Chapter 192: Surpassing Master Tanaka So, when cooking for his son and doing these small acts of kindness, his father felt rejuvenated, as if he was providing for his son, not necessarily using money, but providing what he could. After they finished eating, Noah reached into his wallet and withdrew a substantial amount of cash, placing it on the table in front of his father. "Dad, here’s a thousand dollars, just in case you need anything during the day. I’ll be heading to the dojo for training. Do you need anything from me on the way?" Alan looked at the cash with obvious surprise, his hand moving to push the money back toward his son. "I’m fine, and there’s really no need for so much money," he protested. Noah gently stopped his father’s hand before it could return the cash. He insisted patiently. "It’s fine, Dad. Keep it," he said with warm firmness that gave no room for argument. Alan sighed with acceptance, recognising the futility of arguing with his son’s obvious determination. "Alright," he conceded with a mixture of gratitude and concern. "Get there safely, and don’t speed. Speeding kills." "Yes, boss," Noah laughed before heading toward the garage where his GT-R waited for another trip to the dojo. ... Noah arrived at the dojo with anticipation building in his chest. His advancement to apprentice rank had transformed his capabilities beyond anything he’d previously experienced, and he was eager to test how his new skills would translate to real combat against his respected instructor. The familiar wooden building welcomed him. Inside, the other students were already engaged in their morning routines. They were all improving steadily from consistent practice under Master Tanaka’s guidance. The Dojo didn’t earn its good reputation for no reason after all. Noah began his warm-up with the same exercises. Basic strikes dlowed with more elequence, more grace than before and it shocked him. Swish! Whoosh! The students and Tanaka looked at Noah’s strikes wirh growing apprehension. Despite his amazing technique before, their Dojo’s champion seemed to have made it even better. I need to be careful. With my current strength I could easily injure Master Tanaka. Several students paused their own training to observe Noah’s warm-up routine. "He feels different today," one of the older students whispered to his training partner. "Yeah, I can feel it too. If aura existed, it’s definitely radiating from him," the partner agreed. "Like he’s operating on a completely different level. He’s giving me a vibe that makes me feel like he’s better than Master Tanka himself." Master Tanaka approached Noah, his experienced eyes immediately noticed the transformation in Noah’s bearing and movement quality. Something has changed with him. His posture, his balance, his energy flow—everything is... "Ready for today’s session?" Tanaka asked, though his tone carried curiosity. "Ready, Master," Noah replied with confidence. They moved to the centre sparring area, drawing the attention of every student in the dojo. Master Tanaka settled into his opening stance with decades of muscle memory guiding his stance. But as Noah mirrored the preparation, Tanaka’s eyes detected a new stance from Noah. This isn’t the same student I trained yesterday. It’s like he became...a different person. The initial exchange began with Tanaka’s customary testing strikes, attacks designed to evaluate Noah’s current skills while providing instruction through demonstration. Clang! But instead of the expected defensive struggle, Noah’s response came effortlessly; he no longer only intercepted Tanaka’s attack but transitioned immediately into a counter-sequence that forced the master to step back. Tanaka’s eyes widened with genuine surprise as he realised Noah was pushing him back already. The apprentice-rank advancement had elevated capabilities to the point where their sparring represented genuine competition in skill rather than instruction. This requires my full attention. For the first time in their training relationship, Master Tanaka stopped providing running commentary and focused entirely on the immediate combat situation. Noah’s new skills demanded complete concentration to avoid being overwhelmed. Clang! Swish! Crack! Their wooden swords created rapid impacts as both fighters operated at levels that made other students step back to safer distances. But Noah was carefully moderating his strength and speed to avoid accidentally injuring his respected instructor. I could move faster, strike harder, but that would be disrespectful and dangerous. The consideration that Noah showed wasn’t lost on Tanaka, and it touched him deeply. Despite possessing skills and power that clearly exceeded his instructor’s, the young man maintained appropriate respect and control rather than allowing power to corrupt his character. He’s holding back to protect me. Crack! Clang! Swish! The sparring continued with increasing intensity as both fighters pushed each other within safe limits. Whoosh! Clang! The session concluded when both fighters simultaneously achieved perfect striking positions, their wooden swords stopping mere inches from vital targets in mutual recognition of the other’s skill. A draw. But not really. Tanaka lowered his weapon with an expression that mixed pride, amazement and contentment. He understood perfectly that Noah had been respectful rather than competitive, choosing to demonstrate capability while ensuring his instructor’s safety. Power didn’t corrupt him. That’s the mark of true character. "You are a monster in the way of the sword, you were born for this," Tanaka said with obvious admiration for what Noah had accomplished. The word ’monster’ carried no negative connotation in martial arts circles. It represented the highest praise for someone whose talent and skill were far above normal humans. "Thank you, Master," Noah replied with genuine gratitude for the recognition and continued guidance that had brought him to this point. Despite his system’s help, Lola’s, and Valeria’s help. Noah did not forget the help that Master Tanaka had bestowed upon him. No matter how small or big, help was help. The man had offered to train him completely free of charge. Naturally, Noah wasn’t going to let that happen. He had decided that before he left for the tournament, he would pay the master a thousand bucks. It wasn’t a lot, but it was around ten times the monthly subscription. He knew that if he gave more, the master would not accept it. This young man might actually win that tournament. But I won’t spoil the surprise for either him or Yamamoto. Tanaka thought, with a growing smile.