The Wrong Type of Paparazzi

Wryce was completing today’s shift of delivering mail. This job, unlike others, allowed him to make use of his improved physical skills and sharpness to get it over quickly, allowing him to cash in a full day of work by working only about a third of it. The rest of the time would be spent either wandering in the city or training, looking for something to do. He couldn’t slack on his training, after all and since Meringue would be working until nighttime, he had plenty of time to spare. As he got done with everything, he changed back to his favorite gi and, as always, wore his kimono that also acted as a heavy training weight. He was always fascinated by how supple yet heavy the fabric was, to the point where he felt like his strength was halved.

Since it was a good day with a clear sky, he figured he could train outside in some nearby park. Plenty of tai chi practitioners did it every day, surely, they wouldn’t mind some guy on his lonesome throwing kicks and punches to an invisible opponent.

Before heading out there, he figured he could head to the nearest marketplace to grab something to eat to get that extra bit of energy. His demeanor attracted lots of looks from the people, sending them smiles in return. He stopped at every nearby stand, trying their food, maybe grabbing a thing or two for later. As he made his way towards the exit, a name uttered caught his attention. He looked over to the southern-looking fella with a mix of curiosity and slight annoyance. Normally, he would’ve gone his way without thinking too much about it, but this time, he had to make sure he heard right.

“Hey man, did you just mention someone named Acerola? Is it some weird girl with an even weirder third eye? If so, I hope she’s not causing you too much trouble! The one I’m thinking of has been such a pain to so many people it’s not even funny! Heh, it’s probably not her, right? Sorry to have bothered you.”

‘He really does have a southern look to him, huh’ Wryce thought to himself as he listened to the older man speak. He looked like a strong fellow, too, judging by the energy he gave off. There was definitely more to him than just looks. The way he was responding made it seem like he had just struck gold with his question and this man appeared to be an acquaintance of hers. As he was asked in return about that Acerola girl, Wryce began thinking back on that time period.

He was still young, not even an adult. That girl had shown up, demonstrated some real talent for martial arts, and eventually joined them. As all-natural prodigies would do, she mastered the core concepts and techniques of the Crane School in no time and once she found out there was nothing else she could learn from the master, she immediately left. He remembered how angry he was to see such a lack of respect for martial arts. She did not refine her craft; she simply stole techniques and amassed them for her own personal use. Even to this day, he did not like that way of being. At the very least, that was no way to become a true martial artist.

“Huh, I don’t know about a computer in her head, but she came to our School when I was a lot of younger. Our master showed her the ways of the Crane School and once she had gotten what she came for, she left without so much as a thank you. The nerve she had! She had no respect for Master Kuren nor for his teachings. She simply wished to reap the benefits and go steal techniques from some other place, I guess. Now if you ask me, that’d make her a technique thief and certainly no martial artist!”

He crossed his arms, firm on his stance.

“I hope she’s not causing too much trouble for you too. You look like a good guy. I suppose someone will put her in her place sooner than later, right? Heh, I’ll even do it if I get the chance!”

He punched his open palm, showing his determination. While he did not hate her now, he definitely did not agree with her methods, or at least with that, he has seen of her.

"Though you look pretty strong too. I guess you could defeat her yourself, hmm." It had been years since Wryce had last heard of the woman. Now that he thought of it, he had no way to know just how strong she really was.

Wryce soon came to realize that his perception of that Acerola girl didn’t perfectly align with that of mister cowboy right there. Instead, it felt as though the man was merely humoring him, letting Wryce speak his mind without trying to argue, without thinking much of it. That hunch quickly validated itself upon hearing Cassidy’s words, pointing out the fact that the two had quite the history. Multiple times had they faced each other, and the man had the advantage in the winning ratio. That brought another kind of glint in the Earthling’s eye, one much more akin to a fighter. The thinking process went as follows: if that man had the upper hand against that girl, that must’ve meant he was stronger by a margin and if Wryce could test his skills against him, perhaps he could gauge the distance that separated him from her. Then, maybe the need the defend his master’s pride by defeating the girl who wronged him would disappear altogether.

He sighed, thinking this wasn’t him to hold grudges like that. After all, the Crane School teachings were so much more than just a handful of techniques. He shook his head, returning his attention to the yeehaw man. “Well, I guess you’re pretty strong yourself, in that case. I remember no one could defeat her, back then…and I was too young myself.”

The assurance that the woman had calmed down with the years was a relief in some ways, though the harm had already been done. “Well, I guess the world doesn’t stop turning just because of one person, right? I’m 24, as of recently. I’ve been training since my early teenage days, though I haven’t been in many serious fights…”

That glint in his eye doubled in intensity and the last words from the man did not fly above his head. “You can see for yourself, how I’ve been doing. Then, you’ll be able to put some respect on the Crane School’s name for the one who couldn’t.”

He looked around after making his open invitation to a brawl and noticed they were in the middle of a crowd. “…But we better choose another place to let loose.”

Taking off using the Crane School’s famous Sky Dance technique, Wryce flew over to a nearby park, the open area and lack of bystanders allowing them to focus solely on each other.

“…Because I respect the elderly, I’ll let you make the first move!”

Wryce finished stretching his limbs with a satisfied look on his face. Initially coming for a simple shadow-sparring session, he had found in this unlikely training partner the perfect motivation to give his all. After all, now that he had something to prove, he couldn’t just back down. Wryce was essentially on the line between remaining courteous and civilized and simply going all out. As much as he wanted that big burly man to recognize his strength, he had to remind himself that the man had not done anything to him. As such, refraining from excess zeal was a notion he had to keep in mind. Even so, in the heat of battle, this was easier said than done.

