Together, we head to a training ground not too far away. Closely spaced paving stones cover the ground, ensuring that everyone training here has a firm and secure footing. Directly opposite the entrance, which Yize lets me go through first, is a small building where training equipment such as weights, sticks, other wooden weapons, and more are stored. On either side of us are two wooden training dummies for practicing punching and kicking techniques. And that's it. There is nothing else here, so that even more athletic exercises have more than enough space guaranteed.

There are already a few people on the square. They are girls and boys who are about to become adults or have just come of age. And from the faces I recognize, they are the best group of their age. As far as I know, there are two other groups of the same age, but they are not quite at their level. In some way, it is incredible how big the martial arts school run by the boy's parents is, compared to the size of the town.

As soon as our presence is noticed, the girls and boys interrupt their warm-up and stretching exercises, bowing respectfully to Yize, who waves to them in a friendly manner. I, on the other hand, am met with curious glances. From what Chen, or the boy as I always call him, has told me, I have already achieved a mystical status among his parents' students. I have no contact with anyone except his family, I'm not from here, and no one knows anything about me. And then there are the stories about me told by the adult members of the school who accompanied Chen's parents into the forest, but no one really believes them. But in the end, I don't care what they think about me. After all, it does not affect me or my search for my sister.

Over the next few minutes, the remaining students gradually arrive. They greet Yize and start warming up. Finally, a gong sounds from the center of the school, and instantly the twenty or so boys and girls line up in four rows in front of Yize, and inevitably in front of me, as I'm standing next to him. They form a fist with their right hand and rest it against their open left hand, bowing their heads and looking down to show respect to Yize as their master. Yize returns the gesture, but he does not bow his head, as this movement is apparently a sign of trust towards the other person, but also expresses subordination. At least that's what Chen told me when he showed me around the school for the first time and felt obligated to explain every little detail to me. Even though I wasn't really interested, I listened out of habit and remembered everything. Because in the Organization, even the slightest lapse in attention was a fatal mistake.

"I'm glad to see you all full of energy again today! I hope you're ready for a hard workout!" Yize greets those standing in front of us.

"Always!" they reply in unison, their voices loud enough to echo across the square.

I turn my cat ears away from the commotion because I find the volume unpleasant. Of course, I had to put up with noise like this, and even worse, on a regular basis when I was part of the Organization, but that doesn't mean I like it.

"Good! Because I have an announcement to make before we start training!"

For a moment, Yize lets his words hang in the air. Even though the students try to hide their confusion, they don't quite succeed. They don't start whispering to each other, but here and there, they exchange confused looks. He, on the other hand, seems to be enjoying the situation, and I'm reminded of Chen when he's playing games. What was the word they used for situations like this? Childish? I'm not sure. And I don't understand it. But it seems to be a quirk of adults, as even some who were part of the Organization waited similarly until they said what they wanted to say.

"Today's training will not be under my supervision. Tsibi will take over instead!"

He puts his hand on my shoulder while the girls and boys in front of us succumb to their confusion. Soft whispers reach my ears, and heads turn back and forth. As good as they may be, such unexpected situations still seem to throw them off. There would never have been such unrest at the Organization. But when I look at the people in front of us and Yize, maybe it's not so bad. After all, their faces all look much more alive than those of the children at the Organization.

"Quiet!" One of the girls restores order with just that one word. It seems that a certain level of discipline has been drilled into them after all. And this girl seems to be in a position to demand it.

"I can understand that you're confused. Tsibi never participated in our training, and I doubt that any of you have spoken to her before. She looks younger than you and is smaller than probably all of you. And then, of course, there are the stories about her, which are hard to believe. But I can assure you that they are true, even if they sound like exaggerations. However, it will be better if you experience her abilities for yourselves so that you can be sure that it will be worthwhile for you to train under her guidance. I envy you this opportunity, as I, too, could learn a lot from her."

Of course, Yize's words cause another commotion. And this time, even the girl who restored order last time seems too stunned to do anything about the chaos.

"I can understand..."

Despite all the commotion, silence immediately falls as soon as Yize raises his voice again. However, the astonished looks and restlessness continue.

"...that such a statement may seem absurd to you. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I probably wouldn't believe it myself. That's exactly why I want you to witness her abilities for yourselves. For that very reason, she and I are going to have a sparring match here and now. And I won't hold back."

There is unrest again, but this time, Yize lets it go on for a while.

"That wasn't the deal," I comment dryly.

"I'm sorry, but there's no better way to convince them of your abilities quickly. And maybe also to teach them a lesson that I may be skilled in martial arts by local standards, but that there are always people out there who are better. A lesson not to be arrogant. And to take every opportunity to learn if it helps you improve yourself."

"Hmm, how fast do you want it to be over?" I ask.

"How fast?"

Due to our height difference, I am forced to look up at him.

"How fast. You said you wouldn't hold back. But I want to know how much I should hold back."

"You can be pretty cheeky. Has anyone ever told you that?" he replies.

In response, I tilt my head to the side.

"That's not an answer to my question. Besides, what does cheeky mean?"

First, he brings one of his hands to his face and buries it in it. Then he tilts his head back and lets out a laugh that immediately attracts the attention of the students.

"Then please hold back so that you don't kill me or hurt me. And maybe so that our audience can see what's going on here."

I look closely at the girls and boys to get a rough idea of their abilities based on their physique and posture.

"Good. Two to three seconds should be enough."

Here and there, I hear a few of the students who witnessed our conversation gasp indignantly. Others look as if they want to protest loudly but are holding back because they don't want to interrupt their master's conversation.

A wild grin spreads across his face.

"Then I'll do my best to make it at least five seconds. After all, I have to maintain my reputation as a master among the students. Xiuying, please give the signal to start as soon as we're ready," he says to the girl who seems to be in charge of the group.

She nods eagerly to show she understands the instruction. Meanwhile, Yize and I take about two steps apart. As soon as he reaches his position, he assumes a fighting stance that doesn't look too bad in my estimation. I, on the other hand, remain standing loosely. What is about to happen has already been decided. Nothing and no one will be able to change it.

"Ready?" the girl asks.

"Ready," replies Yize.

I nod in confirmation.