Part-109

  Just as James mae tain some space, Coach Gin was on him again, transitioning seamlessly into ground fighting. A relentless barrage of pins and submission holds rained down on James. He tried to escape, to ter, but Coach Gin was a step ahead every time. The pressure on his joints intensified, the pain a stant throb in his ears. His vision blurred at the edges, sweat stinging his eyes. With a final, agonizing squeeze on his arm, Coach Gin applied a ude garami (arm lock). The pain became unbearable.

  "Tap!" Coach Gin's voied, a sharp trast to the whirlwind of attacks.

  James, his body spent and his mind clouded with pain, could only whimper i. The pressure on his arm eased, and blessed relief washed over him. He y o, gasping for breath, as the enormity of the situation sunk in. It wasn't even close. Coach Gie his age, was in a league of his own. James had just experiehe true power of a Judo master.

  Before James could process anything, he sank into darkness. He didn't even realize he had lost sciousness. Everything happened in 50 seds, despite Coach Gin holding back.

  ----

  James y o, his body a quivering mass of pain. The world seemed to spin around him, the lights blurring at the edges of his visioruggled to take a deep breath, eahation a sharp stab of pain in his lungs. Slowly, sciousness returned, and with it, a wave of disbelief washed over him. He had been utterly dominated, his skills aermination no match for Coach Gin's raw power and experience.

  A bitter smile crept across his face. This wasn't a defeat; it was a reality check. The System had thrown him a curveball, a remihat his journey was far from over. He had uimated the gap between him and a true master.

  As he pushed himself up, wing at the pain in his limbs, he caught sight of his refle in the mirror. His face was flushed, his eyes bloodshot. He looked like he'd been through a war. Yet, strangely, he felt a surge of determination. This wasn't the end; it was just the beginning.

  As he was leaving the dojo, Ryan caught up with him. "Hey," he said, a hint of in his voice, "You alright? You look like you got run over by a truck."

  James managed a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied, his body still protesting the ordeal. "Just a little rough sparring session."

  Ryan raised an eyebrow. "A little rough? You looked like you were getting your ass hao you."

  James couldn't help but ugh. "Something like that," he admitted. "But hey, that's ractice is fht?"

  Ryan nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We learn from our failures."

  As they walked out of the dojo, James couldn't shake the feeling that this would be a hell of a mission to plete