The Thunder Fist.

The wide field stretched before them, its green grass still damp with morning dew, glinting in the sunlight. A cool breeze stirred the fallen leaves gently.

Urotasu took a deep breath, Atomage coursing through his body. The once-vacant blue eyes of Duncan now blazed with fierce confidence.

He stood tall, legs spread, left hand on his hip, right hand raised before his chest. His stance was solid—he’d done this countless times as a Kanjo-gun in his old world.

“Right then,” he muttered with a sly grin. “Time to shine as a proper Isekai protagonist.”

Across the field, Sir Choi stood calm, exuding a different aura. His sharp eyes locked onto Urotasu. His hands were poised in a perfect martial stance, his long grey beard swaying in the breeze. His loose brown robes, like those of a kung-fu master, moved with his ready-to-strike frame.

“Don’t misunderstand, Master Duncan,” Sir Choi said, his voice steady but commanding. “I won’t hold back in this fight. Treat it as the real deal.”

Phoebe stood at the field’s edge, wringing her skirt’s hem, her usually bright eyes clouded with worry. Her body tensed, as if ready to leap forward.

“Fluch!” Urotasu chanted, stepping forward. His movements flowed like water, his raised hand gathering Atomage around him.

“Thorington Lightning Magic,” he whispered darkly. “Let’s see how strong this family’s legacy really is.”

Blzt! Blzt! Blzt!

Bright blue sparks crackled in his palms. The Thorington’s signature lightning magic surged naturally.

“Thunder Spark!” he shouted, hurling a bolt of blue lightning at Sir Choi.

BLAR! BLAR! BLAR!

Sir Choi moved with startling agility. His frail, elderly frame darted sideways with near-invisible speed, dodging the lightning that exploded into the ground where he’d stood.

BOOM!

Earth scattered, leaving a smouldering crater.

“Impressive,” Sir Choi said, nodding slowly. “But magic without proper application is just a flashy firework show.”

“Fireworks?” Urotasu grinned wickedly. “Then let me give you a blast that’ll knock your socks off.”

Siiiing! Blzt! Blzt! Blzt!

Instead of launching another spell, Urotasu channelled lightning through his body. His coma-weakened muscles suddenly felt alive, his speed surging dramatically.

This was a technique he’d mastered as a Kanjo-gun—using energy to enhance his physical abilities. Now, he swapped Kanjo for Atomage, infused with lightning magic.

“Ho, clever,” Sir Choi murmured, raising an eyebrow. “Using magic to boost physical prowess. Not bad for a week’s training.”

SLASHHH!!!

Urotasu shot forward, his speed far beyond before.

BOOM! BLZT! BLZT! BLZT!

His lightning-charged fist rocketed toward Sir Choi, but the old man dodged with fluid precision.

“Not bad speed for an old codger,” Urotasu quipped sarcastically, prepping his next strike. “But I’m just getting started—”

Out of nowhere, Sir Choi countered, aiming a punch at Urotasu’s gut.

WUSHHH!

“What?!” Urotasu yelped, dodging by a hair’s breadth. The wind from Sir Choi’s blow grazed his face, hinting at its raw power. “Bloody hell, this bloke’s a proper overpowered shounen elder!”

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The fight intensified. Sir Choi moved like flowing water, evading each attack with the slimmest margin.

BLZT! BLZT! BLZT!

Urotasu gave no quarter, his attacks chaining like a fighting game combo—elbow strike, knee kick, spinning back fist, capped with a deadly uppercut.

Kanjo-gun were martial artists who’d honed energy manipulation to enhance their bodies. Years of battle had sharpened their minds and bodies into lethal weapons. Now, Urotasu brought that expertise to Duncan’s body, amplified by his new lightning magic.

“Nice moves,” Sir Choi remarked, backflipping to avoid the uppercut. “But still predictable.”

SYAT!

“Predict this!” Urotasu retorted, leaping high. Both fists clenched, ready to unleash a double hammer fist from the air.

BLASSSSH!!!

Sir Choi didn’t dodge this time. He crossed his arms, taking the blow with a steady stance. The impact echoed across the field, sending a shockwave that rippled the grass.

