by Aaron Oster
The small bead of gleaming golden power had grown to a small sphere roughly the size of his fist. It was strange how the spirit worked. His Core was physically no larger than his fist, and yet, somehow, there seemed to be an entire sea inside of it – or at least, that was how he now pictured it.
At the very edges of that sea drifted the gaseous Essence, cloudy and shining softly. Next came the vast expanse of Qi, shining far brighter. Something that Roy was quickly learning was that the purer the energy he used became, the duller the last energy seemed in comparison. He’d had it explained to him, of course, but it wasn’t until he actually saw it for himself that he truly understood.
At the center of the sea, sat a small island. This was where his Chakra was gathered, growing larger each and every day. He still hadn’t gotten used to the small pinch of pain during the last part of the forging process, but he imagined that it would be less so once he advanced to Purple and wouldn’t hurt at all once he’d reached Red.
However, the sea of power wasn’t all that was there. Underneath, on the bottom of the seafloor, lay a foundation, one that Roy continually added to, reinforcing as he built ever upward. There were parts of the foundation he could no longer reach, the parts he’d laid before advancing to Green-Belt.
Even now, he could feel them. Strong. Solid. Without so much as a hint of weakness. Martial Artists who didn’t take the proper time and effort to build on these foundations would find that those foundations would start to become shaky once they advanced. And eventually, they would reach a point where they could no longer build, as their foundations would simply refuse to bear the weight of more advancement.
Right now, he could no longer build or strengthen the first layer of foundations. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t continue working on the next set. From Green through Purple, the second set was built, and although his felt solid, he knew he could make them stronger.
His concentration now refocused, Roy pulled one of the golden Pills from his robe and swallowed it, feeling its warmth, steadiness, and solidity. Although he could not push the boundaries of his Core at the moment, there was nothing stopping him from strengthening his foundation.
And that was exactly what he did.
40
Roy and Aika left the safe zone four days after entering, Aika now sporting a second slash of Purple on the end of her Blue-Belt. From what Roy could feel, she was already well on her way to getting a third. Fighting in life-threatening situations forced one to adapt and become stronger quickly. It was either that or death.
“What do you think the next level will look like?” Aika asked as the two of them began walking down the long flight of stairs.
“Pleasant, with a nice cool breeze and an easy path to the finish,” Roy said.
Aika snorted out a laugh, and Roy found himself grinning as well. It had been a difficult journey through the Dungeon thus far, but the recovery time had greatly improved their moods. However, as they began nearing the bottom, the familiar scent of salt tickled the back of his throat, and Roy let out an involuntary groan.
“More water,” he muttered as they emerged onto the third floor and found a layer of water at around calf-height stretching as far as the eye could see.
“At least we’re not in a cavern or tunnel this time,” Aika said, trying to cheer him up.
“Yeah, we’re in something so much better,” Roy said sarcastically, looking out at the odd stone construction laid out before them.
It reminded him a bit of the inside of the Itachi manor, with large stone blocks making up the walls, rounded pillars holding up the ceiling, and the floor beneath made of smaller, round cobblestones. For some reason, this level reminded him of the cultivation pools back in the Shah clan, where he would have to constantly gather and lay new gravel to keep them looking pristine.
The entire floor was covered in a dense layer of Water Essence, meaning that whatever Beasts were lurking in the depths would be able to jump out at them, making this no different than the other two floors.
“We may as well get going,” Roy sighed, stepping right into the water and beginning to head deeper.
Aika followed a moment later, her staff already drawn and eyes flicking around the floor. Now that they were three levels down, neither of them believed that the Beasts would be under Purple. On the last level, they’d gotten unexpectedly lucky regarding how it functioned, though when they factored in the intense heat, it was definitely more difficult than the first.
