CHAPTER 33: ART OF TENDENCIES

For the past week, all Ren did was observe the others as they trained, watching with meticulous care as he studied every movement.

Each day, he found himself unconsciously twitching, mentally imitating their martial techniques and combining them into his own Drive Core ability.

He felt as though he had gained countless new insights into both combat styles and Drive efficiency. Yet his body still itched, restless and eager to put them into practice. But he restrained himself. After all, he was instructed by Warden Valen to refrain from using it.

On the last day of his observation practice, the sparring matches had already wrapped up. All of them were impressive, but there was one guy who stood out to Ren over the past week. It was Minato.

His fighting style fascinated him. At first glance it looked like kung fu, but on closer look, it was something else entirely. Minato moved like a matador, using his opponent’s momentum against them before striking with a clean, decisive blow.

And then there was his Drive Core ability. It wasn’t flashy, but it was clever when he set traps. Just like how Kuro’s chains could bind an enemy, Minato’s thorny branches would capture his target at the right moment, leaving them wide open.

Ren wanted to approach Minato. But he hesitated. He was too shy, and Minato wasn’t exactly the type to open up conversations either, which only made it harder.

Just then, almost like fate, Shin called out to them. "Ren, Minato. Come here for a second. I need to talk to you two"

The two boys walked over, and Ren couldn’t help but smile faintly. This was the perfect chance. He had been dying to talk to Minato all week. He wanted to ask him so many things, how he fought with that strange, graceful style, how he set his traps so perfectly, and even more so, how he could guide opponents right into them with such precision.

"So, I haven’t properly introduced you two to each other yet, but I want you guys to get along. I think you’ll both be able to learn a lot from each other," Shin said.

"I’m Ren. Nice to meet you, I hope I can learn a lot from you," Ren greeted with a smile.

"Likewise. I’m Minato," Minato replied, his face calm and unreadable.

After the short introduction, Shin dismissed them, and Minato walked off with Ren tagging along.

Ren was still nervous about asking questions, but he pushed himself to speak or he probably wouldn’t get another chance to do so.

"Uh, can I ask you something? If you don’t mind." Ren finally said.

"Sure, I guess. But I’m kind of sleepy right now. Can we talk at a café or something? I’ll treat you if you want." Minato replied.

"Oh, yeah, that works. Thanks."

Ren kept following Minato as they moved through the busy streets of Ward 11. Unlike the calm mornings, the noon crowd was loud with stall owners calling out to customers.

But as they walked, Ren noticed something odd about Minato. It wasn’t anything flashy, nothing about martial arts or his Drive Core skills.

It was just that.....

He walks way too slow! Ren thought.

Minato was a slow walker. Despite his prowess, speed, and lethal grace in battle, he never rushed outside of it. He moved at his own pace, as if conserving every ounce of energy for the moments that truly mattered. Eventually, the squad had given him a nickname, one that Ren hadn’t heard yet.

The Sloth.

Ren had no choice but to walk at Minato’s slow pace. Every step felt like a test of patience, but since Minato was the one doing him a favor, he held back his urge to walk faster.

After what felt like forever to Ren, they finally arrived at a small, cozy cafe. It was a one story shop with glass doors and large windows that gave a clear view of the warm interior.

As they walked in, the staff greeted Minato right away as if he was a regular. Ren looked around, taking the warm scenery all in. The café was dimly lit, with flower vases hanging in every corner and the air was filled with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

Behind the counter stood the owner, a white-haired man around 60 years old who smiled at them.

"Minato," the man said. "It’s rare to see you bring someone along. A friend of yours?"

"Yes." Minato replied, making the man smile.

"Same order as always? Hot Americano?"

"Yeah." Minato then turned to Ren. "What about you? Order anything you like, it’s on me."

"I’ll just have the same," Ren said.

"Two hot Americanos then." the owner said with a warm smile.

They chose a quiet spot at the far corner, sitting across from each other with only a small round wooden table between them.

A few minutes later, their drinks arrived. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee hit Ren, and he couldn’t help but pause, completely drawn in by it.

Minato took a sip, and for a moment his expression shifted, at least that’s what Ren thought. To anyone else, Minato’s face probably looked as unreadable as ever. But to Ren, there was a faint, almost imperceptible lightness in his expression, as though the bitter drink had quietly pleased him.

Ren followed and lifted his cup. The moment the taste hit his tongue he nearly winced. Ack! Bitter! He screamed in his thoughts. Despite ordering the same drink, Ren wasn’t actually used to Americanos. It’s just that he didn’t know what to order.

He forced his face into a mask of composure, pretending nothing was wrong. His only goal now was to make sure Minato didn’t realize he was silently suffering.

