by Aaron Oster
The liquid comprising its arm widened and flattened into a shield, and though Aika’s attack punched into the appendage, they didn’t make it all the way through. She dashed to one side, summoning her Light Saw, the white blades whirring along with her staff as she drove it forward into the Elemental’s body. Water sprayed across her as a hole was torn in the Elemental, not that it did much good. She was forced to dance back as its arm came slamming down, sending a spray of water into the air from the point of impact.
The Elemental turned on her, the space where the Light Saw had cut filling back in as though nothing had happened. And, unlike with the hounds from before, its body didn’t lose any mass. Rather, it pulled water from its surroundings, healing the wound and leaving it none the worse for wear. A glowing golden sphere impacted against its chest, detonating and ripping a small hole there.
It wasn’t nearly large enough to expose the Core, though, and filled in even faster than Aika’s attack had. She darted to one side, swinging her staff hard at its midsection. If she could cut off its source, even for a second, she could blow the Elemental’s body apart and get to the Core. Unfortunately, the Elemental seemed to understand this as well, and moved to intercept.
Its huge arm came down again, blocking the attack, but this time, it countered, tiny droplets of water firing from its fingertips and slamming into Aika’s Armorer technique. They hit with far more force than one might expect, but Aika knew the power of an Elemental, especially one with a Green level Core on the brink of advancement. The only advantage she had so far was that the Elemental didn’t have any reserves of Qi. As the battle went on, it would have plenty of time to make some and if she didn’t defeat this creature before then, she and Roy were both doomed.
Roy watched Aika engage again, feeling his frustration mounting as he summoned another Void Sphere and hurled it at the Elemental. Though he’d understood the sentiment over the past week, it was only in practice that he finally understood Aika’s frustration. Though in his case, it wasn’t that he couldn’t attack the creature, but rather that he simply wasn’t strong enough to harm it. This, more than anything, made him feel like the weakling he was.
“Come on, put your back into it!” Geon yelled as Roy hurled another Void Sphere at the Elemental.
“Don’t you think I’m trying?” Roy snapped.
He was trying, putting as much into each technique as he could, and throwing second-stage techniques. Still, he seemed unable to do much more than minimal damage to the creature at best. It was extremely obvious that this wasn’t a fight he could win, or even make much difference. This was exacerbated by the fact that after giving him a passing glance, the Elemental merely ignored him as an annoyance and focused all its energy on Aika.
He couldn’t really blame the Elemental. After all, if he were fighting a Martial Artist and an ant started biting him, he’d probably ignore it as well. At his level of strength, the ant couldn’t even leave a mark, let alone cause him pain, so why would he bother? Just because he should just give up and let Aika fight didn’t mean he would, especially not with Geon shouting in his mind.
“It’s only Essence with a Core! How can you not beat that thing?”
“Because,” Roy said, hurling another attack. “It’s way stronger than me!”
“That’s hardly an excuse,” Geon replied. “Everyone is stronger than you.”
Roy ground his teeth together as he began tracing his Terrain technique. The Elemental, while large, seemed to be quite slow, and the flurry of attacks Aika had launched was beginning to stir up some Power Essence. It gathered slowly, hampered by the overabundance of Water Essence in the air, but within a few seconds, Roy had pulled together his Constellation.
Instead of aiming it at the creature’s entire frame, he focused it on a single area, trying to make it into a full circle around the Elemental’s Core. Golden light flared as the technique locked in and a series of explosions rocked the Elemental’s body. Steam billowed up into the air, obscuring his sight, but Roy could sense Aika increase the speed of her attacks. Flashes of light showed from within the cloud, but just as Roy was getting his hopes up, a shower of glowing blue water droplets shot from the steam and slammed into him.
Roy was hurled backward, his Armorer technique shattering in an instant as the droplets of water tore through him in several places. His back slammed into the stone barrier blocking the Torii gate’s exit, leaving a smear of red, before Roy fell back to the ground, landing hard and remaining still.
Aika felt her heart leap into her throat as Roy went down, blood pooling around him from the multitude of holes in his body. She silently cursed as the last of the injury closed around the Core, leaving her best shot so far at taking the thing out nothing but a distant memory. As much as Roy’s attack had given her an opportunity to win, Aika dearly wished he hadn’t. Up until that point, the Elemental had been ignoring him. However, when Roy managed to rip a significant portion of its defenses out of the way with his surprise attack, the creature has struck back.
She’d tried to take advantage of the opening, but as soon as the attack had gone off, she’d been forced to break off and try to intercept it. Aika had only been partially successful, which was why Roy was now bleeding out near the Trial exit. She could still sense his Core, which meant that he was alive, but she couldn’t tell how much longer he’d remain so.
She dared not break off her assault on the Elemental for even a second, because if she did, it would be able to gather the necessary power to take her out for good. Roy being down, while inconvenient and nerve-wracking, wasn’t really such a big deal as far as the fight was concerned. But if she were to go down, they would both die.
“Just hang in there, Roy,” she whispered, then darted in to attack once more.
