Bruce formed his blade in his outstretched right hand, particle by charged particle, Ki layered, folded and stronger than in any of his previous weapons.

[color=0072bc][i]'Limits.'[/i][/color] The word stuck in his mind as he assessed the energy flowing inside the spear flying for him. Bruce took a leap backward, outside of its downward path and loosed a horizontal flying slash of Ki to intercept the fan of daggers. 

He reflected on something Ross had told him, on a day that felt months old now.

[i]"All right, listen close," Ross said, squaring his broad shoulders on their walk around the guild's walls. "The Earth was formed in a competition between giant space rocks bashing against each other till one had enough mass for its own gravity. What you're walking on is just a boulder that won."

"But," Ross tapped the heel of his foot into the ground. "It's also alive. The Earth remembers every imprint we make, even if it's washed away from sight. And the ones who respect her, give her the regard she deserves, get the privilege of possessing her strength," his skin darkened into a tone of sandstone. 

"We literally become part of the Earth. You're strong, Bruce, but there have been a couple who were able to go beyond emulating the properties of stone. Some could [/i]become[i] the Earth. Those guys? Make Earth Sages look like whipped puppies."[/i]

Time had never been on their side since they made their stand to save their world. Bruce didn't get the luxury of forcing himself into a corner, or achieving the power to fight the Order through mental and physical self-discipline. He'd gotten a few hours of meditation on the subject.

He had to go beyond. 

So instead of breathing with the Earth's heartbeat, he listened to the vacuum that existed between each pulse. He didn't strain, practicing the peace Nexus himself had encouraged. He trod inside the space of that obsolete wall, neither on one side or the other. Grounded and disconnected. Light and heavy. Dead and alive. 

Bruce's eyes cast a faint glow, and his aura shrank, brewing beneath the surface of his hardened skin like magma. When he spoke, his voice hadn't changed, but the echo of a million souls through a million moments joined it.

[color=0072bc][h2][b]"Ascension"[/b][/h2][/color]