Then Minato actually smiled, which surprised Ren and even the owner, who was watching them from afar.

"I didn’t know that kid could smile like that." the owner muttered to one of the staff who only nodded.

"You could’ve ordered something else if you don’t like coffee." Minato said with a small laugh.

"Yeah, I probably should’ve." Ren replied with a smile.

"So." Minato leaned back slightly as his expression softened. "What is it you wanted to ask me?"

"I was wondering, how do you fight like that?" Ren leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity, almost childlike. "It’s like you’re just standing there, waiting for them to charge at you. Like a matador waiting for a bull. And those setups, how do you lure them into the perfect spot, right where your traps are waiting?"

Minato tilted his head slightly. "Hmm.... how do I put it? I see their movements."

Ren blinked. "See their movements?"

"Yeah." Minato nodded calmly. "It’s like when someone’s about to punch you, the shoulder always gives it away. Or when they’re itching to rush you, even when they try to fake it, there are these subtle tells. A twitch, a shift in balance. They can’t hide it, not really. That’s how I know whether it’s a feint or the real thing."

Ren leaned even closer, fascinated. "How?"

Minato placed his fingers thoughtfully across his chin, his gaze drifting for a moment. He seemed to be searching for a way to explain something that wasn’t entirely teachable.

"So you see, if you focus on their tendencies, you’ll start to get a feel for it. When someone feints, they don’t really commit, there’s this subtle hesitation, like they’re hiding something stronger behind it. But when they’re actually charging, their whole body leans into it. If that makes sense." Minato gestured lightly as if tracing movements in the air. "Most fighters, if not all, have a rhythm. A feint usually disrupts that rhythm, not always, but most of the time. You can’t anticipate everything, that’s where instincts come in. But body language and tendencies? They give away more than people realize."

"Oh..... I think I’m getting it now." Ren said, scratching the back of his head. "I rely too much on instinct and not enough on reading tendencies. That’s probably why I get tagged so easily. I’m easy to fool."

Minato smirked. "And yet you still managed to beat a low 7 star threat relying only on those instincts. If you ask me, that’s pretty terrifying."

"But how about the traps?"

"That’s a different matter entirely, and a risky one. You need to understand that traps don’t always work. In fact, most of the time they won’t. But if you want to increase the chances of someone stepping right into yours, you have to gamble."

"Gamble? How do I even do that?"

"That’s where Botan and I excel. We often put ourselves in a position where we look almost cornered. When your opponent thinks they’ve got you pinned, their vision narrows and they start focusing only on the space in front of them. That’s when you set traps in the blind spots, usually behind them or along the adjacent angles they’ve stopped considering. And when an opening shows itself, you strike in a way that sends them flying straight into the trap you prepared, or in Botan’s case, he walks them towards that trap."

Just by talking with Minato, Ren realized how much he had been missing. Up until now, he had relied purely on instinct and raw strength, never bothering with strategy or refined technique. His battles had always boiled down to one thing, either he overpowered the enemy, or he got overpowered.

For the next hour, their conversation went deeper. Ren opened up about his lost brother, while Minato shared his past as the former vice captain of the Raging Waters. Before parting ways, they exchanged numbers, agreeing to train together once Ren was officially cleared by Warden Valen to actually "train".

"Agh, I wish I could’ve stayed longer" Ren muttered as he checked the time. "But I’ve got to meet Valen in fifteen minutes. Still, I really learned a lot from Minato. He’s actually a good guy. I’m glad I made a new friend."

He rushed to Valen’s room and saw him already waiting at the desk.

"So? Did you learn a lot just from watching? Well, I don’t even need to ask. With that smile on your face, I can tell you did."

"Yeah. I met this guy, Minato. He’s really good at fighting and setting traps."

"That’s true. He’s one of the rising stars in our squad, along with Shin." Valen replied.

"Botan and Isamu too. Actually, everyone in squad 7 is amazing!"

Valen couldn’t help but smile at the praise for his squad.

"So? Can I start training with them now?" Ren asked, purposely ignoring the fact he was supposed to help with construction.

"Not yet. For the next week, I want you to focus only on helping the others with construction. And remember, no using your Drive Core ability, just like I said."

Awwww c’mon!!! I’m itching to go spar with the guys!!! Ren thought.

Still, Ren left the room with a smile. At first, he didn’t really get why observation mattered, so he thought maybe the construction work would actually help his training somehow.

Three days quickly passed. He worked hard every day, carrying wood, metal, and beams, helping with the frames of buildings, even doing some plumbing. He pushed himself with determination, but no matter how much he tried, he still couldn’t figure out the point of all this.

Yooo! Seriously, why?! Why am I doing this, Valen??? Ren screamed inside his head.