Chapter 5: The Limits of Pride
I held out my hand, palm open, with a smile that was more invitation than apology.
"It's my fault," I said, voice calm but sincere. "Sorry for distracting you. Take a breath, calm your mind. Winning isn't everything."
Moon Young hesitated, eyes locked on my hand, then finally took it. I pulled her to her feet, careful and steady.
"Yeah, it's your fault," she said with a grin, brushing off her training pants like it was no big deal. Then she threw me a playful smirk that made my heart skip. "So... how are you gonna make up for it?"
Heh, challenge accepted.
I chuckled, shrugging with an easy confidence. "Dinner at my place. My treat."
Her smirk grew wider — the kind that says she's not about to let me off the hook easily. "Oh, how lewd. Didn't expect you to aim for my body so fast."
I blinked, caught off guard by the tease, then laughed. "You should smile like that all the time. Though honestly? Your serious face has its charm — but this happy one suits you better."
I caught the quick hitch in her breath — her heart skipped a beat — which was definitely not lost on me.
She crossed her arms, trying to look unbothered, but I could see through it. "Does your mouth always leak honey, or what?"
I shrugged with a grin that said I was innocent. "No idea what you mean. Just stating facts." I reached out and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her face.
Her eyes went wide, and I saw her freeze, like she'd forgotten to breathe.
Before anything else could happen, a sharp voice cut through the moment like a blade.
"Where did you learn to fight?"
Moon Young groaned loud enough to make me laugh. "Hey! We were having a moment here!"
Queen stepped into the ring, her gaze sharp and unwavering, like a hawk eyeing prey.
She wasn't here to watch anymore — she was ready to fight. Her stance screamed confidence, but it wasn't the playful confidence Moon Young had. This was pure certainty.
I turned to face her, raising a brow. "Ah, Queen, right?"
She was one of the few opponents I actually wanted to face. Along with Lee Na and Charles Wilde.
Speaking of Wilde — this guy wasn't some corporate suit hiding behind a name. He was a legend. The undefeated titan who'd retired without a single loss. His presence meant this school was the real deal.
I smiled, answering Queen's question with the pride of a student. "I learned from my master."
Not with sorrow, but with joy. Because Might Gai, my master, always told me:
Remember the people of old with fond memories instead of tears. Just smile.
Queen's eyes narrowed, curiosity burning bright. "Who is your master?"
I let my smile widen. "Might Gai."
It was a name they didn't recognize — not surprising. But my voice held weight. This wasn't just a name dropped for effect. It meant everything.
"But don't waste your time looking him up," I added, voice dropping. "He died years ago. I just follow what he taught me."
Silence fell like a heavy curtain.
Then, sensing the questions in the air, I clarified, "And before you start overthinking — I'm awakened. If you don't awaken your ki too, you'll always be at a disadvantage."
Moon Young and Queen exchanged glances — the pieces clicking into place. My speed. The way I moved. The almost unnatural power.
Queen nodded, practical as ever. "I see. But I'm not afraid to test my skills against yours."
Her eyes flicked to Moon Young with a smirk. "Since my friend here couldn't push you enough."
Moon Young's jaw dropped in mock offense. "Are you dissing me? That was a weak roast!"
I laughed, shaking my head. "I'd spar you, but not now. Break's almost over — gotta get back to class."
Queen glanced at the clock, frowning, clearly wanting more.
I started walking toward the exit but then heard Moon Young's voice behind me, theatrical as ever:
"Hey! Ignoring me already? This relationship's doomed!"
I grinned over my shoulder. "Sorry, thought you were joking. See you after school."
With a nod, I walked away, leaving two fighters buzzing with questions — and maybe, just maybe, a little excitement.
Because this school? It wasn't just a place to learn how to fight. It was where the real battles were about to begin.
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As soon as Lee left the room, Queen and Moon Young exchanged glances, both processing what they had just learned.
"He's awakened," Moon Young muttered, still trying to wrap her head around it. "That doesn't make sense. His genealogy is normal—just like ours."
Queen tapped her fingers against her arm, deep in thought. "Yeah… That's what's strange. We both know that talent alone isn't enough to awaken Ki. It's a genetic gamble."
Moon Young nodded. It was common knowledge that only a small percentage of people naturally awakened their Ki. It wasn't just about hard work—some people were simply born for it.
That was why, despite being prodigies in their own right, neither of them had awakened yet.
"So how did he do it?" Moon Young asked. "Did he just roll the genetic lottery and win?"
Queen frowned. "No. He said he followed his master's teachings."
Moon Young's eyes widened. "Wait… Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Queen gave her a sharp look. "That it might be possible to awaken Ki through training instead of genetics?"
Moon Young inhaled sharply. "That changes everything."
For years, they had both accepted the harsh reality that their potential was capped. No matter how hard they worked, they might never step into the realm of true monsters like Charles Wilde or the other awakened fighters.
Moon Young, in particular, had been forced to focus on speed because she simply couldn't match the raw strength of awakened fighters.
But if Lee was proof that awakening Ki wasn't just luck…
"Do you think he'd teach us?" Moon Young asked, excitement creeping into her voice.
Queen's expression remained composed, but there was a glint in her eyes.
"I was already preparing to awaken artificially," she admitted. "My family's connections and finances can get me access to certain… methods."
Moon Young crossed her arms. "Then why haven't you done it yet?"
Queen's lips pressed into a thin line. "Because my family won't allow it."
Moon Young blinked. "What? But you're the heir—"
"They don't want me stepping into that territory," Queen cut in, her voice calm but firm. "It's dangerous. Once you awaken, you step into a different world—a world where rules don't apply to you anymore."