They’d barely gone five feet when a small ripple in the water caught their attention. They both tensed, watching the ripples grow larger and larger until a Beast exploded up from the water. It was long and brown and had a row of spines running down its back. Two flippers extended to either side, and its body extended into a long, flattened tail. All Roy saw was the flattened head, complete with several rows of triangular teeth.
The Beast’s Core flared, and both Roy and Aika felt the power it exuded. This Beast was at 3rd or 4th Dan Purple, meaning that their fight had just gotten very dangerous. More than that, it pointed to a huge increase in difficultly going forward. They both dodged to either side, trying to split the Beast’s focus, and the fish-creature went for Aika.
Roy dashed forward, the water slowing him a bit as he wrapped his body in golden Power Qi. Water exploded up around him as he struck, driving a fist into the creature’s back end and using the Exploding Fist-Strike.
At the same time, Aika swung down with her staff, the tip blazing with Light Essence as she brought it crashing onto the thing’s head.
But, unlike with previous fights, this Beast merely shrugged the blows off, slamming into Aika and driving her into one of the stone pillars with a loud crack. Aika’s eyes went wide as her Armorer technique flexed, then shattered. Roy let out a cry of anger, then used Overflow Plus, trying to trap the Beast and keep it from moving to give Aika a chance to escape.
A sphere of whirling Qi spiraled out around him, enveloping the fish-creature and freezing it for an instant. However, even as Aika managed to pull away, the Beast’s body glowed as well, and with a single flex of its muscular frame, it bucked Roy’s control.
He staggered as the creature spun in the water, a spray of salty droplets flying into the air. Before Roy could so much as react, it blurred forward, catching him in the gut and folding him almost in half.
“Roy!” Aika screamed, leaping out of the water and sending several lances of Light into the Beast’s hide.
Blue lines rippled around its body, and the Light Lances seemed to slide off as they hit, as though the Beast were covered in ice.
Roy pulled the coin from his robes as he felt his Armorer technique strain, then shatter, the rows of sharp teeth sinking into his flesh. With a scream, he brought the ax down on the Beast’s head. Although it didn’t manage to pierce the creature’s technique, it did manage to sink in a bit and drive the Beast down, resulting in a jagged tear opening in Roy’s skin.
He jumped back using his Movement technique, diving out of the water and grabbing onto one of the pillars. Seeing what he’d done, Aika mirrored the movement, hooking an arm around it and placing her feet flat.
“Are you okay?” she asked, shouting across the twenty-foot gap between their pillars.
Roy looked down at himself, to where the Beast had torn through the new toughened robes and left a jagged line of red in his side. Blood dripped down to the water as well, darkening and turning it cloudy.
“Just a little blood,” Roy called back. “I’ll be fine.”
“What are we going to do about this thing?” Aika shouted as Roy watched the Beast circle below.
Is it just me, or is the blood vanishing from the waterway too quickly?
“We need to break its techniques,” Roy said. “Maybe then we can…”
Roy didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence as the Beast exploded up and out of the water with a loud roar. His eyes widened as he saw that its skin had turned a deep red, and its beady eyes we
re now bloodshot and near-crazed.
With a yell, Roy lunged from the pillar, narrowly avoiding its jaws as they slammed shut. Roy used his Shockwave Airstep, kicking off the air as the Beast crashed down into the water and turned to pursue him. In this environment, even with his Movement technique, this Beast was faster and caught up to him in only a couple of seconds.
It leaped again, its maw gaping wide, and Roy kicked upward, forcing himself down and into the water as the Beast sailed by overhead. He saw a flash of light as Aika attacked, then his back hit the bottom.
Power Qi exploded out from him as he forced himself to the surface, just in time to see the massive open maw coming straight for him once more.
“It’s completely ignoring me!” Aika yelled, sounding a bit panicked.
Roy flooded his channels with Power and used his Full-body technique, the Speed Strike. The Beast’s mouth tried to clamp down on him, but Roy threw both arms out, catching it by the jaws and preventing them from closing.
