A week had passed since the Mantis Shrimp Monster had been defeated.
During that week, Dawn went to Miyagi Prefecture Third High School every day for special training with Teacher Hai Hu.
"Miss Dawn, watch out!"
With a loud rush of air, Teacher Hai Hu swung both fists and lunged at Dawn. His arms blurred, as though dozens of arms and dozens of fists were striking at once.
Yet Dawn remained fluid and composed in the face of this storm of attacks, deflecting them one by one with her palms.
She learns so quickly.
Teacher Hai Hu still remembered how, when he was fifteen, his grandfather had told him that initiative in martial arts had three levels.
Go no Sen meant parrying or blocking after the opponent attacked, seizing the moment when their old force was spent and new force had yet to arise to strike second and gain the upper hand.
Sen no Sen meant intercepting the opponent's attack midway as they made their move.
The highest level, Sen Sen no Sen, meant attacking first to seize the initiative just as the opponent was about to move.
Now, so many years had passed in a flash, yet Teacher Hai Hu remained at the level of Go no Sen, just as he had at fifteen. This young lady, by contrast, had begun showing signs of Sen no Sen after only a week.
After they exchanged several hundred moves, Teacher Hai Hu suddenly stopped. Looking at the sweat-drenched Dawn, he said with gratification, "You can go now. I have nothing left to teach you."
Dawn froze briefly at his words, then immediately bowed. "Thank you, Teacher Hai Hu!"
Before she left.
Teacher Hai Hu earnestly cautioned her, "Miss Dawn, your talent far surpasses mine. I hope you'll keep honing yourself. Don't