CHAPTER 4: The Courtyard And The Abnormally

On a bright afternoon, the family gathered at their private training courtyard—a secluded, quiet sanctuary surrounded by stone walls where Akiro and Isuki frequently went to hone their combat skills.Akiro and Isuki stood at opposite ends of the central platform, taking deep, grounded breaths. In an instant, the atmosphere shifted. Both parents launched toward each other at blinding speed, exchanging a flurry of high-level martial arts techniques. Isuki swept forward with a low leg sweep, transitioning smoothly into an axis palm strike, while Akiro deflected the blow with a heavy forearm block, countering with a precise double-thrust kick. The air hummed with the force of their strikes.Off to the side of the platform, eleven-year-old Itsuki Sutoya sat on a stone bench, holding his five-year-old brother, Mori, on his lap.Mori’s wide eyes sparkled with pure passion and fascination as he tracked every kick, block, and strike exchanged between his parents. His small hands twitched, unconsciously mimicking their rhythm. He couldn't contain himself any longer.Mori wriggled out of Sutoya's grip, ran straight onto the combat field, and took a stance next to his mother!"Dad is way too strong!" Mori shouted enthusiastically, raising his small fists. "Mom, let's team up and fight him together!"Isuki blinked in surprise, chuckling softly. "Oh, Mori... but you haven't learned any martial arts moves yet—"Before she could even finish her sentence, Mori charged Akiro! He dropped low into a flawless low-sweep, pivoted cleanly on his heel, and executed the exact same fluid palm combination Isuki had used just moments prior.Isuki's jaw dropped in disbelief. He quietly picked up my moves just by watching?! Even if his execution isn't perfect yet, he's moving like someone who has trained for years!Akiro caught Mori's strike on his palm, his eyes widening in pure amazement. "Impressive, little guy...""Hey! Two against Dad? That's totally unfair!" Sutoya yelled from the sidelines with a grin, vaulting onto the platform. "I'm joining Dad's side!"The serious sparring match instantly dissolved into a joyful family battle. The match rearranged into Isuki vs. Sutoya on one side, and Akiro vs. Mori on the other.Mori rushed his father with relentless vigor—throwing a high dash kick, slipping into a sharp uppercut, and spinning into a fluid spiral kick! Akiro defended with a proud grin, letting his son test his limits.Finally, all four of them leaped back to reset their stances. With a unified surge of energy, they dashed toward each other for one final, simultaneous strike! Akiro threw a straight punch aimed past Mori's shoulder, while Isuki launched a sweeping strike toward Sutoya.SWOOSH.In the exact millisecond before impact, Mori vanished out of thin air.Simultaneously, Sutoya vanished out of thin air.Akiro's and Isuki's attacks met empty space.Suddenly, the world turned completely inside out.Akiro and Isuki found themselves standing in an endless, stark white void—a realm completely devoid of color, shadows, or horizon lines. The courtyard, Mu City, and the sky were gone."Mori! Sutoya!" Isuki screamed, spinning around franticly. She ran through the blinding white space in every direction, but no matter how far she sprinted, there was nothing."Sutoya! Mori! Where are you?!" Akiro roared, his senses probing the void in desperation.They couldn't see a thing. Yet, in the real world—unbeknownst to the parents—Mori and Sutoya hadn't disappeared at all. Mori had effortlessly slip-streamed behind Akiro, and Sutoya had seamlessly dodged behind Isuki. Both boys were standing right there in the courtyard!However, a massive space-time phenomenon had taken place. The white void isolated Akiro and Isuki into two separate space-time continuums, completely cutting off their perception of their sons. No matter how much Isuki or Akiro moved through that white domain, they were completely separated from the reality where their children stood.As panic set in, a heavy, cosmic presence resonated throughout the white void. A grand, reverberating voice echoed directly into their minds.