“It’s the blood!” Roy yelled, his arms beginning to strain as the sharpened teeth began tearing through his new armor and down to his skin. “Get over here and attack its mouth!”
Right now, there was only a single weak spot he could see, and it wouldn’t be open for long. The Beast thrashed its tail, and the only reason Roy wasn’t forced back under was that he’d hooked his toes into one of the stones underwater. Still, even with his reinforced strength and armor, the Beast was starting to overwhelm him.
No matter what he did, no matter how powerful the technique, he simply couldn’t overcome the sheer difference in power between a Blue and Purple-Belt. It highlighted just how lucky he’d been to survive his fight with Komura and how badly he wished his Core would begin acting up again, granting him the power he needed to win.
Aika appeared at his side in a flash, her arm extending and sending several Light Lances down the Beast’s open throat.
Blood, black and gelatinous, sprayed over Roy as the creature’s flesh was finally punctured. However, instead of forcing it to let go, it just bit down harder, finally tearing through Roy’s new armor and sinking into his palms.
“Again!” Roy yelled as blood welled on his hands and began falling into the Beast’s mouth.
But even as Aika attacked a second time, the Beast’s thrashing increased, its blood frenzy now fully awakened. Roy felt his arms tremble, then the Beast shot forward, driving him off his feet. Water surrounded him as he was shoved under, the Beast’s powerful body flashing past and trailing blue Water Qi behind it.
He felt something seize him by the back of his robes and drag him up and out of the water.
“There’s no way we can beat this thing as we are now,” Aika said, her body surrounded by Light Qi as she began running.
Roy was dragged behind her, spluttering and blinking salt from his eyes. A fountain of water flew into the air as the Beast followed, streaking after them with reckless abandon. Roy kicked, sending a cloud of Power Qi into the water and trying to shove it back as he had with the monsters back in the Trials of Water. But the Beast simply propelled itself through, its reddened body appearing for a second before vanishing back into the water.
Roy managed to regain his footing, then snagged Aika by the waist and jumped into the air with his Airstep. The fish-creature exploded from the water beneath them, its jaws once again snapping on empty air.
Even as Roy kicked, Aika threw another set of Light Lances, which just slid off the Beast’s body as it flopped back into the water. He made it past a set of beams before his momentum ran out, and he dropped, splashing back into the water. Massive jaws opened behind him, and Roy struck out blindly, sending a lance of golden Power Qi down its throat.
He then screamed as the powerful jaws slammed down on his right arm, breaking the bone and tearing into flesh. He flexed his arm again, using his Void Sphere-Pulse for a second time. The Beast trounced, tearing deeper into his arm and yanking him from his feet, but Roy didn’t relent, sending a third blast into the Beast’s mouth.
Aika struck as he went underwater, bubbles frothing about him. He could feel that his arm was on the verge of tearing off but managed to get off one final attack.
The jaws loosened, and Roy was dragged back through the water, emerging a couple of seconds later as Aika dragged him away from the roaring Beast. Black blood sprayed from its open throat, though the wounds didn’t look to be fatal. Roy’s right arm hung limp at his side, more resembling a piece of bloody meat than anything else.
Blood pumped from the torn arteries, and Roy was dimly aware of the fact that he was dying. He was losing too much blood, and no matter how his Qi tried to compensate, the wound needed to be closed. He felt a light bump against his back as it hit something hard, dimly heard Aika saying something, then the world faded into darkness.
41
“Who wants to lead the Clans in this war?” Hermit asked.
The meeting had just reconvened after their short break. Hopefully, after what the Sovereigns had seen, they would have the sense to choose quickly.
He had spent what little time he could speaking to Kaeru and trying to get more out of him as the Inu healers tended to his and Violet’s wounds. As a 2nd Dan Gold-Belt, he’d managed to hold up far better than Violet, who was at Base Red. He’d only managed to get a few more details on the Cavern Beast out of him, and none of them sounded good.
