inappropriate.

He had spent four days exchanging glances with Miu, concealing Kei's anger. Now calmer and less anxious, he hadn't hit anyone in the following days and felt like a happy man, without intruding or wanting to alert anyone about his relationship with Miu. They had five minutes to discuss important matters one day while training with Shogo, where he was hitting and practicing his boxing stances uniquely and unconventionally.

The shadow of the second Niko loomed over him from a distance on the bridge; he was wearing jeans and a floral shirt. Kei smiled upon seeing him on the bridge. He needed that training, one that would give him enough power to break the general rule.

—I'll have to defeat you in a second —Kei commented, starting to shift to his Dou Ki, a power above the rule, to his Sei Kei; only in his Dou could he copy and memorize styles, and in his Sei, he could use them.

They finished their training in just under an hour. Kei continued to lift weights while training the kata of redirection and the kata of fire, which were starting to become his most effective forms of action.

—We have training to do —Kei remarked.

The eyes of the other Niko were particularly dark; he disliked being ordered around and felt utter contempt for the audacity with which the kid behaved.

—Come on, we need to carry out a mediation —the other Niko said, leading him through the dark alleys. He didn't quite know how everything would end, but he felt the interior unexpectedly approaching him and took the risk of entering the city again. He believed it was Yami's work, but now he understood it was a different kind of job, one that turned out to be a complete disaster.

At least he would disappear for a week.

They entered quietly through Rozha, and without much space, they arrived at a muddy field where numerous trees had been cut in half. In every instance and aspect, there was a gathering of about thirty men. All were mortally dangerous; his instincts warned him, and he sensed that each one was considerably powerful, in a way that would be hard for him to reach that level.

But he composed his face and found Lu Tian with his raccoon-like eyes alongside a man named Jadamba Sumyabaazar, a Mongolian combatant specializing in Worn, a true senior, along with two others who had strange names. In a large room, there was a table at the center where five people were seated. Jadamba was one of them; Niko took his place, the bespectacled man was another, and there was a bald man with a rough appearance.

—The leaders of Worn have died, Duo Jie. They are dead —commented a man with glasses and black hair, the complete opposite of what he considered a strong man. The other Niko was on the table, and there were two young men aged fifteen to seventeen. They were Xia Jie and Xia Yan, both possessing the power of low-level superhumans, being twice as powerful as normal. They were both ready to undertake the Gu ritual, but they did not do so due to mere coincidence.

Kei lifted his gaze; the room was small, and the tension was palpable. It seemed that the most powerful figure was the man in the room, but Kei observed the surroundings, and there sat the man considered one of the most powerful: the connector Shen Wu Long, sitting lazily, blending into the environment. Kei couldn't help but stare at him with wide eyes; he felt the potent gaze of Kei, and he greeted him. His instincts felt as if he were a naked, weak, and helpless man in front of a dinosaur or an army of thousands of tigers, thousands of predators, terrifying men, a man who instilled fear.

Sweat trickled down Kei, and even in the presence of the venerable one, the sensation of power overwhelmed everything. This was the true head of Worn; his words fell silent, and he couldn't hear anything. The strength of that man was fearsome, above the general rule, like a brick against a great building… the Great Wall of China.

His eyes could not help but focus on him… he couldn't move his neck, holding his breath. His goal wasn't a mountain; it was the moon. He needed a rocket to take him on a journey and bring him back… worse yet, it was like trying to touch the sun with his hands. This was the man who could destroy masters with a single blow; this was the man who toyed with Kuroki just to see if it was entertaining.

The connector's eyes detached from him, and Kei fell to the ground, his clothes soaked, gripped by the fear of being a completely terrified man. It was the first time he felt fear; was this the strongest man in the world?

Kei was not recovering, and his hands trembled. The other Niko raised an interrogative eyebrow; the new head was Ubutoru, and he met his leader in Worn. The other leaders had disappeared, and many of them would dedicate themselves to training the youth.

—Who is he? —Kei asked, pointing to the blond man who had his back turned.

—Ohhhhhh, why do you ask? —the other Niko replied with a sardonic smile.

—That guy is like... the true hidden boss of martial arts. I think he could defeat the entire room with a finger. How is it possible that he doesn't take charge? It's... —Kei commented, a hint of fear in his voice.

Regaining his composure, he tried to take a step but stumbled.

—Come on, I'll introduce you —the other Niko said, chuckling at the situation. It was preferable to see that his hypothesis was correct; the kid had wolf-like instincts. All the men disappeared while Ubutoru was giving some orders. The head was something strange, but Kei sighed.

The words were shouting, and there were some unintelligible whispers.

—You're the first person to recognize the connector. You might be a good vessel for the tiger —the other Niko commented, with a mocking tone. The connector was over ninety years old.

The room was occupied by three people, and in particular, everyone there was part of the circle of those who were not. The two men at the table were of lesser importance, and the real meeting was about something more significant.

—The circus we put on was magnificent —Jadamba commented.

—Is it really necessary to make such a circus? —the connector replied.

—It was; many people were in their places, and we have leaks of information, but those are minor details. They should focus on me, the man who is the leader, so we can manage the data quietly. The death of Duo Jie is suspicious; someone leaked the information —Ubutoru remarked.

Kei knew it was his son, Xie Jie, who had killed his parents to escape the Wu ritual or to become the head of Worn. His twin was different, more centered, powerful, and possessed different abilities that were not simply common.

—This is my student, who is my eyes in Yami, with whom we have business in work and scientific experimentation —the other Niko explained.

—A Wu? —Ubutoru inquired.

Niko nodded as the men sat down to play cards. The connector was drinking beer, occasionally casting a glance at Kei.

—He has good instincts —the connector remarked.

—He knows about your power; he has wolf-like instincts... and learns quickly. That's why he's in Yami, our little caterpillar —the other Niko added.

—What's your purpose, kid? —the connector asked. —You want to compete to become the head of the family. The man completely calmed any minimal instinct.

Kei was able to breathe.

—Mmmm, martial arts, surpassing human limits, becoming skilled, but not through brute force. It's about fighting against strong people… when death greets you in the eyes, and you manage to overcome powerful individuals —Kei explained.

Niko squinted; he too would be at those limits.

—In this room, who would you like to defeat? —Ubutoru asked.

—Him —Kei said, pointing at the connector. For the first time, he was forming a different image than the one he usually held. His eyes were intense, large, and piercing; he enjoyed feeling that failure, that indelible, insurmountable wall that couldn't be bypassed by the general rules. He craved the penetrating gaze, one that was not simple, one that transcended the general rules designed to test his worthiness in the world.

He wasn't lying; that was his desire—to reach the top. The power, the girl, and the house… what a probable dream.

—Hahahahaha, the kid has varied ideas —Ubutoru commented, sensing it was his moment to score points with the man considered the connector, a man with skills that surpassed if he could be his master.

—I don't think I could defeat him in fifty years unless I make a normal shot, which is not easy. So, if I want to defeat him in less than fifty years, I have to undergo training that cannot be human, to travel to the moon. You can't get there by jumping; you need a rocket to take you there —Kei said again.

—How long? —the connector asked.

—Mmmm… impossible to say —Kei replied, as the connector nodded, but that was all; silence followed them, along with a clear decision, one he should not fear, one that was just steps away from him.

...

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