Tanaka approached him.
"You changed this place."
Elias shook his head.
"No. They changed it."
He looked toward Marcus and Leo.
"People don't need heroes to rescue them from every problem. Sometimes they just need someone to remind them that they deserve respect."
Tanaka smiled.
"Will you stay?"
Elias considered it.
"For a while."
That evening, Marcus bowed to Leo before sparring.
Leo bowed back.
The round began.
It was controlled.
Technical.
Mutual.
When Leo landed a clean touch, Marcus nodded.
"Good."
Leo grinned.
"Again?"
"Again."
And this time, nobody was afraid.
Chapter 12 — What the Belt Means
Months later, Kensei looked different.
The walls were the same.
The mats were the same.
The belts were the same colors.
But the atmosphere had changed.
Students still trained hard.
They still sweated.
They still lost rounds and struggled through difficult drills.
The difference was that nobody had to be humiliated to improve.
Marcus eventually returned to teaching under Tanaka's supervision.