He watched silently as Cassidy emptied his pocket and left his personal belongings on the ground. Right, it probably wasn’t planned in advance for him to get into a fight like that. He’d have to make sure not to step on his stuff when they would be fighting. After his little remark about their age hit the target, Wryce nodded at the cowboy tipping off his hat, and got in an offensive stance himself. Right foot forward, right arm perpendicular to the ground with his fist closed save for the index and middle fingers, the knuckles of these two fingers standing a bit taller. His weight rested mostly on his left leg, while his left arm stood at his waist.

“Wha…!”

His serious look morphed into one of surprise as Cassidy darted towards him, the sudden shifts in movements making it harder for the young man to get a feel for the moment he would strike. Although an offensive fighter himself, a rapid assessment of the situation made it clear that if he tried to break Cassidy’s advance with a Kiai, he’d most likely weave past it and land his hit without Wryce being able to block it. He quickly came to the realization that he had no choice but to welcome his initial strike, for better or for worse.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed his senses as best as he could to anticipate the moment Cassidy would strike, staying completely immobile in the meantime. All unnecessary information was selectively shut down by his brain, leaving only his opponent and the subtle shifts in the air for him to notice.

The moment finally came and as the sweeping kick came for his calf, he lifted his leg slightly in the air, blocking the kick with his shin by reinforcing his own body with his ki. Damage was minimal, but the distraction proved enough for him to be unable to retaliate against the hit coming right for his stomach. ‘Crap, the kick was a distraction too!’ he could only think before Cassidy’s hand made a full impact against him.

“Hmpf!!” he let out, his breath knocked away from him as he arched his back. Cassidy’s tactic had paid off, but Wryce was far from done. As he hunched over a little, he didn’t allow the cowboy to create any distance. Although suffering from the strike, Wryce would grab his opponent’s arm with both hands, pivoting on his feet and attempting a judo throw in an attempt to slam Cassidy’s back on the ground.

The young martial artist would not relent and continue his attack, jumping into the air. As he gathered his energy into his body, Wryce took a split-second to assess the situation from his vantage point. Whether or not Cassidy had managed to avoid his retaliation or not, Wryce would make good use of the teachings of the Crane School and in a demonstration of ki mastery, extend his arm forward, palm open towards Cassidy, projecting his hit in the distance through an air cannon. A Kiai cannon, in short.

As he landed shortly after, he’d quickly regain his stance. That pain had yet to fully dissipate, but at least he managed to regain his composure by controlling his breathing.

“You’re not too bad, old man! I thought people on the tv were just for show!”

That’s right, he recognized him now! He had seen that man on the television once or twice, in public combat sports. How long was it since then? Heh, he didn’t have the time to figure that out.

The cannon of air shook the area it encompassed, trees shaking violently from the burst of wind. Although unimpressive as a technique, it was the perfect tool in many situations. Easy to use with several applications. Given the Crane School’s focus on mastering the energy within and expressing it outside the body, such feats were no more than child’s play. That wasn’t to say, however, that it would work against such a foe. Easily, the attack meant to size up his opponent was dismissed, cutting right through it with a powerful kick. Pressing his advantage, the cowboy had started coming for Wryce who, still airborne at this point, had little way to prepare adequately.

Upon landing, Wryce barely had the time to bend the knees enough for his torso to pursue its descent, stopping at a ninety degrees angle to his lower body, using his ability to fly to balance himself in this precarious position. This sudden movement required to push his body and senses a bit beyond what he could reach naturally and effortlessly, taxing his body of a portion of its energy. The kick flew right above him, making him feel the heat from the ki enveloping the cowboy’s leg. That warmth made him feel glad he wasn’t in the receiving end of that strike, for it would have been far deadlier than he would have liked to admit.

Resuming his motion after dodging the attack, he jumped, placing a hand on the ground as his body was already close to it, and pushed himself backward, performing a few backflips before landing a little further back. Raising his head, he was greeted by the sight of several ki blasts flying in his direction.

Grimacing in surprise at the sudden threat, Wryce quickly reinforced his arms with his energy and proceeded to swat the energy spheres away, chopping them down, sending them flying in the sky, and simply avoiding them when he could spare to do that, locked in a dance against the barrage.

‘I can’t stay like that…or I’ll eventually get overpowered…That old man’s real though!’ he told himself before grabbing the opposite side of his weighted kimono. In one singular motion, he pulled on it, removing the clothing and sending it crashing down beside him, the heavy cloth making a big thud upon touching the ground, lifting dust in the air. Revealing his fighting gi in full, Wryce commended the fighter.

“Alright, lesson taken. I’ll take back what I said. You’re definitely not someone I can afford to slack against. I’ll answer to your strength in kind!”

The sheer amount of weight Wryce wore on his body diminished his overall fighting power in half. Now free of that excess pressure on his body, his power jumped up greatly, about twice what it previously was. Free to move, as he pleased, he attempted to shock the veteran fighter by dashing straight at him, chambering his arm back to prepare a powerful strike.

Upon reaching striking distance, he unleashed another powerful punch, this time into an uppercut, the energy gathered into his forearm releasing all at once as he would try to hit his foe, adding that extra oomph to launch him further into the air.

“Let me show you, the way of the Crane!” he said, shifting his posture into a stance, his weight distributed between his front and back leg evenly, his body slightly turned as to not expose himself too much and with both arms extended towards his opponent, at shoulder height in order to protect his face. How to master one’s flow of energy and how to manifest it, such were the foundations of the Crane School of martial arts!