Five.

Ten.

Nothing happened.

Damien expected Henry to move first.

He didn't.

Henry simply watched.

That annoyed Damien.

Because he wanted fear.

He wanted hesitation.

Instead, he saw calm.

Damien moved.

Fast.

His first attack was powerful.

Everyone expected it to end immediately.

But Henry shifted slightly.

Just slightly.

Damien missed.

The room became quiet.

He turned around.

Confused.

"Okay."

He smiled.

"You're quicker than you look."

Henry said nothing.

Damien attacked again.

Another miss.

Then another.

The laughter disappeared.

Because something was wrong.

The janitor wasn't struggling.

He wasn't surviving.

He was controlling the entire pace.

CHAPTER 5 — THE STANCE THAT MADE THE INSTRUCTOR FREEZE

Damien stepped backward.

For the first time, his expression changed.

The confidence was still there.

But something else appeared.

Confusion.

Nobody avoided his attacks like this.

Nobody.

Then Henry changed his stance.

It was a small adjustment.

Almost invisible.

But the instructor saw it.