The Essence Flow-Chapter 26: Operation Punch The Old Man

The Essence Flow-Chapter 26: Operation Punch The Old Man

The three of them stepped out of the dojo and into the open training ground that had become their daily battlefield.
The morning air was crisp, cool against their skin. Mist hung faintly in the air, stirred by the steady roar of the waterfall in the background — a constant companion to every ache, bruise, and breakthrough they’d had.
The punching bag still swung lazily from a branch, scuffed and dented, scarred by weeks of relentless strikes.
Faint lines in the dirt mapped out their old circuits — places where they sprinted, stumbled, fell, and eventually rose stronger.
This place, rough as it was, had shaped them. And now it would witness the final test.
Leon cracked his knuckles as he stepped into the clearing, the morning sun catching the faint gleam of sweat already forming on his arms.
“No holding back today. If you can land even one clean hit, I’ll treat you to something better than rice and eggs.”
Towan rolled his neck, loosening his shoulders. “Alright, Elliot—operation
‘Punch the Old Man’
is officially a go.”
Leon raised an eyebrow. “I’m thirty-two.”
Elliot crossed his arms, eyes scanning Leon’s stance. “Which is ancient in fight years.”
Leon smirked. “Let’s see if you’re still laughing after I sweep the floor with you.”
He didn’t wait.
With a blur of movement, Leon lunged forward—no warmup, no warning. Towan barely ducked under a high kick, wind slicing past his ear, while Elliot stumbled back, narrowly avoiding a palm strike that cracked the dirt where he stood.
“Did he get faster!?” Elliot yelled, already pivoting to the side as Leon advanced.
“I think he’s been holding back this
entire time!
” Towan answered, leaping into a spinning kick that Leon casually sidestepped with the grace of a panther.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from NovelFire; any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Another strike came low—this time aimed at Towan’s legs—but he jumped, flipping over Leon, and landed with surprising control.
“Oh? Fancy,” Leon muttered before flicking his wrist. Towan immediately regretted celebrating too early, getting flicked in the forehead hard enough to stumble.
“Gah—why is your finger stronger than my whole arm!?”
“You’ll get there,” Leon said calmly before whirling on Elliot.
Elliot didn’t dodge. Instead, he braced and blocked Leon’s elbow with both arms, sliding backward from the impact but staying upright. He exhaled sharply, his arms shaking but a grin spreading across his face.
“You felt that?” Leon asked, sounding amused.
“I
survived
that,” Elliot corrected.
The fight escalated into a blur of movement. Towan and Elliot coordinated their attacks — sweeping from opposite sides, faking low strikes, trying every trick Leon had taught them.
For a brief moment, it almost looked like they had him on the ropes.
And then Leon swept his leg in a wide arc — one clean motion — knocking Towan flat on his back.
Elliot charged, throwing a punch with full commitment.
Leon caught it.
Then he leaned in. “Good form. Terrible follow-through.”
With a subtle twist, he spun Elliot off balance and nudged him to the ground next to his brother.
The two groaned in unison.
Leon crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at them. “You’ve come a long way. But you’ve still got a long road ahead.”
Towan stared up at the clouds. “Can’t believe we just got anime-protag’d.”
“I felt like I almost had him,” Elliot muttered.
“Almost doesn’t count unless it’s in horseshoes or explosions,” Leon replied, stepping back to let them sit up. “But still… you both did good.”
There was a beat of silence — broken only by the waterfall and their ragged breathing.
Then Leon offered a hand to each of them. “Come on. Let’s get some food. You’ve earned it.”
Towan groaned as he stood. “If this is the last day, you
are
treating us, right?”
“I said
if
you landed a clean hit,” Leon replied.
Elliot raised a finger. “Technically, Towan hit your leg with his face. That counts.”
Leon paused… then chuckled. “Alright, alright. You get one plate of meat. Split it.”
Later that day, after their well-earned meal — which, to their disappointment, turned out to be a single grilled fish
and
no dessert — the trio sat on the front steps of the dojo. The afternoon breeze carried the scent of pine and distant rain. Towan leaned back against a wooden post, Elliot poked at a leftover rice grain on his plate, and Leon… looked oddly relaxed.

.
!
Chapter 26: Operation Punch The Old Man