“You said I’ve got talent, right?” Urotasu taunted mid-strike. “This is just a taster!”

“Hoho, no need to tell me, Master,” Sir Choi replied, grabbing Urotasu’s hands. “My turn to show you a thing or two.”

TAK! BUAK!!! BOOM!!!

Sir Choi’s brutal kick to Urotasu’s stomach sent the silver-haired lad flying, crashing into the grass and tumbling several times.

“Bugger,” Urotasu groaned, wiping blood from his lip. “Felt like getting hit by a bloody lorry.”

He staggered to his feet. “Right, time to try a technique I can pull off with this body.”

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. The dust clouding his vision cleared as he readied a new move of his own creation.

“Lightning Enhancement,” he whispered coldly.

Siiiing! Blzt! Blzt! Blzt!

His body glowed blue, electricity crackling across his skin.

“Blimey, it worked?! I look bloody awesome!” Urotasu grinned, admiring his glowing form. “Just need spiky yellow hair to go full Goku Ultra Instinct!”

SYAT!!!

With the enhancement active, Urotasu moved at near-invisible speed, appearing beside Sir Choi in a flash, unleashing a barrage of wild, brutal strikes.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Each punch sparked with blinding blue lightning, the air crackling with every near-hit.

Sir Choi seemed slightly overwhelmed by the sudden speed boost, relying on his decades of combat experience to keep up with Urotasu’s ferocious onslaught.

WUSH!

Sir Choi landed occasional counterattacks, forcing Urotasu to retreat, but the speed gap between them was narrowing.

“Brilliant!” Sir Choi shouted, his side kick nearly catching Urotasu’s ribs. “You’re showing the true spirit of a Thorington!”

“Don’t get chuffed yet, Sir!” Urotasu shot back, charging again.

Phoebe, watching from the sidelines, could barely follow their movements—just streaks of blue light, punctuated by crashes and explosions. Dust and grass flew, creating a thin haze that obscured the view.

“This… this is unreal,” Phoebe whispered, eyes wide. “Master Duncan’s actually holding his own against Sir Choi.”

WUSH! BLZT! WUSH! BLZT!

After relentless exchanges, Urotasu began to tire.

Syat! Syat!

Both leapt back, gaining distance. Urotasu’s breath came in gasps, his lightning energy fading. Duncan’s unhealed body was hitting its limit.

Sir Choi, though sweating and slightly winded, stood firm and steady.

“Gotta end this quick,” Urotasu thought, wiping sweat from his brow. “What move can I pull off next?”

A memory from his Kanjo-gun days surfaced—a signature technique to end fights, using a middle finger flick with devastating power.

“Let’s see how this trick works with magic,” he muttered, raising his right hand. His middle finger curled back, held by his thumb, poised to flick.

Siiiing!!!

He channelled all his remaining lightning energy into his finger. A dense blue spark enveloped it, trembling with alarming intensity.

Shhhhhh!!!

The gathered energy was so thick the air vibrated and hissed.

“Raiken!” he yelled, releasing the flick.

SLASH!!!

A blinding, dense blue lightning bolt shot toward Sir Choi, faster than anything Urotasu had unleashed, slicing the air with a deafening roar.

“What?!” Sir Choi’s eyes widened, genuinely shocked for the first time. Not just by the attack’s speed or power, but by the name Duncan had shouted.

Time seemed to slow as the bolt neared Sir Choi. “Raiken…” he whispered, eyes round. “That’s… Yamato tongue…”

BOOOOM!!!

The strike hit Sir Choi dead-on, hurling him metres back. His body slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. His brown robes tore in places, small cuts visible on his arms and chest.

Urotasu, seeing his attack land, collapsed onto the grass, utterly drained of Atomage. His vision blurred, his breathing ragged like he’d run a marathon.

“Bloody hell… that move eats too much energy, no matter the version,” he panted.

Sir Choi slowly rose, his injuries minor despite the direct hit.

“I’m lucky Duncan’s magic is still weak from his physical state,” Sir Choi thought. “But the density and speed were beyond expectation. And…” His mind fixed on the move’s name.

“Raiken means ‘Thunder Fist’ in Yamato, the same name as Master Danzel’s signature move, though the execution differed. How could…” he muttered, staring at the gasping Duncan.

