All Martial Technique Branches (continued):
Though they started off teasing and roasting each other, Syd eventually allowed Sera to sit beside Jody and listen in on the lesson.
"Alright, let's get started. Emergency exit to the right, please silence your phones, and—"
Toshi: "You quoting a movie right now?"
"...Ah, yeah. My bad..."
Syd began scribbling on Jody's iPad.
Martial Techniques
In English, they're referred to as techniques. In Chinese, xīn fǎ (心法), which means "inner force." Other cultures call them differently.
The core idea is that martial techniques are specific combat arts or internal energy practices, sometimes incorporating spiritual power or physical mastery. These techniques can be unique to a school, master, or martial arts lineage—sometimes guarded secrets passed down through generations.
Across the world, these techniques are typically divided into five main branches:
Offensive
Defensive
Flexible
Poison
Lost
"There you go—those are the five core branches. When you meet a practitioner, you can usually classify them under one of these categories," Toshi explained.
"Offensive, obviously, is for attacking people. Straight up. Like me—Dead Eye That's an offensive technique. The signs are clear: it doesn't make me tougher, I don't secrete poison. But it lets me slow everything down for a moment, find the perfect angle to strike. Basically, it's all about attack. And with today's tech, I'm always the first to pull the trigger in any gunfight."
Sera: "...Sounds like a cowboy quick-draw skill or something?"
Toshi: "It's handy in hand-to-hand combat too."
Sera: "Ahh, got it. So your power's basically just the 'slow-motion' button?"
Toshi: "Exactly."
Then Syd chimed in.
"Next, Defensive. As expected—meant for defense. This type has garbage attack power, but damn are they tanks."
Jody: "That extreme?"
"You wouldn't believe it till you face one, Jody. Trust me."
He moved to the next.
"Flexible branch."
Syd circled it in red.
"That's us, Jody."
"...Your property-swap ability falls under this?"
"Yup. You can use it to attack, to defend—whatever. It's extremely versatile. With enough brains, it's god-tier. But of course, only if the user is also ridiculously cool and good-looking. Like me."
"Ugh."
Jody and Sera rolled their eyes simultaneously. Toshi burst out laughing.
Syd turned and smacked him.
Smack!
"What're you laughing at, you little gremlin?"
"Ow! What the hell?!"
"You siding with them now?!"
"No! I was just… looking at the—"
"You're siding with them."
Out of nowhere: "Hey, bro… I love you, man."
Toshi pounded his chest in mock sincerity.
"Liar. You clown."
Syd smacked him again, but this time Toshi caught his hand mid-air. Right as the two half-monkeys were about to wrestle each other off the seat, Jody knocked on the table.
"...Ahem."
"Oh. Oops, sorry..."
The two guys backed off, Toshi scratched his head.
"Where were we? Oh yeah—Poison branch."
Toshi cleared his throat.
"The Poison branch is terrifying. The scariest thing about it is how unpredictable it is. And no, it's not just about literal poison. It's anything dangerous that comes at you out of nowhere, without any aura or warning. Just lethal. Like that assassin who drugged you guys at the airport. I didn't see her myself, but based on his account—it was textbook Poison branch."
But the girls still had one more burning question.
"...What about the Lost branch?"
Jody asked.
Syd and Toshi exchanged looks before deciding Syd would explain.
"The Lost branch refers to techniques that no longer exist in the modern world. Think mythical arts—like legends found in ancient texts."
"...So how do you even know which are lost and which are still in practice? Don't tell me there's like a martial artist group chat. Or do you just memorize them?"
"No, Jody. It's easier than that," Toshi said.
"Lost techniques are supernatural. They defy reason. They don't follow science or common sense at all. But weirdly enough… they're all recorded across ancient sources consistently."
"...Such as?"
Syd leaned forward, lowering his voice.
"There are Egyptian records from thousands of years before Christ that speak of a cultivator who could 'fly through the air.' Sounds crazy, right? But here's the twist—the Kushites, Egypt's enemy at the time, recorded the same thing. They wrote about a nameless Egyptian general who could walk on air—without using any visible power. If it wasn't supernatural energy… then it must've been martial technique."
"...Ah. I see..."
Sera's eyebrows lifted as she finally got it.
"...So that means... spies like you—other Thrak agents too—some have powers, and some practice martial techniques?"
Jody asked.
"Yeah… you could say that," Syd replied.
