"You can still give up Smoke…"

Akachi repeated Fenyang's stance. He had no memories related to martial arts. He had no time for memories. A young man had a .50 caliber anti-material rifle pointed at his body. Any false step and a cartridge would spiral through him from side to side.

Jarda couldn't stand his anxiety. He couldn't believe how calm the target was. The stranger only had two wooden sticks. He didn't look like he knew how to fight, nor did he have an impressive physique.

Smoke was in a frenzy. He loved shooting with his gun. When he put his finger on the trigger, he felt powerful. It was a way of showing the mute who was in charge here. No one else could hurt him or humiliate him. He had a semi-automatic rifle whose cartridge was almost the size of a soda bottle.

"Ready? Here goes!"

He fired in Akachi's direction. But the shot missed him. The boy dodged so quickly that he couldn't see the movement.

Smoke took a step back due to the recoil of the gun. He couldn't believe he had missed from that distance.

"Oh, well done! Let's see if you can escape once."

"Get ready, Akachi. Now he's going to unload the magazine."

The rifle's magazine held ten rounds and fired one projectile every two turns. With each shot, Akachi ducked and took a step closer to the teenager with the rifle in his hand. On the last shot, the gun jammed. Smoke was so desperate that he didn't give up. He tried to jab Akachi in the stomach.

Before he could complete the move, the young man deflected the blow with one of his sticks. With the other, he hit Smoke's chin. The impact was so strong that the wood shattered and knocked two teeth out of the young offender's mouth. Smoke collapsed on the clay soil.

Yard ran to his companion. Blood was gushing from the corner of his mouth. Smoke had fainted and wasn't responding to his colleague's calls.

"Wake up, kid. Get up. Holy shit! Akachi, you almost killed that guy."

"I didn't want to hurt anyone. I even asked him to give up. But with a gun in his hand, everyone thinks he's the man."

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"What? I should be shoving lead in your face, you fool."

He pulled a pistol from his waist and pointed it in the direction of the boy who had knocked out his friend. Akachi kept his eyes fixed on Jarda. That greenish glow swirling around the boy's eyes made him shiver. It was an imposing force that energized his body, exuding an aura of grandeur.

What kind of person are you, Akachi? How can someone with two pieces of wood defeat someone with an anti-material rifle?

He lowered his face, fearing what might happen. He put the pistol away. He put the strap on the rifle and put it on his back. He grabbed Smoke's body and put it on his shoulder. Faint as he was, he looked like a sack of potatoes. He went down the slope, slipping on some sections to get to the gravel road more quickly. He never looked back.

Akachi felt dizzy for a moment. It was as if something had detached from his skin. He fell to the ground. Fenyang leaned over him with a smile. One of the sticks he was holding was broken in half.

"You mean that what happens in the real world also affects the spiritual world?"

"Yes, Akachi. We've entered into a kind of spiritual synchronicity. You were able to mirror my movements. I could even say that you learned by intuition. You have a latent capacity in you. A force that can be channeled. I have no knowledge of ancestral worship to tell you how to develop your Axé, but I can teach you maculelê. I'll perfect your technique. You fight well, you just don't have much grace in your hips."

Akachi smiled. It was true. He had done something incredible that morning. When he was challenging Smoke, he felt powerful. As if he were someone else. It was a good feeling.

"All right, I'll agree to be trained by you."

I'm in a place where the dangers are only going to increase. I need to protect myself, otherwise I won't go back to Ilu Nla where my father probably is. If I learn to fight, I won't be so helpless, and I'll be able to earn money from the services Okafor provides.

"Get some new sticks to train with. These are no longer any good. Maculelê is a martial art style that needs them to extend the reach of the arms."

"Of course… I think we should find somewhere further away to train. Otherwise, we'll keep getting unwanted visitors."

"That's right, there's nothing worse for training than distractions. Behind this hill there's a flat spot, very good for those who want to exercise. I used to train here every day."

"Okay. I'll come every day, whenever I'm not involved in some service…"

"If you get involved with the guys from Central Command, don't come anymore. I won't train someone to use the martial art I inherited to take the lives of innocent people."

Fenyang said this with irritation in his voice. There was an audible tone of resentment. Before Akachi could retort, he disappeared into thin air.

The boy planted his stick in the ground, in the same place where he had picked up the weapon. He descended the slope.

What neither Fenyang nor Akachi had realized was that two figures were watching them. Yasini and Zuber were amazed at how the situation was developing. Guardian Ori licked his thick lips with his pointed tongue. He was as excited as ever.

"He performed a perfect spiritual synchronicity with a spirit outside his ancestry. How many people do you know who could do something like that, Yasini?"

"Only those who possess one of the Seven Keys. But that's just speculation. He could be a relative of Fenyang."

"Too close to be classified as an ancestor suitable for mediumistic exercises. We need to get close to him and find out what secret he's keeping. When he lets his guard down, we'll seize the chance."