Martial Arts Worlds

Master Ichiro opened his drawer in his upstairs room and found a small, dusty box hidden in the back corner.

He opened the box, revealing a black-handled revolver with a six bullet chamber. It hadn't been used for a long time.

In the box, there were six bullets, but he only took one, and slid it into the chamber. Closing the chamber, he spun it and held the gun in his hand, feeling its weight and power.

"I hold no responsibility for what is about to happen…"

Ichiro whispered under his breath and then returned downstairs, where Kiernan was sitting cross-legged on the tatami mat, meditating.

"Whenever you are ready, we can begin."

Ichiro said and stood in front of a painting of the founding father of their village. It was also his ancestor, who built this dojo from the ground up, piece by piece, with his own two hands.

Kiernan softly opened his eyes, then stood up and eased into his defensive stance of his Iron Style.

It was a stance that Ichiro hated with passion because he believed it only made Kiernan look weak.

"That stance isn't it. You must always look strong. You're one of the most feared assassins in the world, act like it. Show no weakness, Kiernan."

"Shut your trap and shoot the fucking gun."

Kiernan said defiantly.

Master Ichiro scoffed at his works and lifted his gun, aiming straight at the spot between his brows. There was only a distance of five meters between the two.

When the bullet left the chamber, it would reach Kiernan in less than 20 milliseconds. It was so fast that a human wouldn't be able to react in time.

"Where do you want to be buried? I shall respect your wishes, no matter where the place is."

Master Ichiro said.

"Burn my corpse and scatter the ashes on that pond of yours!"

Kiernan shouted.

"Very well."

Master Ichiro said, and placed his finger on the trigger. It itched slightly, as if he was about to pull the trigger, but he stopped before he did.

"Wait a moment."

Kiernan raised his arm.

"Agh…"

Master Ichiro flinched as he was about to pull the trigger and then lowered the revolver with a look of frustration.

He started to think that Kiernan was playing with him!

"What is it? Starting to regret your bold claims?"

"No."

Kiernan said, and reached out to his pocket. He took out a black blindfold and wrapped it around his eyes.

"What is this…?"

Master Ichiro asked with his eyes rounding up in a shock. The insanity went up a notch.

"I don't want to know when you pull the trigger. Your expression and body language are pathetically easy to read."

"As if you can deflect the bullet even if you know when I will pull the trigger!"

Master Ichiro shouted at the insanity of this situation and then lifted his revolver-holding arm once again, ready to finally end this madness.

"…"

In silence, Kiernan took a deep breath and placed his hands right in front of him—the right hand was facing west, and the left was pointing towards east.

His feet were firmly planted on the tatami mat underneath him. His toes curled into the woven fibers, and his body relaxed into a state of mindfulness.

It didn't seem like he knew that he was facing a life-and-death situation.

A single sweat drop fell from Master Ichiro's forehead, trickled down his face, and reached his chin. It dropped from his chin to his revolver-holding hand.

His trigger-pulling finger twitched, and he pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The bullet left the barrel amidst smoke and fire. It whizzed through the air, and crossed the distance of five meters instaneously.

Master Ichiro's hand trembled, and with rounded eyes, he looked towards Kiernan, wondering if his body had already reached the ground with a bullet wound in the forehead.

"What…"

A smoking bullet was stuck between Kiernan's fingers. It didn't reach the intended target.

"…"

Kiernan removed his blindfold, looked at the bullet, which he stopped with his fingers, and let it fall on top of his right hand. It was still warm.

"Y-you stopped it… I-I thought y-you were going to deflect it away…"

Master Ichiro collapsed on the ground as his legs lost all their strength, and the revolver slipped out of his hand.

It was an unbelievable situation.

Catching a bullet was even harder than deflecting. It should be humanly impossible. Only a god could accomplish such a feat.

"What… was that technique? It wasn't Rendering Edge, I know that… It was something else."

"Iron Style, Sweeping Catch."

Kiernan said, and tossed the bullet back to his master.

"A simple technique of mine. It ain't nothing special."

"N-nothing special? You just stopped a bullet! That is a revolutionary technique!"

"You're a frog in a well. I thought I could grow here, but I guess I was mistaken. I didn't know the level of your… Knowledge is so small."

Kiernan shook his head with disappointment, picked up his jacket from the ground, and stepped outside.

"W-wait, where are you going?!"

Master Ichiro shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

"I received an email about a week ago. It interested me quite a bit, you see. It was about a tournament called Devil Ritual—apparently it is some underworld tournament to decide the strongest man in the world.

"I got invited.

"I didn't want to join at first, but now that even you, Master Ichiro, one of the greatest martial arts teachers in the world, are unable to keep up with my greatness, I have no other choice.

"I've grown far too powerful. The old-heads like you, the legends of the past generation, have been surpassed by me!

"I must prove now to the rest of the underworld that I, Kiernan Hunter, am indeed the strongest there is!"

Kiernan declared and then stepped through the wooden front gate with a cold smirk on his face.

"I can still teach you!"

Ichiro ran outside and followed Kiernan through the gate to the dirt road that split the village in two.

Dojos after dojos lined the street, each one filled with eager students. This was one of the greatest martial arts villages in the world.

If someone was crowned as the strongest man in the world, it was usually someone from this village!

"Kiernan, please come back!"

Master Ichiro screamed, his voice echoing through the village, but Kiernan didn't turn around and disappeared beyond the downhill.

He never returned back to this village.