From what they’d heard in the meeting room, Hermit had assumed that this Beast would probably be somewhere in the mid-Black stage of advancement. But after speaking with Kaeru, it sounded far worse. He hadn’t seen any Belt, but the way the man described the overwhelming feeling of power and death told him that this was no Black-Belt.
He had been in the presence of two Scions now and knew the feeling they gave off. What Kaeru spoke of wasn’t just a calm, perfect control. It was more than that, control on a level that stretched far and wide. It was the ability to bathe entire clan territories in its power and still continue to spread its influence. If the Beast had still given off that insane level of power while spreading its influence, then he had to assume they were dealing with an Eternal.
But if that were indeed the case, then fighting would be completely pointless. Even if all nine of them worked alongside the four Scions, they couldn’t hope to beat the Beast. Why were they trying? Because no matter how great the odds, people like them simply refused to concede a fight without giving it their all.
Hermit inwardly sighed as every one of the gathered Sovereigns rose to their feet.
Of course, this just couldn’t be easy.
“Great…everyone,” he muttered as the gathered Sovereigns all eyed one another.
“How about we start by eliminating those we don’t believe will be a good fit,” Ame said. “Like the two clan-less Sovereigns who decided to show up.”
“Do you think that because we have no clan, we’re unfit to lead?” Itami Ha asked, his raspy voice sounding annoyed.
“Yes,” Ame said flatly. “You and the other have no place leading our clans when you have none of your own.”
“Well, if that’s how you all feel…” Ha said, looking around at the others, all of whom nodded.
He shrugged, then turned to leave, followed a half-second later by Makura Amber.
“Wait! Where do you two think you’re going?” Ikari asked.
“We’re clearly not wanted,” Ha said. “If your reasoning for not letting either of us lead is that we don’t have a clan, then we’re not wanted here.”
“Is this how everyone is going to behave if we don’t let them be in charge then?” Pelata asked. “Just threaten to leave so we’ll give you the leadership position?”
“No,” Amber said. “We’re leaving because none of you seem to respect either of us. You see, unlike all of you, we can leave without any consequence. So, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
“But you’ve seen what’s going to happen to us all if we don’t band together,” Hermit said,
trying to remedy the situation.
Losing two Sovereigns would be a serious blow to their military power.
“None of you seem to care,” Ha said. “All you want is power. You’re all free to burn alongside your clans, but I’ll be long gone by the time you do.”
With that said, Ha walked out of the room.
“Go!” Ame yelled as Amber turned to follow. “Run like cowards!”
Instead of responding, Amber just gave her a mocking bow and left the room.
“Well,” Hermit said, as the doors slammed shut behind them. “What the hell was that?”
He glared around the room to all of the people who’d agreed to join together not an hour ago.
“Did you all suddenly forget what we’re facing? Did a single hour away so drastically alter your collective memories?”
“We don’t know what we saw,” Ikari said scornfully.
“They were telling the truth,” Hermit said flatly. “You all saw it.”
“They might have believed they were telling the truth,” Kuren Nami said dismissively. “Their mental states seemed to be in such a deteriorated state that they could have seen anything.”
“And are you suggesting that the Sanshoo clan just all up and died? That their Sovereign just expired of her own free will?”
“We weren’t there,” Mizumi Tokei said. “Perhaps there was some exaggeration.”
“Are you calling me a liar?” Hermit asked, allowing a small hint of power to leak into his voice.
“All we’re saying is that as an outside party, you don’t really have much to concern yourself with,” Pelata said.
Hermit couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Okay, maybe he could. But he’d hoped that in the face of such overwhelming danger, the Sovereigns would pull together and agree to fight as one. But apparently, their selfishness and need for power and control outweighed the good of their own people.
“If that is truly the way you all feel, then there is no hope for any of you. Perhaps this generation of Sovereigns needs to be wiped out so that when the next rise to fix the colossal mess you all have caused, they will be more willing to work together!”