Her staff whirled, blurring into a powerful series of strikes as she tried to pin the creature with her Containment technique to give her an opening. The problem with the Elemental was that it would simply detach any trapped section of its body and simply pull more from the surrounding water to reform itself. Right now, her main focus was on the Core, but instead of attacking from the front, where it could mount a real defense, she was trying to dislodge it from the back.
The issue with that plan was that the Elemental knew of its weaknesses and moved to compensate. Each time she struck the area, it would immediately spin into a vortex, multiple fists striking out as it spun, knocking her back. The first time this had happened, she’d been caught completely by surprise. Now, she darted back as quickly as she attacked, avoiding any counters in the process.
However, this presented her with another problem. If she couldn’t follow up, she’d be unable to get to the Core. A single strike, no matter how powerful, didn’t seem to be able to penetrate the Elemental’s defenses. The only way she’d manage to open it up was with a series of consecutive attacks, but seeing as the creature closed up as soon as she struck, she was stuck in a seemingly endless loop.
That didn’t mean she’d be giving up, though she now suspected that this creature was not meant to be taken down by a single opponent. Though not entirely useful in this fight, Roy’s single attack had been the closest she’d come to getting at the Core. Unless something changed soon, this fight would end both of their lives. She would eventually tire while the Elemental would continue gathering power from the Water Essence in the air.
Aika darted forward, tapping into her precious stores of Qi for just an instant and driving the staff into the Elemental. A much larger hole was blown in its back, but it still wasn’t enough as it wasn’t a proper technique. The creature’s retaliation was swift and brutal, though this time, the spinning fists were accompanied by a rain of water droplets, all stinging against her Armorer technique and sending small cracks across its rainbow-colored surface.
She landed, skidding in the ankle-deep water and coming to a halt, only to pull together her Terrain technique, the Rainbow Halo. A ring of multicolored light formed in a circle around the Elementa
l, then pulled in tight. The idea of this attack was to literally tear someone in half, but the Elemental’s toughness came into effect once again.
Though the technique did cut into its watery hide, it was able to resist being cut in half. Its powerful arms bulged, and after a moment of effort, it shattered the technique. Aika had used the split second that it was busy to come back in for another attempt, and her Light Saw buzzed along her staff as she tried to slice the creature in two once more. A flattened arm slammed down, intercepting her attack once again, and its other arm swept around, blurring as it approached and slammed into her, cracking her Armorer technique and sending her flying.
Aika hit the ground, back first this time, and breathed out to avoid having the air knocked from her lungs. The impact was painful, and her Armorer technique cracked even further. She didn’t have the same Essence reserves as Roy and knew that she wouldn’t be able to keep the technique going for much longer at this rate. She had to finish this now. Otherwise, both she and the bleeding Roy were done for.
38
Roy swam in an endless world of black. The only things that accompanied him here were the pain of his injuries and the glowing golden sphere representing Geon. He was vaguely aware of the fight happening in the background, but there was little he could do to help. He’d been injured too badly, and while none of said injuries were immediately fatal, one of the water droplets had nicked his heart. Each beat was painful and caused more bleeding, and Roy knew that he would die if he wasn’t healed soon.
“How many times are you going to allow this to happen?” Geon asked, the golden Core pulsing in anger. “How many times have you nearly died already, only to be saved by someone stronger?”
“I don’t know,” Roy responded, unable to look upon the Core.
He honestly couldn’t keep count anymore. There were so many times where he’d been forced to rely on others, only standing up for himself when there was no one else around. And even those fights were not always a success. His first test for Orange-Belt was one good example of this, and the time he’d been forced to face the Savage Buck, only to have Aika swoop in and save him at the last minute, was another.
So much of his time as a Martial Artist had been dedicated to training that he might have thought he’d grown stronger. But no matter what he did, it never seemed to be enough. He was always too weak, too insignificant to so much as help, or even be able to just take care of himself.
“You’re dying. Again!” Geon exclaimed. “How many times are you going to do this before finally standing up for yourself?”
“It’s not like I haven’t tried,” Roy responded. “Everyone else is just so much…”
“…stronger? That’s hardly an excuse!” Geon snapped. “If you’re not strong enough, then you have to become stronger! Why else do you think I push you so hard? Why I never give you a moment to feel good about your pitiful accomplishments? Because I know what real power looks like, and until you’ve reached the point where you can truly stand on your own two feet without needing your hand held, I will continue to do so!”
To say that Roy was shocked would have been an understatement. Never would he have imagined that Geon’s constant displeasure, ribbing, and insults were anything more than what they were. He’d just assumed that the Dungeon Core was sour about the fact that his enemies were still alive. He was always reminding Roy about that fact, after all. However, it seemed that Geon had had an ulterior motive all along, and it was designed to keep him pushing forward.
Sure, it was a bit misguided, as positive reinforcement was better than negative in his opinion, but Geon was a different entity entirely. He had different ways of doing things and a different way of thinking. He saw the world in a way Roy could not and was apparently pushing him towards becoming a great Martial Artist.
