After cornering her old Master to a wall, Rosetta used the face of her shield to bash towards him.
The woman was using the momentum she built up from her previously extremely sharp attacks.
The overall power and momentum she had been borrowing from kinetic swaying motions; from twisting and turning her whole body throughout the fight... all focused into her final strike!
Of course, no matter how angered or frustrated she felt, she would never use any actual lethal moves when sparring with her mentor, so he would probably be okay even after breaking an arm or a rib to this attack. Which was nothing to him...
The previous sharp strikes with her shield were all leading up to this one finisher of an attack.
One that would definitely knock Alex off his feet!
To her, this shield strike would end their spar without any surprises. However, how could Alex allow her to win against him so easily? The old man's arms also showed a familiar kind of 'fluidity'.
He forcefully redirected her strike with his hand.
The old Grandmaster didn't try to recklessly use his fist to parry her attack to the side, but instead used his palm to execute a kind of 'slapping'-like technique. It was a signature Art of his.
One that allowed his hand to stay stuck onto her wooden shield like glue. The suction force of his palm stopped her from escaping his grip. This was even after redirecting the force of her final strike!
He 'twisted' the shield bash which had been aimed towards the centre his chest with great proficiency!
That was where his talent laid, after all..,
"Hah... What happened to all that self-praise about your personal techniques being created solely for self-defence? You'd just showed a lot of unusually large openings just now." The old veteran spoke casually. His criticisms felt scathing to the ear...
Her mentor used his large body and stronger frame to exert enough pure physical prowess to hold onto her shield. His Gecko-like palm was something even she was unable to shake off whatsoever.
A sigh left her lips. The woman realised how she had been acting out of character as they fought.
It wasn't like her to go all on the offensive...
She took a few steps back after letting go of her shield and sat where Alex would usually meditate in his time off. Rosetta didn't continue attacking, and instead wiped the sweat off her head with a towel.
It was prepared at the side for her to use...
Then she ignored her master.
He also stopped their bout to rest a little, even putting her shield to one side before approaching.
"As usual, even your normal 'Vacuum Palm' is hard to escape from." Rosetta spoke about him wistfully.
"Don't sell yourself short. As someone who has taken my martial arts to new heights, isn't it only natural for you to have sufficient pride in your achievements?" Alex shook his head in response.
He had no choice but to praise her for being able to create her own interpretation of his Martial Arts.
She was able to bring his imparted 'modern style' of martial arts to the level of a 'mystical art'...
It was no longer something others could train...
That's why her praise was too much! He was sure she could have got around it if she was serious.
The Vacuum Palm technique he demonstrated at the end of their spar might sound like a move straight out of an eastern fantasy novel, but the reality was that this skill undoubtedly existed.
This technique wasn't anything mystical like being able to pull a person from far away using airflow with merely one's hand. However, the fact that this technique allowed one to create a small sized 'vacuum' on the user's palm was true.
The highest level of Vacuum Palm could even allow a Master fighter to stick on a frictionless surface.
Which in itself was a pretty useful technique.
He felt it was a little strange to be praised about his Vacuum Palm. Especially when his disciple already took this basic 'elemental' technique and upgraded it. She was at a point where could grab air itself!
To praise his 'crude' technique was embarrassing...
The reason why she gave her Martial Arts the name of 'Mist Shield' was simple: She was now able to incorporate the qualities of wind and water into the hybridised fighting style she had made herself...
When her 'soft' hands moved, they brought with them a gust of sharp wind that cut through flesh.
When her 'weak' body (compared to other Grandmasters) moved, she was like a flowing river.
A oceanic pathway that borrowed worldly power like a stream, effortlessly nullifying his 'strength'.
The only reason he was able to use his skills to subdue her was due to her mental state.
This was the origin of her 'Mist'...
But that didn't mean Alex was a pushover.
