A Dragon's Kidnapping(Kenichi/Calypso

Kenichi tilted his head in curious confusion as he observed Calypso strike herself and inch back in severe pain. For a moment, he was wondering whether or not this was a technique she was performing to increase her performance but the moment she lurched back in pain, he knew otherwise.

He walked towards her and observed her body. It wasn't the height of physical perfection - nowhere close to the degree of the grand woman who defeated him many times - but she was well-developed. There was a great base here.

Listening to her as she spoke, Kenichi nodded as he finally learned the reason behind her annoyance. He gazed back at his shoulder for a moment and dug his finger somewhat deep within the flesh of his skin. It certainly did sting but Kenichi was a man who welcomed the pain.

Perhaps, his adrenaline has robbed her strike of it's full-effect? Kenichi was familiar with a concept wherein fighters could ignore a wound or two, a bloody nose, or anything between, because of the levels of excitement or fear that would run through their veins.


"Taiju Snake Style - from my own impressions - enacts its most fearsome damage through the point of contact - like the poisonous snake who sinks its fangs into the body of a man and kills them within seconds, if they're lucky. I don't know who the first person is who faced you, but I did feel something. I wouldn't have dropped you otherwise and you'd still be in my arms like a bride-to-be."

Kenichi stroked his chin thoughtfully as he continued. He was an honorable man who felt that everyone's martial discipline was to be admired based solely on the fact they took the time to train in and learn it.

"Pain immunity is sort of something I had to develop and even then, it's not a finished product. I have a cultivation technique that improves my focus and martial meditation but requires me having to withstand blows to be of any real use," Kenichi remarked, referring to his silver rank technique - impact imperfection. He brought a fist towards the sky as excitement pulsed through his veins.

"It's why I developed another cultivation technique to balance myself out. Of course, all of this meant nothing to the otherworldly woman I met in Minatumi some time back. Have you ever faced anyone who you want to surpass but constantly throws a mystery at you every time you face them? She left me playing the role of a fool by the end of our bouts and I loved every minute of it! I don't know about you, but I find excitement when my techniques go against my expectations. It makes me want to take my opponent down even more! Do not lose faith in your technique, Calypso. If the first strike failed, strike the enemy down with the next!"

That was the spirit! No regrets! If one obstacle stands before you, strike it down and strive to greater heights. The journey of a thousand begins with one! As a martial artist who had trained himself to always be prepared to react at a moment's notice, he welcomed Calypso's choice to seize the offensive advantage. Exploding towards him with lightfoot, she aimed a palm strike towards his gut. Was it another Taiju striking technique? He wondered.

He wasn't afforded time to discern such a thing and merely responded in kind, contracting his muscles in preparation for a devastating counter. The joy of being a martial artist and developing martial prowess was learning what techniques would fail and which would be successful. Kenichi immediately decided that he would utilize a Hakkyoukuken - Bājíquán in its native tongue - technique. Choushinchuu - mind's peak elbow. Whether or not it would land successfully would be a whole other thing to worry about. He had to strike now!

Choushinchuu or Mind’s peak elbow - as it is most commonly called - expresses the perfect unity of defense and offense found in the Hakkyokuken’s vast compendium of techniques. It required the practitioner to steel themselves in preparation for an attack and remove the mind of any extraneous thoughts.

Utilizing Kyoka's step technique to improve upon his physical capacity and reaction time - which was already impressive in of itself - Kenichi dashed forward to duck beneath her striking arm, seizing it with one of his hands.

If he happened to make a successful grab, Kenichi would aim a powerful elbow strike towards her chest. If it hit, he would keep a firm grip around her wrist, to quickly execute a powerful leg sweep to rob her of her balance, aimed at her supporting leg. There was the option if this all connected to stomp her in her chest on the ground but Kenichi was by no means aiming to damage his fellow cultivator like that. If it all landed, he'd wait for her to rise up. If it didn't, he would be excited to see how he would counter her counter - if she had a counter!

Kenichi grinned from ear to ear as he expected Calypso to react with a devastating counter. He had grown so use to fights going against his predictions and easily believe the young gandr would follow up with a wicked counterattack. Perhaps, another Taiju strike? A flurry of kicks? Surely, he was supposed to be dodging something right now, and yet, Kenichi found himself, staring wide-eyed at the woman who lay at the ground. ...Oh.

It was then that it dawned on him that perhaps his excitement had got the better part of him and he overindulged in the excitement of the spar. Eagerness was a mistake. Even so, he would not leave his fellow cultivator lying on the ground as he walked over, once again to pick her up within his arms as he used his lightfoot technique to quickly make his way through the city to his own estate.

He realized he could've easily returned to the Shen clan's estate but walking back with a woman he struck down cause he got lost within his own excitement... he might end up having to fight servants or even the benevolent princess. He didn't want that.

His own estate was not far away from here, and the journey was short-lived. He was at his own home. He could smell the aroma of a wonderful meal being prepared by his mother as a few young children of the family ran up to him, pulling at his shirt, happy to see their childhood hero. He smiled at all of them and entered his estate, directing the children to bring him a pillow for his new guest as he set her down. He would gladly heal her if the internal damage was too much but he bided his time out of respect.

People could recover from the damndest things nowadays.

Kenichi clicked his teeth playfully as he gazed at Calypso in her unconscious state, somewhat regretful of the force he used but any hint of it was readily subdued as it was another experience for him to learn from. To be a true master, one had to learn to control themselves against lesser opponents.

The grand warrior who set his world ablaze could fight with him on an even level and still beat him as if he was a novice who just graduated from school. She could heal well enough, too. He stretched his arms out as he left her bedside temporarily to meet his mother downstairs.

It was a fine feast as always. He chose to grab an entire pot of meatbuns as he hugged his mother, kissed her on the cheek, and returned upstairs to await Calypso waking up. He had all the time in the world. He was like the wind, he went with whatever fate decided but if fate tried to bring him to his knees, he would rise up and punch it in the goddamn face!

He stuck his hand inside the hot pot and grabbed one of the buns as he chewed on one. He wondered what she was dreaming about...