Violent contents ahead:

Jin was sweaty and alert and on guard. Seeing the punch coming towards his jaw, he jumped back immediately, saved by a few inches. Instantly gaining the balance back, he spun a little, throwing one counter kick with his right leg.
The opponent was ready, she blocked the kick with her left hand.

Jin almost groaned in pain from the impact on his shin bone.
Immediately after the right foot fell on the ground, he threw another kick with his left leg.
His opponent couldn't block it this time and fell on the ground with the impact.

But she was swift. Seemed like not on the floor, rather she fell on the spring, and stood up on her feet almost immediately without breaking a sweat.

She was breathing rapidly.
Jin was concerned, did he hit her too harshly?

He let go of the guard position and wiped his palms on his trousers.

She didn't let the opportunity slip and dashed towards him, using both hands and legs simultaneously.

Jin was forced to back off with the continuous vigorous attacks. He was just defending now, no time to think clearly anymore.

He almost was near the wall. He needed to do something right now if he didn't want to get cornered.

But he waited in patience.

Just as the opponent threw a weak punch, he evaded it and gripped it on the wrist. Turning sideways, he yanked her forward and trusted upwards with his folded knees.

The kick was impactful on the torso of the opponent as she was leaning forwards due to his pulling, she was breathless for a moment and her one foot left the ground. But Jin didn't let go. He twisted the hand and tackled down the person. He sat on her side blocking her way out, keeping his hand on her trachea lightly, he can break the windpipe if he wanted.

Assessing the situation, Arya tapped on Jin's hand indicating she was yielding.

Jin released her and got up and offered his hand to her. Arya grabbed it and got up on her feet.

"It seemed you were going to win at one point," Jin said wiping his sweat with a towel.

"I was." Arya rolled her eyes.

Jin took her hand and unclasped her fist and pressed on her fingers one at a time.
"Use your fingers, not your fist. It will help you cover more distance."

"Fingers? Why? And how does it works?"

"What do you mean?" suddenly Jin frowned.

"I asked first!" Arya too frowned.

"You've already learned it! Just use Ninjutsu."

"Ninjutsu? I mean Ninja?" Arya again frowned, "When the hell I did learn ninja fighting?"

"We both did. First-year in NIS!" Jin was confused this time.

"Who taught us?"

"A Japanese master," Jin said slowly, thinking something intendedly, and suddenly without warning, he plunged forward and grabbed Arya in a chokehold within a whirl.

He expected Arya to use the most common technique from the Taijutsu that is included in ninjutsu to free herself from his hold. It was basic.

But Arya used Taekwondo to brush him off. But it was a completely different technique to deal with Taekwondo. Far more technical and deadly.

Eventually, Arya gurgled, "I yield!"

Jin released her once again. And his stares intensified on her, "You really don't know ninjutsu!"

"Probably I just forgot!" Arya blurted rubbing her neck, "you really are ruthless, Jin! What did you want? Choke me to death?"

But Jin's frown deepened.
"Ninjutsu is reflex, Arya. You never forget once you learn it."

"What are you thinking?" Arya was a little confused.

"Nothing." Suddenly Jin's expression turned unreadable. "Forget it."

"How about this?" Arya picked one long machete blade and grazed her finger along the blade.

"Put it down, bunita," Cadassi disagreed.
He was Chamiyu's father and now was here for Arya's daily fencing lesson, "it is not for fencing."

"You heard him, Jin?" Arya chirped happily, " he is calling me beautiful!"

Jin didn't bother to look back from the book he was emerged into sitting on the floor near the big window.

"Bunita..." Cadassi pushed her,
"Choose your weapon."

"This one." Arya picked a katana. The deadliest sword in the world, the swords of the samurai.

Cadassi sighed in annoyance, "Be practical."

"You are discouraging me cause you are scared to fight me with this sword." Arya shrugged.

"Are we fighting, or not?"

"Fine!" Arya groaned and picked up a saber from the options of the long sword, cutlass, rapier, epee, and a few different types of blades, "This one."

"The foil," Jin said from his position, eyes still glued to his book.

"You guys are no fun." Arya put down the saber and picked up a foil of the classic skinny fencing sword and again tossed it away.

She went for a heavy cutlass, "Full and final!"

Arya stood in her position. They both bowed and stood again.

"Engage."

The two blades touched and separated once again.

Suddenly two long blades hit each other at a fast pace.

"No, No, no!" Shaking head, Cadassi shouted and backed a few steps and pointed his cutlass towards the wooden floor, "I told you before, Bunita, if the attack comes to you from below, don't try to cover your blade especially when your opponent is a great fencer. If the hit is along sixty lines or above, block it. If it's at twenty-five-line, it's hard to block. but if you try to block attack even lower than that, it's just stupidity!" Angered cadassi was firing up basic facts in both Chamorro and French in frustration.

