Three months had slipped by, and Kiyoshi was stationed at his window, observing the bustling academy grounds. His gaze then shifted to the bandaged stump where his right arm once was. The nurse had wrapped it in magical bandages, which she had meticulously explained how to use. "Why has the Kung-Fu God singled me out for such a misfortune?" Kiyoshi muttered to himself.
"I wonder if Kiyoshi is awake yet," Felix pondered aloud. "He should be; it's been three months since he regained consciousness, and Grandmaster Sensei’s technique should have taken effect by now," Lionel added.
Kiyoshi heard their conversation from inside his room and turned his head away, feigning sleep as the sliding door creaked open. "Hello, Kiyoshi," Jax greeted him. "I don't think he's awake yet," Felix observed.
Jax summoned electricity to his fingertip and prodded Kiyoshi with it. With a yelp of surprise, Kiyoshi jumped up, hit the ceiling and crashed back onto his bed. "Jax!" he bellowed angrily.
"Sorry, you weren't responding to us," Jax apologized.
"Perhaps there was a reason I chose not to respond," retorted Kiyoshi sharply. A somber mood descended upon them all for the remainder of their visit.
"Grandmaster Sensei wishes to see us once you're healed," Lionel informed him before leaving with Jax and Felix.
Alone again in his room, Kiyoshi returned to gazing out of the window where he spotted two fighters pursuing a girl across the grounds. "What's that about?" he wondered aloud before leaping out of the window and landing squarely in front of the pursuers.
"Oh look, it's the fighter who lost an arm," taunted one fighter while his companion chuckled. "Why don't you take your remaining arm and clear off?" the first fighter suggested.
Ignoring their jibes, Kiyoshi assumed his fighting stance. The fighters bowed to him, a sign of respect before combat. Kiyoshi returned the bow and braced himself as they rushed toward him.
Despite being down an arm, Kiyoshi managed to block the attacks from both sides until a kick to his side sent him flying backward. The fighters then charged at him together, but Kiyoshi deftly avoided them with a backflip.
"Let's start easy," he declared, launching into his special move: Shadow Shredder. Even with only one arm, his swift movements rendered his opponents unconscious in an instant. As they retreated, they vowed revenge.
"Amateurs," scoffed Kiyoshi as the girl approached him gratefully. After exchanging some words and noticing her evasiveness about why she was running from the fighters in the first place, he watched her leave with a suspicious look on his face.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Grandmaster Sensei Tom emerged from his office having witnessed Kiyoshi's encounter with the two guys. "It seems someone is feeling better," he remarked casually.
"Yeah, I'm somewhat better," admitted Kiyoshi, though he confessed that he was still troubled by the loss of his arm.
"Losing your arm may have been for a reason," Grandmaster Sensei suggested cryptically before leading Kiyoshi towards a room where Jax, Lionel, and Felix were waiting with something called reshaping medical bandages that could restore missing body parts.
Kiyoshi was initially skeptical but watched in awe as they applied it to what remained of his right arm and it took shape into a new limb. Astonished yet ecstatic at once, he tested out this new appendage which felt real down to its bones.
"Your generosity is truly appreciated," Kiyoshi expressed with heartfelt gratitude, his gaze met by the radiant smiles of his comrades. He had come to learn that their hands were behind the procurement of the state-of-the-art medical equipment, a gift from a damsel they had once liberated from a nefarious gang's clutches. "I am not without kin; it is you, standing here before me who are my family," he affirmed, though he confessed to feeling the absence of his comrade Kitaro, who had been conspicuously missing since losing his arm in a brawl with Sekel.
Their jovial reunion was abruptly cut short by an announcement from Grandmaster Sensei. Despite their previous banishment from school activities, there was still an opportunity for them to partake in the upcoming tournament. This revelation left Lionel in a state of bewilderment and anticipation about what awaited them.
"Sekel made that decision, not I," clarified Grandmaster. Lionel, Kiyoshi and Felix exchanged wide-eyed glances while Jax brimmed with excitement. "This promises to be quite the spectacle," Jax predicted enthusiastically. "And don't presume we'll go easy on you," retorted Kiyoshi. Jax shot back with a challenge: “Is that so? You’ll need more than just training if you hope to best me.” Felix chimed in with a reminder: “Don’t forget Jax, Kiyoshi now has a new arm.” Jax glanced at Felix dismissively. “I’m aware of his new arm but mastering its use will require more than just practice,” said Jax confidently. “I will strive harder than you can imagine to emerge victorious,” declared Kiyoshi.
The conversation shifted towards participants in the tournament as Lionel interjected: “Who else will be competing?” Grandmaster answered cryptically: “There’s one competitor worth mentioning - Cloven Norwood. He’s the reigning champion of this island, boasting a winning streak that has lasted for 45 weeks.” Lionel's jaw hung open in astonishment. “Well, he is a four-star fighter now,” Felix added casually. Lionel reassured them: “Don’t fret; I will have my vengeance, one way or another.” Tethyus questioned Zebeon with skepticism: “Are you certain he can defeat Cloven?” Zebeon responded with unwavering confidence: “Absolutely, I have faith in us. Even the mightiest fall eventually.”
After bidding farewell to Grandmaster, the quartet exited the building and proposed a celebratory feast at a local restaurant. Kiyoshi's stomach growled in agreement as he chuckled: "It seems someone forgot to eat while recovering." Lionel teased him light-heartedly: "I guess hunger wasn't an issue during your stint in the medical wing." As they approached their destination, Kiyoshi playfully challenged his friends to a race: "Last one there is going to buy us dinner!" And so they ended their day at the restaurant, sharing food and laughter - Lionel, Jax, Felix and Kiyoshi – a band of brothers bound by shared trials and triumphs.