1 Chapter 1: Recruit has arrived!
"After three years in academy, finally they called me for the new recruit in the capital city" said Kai, a 21-year-old man, to himself while packing his bag.
"Kai, are you done yet? Come! I already cook you some breakfast" his mother calling from the kitchen.
Kai entered the kitchen and sit at the dining table with his mother. "Woah amazing, you cook my favourite! Beef stew with extra union! Wait, usually you do not cook this for breakfast" said Kai to his mother.
His mother replied "well this is your last day you will be here. After this breakfast you will head to the capital city". Slowly her mother's tears came out.
"Eh mother, do not worry. I will not go forever. When I got a holiday or something, I will come back home" said Kai to comfort his mother.
"Yes, I knew. But watching you growing up, becoming a brave policeman, it really touched me. Also, your job, is not that easy. You just put your life on a line. That scares me the most" his mother confessed.
"Do not worry, mother. You know I am a strong guy. I also study hard in the academy. So do not worry, I will be back" said Kai while smiling.
They were eating the breakfast together until finished and his mother send him to the nearest bus stop. Kai entered the bus, and they are waving their hands for the last time while the bus is slowly moving.
On his way to the capital city, he enjoyed the sceneries from the window. Suddenly his eyes distracted by a village with ruin buildings. "What is this village? Maybe all the people already moved to the city for a better life. That is why nobody here" Kai thought. When he focused more into those buildings, suddenly he saw people. "Wait, people still living in the village? With the buildings like that? Maybe government overlooked at this. Well, this is not my job to think much about this. I just hoping someone issued this to the government" Kai keeps thinking until finally he fell asleep.
After a few hours, he woke up and saw he is about to enter the capital city. "Woah what a big wall to keep the border for the capital city" said Kai while amazed looking at the humongous wall that cover the city perimeters.
He finally entered the city and arrived at the bus station. He then searching for taxi to reach the police station.
When he reached the police station, he immediately when to the counter at the lobby. "Excuse me, I am the new recruit…" Kai trying to ask the guy at the counter but the already answer without Kai finished his word "oh you go upstairs, level 2, search for room 2-D". "Alright thank you" said Kai but the guy does not really give his attention to Kai, like he is busy with his stuff.
On his way to the stairs, suddenly his eyes focused to three bulky men that just collide to a skinnier man than them who are wearing a normal hoodie and t-shirt.
"You cannot see, blind man? You just collide with police recruits!" said one of the bulky guys.
"Oh, they are recruits like me too" Kai said to himself.
"Yeah, whatever, I am sorry" said the guy in the hoodie then walk away.
"Damn him, no respect to us. If I met him again, he would regret being in that attitude with us" said one of the bulky guys.
"What is wrong with them? I should ignore them" said Kai and continue searching for the room.
He finally found the room. In the room, he registers his name, take attendance, and asked to change his clothes into training outfit that have been provided. After that, they all assemble in the training room.
"Alright everybody, listen here! You are recruits here! That's mean you has already been accepted to be a police officer here! But we will have a placement test, to evaluate which rank will you be! So first, we will have a combat test, with knife and unarmed. Then, we will go to shooting test. After that, we will have a real situation test. Lastly, some essay test" brief by an old but sturdy instructor.
"So first, combat test. I will call your name. Do not worry, win or lose, the evaluation by your skills" instructor proceed the test.
Just before the instructor about to call a name to start the first test, a man came into the room. Kai shock by looking at that man "that man! The one who collide with the other recruiters!".
"Zen, what are you doing here?" asked the instructor.
"Well as usual, I need a warmup before patrolling. Looks like you going to have a combat test, why not I also give it a shot to test our new people" Zen talk to instructor in cheerful tone.
"Well, whatever, why not?" Answered the instructor. He continued "so who want to give it a shot, to fight this guy?".
Suddenly one of the bulky guys stand up and said "I do. I do not care who you are, you are rude to me this morning, and I going to make you regret doing that!"
"Oh, you guys, sorry. I am little bit bad mood because my breakfast scorched" Zen answered while smiling and scratching his head. Those action make the bulky guy more upset.
"His personality is not the same just how I saw him this morning" said Kai.
Zen and the bulky guy ready on the sparring mat with a training knife on their hands. "Alright, Zen must be already known, but for who do not know, this training knife is giving a small electric shock if you get hit and will be marked with colour from the knife. Without any further, let the fight begin" the instructor starts the fight.
So, they started to stare each other with their own fighting stance. Zen looks like analysed his opponent stance "his stance is high, his hands are covering his hands, just how like a normal street fighter. The probability of he will attack first will be high. I guess I will use this stance".
Zen lowering and wider his stance, with his right hand in front and his left hand at the chest while holding his knife.
"What is that silly stance?! You think this is a show? Are you mocking me?!" asked the bulky guy angrily, then charging to attack Zen with his knife on his right hand.
