Martial Glory, Chapter 22 (Patreon)

Shigure was currently armed with a wooden sword so I quickly took the stance of the Kyotōryū as it would be my best bet in fending off her blows via the sword. And she wanted me to use that martial art to begin with as that's why she wanted to accept me as her disciple anyway.

She started things off with a swift downward slash that was meant to gauge my reaction speed as it was the same speed as her leisure blows before my change. But, I could see it in slower motion, meaning that my reaction speed and thought process had sped up a good deal from the virus's influence upon my nervous system.

"Faster." Shigure noted also noticing the difference and I wanted to cry as Akisame chuckled in the background as Shigure 'naturally' used more strength to swing keeping me on the back foot as my senses screamed at me to avoid the wooden blade as it screamed death to my senses.

But with Shigure clearly testing my total capabilities instead of just my ability to run I accepted my fate and went on the offensive as I used a knife hand to clash against the side of her blade to knock it aside as I then attempted to stab her with my other hand that was held in a knife hand position.

Then in turn Shigure merely sidestepped the stabbing hand and brought down her wooden sword as though to cut off my offending hands and in turn I dropped down and swung my legs out in a powerful sweeping kick towards her knees.

But Shigure leisurely hopped off the kick and stabbed forward with her sword and I reacted by slapping my palms together on the blade and then diverting it to the side as I rolled away before I hit the ground in the prior kicking motion.

For a moment Shigure and I stared at one another until she ordered in her typical deadpan voice. "Use a technique that would stress your body too much before."

I took a breath with my chest expanding deeply as I used the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist breathing technique to expanded my senses and pull my bodies strength to the limit. "Alright." I hissed with steam coming out of my mouth making her blink at the sight.

But I was totally focused as I delved into both Martial Arts I decided on the technique I would use. And finally... I reached my answer as I felt unbidden to myself how the Kyotōryū was a good substitute for the Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist which was the twin to my Water Streaming Rock Smashing Fist.

As I took a stance with my breathe coming out heavily as I drew as much oxygen into my body to build up tension Shigure's eyes went sharp as she held her sword up defensively as I hissed out.  "Whirling Wind Flowing Water Art: Fist of Roaring Qi, Rending Air." And I blurred forward as fists came together in a perfect refraction of two extreme martial arts.

One being the redirection of all things, and the other being the cutting off all things. Those two martial arts one being used in each hand smashed into Shigure's sword and as my fists collided with the edge of her blade I felt the ground give way beneath our feet and then pain in my hand as her wooden blade sliced through my knuckles slightly.

But Shigure... She got blasted backward a dozen meters and actually had to roll to bleed off some of the great momentum.

As much as I wanted to be proud at actually pushing a Master back at all. I was very much holding my hands together while holding back screams of pain as my elbows, wrists, and shoulders quickly turned blue as Akisame burst into laughter.

"She wanted you to use a strong technique Jake... Not use a two-person technique that's still beyond you by yourself Haha!" He chided while coming over and thankfully pressing a couple pressure points to block off some of the pain making me sigh in relief.

Shigure came back over and she stood in front of me for a moment before lifting up my hands and inspecting the cuts the left on my hands before nodding and saying. "Good... I didn't cut your fingers off. Your hands are strong." She stated bluntly making my lips twitch at the matter of fact way she said that.

Then another voice spoke up. "Heyo! Was that the Southern Dragon Fist from Kenpo?" I looked over and saw the short figure of Kensei Ma looking at me excitedly

But Shigure heartlessly cut him down. "Yes... But you stay away from my disciple pervert."

Making the Kenpo master look utterly dejected but I still answered frankly. "Sorta... The Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist is an offshoot of the Dragon Fist of Chinese Kenpo so it works out that way." I finished while trying and failing to flex my broken fingers into a fist making Shigure bonk me over the head with the pommel of her sword.

"No. Now you go heal... I will tell the girls you are better, and tell the Grandmaster you are up. He wants to talk to you." She finished and without another word she dashed away leaving me with Akisame who was inspecting my body while the Kenpo master was crouched on the ground doodling on said ground while muttering under his breath.