Yasuke : Rise of the Black Dahlia

Yasuke, Chapter 27 : Aristodemus' Training

Yasuke was alone, meditating in a field of lush greenery a few hours before dawn. This has become a routine for him as King Agasga instructed him to do so. His words began to echo in Yasuke's head.

"Everyone always gets the idea of Nirvana wrong. They say it leads to being able to heal the diseased, to beat the unbeatable, but it is all wrong. To reach Nirvana means to do only what your chi enables you to. There's no personal feats once you've reached Nirvana. We are merely just pawns blessed to be vessels of this legendary force. We have to work to have enough resolve and remove ourselves from greatness. I do not think. I do not act. I allow the nodes of Nirvana to manifest in my body. First, young Yasuke, you must learn to go with the flow of chi in its purest form. Do not think. Do not act. Just allow the chi you're surrounded by to govern you."

Soon, Yasuke's chi began to form. But, it expanded in a way that appeared like it wasn't his own. The more he focused, the more it seemed like the entire field of plant life was his own energy network. He remembered more of King Agasga's words as a kaleidoscope of butterflies landed on his two shoulders.

"To know who you are, you must first realize the true nature of Chi. Then, you will begin to understand the power of the Nirvana fruits. These steps will lead to you understanding who you are, Yasuke. Then, and only then, will you be able to complete your purpose in this world."

*MEANWHILE*

Aristodemus was preparing himself for the trials that he would face in the Amelioration Conquest. He knew he needed as much help as he could get, so he called upon a few of his Spartan friends to help him. Aristodemus was soon joined by Logias and Domitia.

"I'm so glad you're ready to become a Spartan!" Domitia cheered. "Now I'll have someone to train with consistently."

"Thanks for coming, Dom." Aristo said as he greeted him with a handshake.

Aristodemus then looked at Logias, slightly puzzled.

"If you want to help, I'm more than glad to have you. But, I only asked Domitia. How did you find out about this?"

"Domitia couldn't keep his mouth shut after you told him. He ran around telling everyone, and that's how I found out. I decided to come so that you won't be misled by him. We need all of our Spartans in top condition, and Domitia may not be the best trainee for that."

"He's just mad that you asked me instead of him." Domitia teased. "And for good reason to, I'm going to make sure you have everything you want."

"That's the difference between us." Logias replied. "I'm going to make sure you have anything you need. Let's get started."

"Our first segment will be chi manipulation." Domitia stated as he built his aura and stepped forward. "Show me what you can do and don't hold back! We need an accurate assessment of your capabilities with Chi."

"To think that I'm going to engage in combat with a Spartan in the first segment of preparation training...I can't imagine what the real training is going to be like." Aristo thought.

"No problem, Dom!" Aristo yelled as he built his aura. "Ferocious style, Rampant Rainbow!"

Aristodemus' aura was shining vibrant with multiple neon colors. Once he became mobile, a trail of one of these colors was left behind. Anytime he moved in a different direction, the trail's color would change. Aristodemus leaped forward, leaving behind a trail of yellow energy.

"Who knew you had such speed!" Domitia stated as he watched Aristo fly past him.

Aristodemus then rushed behind Domitia, leaving a trail of purple colored energy. The different trails of colors crossed but did not mix at all. Domitia took notice of this.

"Hardening Style." Domitia stated as his purple aura began to spread within the atmosphere. Its radius was vast enough for the entire area to be covered.

"Aristodemus, you just do not know how glad I am you wanted to train with me. This is the opportunity I've been waiting for. I can finally use a few things I've learned since my battle against that woman, Amadia." Domitia thought. "I get to show Logias more of my techniques as well! This is great!"

The trails that Aristodemus' movement left behind began to rise off of the ground into the air. They rose to a level taller than he was as he rushed past Domitia once again, leaving a trail of red energy.

"Rampant Rainbow, Tower of Tinge!"

The three trails of colors rose and began to spin together in a circle. The energy created a current of wind that began to pressure Domitia. The circle began to release the three different energies as a projectile attack, all aimed at Domitia.

*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *BOOM*

The first shot was yellow and soared through the air with great tempo. The next shot was red and was much bigger than the yellow shot. It moved slower but had much more energy incorporated into it. Domitia noticed the incoming projectiles instantly but allowed them to come in contact with him.

"There's a lot you can learn from failing." Domitia stated. "Having strategies and attempts to do something crumble should always motivate to correct the issues and weaknesses they contain. That's part of the reason why we are here now."

Once the yellow shot landed, it created a force that Domitia was able to contain. He simply placed his hand out, and it disappeared with time. However, the red shot that followed a few seconds later was able to push Domitia back. But, he didn't take the slightest amount of damage.

"And now the third!"

Domitia spun around quickly with both of his hands out just as the last purple shot came into contact with him. Much like the yellow shot, it disappeared within a few seconds.

"I guess Domitia's serious." Logias thought. "He did everything he was supposed to do in this situation."

"There's a few different reasons why that attack failed." Domitia admitted.

"Yes, why?" Aristo replied. "How did you negate all of the attacks so easily?"

"The technique itself took a long time for you to use. You gave me too much time to prepare and create a countermeasure." Domitia answered. "Your speed was impressive, but it doesn't matter if I can sense where you are. I spread my own energy throughout the aura so I could sense you at all times. It also helped me to deal with those projectiles."

"I think i understand." Aristo announced. "My chi had to collide with the chi you placed within the environment, which made the projectiles both weaker and slower. That's how you were able to deal with them so easily."

"Exactly." Domitia replied.

"But, how can I use a technique that takes a moment to set up without giving my opponent enough time to react?" Aristodemus asked.

"There's a few different elements that you need to incorporate for the attack to work." Domitia answered. "Don't worry, we're going to spend the rest of the day augmenting that technique. I'll help you make it quick and unexpecting."

"Domitia learned a lot from his last battle." Logias thought. "It seems his fighting style has finally matured. Aristodemus couldn't have picked a better time to ask him to help train."

"Logias!" Domitia yelled. "I could use your assistance for this next segment."

"It seems he's working on the art of humbleness as well." Logias thought. "He's changing so much so randomly. When did his evolution speed up?"

"Sure." Logias replied.