<strong>Chapter 618: That Sounds Painful</strong>
“You don’t ever run out of something to say, do you?” Nnenna remarked, pointing out the same pattern she had noticed the previous day.
“Not when I’m with someone like you,” he admitted, his tone serious now, stripped of his usual joking edge. “I’ve got to use my best cards just to get your attention.”
That was when Arthur’s voice cut in, calm, but with a sharpness that made Darius nce up. “I think it’s time you left,” Arthur said. His eyes lingered a fraction too long on how close Darius was to Nnenna, and for once, his tone wasn’t just cold. It was possessive.
“I don’t think so,” Darius rejected tly, his usual smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
“You know I can have you fired,” Arthur threatened, his voice low and cold, but Darius didn’t even flinch this time.
“You can,” Darius shrugged, “but then you’ll have to exin to Carl why he has to go digging for some third best recement to help his precious little sister. And I’m sure you’re not willing to gamble with her care. At least you’ve known me for years. Last I checked, the girl who clinched third ce isn’t even in our circle. Tell me, Arthur, are you really ready to hand her over to a stranger?”
Arthur’s jaw tightened, his silence speaking louder than words.
“My sessions can happen anytime, anywhere,” Darius continued smoothly, clearly enjoying the upper hand. “So, whether you like me here or not, my presence is important for her treatment. So…” he leaned back, folding his arms smugly, “do I start packing my bags, or should I join your little morning routine?”
Arthur didn’t reply. His expression was unreadable, but his silence carried a warning.
Without being told, Nnenna wheeled herself into position, breaking the tension in the air. She didn’t say a word, but her action alone reminded both men why they were really there.
Arthur stood in front of the practice dummy, his tone clipped but patient.
“As I said before, the first technique is called Palm Root Striking. It relies on your upper body, your shoulders, arms, and the heel of your palm. No kicking, no shifting weight onto your legs. Just pure, sharp impact delivered with stability from your core.”
He raised his hand, fingers loose but wrist firm, and thrust forward. The thud of his palm mming into the padded surface echoed, leaving the dummy rocking slightly.
Nnenna leaned forward in her chair, eyes wide. “That sounded… painful.”
“That’s the point,” Arthur said, as though it were obvious. “With precision, even someone twice your size will feel like they’ve been struck with a hammer.”
“Oh, wonderful,” Darius drawled from the sidelines, arms crossed. “Teach the princess how to break ribs before breakfast. Very therapeutic.”
Arthur ignored him and crouched slightly so he was level with Nnenna. His voice softened, his words chosen with care. “What matters is not brute force. It’s where the forcees from, your core. The palm is only the delivery.”
Nnenna raised her hand, copying his stance. Arthur adjusted her wrist gently, making sure it was aligned.
“Rx your fingers. Lock here,” he instructed, tapping the base of her palm. “Now when you strike, imagine the energy driving straight through the target, not just to the surface.”
She pushed forward, her palm smacking the dummy. The sound was weaker than Arthur’s, but her form was steady.
“Better,” Arthur said with a rare approving nod. “Do it again. Stronger.”
“Stronger?” Darius cut in, eyes twinkling. “Careful, Iceberg. She’ll tten you one day and I’ll be forced to testify that you brought it on yourself.”
Arthur shot him a frigid nce but kept his focus on Nnenna.
Her lips tugged upward despite herself. “I’ll be breaking bones onces i understand this better, right?” she teased.
“If necessary, yes,” Arthur replied simply. “Again.”
Darius pped once, grinning. “Brilliant. In a month she won’t need bodyguards, she’ll be the bodyguard.”
This time when Nnenna struck, the thwack was sharper, more solid. She blinked at her hand, a thrill shooting through her.
Arthur’s mouth almost curved into a smile. Almost. “Good. You’re learning fast.”
Then he shifted slightly, his voice steady as he continued.
“I’ll repeat the second technique. Deflective Redirection. You don’t need equal strength to match a blow with this technique. With angles and timing you can work it out. Using your arms, you’ll guide an opponent’s attack away from you, letting their own force overextend them. It’s not shy, but it’s efficient, elegant, and won’t doesn’t require standing.”
Nnenna tilted her head. “So instead of stopping someone, I’m just… letting them stumble past me?”
Arthur nodded. “Exactly. Think of it as control through precision, not resistance.” He demonstrated, his arm sweeping outward in a measured arc. “Imagine a strike at your chest. Don’t block it, redirect it.”
She mimicked the movement, slower, focused.
From the sidelines, Darius pped softly, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Redirecting, huh? Dangerous and elegant… sounds a lot like her already.” His eyes lingered on Nnenna a beat too long, his tone carrying more sincerity than he intended.
Realising that, he adjusted telling himself it was just banter, but still the way her eyes lit up when she got the movement right, it hit him somewhere he wasn’t prepared for.
Arthur on the other hand continued ignoring him, adjusting Nnenna’s elbow. “Your wrist, looser. You’re still fighting the air.”
Nnenna corrected herself, tracing the arc again.
“Better,” Arthur murmured, his voice low, almost approving.<fn14e6> Latest content published on find{n}ovel</fn14e6>
Darius leaned against a post, watching them. “Careful, Sensei,” he said lightly, though his gaze was sharp. “If you keep training her like this, she won’t need you anymore. Then where will that leave you?”
Arthur’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
Part of him wanted to tell Darius to shut up. The other part reminded him she wasn’t his to guard.
Nnenna hearing thement gave Darius a side nce. “Or maybe it just means I’ll be strong enough to handle both of you.”