"Checkmate. His posture, his chamber, just like how normal aggressive people will move. I am going to counter from the outside" Zen analysed his opponent to do a counterattack. Once the bulky guy's hand is about to hit Zen, Zen tilt his body to avoid the knife and immediately hit the opponent hand with the knife. Not just that, his left hand continues to hit the ribs. The bulky guy immediately touches his ribs with the other hand, as the sign of normal human reaction.
"Now his hands are busy with the ribs and the knife, he will not be having a follow up attack. His posture also lose balance. I guess I will disarm him" thought Zen. Zen then twist his opponent right hand to make it weak to easier disarm the knife. Then he disarms the knife, follow up with a slash to his opponent neck. Because of the weak posture, the bulky guy falls.
The bulky guy be more upset. He stands up, throw away his knife, and charge to punch Zen. Zen saw it coming "wide hook punch. Just an angry man without strategy would do that". He then blocked the punch and trying to counter from the inside but instead of punching, he just pushes his opponent to make some distance, then the opponent still aggressively attack with a push kick, but Zen calmly move, countering the kick by low block follow up by scooping the leg to make his opponent lose balance. Then he swipes down the supporting leg to make his opponent falls. When the opponent falls, he did a painful joint lock to the legs until the bulky guy finally give up.
"What an amazing fighting technique!" Kai amazed watching that fight.
Suddenly the other two bulky guys stand up and rush on to the sparring mat.
"Oh, you want to team up against Zen? Whatever, you still do not stand a chance, but it will save my time to evaluate two people in a fight" said the instructor with a lazy tone.
"Two against one? Might be interesting for a warmup" said Zen while skipping around, stretching his body.
"You are mocking us again?!" They charge to attack Zen immediately without any sign.
Zen's expression change from a smiling face to serious and focused face. His stance also not as low as the first fight.
"Two against one. First rules, never let the opponent be in your blind spot. Second rules, give a one hit KO to one of them, so the other one's psychology will be distracted, and automatically give me a time at least a split second to change my focus to the second one" Zen make up his strategy.
Zen then give a roundhouse kick to the first guy guts, and make the guy fall on his knee. As his planned, the second one shocked and step back. Zen charged into the second one to attack. As the second guy trying to protect himself, he tried to punch Zen to the face while Zen is moving toward him but smoothly, Zen dodge it, and trying to counter with a right uppercut to his jaw but stop at the last inch and change it into two fingers into the guy nose.
"I guess I just a little bit serious to you guys. I am sorry for that roundhouse kick, man. It is just my brain reacting to what I learned. Anyway, ganging up in the police community is not a good thing to do. We all like a family here, do not divide yourselves" said Zen while smiling.
Unexpectedly, Kai stands up and said "I want to try to fight against you. It might be an interesting experience in the future".
"I love the spirit, kid! Come! Let's have a match!" said Zen with a cheerful tone.
"Do you still have the time, Zen? Isn't you said you are going to patrolling?" interrupt the instructor. "Do not worry, if the time comes, Reina will come here to take me" said Zen.
The fight started. Zen realized Kai's stance is different from people before. A little bit lower, with both of his hands far from the centreline, meanwhile the knife on his right hand. "This kid is a serious deal. With that type of stance, the probability of him attacking first is low. He is waiting for my attack. Alright kid let's see what you got" said Zen in mind.
Zen finally make his move to charge that kid. Zen move to Kai's right side and trying to punch the ribs, but Kai tilt his body to avoid the punch, and Kai trying to counter that by stabbing the knife on the Zen's back, but been blocked easily by Zen using his right forearm.
"I impressed you can read that movement kid!" Zen praised Kai, but Kai keeps quiet and keep focusing.
Zen then charge again to attack Kai, but this time he directly when to Kai's centreline and try to stab him. He knew that Kai will easily counter that, but he has a better strategy. He directly trying to stab, and as he thought, Kai easily countered that stab, and try to slash Zen, but Zen still can block that, and followed up with a counter by slashing Kai from the right side. But still Kai can dodge that counter.
"Woah, your skill is amazing. You can counter my counter-counterattack" praised Zen again.
Zen's then keep attacking him, but Kai keeps dodging and countering the attack. The exchange continue for more than a minute, makes all the audience amazed, including the instructor.
Finally, Kai is out of breath, meanwhile Zen still looks cool. "How I want to defeat this guy? His formation, his fitness, his skills, almost perfect".
Suddenly there is a woman knocking the room's door.
"Oh Reina! Want to go now? Alright, I will be there immediately" said Zen. Zen suddenly raise his hand and said "I give up. You win kid. Later, if there is any chance, we will have a rematch, alright?". Zen rub Kai's head and then head off to patrolling. Kai smiling and said "Yes, I hope we will meet again". Kai then continues to take the other placement test.