"...And what about that 'school rule' Autumn mentioned? What was that about, Syd?"
"...Ah. Right. So yeah, there are actual schools that teach martial techniques. Just like in the movies—but a bit less over-the-top. Each school has different rules. Some require you to do charity work for four years. Some are ultra-secretive. And some are really protective—they won't let anyone pass down the technique unless officially approved."
"Like your school?"
"Yeah. Like mine. But who cares? The master who taught me can't even step ten feet outside his hut anymore."
"What's your school called? Who's your teacher?"
"...Ah, ah, that's classified."
"...But you just broke the rules by teaching me."
"I call it… giving you an opportunity. That's different, right? I think you've got potential, so I bent the rules. I'm grooming you. You should be thanking me, actually. Get down on your knees, spin in a squat three times and bark."
"My knee's still broken, genius."
"Serves you right. Maybe you'll chill out a bit now, Miss Limp."
Then Sera suddenly asked something interesting.
"Wait... is it possible to learn more than one martial technique?"
Toshi: "Whoa… Double Techniques?"
Jody: "Yeah… now that you mention it…"
Syd answered.
"Honestly? That's a talent thing. Like obsession. Can you really be obsessed with two things at once?"
"Uh… not really..."
"Exactly. It's extremely rare. And schools don't exactly grow on trees. Plus there's this… tradition among the old folks."
"What kind of tradition?"
"One person, one technique," Toshi explained.
"If they know you've already mastered one art, most schools won't take you. There's a sort of territorial pride to it. Typical old-school grudges."
"But that doesn't mean it's impossible, right? One person could learn two—or more."
"Why are you asking that, Jody? Don't tell me you're thinking of learning them all? Maybe focus on walking straight first?"
Syd's jab hit right on target, making even Sera wince.
"You jerk, Syd! If Jody punches you one day, I swear I won't stop her."
"Bring it on. I'm not afraid of the disabled."
Syd smirked devilishly, clearly trying to provoke Jody. But once again… he failed.
Jody wasn't mad at all. She smiled. Soft. Fond. Gentle.
That alone made all of Syd's effort rebound onto himself. He could feel the vein twitch in his forehead as he realized she was completely immune to his teasing.
"No way, Sera… how could I ever hurt this sweet little guy~?"
"'Little guy'? hahaha! You just called him a puppy, Jody!"
Toshi laughed. Syd immediately locked him in a headlock.
"GAAAH!!!"
Sera could see it clear as day—Syd Barrett was not amused.
"WHO YOU CALLING LITTLE?!"
He pointed at Jody furiously.
Jody only smiled wider.
"Awwww~"
"😠😠😠😠"
Syd released Toshi and jumped onto the table in a squat, glaring at her.
"Stop. Treating me. Like I'm a kid."
"Okay okay, relax there, teen boy. Chill."
Jody placed one hand on his shoulder and the other gently pat his head. Syd ducked away.
"HEY!"
He sat back down with a scowl.
Sera: "Jody, you really just petted him like a dog hahaha!"
"I'M NOT A DOG! YOU SHU-SHOG LOOKIN'—"
Sera's grin vanished instantly. She snapped.
"YOU LITTLE PIECE OF—!"
And then… chaos. They lunged at each other, ready to throw hands.
"You know what?! I am older than you, jackass!"
She was right. If you lined them up by age:
Syd = late 17
Sera & Toshi = mid-18
Jody = early 19
"WHO CARES?! You're one year older and already brain-dead!"
"You dumbass! If I had the same training as you, I'd have kicked your ass ages ago!"
"Kicked my ass?! Hah! My agency doesn't recruit overweight agents, FYI!"
"Your agency can suck it! If a jerk like you can be a spy, then so can a stray dog! "
"At least I've got better cholesterol than you!"
"My body is NORMAL, dammit!!"
Suddenly—click—the cabin door slid open.
"...?"
It was Mickey Mannix.
"…Shit—"
Sera immediately froze. Her face paled.
The pretty-faced boy raised a single finger to his lips.
"Shhh. Kid's sleeping. Keep it down."
"...Gulp."
Sera averted her gaze. Syd sat back down with a defeated sigh.
"Ugh… it's like 1 a.m. now… I'm gonna crash…"
Toshi stood up and dragged Syd along.
"It's only four more hours, dude. You sure?"
"Still better than zero hours."
The boys exited. Toshi turned back to the girls.
"You two can sleep in here. Make yourselves comfy. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah…"