"Listen to me carefully, kid," Mr. Chai began, folding his fingers in front of his face. "What I'm about to tell you might make you realize just how deep you're getting yourself into. Jirapat is no longer the man you knew."
Niran tensed.
"After betraying your master, he joined the Ascendants and accepted their help. And when the Ascendants offer their help, it means one thing: enhancements."
Mr. Chai paused, letting the weight of his words settle on Niran.
"I'm not talking about simple physical improvements. Jirapat has received experimental implants that have turned him into something more… something unnatural. He has inhuman strength and speed, he doesn't feel fatigue, his body can withstand blows that would put anyone else down. Some even say he can predict attacks before they're launched."
Niran remained silent for a few seconds, processing the information and recalling his last encounter with Jirapat. "So I don't stand a chance?" he finally asked, his tone flat, not afraid, but filled with determination.
"I'm not saying that," Mr. Chai replied. "But facing him head-on would be suicide. You'll need to be smart. Strike where he least expects it, find his weaknesses."
"There has to be a way to neutralize his enhancements," Niran mused. "If he's this strong, it means someone gave him those enhancements. If we find who worked on him, we can figure out how to stop him."
A faint smile appeared on Mr. Chai's lips. "Now you're thinking the right way. But it won't be easy. Jirapat isn't just protected by the Ascendants, some of their most powerful members guard him. That means we can't do this alone. We need allies."
"And you?" Mr. Chai suddenly asked. "How do you plan to fight him? I saw your style in your last match… it doesn't resemble your master's at all."
Niran hesitated for a moment before answering. "I use a mix of techniques… Phantom Limb to extend my strikes, Drilling Fang for piercing elbow attacks, Ephemeral Step for superhuman bursts of speed, and Vacuum Punch to strike without being seen. With these, I can overwhelm him."
Mr. Chai studied him for a long moment before asking, "And where did you learn all this? These don't seem like common techniques."
Niran shrugged. "I have… a special ability. I can absorb the knowledge, and sometimes even the consciousness, of past fighters. It's a power that allows me to learn forgotten techniques and refine them."
For the first time, Mr. Chai looked genuinely impressed. "That is… incredible. I don't know if I believe you, but if it's true, then you have a gift that could change everything."
The air in the room grew heavy. After a long silence, Mr. Chai spoke again.
"The first step is gathering more information on Jirapat. I know there's someone who worked directly on his enhancements. We need to find them and make them talk."
Niran nodded. "And in the meantime, I'll keep training. If I want a real chance, I have to push past my limits."
"Exactly. And we need to find allies. We won't get far alone. Trust me, there are people out there who want to see Jirapat fall just as much as we do."
Mr. Chai stood and extended his hand. "So, do we have a deal?"
Niran gripped it firmly. "Deal."
By the time Niran left the hideout, the sun was rising on the horizon. As he walked through the still-empty streets, a shiver ran down his spine. He stopped, glancing around.
No one.
And yet, his instincts told him that something was already moving against him.
Someone knew.
Someone was watching.
And soon, they would come.