Kyrian remained motionless at the center of the courtyard.
His gray eyes observed each of the five as they slowly spread around him.
They were no longer the sa as before. Their energy was more stable. Their movents were firr. Their gazes are sharper.
But even so... Kyrian did not move.
Then... Li Fen disappeared.
Or at least, that was what it seed. His body surged forward in an explosive burst, the stone ground cracking slightly beneath his feet. In an instant, he was no longer in front of Kyrian.
He circled around. He was fast and silent. He only stopped when he appeared behind Kyrian. His plan was simple. Attack Kyrian’s blind spot.
Even soone like Kyrian could not have absolute vision of all sides, that was what he thought.
At the sa ti...
Bai Zhu, Kai, Yan Ling, and i Li advanced from the front. Four slightly different directions. Four angles of attack. Without words and without hesitation.
They had already fought together several tis in the past months. They knew how to coordinate. Kyrian observed everything. Every step. Every muscle contraction. His eyes... saw everything.
Then, he moved. At the exact mont, Li Fen launched the first strike from behind. Kyrian tilted his head slightly. The fist passed just centiters from his face.
Without even looking back, Kyrian rotated his body. His elbow moved like lightning. The strike hit Li Fen’s chest.
Li Fen stepped back two steps, surprised.
"He... didn’t even look..." He murmured.
But there was no ti to think. Bai Zhu was already upon Kyrian. His fist ca down with force.
Kyrian raised his arm and blocked. The impact echoed through the courtyard. At the sa instant, Kai attacked from the right. A fast side kick.
Kyrian stepped back half a step. The strike passed, grazing him.
Yan Ling advanced right after. Her movents were more fluid, almost like a dance. She tried to take advantage of the opening created by the others.
But Kyrian simply... did not leave an opening. He rotated his body again. His movents were minimal. And perfect.
Each attack was avoided by the smallest margin. Each defense was made with the least possible movent. It was as if he was always in the right place... at the exact mont.
i Li entered the fight last. She did not advance directly. She observed and waited. Then she attacked at the mont Kai and Bai Zhu pressured Kyrian together.
A precise strike. Directly at the lateral blind spot.
But...
Kyrian was already moving. He leaned his body back, avoiding the strike by centiters, and, with the sa fluidity, rotated his arm.
His fingers touched i Li’s shoulder. A small push. She lost her balance for an instant. She did not fall. But it was enough.
"You are predictable." Kyrian said calmly, while dodging another strike from Bai Zhu.
The five clenched their teeth. And then they increased the pace. Attacks ca in sequence. Faster. More aggressive.
Li Fen returned to the rear. Kai was pressured from the right. Bai Zhu maintained the frontal force. Yan Ling searched for openings. i Li coordinated with the others.
Now... they were truly fighting as a group.
For a brief mont... Kyrian was pressured.
His steps began to move more. He stepped back two steps. Then three.
The attacks ca from all sides. Fists. Kicks. Continuous blows. But even so...
None of them hit. Kyrian dodged everything. Like a leaf being carried by the wind.
"Faster." He said.
They obeyed. The pace increased even more. The sound of impacts echoed through the courtyard. The ground cracked beneath their feet. The air seed to vibrate with the intensity of the movents.
Then... Kyrian decided to act.
At the mont Li Fen advanced again from behind. Kyrian took a lateral step. His hand moved. He grabbed Li Fen’s wrist in midair. Turned. He used his own montum and threw him directly against Kai.
The two collided and stepped back. At the sa ti, Bai Zhu tried to take advantage of the opening. His fist advanced with full force.
Kyrian did not dodge. He blocked. But this ti... Counterattacked.
His fist hit Bai Zhu’s abdon. The air left his lungs. He stepped back.
Yan Ling tried to intervene imdiately. But Kyrian was already in front of her. A light touch on her shoulder, and she was forced to step back.
i Li was the only one who still maintained composure. She advanced again. Her eyes focused. Her strikes were precise.
But Kyrian simply held her fist in midair. The two stood face to face for an instant. Silence. Then he released it. And stepped back one step.
The five stopped.
Kyrian was in the sa place as in the beginning. His breathing is steady. Without a scratch.
Silence took over the courtyard for a few seconds.
Then, Bai Zhu let out a tired laugh.
"This... is ridiculous..."
Kai shook his head.
"We didn’t even get close..."
Li Fen was breathing heavily.
"I really thought I would manage to hit from behind..."
Kyrian looked at the five. His gaze was calm. But now... more serious.
"You improved."
They remained silent.
"But you still make basic mistakes."
Kyrian began to walk slowly around them.
"Li Fen."
He stopped behind him.
"Your speed is good. But you depend too much on it."
Li Fen frowned.
"When you fail... you don’t have a second plan."
Kyrian then looked at Bai Zhu.
"Pure brute force. Your strikes are powerful. But you are too direct."
Bai Zhu sighed.
"I know..."
Kyrian continued.
"Kai."
"You have a good foundation and good reflexes. But you hesitate in critical monts."
Kai remained silent.
Kyrian turned to Yan Ling.
"Your movents are good. But you think too much before acting."
She pressed her lips together. Finally, he looked at i Li.
"You have the best timing among all of you."
She raised an eyebrow.
"But you depend too much on others to create opportunities."
Silence arose. Kyrian then stopped in front of the five.
Kyrian then crossed his arms again.
"Get up. Let’s go again."
They raised their heads. The fatigue was still there.
But now... there was sothing more. Determination.
Bai Zhu smiled.
"Alright..."
Kai cracked his neck again. Li Fen took a deep breath. Yan Ling closed her eyes for an instant. i Li smiled slightly.
The five advanced again.
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