If she was to be pitted against anyone else, there wouldn't exist that many in the world who could immobilise her movements so easily. That was even if she DID accidentally reveal a few openings.
However, her mentor was a different beast altogether compared to 'other martial artists'.
The old man was a genuine fighter who had unheard mastery of borrowing worldly power.
He was used to unleashing his boundless physical strength intricately. Without wasting a drop of it.
One may wonder why the person who taught her his own style wasn't able to mimic her despite having taught her all she knew. After all... there was no reason he couldn't mimic the 'Art' of someone that was physically weaker than him, right?
To everyone who had ever asked him this kind of question, Alex would only have one answer: "Weakness itself is the greatest attribute and requirement of my disciple's 'Mist-like' technique."
Returning to reality once more, a wave of regret rushed through Alex's heart regarding his past.
He thought of his own physique's 'weakness' of having too much strength in his brawny build.
The density of his flesh didn't make him happy, but only served as an obstacle for his future growth.
He was unable to acquire the same technical quality in techniques achieved by his disciple...
His body was now leaning too heavily on pure and flawless 'strength'. It no longer had true 'flexibility'.
He despised his own body for obstructing him, but knew his body's state was desired by many...
"What I wouldn't give to change my past..." Alex murmured unhappily. He thought of his brother.
Will he ever be able to beat that 'Demon'?
"Master." His disciple spoke out in order to wake him out of his stupor. Which he snapped out of...
"Hmmm...?" He blinked a few times, then broke out of his daydreaming state to pay attention to her.
He started speaking again:
"Oh yeah, we aren't done yet. I will not accept you abandoning your son like this." Alex became a benign old man again. He quickly spoke after suddenly remembering what he was talking about.
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A middle-aged man like him, who was already past his prime, wasn't able to concentrate as greatly as he could in the past. Despite all his efforts, ageing over time wasn't an opponent he could ever beat...
"Are you not even going to ask why I came to this decision...?" Rosetta asked while sitting down in a corner. It was a place where Alex kept a small drawer filled with different martial art manuals.
'Mechanical Aeon Reincarnation Art', 'The Five Elemental Technique Paths', 'The Four Fundamental Internal Force Theory', and many more... There were a lot of books she recognised.
His disciple nonchalantly went through his personal belongings. She knew her master wouldn't mind, of course. It was not like he was hiding a secret stash of... 'inappropriate magazines' underneath the combat manuals. So there was no problem at all!
(͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖)
He wasn't some high-schooler after all...!
"Then please enlighten me. I thought you were being stubborn. You shouldn't be blaming yourself for what happened to your husband. Everything back then was completely out of your control.
No one can catch bullets easily..." Even as he spoke those words, a wave of sadness overcame him. Alex sat down besides her. His hands clasped together while thinking of the pain she was in.
The old man had always been one of the more antisocial kind of Grandmaster martial artists.
It was due to his upbringing as someone with a martial arts lineage (just remember his school life).
He had never met his disciple's husband before
The old man had only heard a few about him from the times she would praise his cooking...
...or something unrelated to martial arts.
The thing he understood most was how his disciple really cared a lot about her 'ordinary, yet caring' husband she chose... Her heartbreak was only a natural result of the tragedy of her partner's death.
"There's that as well, but that's not exactly everything. The biggest reason I want to want leave him is because I'm a little... scared of what the future holds if we stay together." Rosetta shook her head. A special person would always be 'targeted'.
She continued with a downcast gaze:
"I don't want him to have no choice but to become part of this 'secret world'... hidden in the shadows of modern day society. I want him to live safely and never have to worry about my circumstances.
Please... just tell me the truth.
What was the point of me joining the pugilistic world all this time? Is it worth it to train for so many years in order to enter our current era's version of 'Jianghu'?" Rosetta asked, throwing the secret manuals she held onto the floor in frustration.
She could see no reason to involve her son...
(On a side note: Jianghu is basically a world of martial arts most Wuxia novels take place in.)
