They stood before the gathered students, the fading light casting long shadows across the worn training ground. The air buzzed with quiet tension, the scent of dust and sweat thick in the breeze.
Mark's voice broke the silence—firm, commanding.
"Alright, everyone. From this point on, perfect your posture. Whether you're defending or attacking—your stance is your soul's signature."
He turned toward Maze, eyes narrowing.
"Maze, you're up. I want a live demonstration. Start with Fire and Water—basic elements. Show me how many spells you can cast in sixty seconds. Go."
His coat flared as he pivoted to face Alex, the boy still catching his breath, one hand gripping his blade like it was all that tethered him to the moment.
Mark scoffed.
"Still holding that blade, huh? Even after the breakdown? You've got guts, kid."
Alex smirked, sweat running down his temple.
"Come on, old man. Sometimes... stunts are the only way out."
Mark's laugh rolled out like thunder.
"For your training, we're going to your old school—Taijutsu."
Alex blinked, confused.
"That wasn't Taijutsu. It was something else—a martial art from my hometown."
Mark grinned, his teeth flashing beneath his scarred face.
"Same blood, same bones. You think breathing techniques and physical augmentation are new tricks? Idiot—it's ancient. You breathe in, fill every fiber of your body with pressure and power. You make your blood sing, your muscles scream, and suddenly... you're faster than fear, stronger than doubt."
Alex muttered, "…That actually sounds kind of accurate."
Mark chuckled.
"You think I'm strong because of my awakening power?"
Alex nodded.
"Yeah—your dark power. Yin energy, right?"
Mark slowly shook his head.
"My true power comes from discipline—forged in sweat and silence. Taijutsu. My grandfather—native Japanese—trained me beneath the falling cherry blossoms. Edo-style. No shortcuts. Just pain, repetition, and clarity. I could fight in my sleep because I bled for it when I was awake."
He took a breath, and the wind seemed to still be around him.
"My awakening is the balance of Yin and Yang. Light and dark. Opposites that tear each other apart unless mastered. But that power... it only rose after I understood my body. My spirit."
Alex's breath caught.
"So the dark energy… and its opposite... is light?"
"Exactly," Mark said, voice quiet now, like a blade sliding back into its sheath. "And now, I'll teach you what was passed to me. Art has been carved into my soul since childhood.
So tell me—do you want to learn?"
Alex stared at the man. His muscles ached. His heart thundered. His vision swam with exhaustion—but behind it, a fire.
Could he really become strong? Like him?
Strong enough to never feel helpless again?
"Can I become... like you?"
Mark nodded once.
"You can. But everything comes with a price," he said, eyes hard as flint.
"So... Do you still want to learn?"
Alex swallowed hard. The cold wind cut across the field like a warning. Somewhere distant, swords clashed in echoes of forgotten wars.
He clenched his fists.
"I want to learn."
Mark's voice dropped to a reverent murmur, like he was summoning something ancient.
"Martial arts isn't about winning. It's about becoming. It binds your wildest instincts, sharpens your senses until even fear becomes a weapon.
It'll break you—rip the old you apart screaming—and in its place, a stronger self will rise."
Alex stepped forward, confused but drawn in.
"What… what does that even mean?"
Mark's eyes gleamed with something old—older than time, fiercer than war.
"Before powers. Before awakenings. There were warriors. In the primal dust of the Edo era, they faced fear and pain with nothing but breath and will.
They didn't run from fear—they devoured it. Not with power. With resolve."
A tense silence settled between them.
Then Mark turned, casting a glance over his shoulder.
"Being weak... is a sin."
Alex nodded.
Mark looked at him.
"Now, kid. Take off your shirt. Sit cross-legged."
Alex obeyed, sitting in the center of the training circle, shirt off, eyes closed, body still.
Mark stepped behind him, placing a firm hand on his back.
"From this moment, you must find your energy. I won't show it to you—I'll let you experience it.
Feel. Breathe. Until the energy answers you."
Warmth.
It started as a whisper—a pulse deep within. Then it grew. A warm current passed through Alex's spine, crawling up his limbs, alive and ancient.
His breath slowed. His senses deepened.
The world faded. Only the rhythm remained.
Minutes passed.
Mark stepped back, arms crossed, nodding to himself.
"…Hmph. The kid really is a genius."
Elsewhere on the field, Ben, Gwen, and Athina stood in disciplined lines, sweat on their brows.
Mark approached.
"Watch your stance. Faster. Sharper. Precision beats power. Control beats chaos."
They gave their all.
When training ended, the trio looked around.
"Where's Alex?" Gwen asked.
Mark didn't turn.
"I'm teaching him Taijutsu. It takes patience. Dedication. Don't disturb him."
Ben frowned.
"Why not teach him like us?"
Mark chuckled—a low, knowing sound.
"He's different. Natural. I'm giving him something special—my fighting style. Once he crosses that limit and awakens his full force...
He'll be unstoppable."
He looked at them sternly.