“I’m sorry,” Roy said simply. “I’m too weak. No matter how much you’ve pushed me, this may very well be it for me. I can feel myself bleeding out, my concentration is shot, and pretty much all the important tendons that allow movement have been damaged. For all intents and purposes, I’m an even worse cripple than I was before.”
“No, you’re not,” Geon said. “Your mind is still working, which means you are still alive. If your brain works, then you can breathe, and if you can breathe, you can cycle. The knowledge you need is locked away in that brain of yours. So, stop making excuses and DO SOMETHING!”
Roy’s entire body quivered with the force of Geon’s command, Essence running wild for a moment before calming once again. Geon was right. He was still alive, and if there were ever a time to remember what he’d forgotten, it was most definitely now. Roy began to concentrate, pushing his mind back to the day he’d first used Qi and injured himself so badly that he’d nearly died.
He forced his mind to replay his memories. He recalled walking up to the gates, heading into the compound, and entering the room where the Sovereign was holding a meeting. The blank wall stood in his way here, but instead of backing off this time, Roy threw his will against it, battering against the barrier for all he was worth. Golden light suffused his body as he pushed against the mental block, knowing that salvation stood on the other side.
Weakness was not allowed in a Power cultivator, and Roy had allowed himself to be weak for far too long. No matter how many times he became fed up with his weakness, he never became strong enough to really fight back. Even now, should he face his old enemies in the Shah clan, he’d lose without a doubt. That knowledge and the Ideal he’d sworn to, the one where he would free all those who were oppressed, finally gave him the strength he needed.
With one final push, Roy shattered the barrier and was engulfed in a sea of memories. He suddenly remembered the battle of wills between Hermit and his sister, the way they’d all been driven to the ground, and his unknowable need to see his friends. He remembered the feeling of pressure as the Essence in his Core was pushed down until it formed into a single, shining drop, followed by the searing pain of using that drop of power. He remembered the feeling of using it and the immense surge of strength that single drop granted him.
Even if he used all the Essence in his Core at once, it could not measure up to the sheer might of the Qi, and Roy knew without a shadow of a doubt that he could now do it again. The process of forming Qi was so simple that he was shocked he hadn’t figured it out already. Pressure. That was all it took. Power Essence demanded that brute physical force be used, so it only stood to reason that exerting enough pressure would form the gaseous Essence into the water-like Qi.
That wasn’t all he remembered, and even as the memories of the Qi burn-out faded, Roy found himself once again standing in this very same space. Except now, a very familiar figure was standing with him.
***
“What are you doing here?” Roy asked in confusion. “In fact, where is here, and what am I doing in this place?”
Azure gave him a wide smile.
“It’s good to see you again too, Roy. And I am doing well, thanks for asking.”
“That’s hardly an answer,” Roy replied.
“Very well,” Azure said, rolling his eyes. “We are in your subconscious, a place where your mind has fled to escape the pain of your body. That,” he said, gesturing to the cracked golden Core, “represents your friend Geon and what you did to him when you used Qi without having a Core-Body. I am here because I need to tell you something very important.”
Roy’s mind was still feeling quite muddled, but now that Azure had said it plainly, some of the details began to come back to him.
“You mean that golden droplet I used was Qi?” he asked, trying to focus through the fogginess clouding his mind.
“Indeed. Now, please, no more questions. As I mentioned, I do have something very important to tell you, and your mind is becoming more muddled by the moment.”
Roy wanted to ask more questions — he always did when this mysterious stranger came around — but he could feel the truth in the man’s words and simply nodded.
“Good,” Azure said. “Now, this pertains to your advancement to Green-Belt and obtaining your Core-Body. While most Martial Artists have to face the reality of their existence and come to terms with it to trigger the test, along with impressing the Spirit of their Path, you will need to do something else. Your Core is a special one, one that came from the outside, rather than being formed through natural means.
“Because of this, you will not only need to impress upon the Spirit of Power that you are deserving, but you need to impress upon your Core that you have the strength needed as well. Without giving Geon the confidence that you can push on, you will not trigger the test. As I can see it now, you’re fairly close to impressing your Spirit. All that really needs to be done is an impressive showing once you’ve reached 4th Dan for your test to be approved.
“You’ve already come to terms with your existence months ago when you found your Ideal. So, all you really need to do is impress that Core. I can’t tell you how to go about doing that, though. It’ll have to be something you figure out yourself. A word of warning — do not tell him that this needs to be done. You need to genuinely impress him for it to work, and if he has prior knowledge that he needs to be impressed, every one of your actions will carry that thought along with it.”
Roy nodded, trying to remember all the man had to say. He had to impress Geon enough for the Core to believe he was worthy, which was easier said than done. Geon was never impressed, so whether he told him or not wouldn’t make any difference. Still, if this was his only way to Green-Belt, then he would figure something out.
“One more thing before I go,” Azure said as the world began to fade. “Watch out for the enemy who pretends to be on your side. Things aren’t always as they seem, and if you should find yourself in the hands of that particular enemy, do all you can to escape. Because if you should be captured, your life as you know it will be forfeited.”