Now this may seem like the backstory of a generic martial arts protagonist, but that's only because it was. What would drive Alex's grandkid to grow stronger more than the prospect of finding his mother, who was thinking about running off?
The old man wanted to avert this trope. He didn't want his grandkid to be a Wuxia protagonist...!
However, she made a good point:
"Was there anything to gain from it other than a life where everything hangs in the balance? Why did you even introduce me to this violent world where people are killing each other left and right...?!" She grabbed onto his collar and interrogated him.
"I..." Alex was at a loss for words.
It had never really occurred to him that joining the modern pugilistic world of wasn't without its disadvantages.
As a man who didn't have relatives or any family members to speak of (other than his adoptive parents), he didn't have to worry about people of the pugilistic world taking revenge against him.
Personal matters became his own private matters.
It was only now did he realise that his insistence on making her part of 'this world' had caused this.
Her tragedy wouldn't have happened if...
No, it was too late to regret taking her on.
He was about to respond with some excuses regarding how he wasn't able to predict such a thing would happen to her, or that it was her own fault for marrying someone with no innate talent.
He was going to say it was her husband who didn't have the ability to protect himself, but he started to feel shame, and hesitated. Alex found it hard to say these things despite fully believing in his opinion.
His mouth opened, yet no words left his throat after he made eye-contact with Rosetta.
He couldn't say those words...
The anguish, the pain, the anger, the regret, and the resentment in her eyes was clear for him to see. He couldn't think of defending his careless actions after feeling the brunt of her emotions.
"I... just felt lonely." A look of surprise appeared on Rosetta's face as she heard her Master speaking such soft words. The old man remembered the days of his youth where he was ostracised...
The dark emotions in her heart calmed down as she, for the first time in her life, heard her master speaking such rare words of 'weakness'... These were kind of words he would usually never speak...
"Lonely?" She asked while remembering the strong hand that helped her up. The strong pillar she leaned on when having a hard time pursuing her dreams in those optimistic... and youthful days.
The gentle, yet unimaginably powerful figure of her master in her mind from that time, had never shown a hint of any negative emotions similar to loneliness... That was not until now, that is.
"The pugilistic world had always been an integral part of my daily life and 'reality'.
Its existence and affect on the world had never been something that I could just ignore.
To acquire absolute strength and ingraining my father's teachings into my heart has always been my goal in life." Alex spoke in remembrance to his childhood. The frailty of his body in the past.
It was the time where his OWN mentor had put him in the boundary between life and death.
All to increase his power multiple times...
He never knew what a 'peaceful life' was even at school where he'd be bullied by gals and only knew how to train. The only people he would befriend in his life were either great Masters with varied skills, or scheming politicians trying to recruit him.
When he finally broke away from his sadistic father who taught him everything he knew... When he finally reached the summit where those known to the world as 'Grandmasters' could reach... When he finally had the chance to live peacefully...!
That was when he felt the solitude of having no one to look after him when he no longer had a 'goal'.
"It's true that I decided to teach you out of a whim. However, that was not the case after had I gotten to know you, my dear disciple." He continued while gently removing her trembling hands off his collar.
He looked at the manuals she threw onto the floor and picked them up one by one. Rosetta was unable to look at her Master's old and melancholic figure. She turned her head away from him.
Tears finally started to emerge from her sky blue eyes. Alex's words had a large affect on her.
The filial affection she had towards her mentor was more than what she had for even her own father.
Who was it that helped her in times when she was in need? Who was it that guided her when she felt lost? If it wasn't for the fact that she had always had a hard time controlling her emotions...
...and had finally let her negative feelings run loose without any restrictions, she wouldn't have dared to treat her oh-so-dear teacher in life so disrespectfully. Rosetta was always grateful...!
"Stop it. I don't want to hear any more of this." She stood up and was about to leave, but a hand grabbed her wrist and stopped her from going any further. Even without gripping her strongly, she couldn't find it within herself to shake him off.
