pink on her face deepened.
Just then, Elder Ye spoke up, gathering everyone together. Beside him stood another instructor, who was going to assist with training.
---
In another class, the air was far less gentle. It was barely an hour in, and someone had already mastered the technique. At the center of it stood Binturu, proud and confident.
He had just defeated three fellow students. His millennia's worth of experience made these children seem like clockwork to him.
Itoyea, meanwhile, was sparring with his opponent. The two practiced bringing each other to the ground. Itoyea, however, was on the losing end, getting floored more times than he could count.
Deep down, he wondered why he needed to do martial arts training. He was a swordsman, not a wrestler. He should be dueling with swords, not using his hands. He seriously wanted to quit.
---
"Step 1: Throw a high strike to your opponent's head. The intention is not to strike, but to make your opponent raise his hand to defend the strike."
"And because his hand is raised, his waist will be open, and that's where the arm normally is."
"Make sure to control his right hand with your left as you throw the strike so your opponent can't hit you with that hand as you close the distance," Elder Ye explained, demonstrating the move.
With a nod, he signaled for them to begin.
"Let's start, yes?" Itekan asked. Rose nodded in affirmation, and they began practicing the steps. Shouts of pain echoed through the room as they trained.
Time passed, and soon the first class ended. They were free from the weights, but there was a forty-minute break before the next class. While the rest of the students left—some heading to the next class, others to the cafeteria or their dorms—Itekan and Rose stayed behind. They had just endured torture.
Itekan's body was sore all over, and he could barely walk. His muscles were still tight from the weights. He sat there, catching his breath, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw none other than Aitken. The tattoo just below his eye made Itekan feel a deep, instinctual fear he didn't fully understand. Aitken stood there, smiling in a way that could make even the strongest man shed blood and tears.
"Hello, son of the fallen. Do you have time for me now, or are you going to ignore me again and run away?" Aitken asked, his lips curling into a wicked grin. Itekan froze in fear.