"But it worked!" Arya disagreed from behind the mask, "I blocked it anyway!"

"Blocked it!!! blocked it?" Cadassi removed the mask from his head and increased the pitch of his voice, "I came to teach you, Bunita. Not to have a duel. Right? You want to learn the art of fencing, right? If so, you have to learn manipulation, tactics, style, and art- you have to learn everything. Learn the right, not swinging your sword like butcher man."

"Sorry," Arya dropped her shoulders,
"I forgot."

Cadassi glared at her and pulled the mask on his mouth from his head again, "Engage!"

The two blades again touched each other.

Jin was sitting near the window in his typical upright position with a book in his hand and a small table in front of him containing a few other books.

Chamiyu, you the other hand was looking at the two persons in white in marvel. Unlike Jin, he was super immersed in the game and already mentally started to take sides.

Quick footstep arose from the battle arena and the sound of the huge clank came from the collision of steel.

"No!" Cadassi flared into a rage,
"Where is your intelligence, Bunita? I gave you chance for a stop-hit. Right? I make a one-two with a step forward on the first feint then disengage into a lunge. but do you make the stop-hit? No! You defend with a simple parry. Looks like I am wasting my time here!" his last words were mixed in Chamorro and french.

"Your lunge could have touched me." Arya defended her stance.

"Your hit would come first." This time Cadasai was shouting, "why does it matter if my hit follows?"

Arya removed the mask and gave him a sunny smile, "It would matter..." she stopped and smiled again, "Let's start again."

Cadassi softened a bit, "I was informed that you took a lesson to Master Kim before. I thought I wouldn't have to work much as I already knew his reputation in fencing. But now, seeing you...ok, again!"

The two blades touched again.

Chamiyu blurted out in low voice,  "I am kinda surprised, I thought she is good at fencing. But..."

"Don't get the wrong idea hearing Mr. Cadassi." Jin said not looking up from his book, "the cause of his anger is Arya taking extra risk. See she is using a real sword even in practicing. She loves taking risks and doesn't care about normal rules. Now he is getting into danger just because he is trying to teach her."

"Did she really learned from you, master Kim?" Chamiyu asked curiously.

"A very, very long time ago."

"Fingers...use your fingers, Bunita!" Cadassi again spurted, "Only fools will use wrist during fencing. You have a sword in your hand, not a tennis bat."

"Racket." Corrected Arya.

"I beg your pardon, not racket." cadassi fumed, "control it with your fingers. Start again, please."

"Why don't you fence anymore, master Kim?"

Jin remained silent.

"You loved this sport so much. I heard you made records in Korea in fencing, went to international events too. What happened?" Chamiyu asked curiously.

The regular arrival of the crews on the flying boat not only brings essential equipments for the farm but also every bit of information regarding the owner of the island and his family's lives more than anything.

"Ohh." Suddenly Jin's voice made him stop and look back at the fencing duo.

One session has just ended. Both the fencer stared at each other for some time and then Cadassi came towards the table and put down his sword and mask.

"I am sorry!" Arya said from his behind but he didn't look back.

"What happened?" Chamiyu was again curious.

"Mr. Cadassi lunged first and attacked. Arya had to back off first but she didn't do that. Rather she blocked the attack. Very unconventional.
Then Mr. Cadassi attacked her from below and she didn't try to back off. She not only blocked the attack, she even went for an attack herself!
Very unorthodox, but it worked."

Arya came back towards the two
Sitting men on the floor.

Her hand held a cutlass and the mask under her armpit.

"He is so pissed off!" Chamiyu chuckled.

"I attacked first and I failed. Does that mean I must back off and shouldn't attack again? Does that make sense? These fucking rules!"

"Do it in your way then if you don't want to maintain the rules!" Cadassi was pissed off.

Arya shrugged and grinned, "How did I do, Jin?"

"No comments." seeing Cadassi eyeing him, Jin concluded with a diplomatic answer.

"Why don't you help me with the fencing?" Arya suddenly opened towards Jin, " You did it before!"

"One day, probably." Jin shrugged off the words, "But you have to prove your competence."

"Then what am I going these past few days?" Arya groaned.
" Still not enough?"

"We will see." Jin dismissed her casually.

[So now I had to consult with my fencer friend and my self-defense instructor for this short chapter.

I know the story is slow pacing, hope you all are hanging in there in this tortoise's race! Stay safe, stay blessed. Until next time, hyvästi!!
😄😄😄]