"Rosetta, my disciple." Her mentor called out to her in a consoling voice, then he continued with:
"I remember back then: You had never treated the pugilistic world as a place with 'advantages' or 'benefits'. At first, you too trained to achieve a goal just like I did. I saw a reflection of myself in you.
You'd worked hard and put in the effort to show everyone that becoming a businesswoman was possible for you to achieve." She pushed away his hand, yet refused to turn around to face him.
Her expression looked thoughtful. All while wiping away the tears streaming down on her face...
He continued to speak:
"You even became the CEO of your own company...
...but there was something more to it than that which pushed you further than everyone else, and that was your love for martial arts. I know you'll regret this choice of yours after a few year...
I know you well enough to understand that.
You are too affectionate for this cruel society...
That's why I'll-"
"You'll what?" Rosetta interrupted with a serious expression after gaining control of her chaotic emotions. Her eyes sharpened at him. She had finally regained her bearings and stood firm.
"That's why I've decided: I'm coming over to be his greatest Grandpa!" Alex declared with clear eyes.
He clenching his raised fist in determination!
His eyes were on fire, and he displayed his conviction to travel to where she lived!
This answer left her complete stunned...!
"...Huh?"
Rosetta emotions were like this: �(ﾟ□ﾟ*川
She understood all his words separately, but had no clue to what he implied when all together.
"You're most likely scared that something would happen to your son. Especially if you left him alone with an ordinary nanny by himself. That's why I've decided... I'll become his personal bodyguard twenty four hours a day and seven days a week!
It's a better way to keep him safe than cutting all relations with him and pretending you never gave birth to this kid of yours." Alex was on a roll. It seemed like he thought everything through.
Alex's cartoonish excitement translated weirdly in his body language. He looked like this: ᕕ༼✪ل͜✪༽ᕗ
His eyes were burning with enthusiasm. It had been a long time since he'd done anything difficult.
Rosetta went silent for a moment. She seemed moved by his proposal, but still asked cautiously:
"Master, are you sure about this...?" A mix of excitement and anticipation ran through her heart.
She believed that everything would be fine now that her master was going to accompany her!
The reason she never thought about the possibility of asking her master for help was due to how she couldn't imagine it. Would her technologically challenged Master becoming a 'nanny' to her son?
That wasn't something she could ask...
In fact, he actually seemed to hate going to cities in general. Even his Dojo was located far from where she lived in a part of town that was more rural than anything else... He even had a box-like TV in his living room instead of a HD flatscreen.
This was despite having money for it!
It was to the point that she was a little worried about how he would adapt to a new environment...
"No worries~!" The old man patted his chest with pride and lifted his nose, feeling like a genius!
His atmosphere was like this: (ノ'＿ゝ｀)ノ
Alex was so proud of himself. The oldie lifted his arms up like he was the winner of a boxing match.
"Your son will be safe and sound in these old, but powerful hands of mine! I promise that as long as I am breathing, no one will ever be able to bring your cute son any kind of harm!" These words were like a soothing breeze that calmed her down.
"...Thank you." She responded to him gratefully.
She may never be able to overcome the despair of her husband's death, but with her powerful master watching over her son, she was sure that such a tragedy would never happen ever again!
After all, Alex was still considered a monstrous freak of nature even though he was not at all in his prime... Don't forget: The old man was a Super Badass! How could modern society daunt him?!
But what both Alex and Rosetta were unaware of at this moment was... the fact that their decision today would lay the foundation for the future expert. A young Grandmaster who would one day throw another world into chaos like his 'Grandpa'.
Well, that's a long story for another time... What's more important is that today would be the day he would actually raise the child. This grandchild of his was now to become his final disciple.
He'd definitely be a powerhouse of the future... It was his destiny as a member of the Dragon Family!
This boy with great fate was named Jack Solomon!