The air in the training room was thick, charged with the anticipation of an unusual confrontation. Four experienced men, each specialized in a different fighting style, watched with curiosity as the nine-year-old boy stood before them. Kayden Osawa held a steel baton in his right hand, swinging it with unsettling ease. His gaze was fixed on the ground, lost in his thoughts, as if the challenge before him was just a mere formality.
"Are you sure about this, kid?" asked one of the men, a Muay Thai fighter nearly two meters tall, with bulging muscles and scars on his knuckles. His tone was harsh, but there was a hint of confusion on his face.
Kayden lifted his gaze, his dark eyes shining with a cold calmness.
"I'm ready," he simply replied.
Without further words, the Muay Thai fighter took the first step, launching a front kick with the force of a battering ram. Kayden tilted his body to the side, dodging the attack by mere inches. The baton spun in his hand and struck the side of the man's knee with a metallic crack. The impact made the leg falter, and the fighter stumbled, letting out a grunt of pain. Before he could recover, Kayden slid behind him with the agility of a cat, pushing off the ground in a low spin to strike the back of the knee with the tip of the baton. The fighter fell to his knees, and Kayden took advantage of the position to deliver a sharp blow to the back of his neck, leaving him stunned on the floor.
Next was a Judo expert, who rushed at Kayden with a fast movement, attempting to grab his wrist. Kayden anticipated the grab, allowing the fingers to graze his clothes before moving to the side. With a quick spin, he brought the baton down on the judoka's wrist, delivering a sharp blow that made the bones crack. Without giving him time to react, Kayden swung the baton toward his stomach, aiming for the solar plexus. The impact was devastating, and the man doubled over, unable to breathe for a crucial moment. Seizing the opening, Kayden struck his temple with a descending motion, knocking him out.
The third man, a street boxing fighter, wasted no time in taking action. He lunged at the boy with a flurry of rapid and precise punches, looking to break through his guard. Kayden raised the baton diagonally, blocking the first two punches and deflecting the third with a twist of his wrist. He felt the impact vibrate through his hands but remained firm. When the boxer threw a right hook, Kayden lowered his center of gravity and slid the baton upward, hitting the jaw with a dull thud. The man staggered back, and Kayden took the opportunity to pounce with a direct blow to the ribs, hearing a crack that indicated at least one fracture.
The final fighter, a Taekwondo practitioner, jumped into the air with a spinning kick that cut through the air like a guillotine. Kayden rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike, and quickly got back on his feet. Without losing momentum, the fighter launched a series of high and low kicks with precision, looking to corner him. Kayden dodged most of them with agile and fluid movements, until a low kick almost landed. He blocked it with the baton, absorbing the impact and deflecting the leg to the side, causing the fighter to lose his balance. In that instant, Kayden delivered a direct thrust to the thigh, striking the midpoint of the quadriceps. The fighter grunted in pain and fell to the floor, where Kayden finished him off with a powerful blow to the sternum, knocking the wind out of him.
One by one, the four men collapsed on the floor, some in pain, others simply shocked. Kayden dusted off his clothes, his breathing still calm. His expression remained the same: calm, with no trace of emotion.
"Is that it?" he asked, as if the training had just begun.
The onlookers exchanged glances, some smiling in disbelief. There was no doubt about it: this boy was a monster, not only in skill but in his cold and calculating mind.
From the side of the room, the trainer watched with a slight smile.
"He's not trained to put on a show," he muttered softly, more to himself than to the others. "He's trained to end any confrontation as quickly and efficiently as possible. That's his true nature in combat."
...
Cough, cough.A horrible cough echoed in a room full of papers, now stained with blood. The source of the ragged sound was Keisuke Osawa, Kayden's father, who lay on the floor, ravaged by an illness that had been deteriorating his health since the death of his wife.
His pale face and blurred vision were clear signs that the end was near. Keisuke had known this for a long time, but he had never allowed himself to think about it. He had always focused on one thing: securing his son's future. However, it seemed that time had finally run out.
"Keisuke-san, the burgers are here!" announced a familiar voice as the door opened abruptly.It was Takeshi, who entered with his usual energy, but his smile vanished instantly when he saw the scene before him.
"Keisuke!" he shouted, dropping the bags and rushing to his friend's side. He knelt quickly, lifting Keisuke's body with care and feeling his cold, sweaty face. "Keisuke-san! Answer me!"
A faint smile appeared on Keisuke's lips as he forced his voice out."Shut up... Takeshi... You're so noisy..." he whispered, barely audible.
Relief flooded Takeshi's face upon hearing his voice, even though it was so weak."Thank God, you're still alive..." he said, trying to stay calm while pulling out his phone. "I'll call an ambulance."
"No," Keisuke's voice was firm, though almost inaudible. "There's no time for me."
"Don't say nonsense! If you have time to talk, you have time for an ambulance!"
Keisuke let out a weak sigh."Takeshi... I know medicine. My life... is leaving this body. I can't move, my vision is completely dark... Soon I won't be able to smell, speak... or even hear. Only a few minutes left... so listen."
Takeshi bit his lip, holding back tears as he nodded."I'm listening..."
"When I die, the funding for Kayden's education will stop... and the facilities here will be shut down." Keisuke paused, struggling to breathe. "I want you to handle the legal matters... and transfer the rest of my money to Teieri's daughter. She must use it to cover expenses... and take care of Kayden."
"Are you crazy?" Takeshi protested, almost shouting. "That girl is only seventeen! How is she going to take care of Kayden if she's never even met him?"
Keisuke gave a nostalgic smile, barely perceptible on his pale face."She... loved my wife very much. They spent time together whenever they could, before Kayden was born..." he whispered, his voice shaky. "She even met him when he was a baby... But after we moved here, they couldn't see each other. Still... I'm sure she'll want to help him. She's a good girl... she'll understand."
Keisuke's breathing grew even heavier, but he managed to pull out a final smile."Besides... are you forgetting who we're talking about? It's Kayden... my son. A boy with talent beyond what anyone could imagine. He'll know how to manage."
Silence filled the room as life slowly departed from Keisuke Osawa's body. Takeshi remained there, kneeling, speechless, processing the emptiness that had just formed.
At the age of ten, Kayden Osawa lost his father... and with him, the only family he had left.