“Coincidence? Or…” Theories swirled in Sir Choi’s mind. Had Duncan learned Yamato from books? Or was there something deeper?

But seeing Duncan unaware he’d used a Yamato term, Sir Choi chose not to press. He feared probing the past might trigger Duncan’s lost memories or trauma.

“Best not bring it up,” he thought, shaking his head. “What matters is Master Duncan’s progress.”

Indeed, Urotasu hadn’t realized he’d used a Japanese—or Yamato—term. His focus was on the aching exhaustion racking his body.

“Bugger, now I’ve got to face this old git without magic,” he grumbled inwardly. “Being an Isekai protagonist isn’t as glamorous as anime makes it!”

But Sir Choi, spotting Urotasu’s lapse, surged forward with full speed. Before Urotasu could react, he unleashed a flurry of physical attacks.

“What?! Hang on, Sir!” Urotasu yelped.

Buak! Buak! Buak!

Sir Choi’s Atomage-enhanced punches and kicks struck from all angles.

“This isn’t fair! There’s supposed to be a cooldown after an ultimate move, right?!” Urotasu protested.

His complaints fell on deaf ears.

“Didn’t I say to treat this as a real fight?!” Sir Choi retorted.

“Bloody hell!” Urotasu cursed.

Buak! Buak! Buak!

Sir Choi’s attacks flowed like water, blending decades of martial arts mastery. Each strike landed with pinpoint precision, leaving Urotasu powerless despite his attempts to block.

Finally, Urotasu couldn’t hold out. His exhausted body couldn’t dodge Sir Choi’s last blow—a precise strike to his solar plexus.

“Guh!” Urotasu coughed, collapsing hard onto the ground, limp and unable to move. His vision blurred.

“Fight’s over,” Sir Choi said, standing tall beside Urotasu’s prone form. Though sweating and panting, he remained steady. “You fought well, Master Duncan.”

Urotasu managed a weak middle finger gesture, but Sir Choi just smiled, unaware it was meant as an insult in Urotasu’s old world.

Phoebe rushed over, panic on her face. “Master Duncan! Are you alright?”

“No worries,” Sir Choi said, wiping his brow. “He’s just knackered. No serious injuries.”

“I was too cocky thinking I could take down an old-timer like bloody Rayleigh,” Urotasu thought. “In my old world, I died young, while Sir Choi’s got decades of fighting experience. No wonder he’s a cut above.”

“Honestly, you were impressive,” Sir Choi said with a faint smile. “You didn’t force me to use magic, but your techniques and combos were remarkable for a week’s training.”

The praise soothed Urotasu’s frustration. Though defeated, he’d proven his skill and made Sir Choi work for it.

“So? Am I worthy, Sir?” Urotasu asked, still sprawled on the ground.

“More than worthy, Master. The Thorington family’s future is bright with you,” Sir Choi replied.

Urotasu smirked. Moments later, Sir Choi helped him sit up, his body still limp. Phoebe hovered nearby, offering water and a towel.

“Master Duncan,” Sir Choi said, his tone growing serious. “In two weeks, you’ll enrol at SHS to continue your sorcerer training.”

Urotasu looked up, his vision still hazy. “SHS?”

“Sorcerer High School,” Sir Choi explained. “Rosstania’s academy for young sorcerers. You’ll learn more about magic and meet others your age.”

Despite his aching body, a sly grin spread across Urotasu’s face. “Never thought I’d get a shot at being the cool kid with a harem of admirers again! A magic school? What’s this, Hogwarts? For once, I’m chuffed to be reincarnated!”

“Alright,” he said, struggling to stand. “I’ll prep as best I can for the next two weeks.”

Sir Choi nodded, pleased with the fire in Duncan’s eyes. “I’m certain you’ll become a great sorcerer, Master Duncan. Today’s fight proved your potential.”

The sun, now dipping westward, illuminated the scarred field. Craters from lightning blasts dotted the ground, silent witnesses to their intense duel. Urotasu, leaning on Phoebe for support, gazed at the sky with unwavering resolve.

“Two weeks,” he muttered. “Time to kick off the next chapter of my Isekai life as Duncan Thorington.”