Moon Young frowned. "That doesn't sound like a problem."
Queen met her gaze. "It is when your enemies are awakened too."
There was a heavy silence between them.
For a moment, Queen stared at the spot where Lee had stood.
He had done what neither of them could—become awakened despite his normal lineage.
"…Maybe we don't need artificial means," Queen finally said.
Moon Young raised an eyebrow. "You think Lee's method might work for us?"
Queen's lips curled into a smirk.
"There's only one way to find out."
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Queen left the clubroom deep in thought. If she truly wanted Lee's help, she had to be careful. The last thing she wanted was for his family to get involved or for anyone to realize what she was trying to do.
If I offer him compensation, what would he accept?
She wasn't blind to how unbelievably skilled he was. People like him didn't just train others for free. There was always a cost.
Money? Doubtful.
Connections? Unlikely.
He seems to value loyalty and personal bonds more than anything else…
Queen sighed, rubbing her temple. She needed to think this through carefully. If she played her cards right, she could finally step beyond her limits.
Meanwhile, Moon Young sat alone in the ring, staring at her hands.
Her usual bright and competitive energy was nowhere to be seen. The moment Lee walked out that door, her smile had dropped.
I lost.
The realization stung.
She clenched her fists tightly. She hated this feeling.
It wasn't just about losing a spar—it was about being reminded of her limits as a female fighter.
Moon had spent her entire life training to be stronger than men. Faster. Smarter. Tougher. She knew she had to work twice as hard just to keep up.
And yet, no matter how much she pushed herself, there was always one inescapable truth:
She was still human.
And that meant she had limits.
Men were naturally stronger. Biology was unfair.
No matter how much she trained, there would always be someone bigger, stronger, and faster.
But then there was Lee.
A normal guy. No elite bloodline. No martial arts clan.
And yet, he had awakened.
Moon Young's fingers trembled slightly. She didn't just want to win fights.
She wanted to prove her father wrong.
She wanted to break past the limits of her body.
She wanted to become someone untouchable—someone who couldn't be dismissed just because she was a girl.
Only an awakening can do that.
Her mind flashed to Lee Na—a woman who could go toe-to-toe with monsters and win.
Moon Young imagined herself like that, but with fists instead of kicks.
Her heart pounded at the thought.
She had spent years telling herself she was fine as she was.
But deep down, she knew the truth.
She didn't just want to be good.
She wanted to be the strongest.
It was the reason she was putting her hopes on awakening.
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The spar with Moon Young barely counted as a fight.
I had to hold back—a lot.
If I didn't, I might have seriously hurt her. Not because she was weak—she wasn't. She was stronger than most fighters her age, no doubt about it. But this world wasn't built for real combat.
Back home—the shinobi world—fights were life-or-death affairs. Breaking a bone? A medical-nin fixed it instantly. Ruptured organs? Skilled healers patched them up in minutes. Poison? There was always an antidote waiting.
Here? None of that existed.
Fighters had to be cautious. Injuries could take months to heal, and some never fully healed at all.
Training felt like walking a tightrope. Sparring was too dangerous to do right.
I sighed, a strange mix of frustration and nostalgia washing over me.
Back in the shinobi world, I constantly pushed my body past its limits. That was the only way to get stronger—train until you collapsed, then heal and do it all again.
Here, that wasn't an option.
This world forced you to pace yourself, to respect the body's absolute limits.
No wonder martial arts had fallen out of favor. Without healing techniques, your body was your prison.
And yet… monsters still roamed this world.
I'd seen the evidence: ki.
People here wielded raw power that outstripped anything I could do in my younger days.
That meant there were still paths to climb, challenges waiting, and opponents worth fighting.
Sure, weapons like atomic bombs and missiles made war deadlier, but in the world of martial arts, raw power still meant something.
Sixteen more years of experience sat behind my name now—years of honing skills that would have taken decades in my past life.
By this world's standards, I was already a martial arts master.
Only the oldest, battle-hardened warriors or true prodigies could stand against me.
And yet…
I wasn't at the top. Not yet.
And that thought?
That thought excited me like nothing else ever had.
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Getting back to the thoughts about the girls—it wasn't that Moon Young or the others were weak. Far from it.
They were strong. Stronger than most men, actually.
Even among trained fighters, they could dominate guys in the low and medium weight classes, and hold their own against some heavyweights. That was impressive.
But… that still wasn't enough.
Jae Gu—180 centimeters tall, 80 kilograms of pure lean muscle—was fast, strong, flexible, and explosive. More than that, he was highly skilled.
Against most opponents, Moon Young would have had a fighting chance.
But against him?
Her rigid mindset held her back.
I kept my mouth shut about it, but it annoyed me.
She was already at a disadvantage because of biological limits—speed, reach, endurance. Instead of working to overcome those, she chose to put even more restrictions on herself.
Pride. Stubborn pride.
As a ninja, I was trained to analyze strengths and weaknesses—no matter how hard I tried, my mind couldn't ignore her flaws.
If she had learned to kick, she could have made it a real fight. Dal Dal was proof of that—small but deadly, because her powerful kicks let her topple stronger opponents.
If Moon Young wasn't willing to kick, she could've at least learned grappling.
But the best choice? MMA.
Why limit yourself?
The strongest fighters took everything useful and combined it into the most effective style.
That was how you became truly strong.
Sure, some single-style fighters could still reach the top—but only if their technique was near-perfect and their physical stats close to superhuman.
Moon Young… wasn't there yet.