"Now go. Stay aware of everything. Be alert. Always."
They nodded and left.
Mark pulled up a chair and sat silently in front of Alex, arms folded. Watching.
"How amusing," he muttered, half-smirking. "The forsaken Heavenly Demon… training a kid."
A shadow flickered nearby.
"I'm warning you—touch him, and you die," Mark said coldly, not even turning.
An old man in a suit stepped beside him, smiling calmly.
"Please… look after him."
Mark's stare turned icy.
"I don't care who you are. But hear me. Never appear before me again. I may not be as strong anymore… but I'll drag you to hell with me if needed."
The old man simply laughed.
"Thanks."
Two hours later.
Alex opened his eyes, blinking slowly.
"Hey… old man. How long was I meditating?"
The old man chuckled, wheeling over a chair.
"Long enough."
Alex sat up, stretching.
"How am I supposed to get home in this thing?"
Mark appeared at the doorway with a van behind him. A girl stepped out and waved.
Alex squinted.
"Who's that?"
Mark opened the van door.
"Alex, meet Tory. My direct disciple. Your senior."
Tory smiled.
"Hey, little brother. If you ever need anything, just call me."
Alex grinned.
"Okay, sister Tory."
They drank juice in the van as the sun dipped behind the horizon.
At Alex's house, Mark rang the bell, holding the wheelchair steady.
John opened the door—surprised by Mark's calm smile.
But the moment John focused on his presence—boom. A wave of dark aura slammed against his light.
Opposing forces locked eyes.
Before chaos could erupt—
"Enough!"
Xander appeared between them, arms outstretched.
"Act like civilized men while you're under my roof."
Dinner was… tense.
Alex and Ben ate like nothing had happened. Gwen and Athina kept glancing around nervously.
The air was thick—suffocating with unsaid words and hidden tension.
Amber tapped her butter knife against her plate.
"Guys. We need to talk."
She turned to the stranger at the table.
"Mister…?"
"Marksmen,"he replied coolly. "But you can call me Mark."
Amber nodded slowly.
"Mr. Marksmen. Why did you choose to teach Alex?"
Mark leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"Madam Amber, Alex is a good kid. His body's built for martial arts. And... Doctor Madora asked me to take him as my disciple.
He wasn't right for her... but he's right for me."
Sam frowned.
"I thought the Heavenly Demon Sect only had one disciple."
Alex froze mid-bite. His eyes narrowed.
"What's he talking about?"
Mark's tone shifted—darker, heavier.
"Listen carefully, Alex. The Heavenly Demon was real. A nightmare born in Mirum. He founded the Heavenly Demon Sect.
They believed not in balance—but in absolute domination."
He took a breath.
"I trained under that system. I woke up. But I left it behind."
He looked at each of them.
"Good and evil aren't defined by where you came from. Only by what you do. Don't be blinded by stories and superstition."
Alex nodded, but his voice was firm.
"Then promise me something. You won't kill... unless there's no other choice."
Mark stared at him. Then nodded.
"…I will."
He sat straighter, his voice rising.
"I possess two aura regions: Golden Light and Endless Darkness. And Alex—Alex will inherit my Golden Light."
John leaned in, frowning.
"Why him? Of all people… why Alex?"
Mark smirked—an echo of defiance and pride gleaming in his eyes.
"Because he has the purest heart… and a fire in his soul. I see myself in him."
Sam stepped forward, his voice skeptical.
"Do you even understand his destiny? The weight he'll carry?"
Mark turned to all of them, calm as a mountain before a storm.
"I don't know how far he'll go. But I'll make sure his foundation is stronger than steel."
He picked up a butter knife and stared at its dull reflection.
"…You do know why the Mirum Massacre started, don't you? Don't tell me you've never heard the stories."
Sam crossed his arms.
"Some say you wanted to conquer the Central Plain. That you wanted domination. But we don't invest in rumors."
Mark's eyes sharpened. His voice turned bitter.
"They tried to hurt my disciple. That's why it started. That's why I razed it all. Then I left everything behind… and returned to Earth."
Xander's aura flared, intense and suffocating.
"Then tell me exactly—why should I let you train my child?"
Mark didn't flinch.
"Because I've taken a liking to that child's way. His spirit. His purity.
He needs me."
Everyone stared. The tension choked the air.
Mark stood slowly.
"Tell me—who else could be a better mentor than me?"
His voice roared with layered conviction.
"I conquered half the Trial.
I left the path of blood for the Dharma.
I awakened through Buddhism and spiritual truth."
He pointed to himself.
"I don't fear anything. I was once just a man—now I'm the first line of defense for Earth itself.
The pride of a normal man… transformed into the most dangerous Heavenly Demon."
He looked down.
"I know what it's like to lose everything.
But I've never known how to give up."
Silence.
Then—Ben clapped. Slowly. Loudly.
Everyone was staring at Ben , Alex hit Ben's back and said " focus on eating , if you don't want to die !".