[IC] A Hero Tale {Complete}

[Brucenorris007]

Bruce glared at his old friend- he knew, again, where the rage was coming from, but he was holding back his own outburst toward Luke for implying that he didn't feel exactly as he did.
'Luke, you cannot make up for past decisions by volunteering yourself to be killed, even in the name of a just cause.' Bruce thought. He wanted to say so, but he knew it would only add to Luke's momentum- Jenso had undoubtedly inherited his stubbornness from his father.
"Do you want to know what that thing who just spoke to us was thinking while it did what it did?" Bruce asked of Luke, referring to Ada in such a way that his disgust was clear. His voice carried so that the whole room could hear. He stood up and paced until he was right in front of Luke. "You think that, for even one second, it actually noticed the scouts it destroyed, the men it slaughtered?"
Bruce threw his arm back to point at Jenso, still keeping eye contact with Luke.
"Do you believe that it specifically asked for Jenso because it and the rest of the Order feel threatened by him? By any of us?"
Bruce slammed his palms down on the table across from Luke and leaned forward.
"We can't do any good by just charging in because we aren't a threat to them. They don't even know who we are."
Bruce took a deep breath and paused again, pulling back from the table and standing upright. He pulled his hair back and tied up his ponytail again.
"No one's arguing that something needs to be done," Bruce conceded to Luke, making sure he understood that he wasn't being attacked. "If we're going to do something, we must take advantage of the fact that the Order refuses to give us any real recognition. We need to present ourselves as a threat, and also in such a way that they won't know our fullest capabilities on sight."
Bruce bared his teeth for just a moment, suppressing a growl as the image of Ada laughing reappeared in horrifying, vivid detail, in his mind. He glanced at everyone in the room in turn, skipping over only Alvios, whose lack of a response thus far concerned him, though he knew better than to preach when he was closest to Melina.
"We must become a threat that they cannot ignore."

[Hatman1801]

Alvios had been almost irritatingly quiet since the video had ended, not even rising from his seat. Initially, he had intended to hold his opinion and thoughts until once it had ended, already considering how to diffuse the undeniable tension that would rise after seeing Ada's... chambers.

And then he saw Melina.

The arguments that began had become mostly background noise. He was lost in his own head now. My fault. My fault. Everything that happened. My fault. Home. Cilia. The Swarm. Ada.

My fault.

It wasn't until Bruce had started reasoning with Luke that Alvios pulled himself away from his self-torment. He was prepared to do exactly what Jenso and Luke wanted to do; forgo this preparation and stop them immediately. Alvios stood up suddenly, drawing his blade.

"Bruce is right. They do know what we are. We're a list of pawns, all connected to Jenso. And they play with us as such, forcing us into rage and despair, just to influence Jenso into a position where they either get to keep him or kill him. But they don't know who we are, or what we will become by the time we fight them."

Alvios looked to Luke first, then to Jenso. His face was pale from containing how he felt, but his face was set in determination. "Neither of you get to make the decision on when we go and attack them. We all have personal stakes in this, and we'll only win prepared and together. If anyone leaves to try and fight them alone, then they aren't being a hero. They're being a traitor."

[Necrophage]

Oz watched as the group poured more emotional outburst on the table. Poor table didn't ask to be in the middle super-powerful ragers. Oz ever the voice of reason thought of a way to delay any further murder from the Order, including Milena. Finally he voiced it when the shouting and emotions were vented. Maybe - just maybe there's a way to preserve Milena's life without endangering our mission. This Ada seems disturbingly playful. Perhaps we can ploy that to our advantage and make a game or an offer to keep her occupied until we're ready. 'Tis better than doing nothing because I have no doubt that she's going to continue her little game of kidnapping. I wonder what we could do to draw her attention off of Milena and Jenso?" Oz pondered.

Oz rubbed at his chin in deep thought. "To try and trick her into something would cost us time and be dangerous to boot. I won't leave that under my consideration alone."

[tex]

Mikey sat by silently while everyone was slinging their emotions back and fourth. Fortunately, there were enough with the common sense to shut down Jenso's outburst, and the energy to control their emotions. Mikey cleared his throat after Alvios spoke, and tapped the table with his fist.

"I wouldn't have brought this recording to your attention if I wasn't planning on keeping those women safe," Mikey interjected. "But Ada has no plans to kill them just yet. We can't let this encroach on our training regimen. That being said, I will allow you all a day to think this over. Oz has the right idea. I want to hear productive alternatives to rushing their tower tomorrow morning."

"The interior of the tower is no different from the exterior. Jeff's surveillance bot, albeit completely overridden by whatever magic Ada had implanted into it, relayed some useful information out way, though. Geode and I spoke this morning regarding the rock's makeup, and the energy signatures therein. Geode, if you would.." Geode nodded and stood up.

"Despite the window revealed in Ada's room, there are no windows to be seen on the exterior of the tower. This is due to illusion magic, simple, yet refined, to hide all entrances. However, this is is made irrelevant by the fact that their tower is surrounded by some kind of dormant reality bubble, akin to what you'd find encompassing a pocket dimension. If I were to guess, that tower is not of this universe. If anything, it's more like an inter-dimensional vehicle. With that in mind, magic attacks against the tower itself, unless imbued with dimensional mastery, which nobody here is capable if, would be useless. Fortunately, the tower is bound to our world, allowing physical matter to pass in and out harmlessly. But as you might have noticed from the surveillance outside.." Geode nodded to Mikey, who rewound the recording until it revealed the exterior, where the grass was all a hue and reddish green. "The bubble is affecting matter from our universe. It seems to be at a tremendously slow rate, but there's no telling what effects it might have on our bodies if we spend too much time in there. The stone itself, reddish in hue, seems to be made of matter from another world. I don't know what it is, but it's absolutely repellent of magic, and denser than anything I've ever seen before. It's arcane makeup is similar to that of carbon, if carbon had been training for ten million years on the surface of the sun. It's indestructible, and likely only responsive to void energies. Additionally, I would like to draw attention to Ada's summons.." The recording rewound again until it paused on an image of one of Jeff's guard robots slicing through a Rajaka clone. "Slow motion." The recording played, and revealed that the clone was being damaged, but repairing itself immediately. "I've seen this before. It's a void magic, similar to consciousness crafting. Ada is creating this substance on command, and giving it sentience, programmed by her own magic. It's much like what I've done with the elementals, and what they've done with you, but unlike a arcane system, or Ki, the void sustains itself. These creatures do not think, they do not eat, and they do not receive damage from physical attacks. The only way to destroy such a creature is.."

"Something you'll explain later today," Mikey interrupted. "The point I'm trying to make, is that if they don't want us inside of the tower, we're not getting inside of that tower. Knowing these people, though, they'll be perfectly willing to let us in, and kill us at their leisure. That gives us one advantage over them that we must take, and use to its full potential.." Mikey rose his fist and clenched it tightly. "They're underestimating us. It's just as Alvios and Bruce have said. They think we're nothing. Maybe they're right... Today. But in a week's time, we'll use our cohesive network of resources against them. Their leader is likely preoccupied, channelling that tear in the sky, as Geode's mentioned. So they won't be working as a single force. For all intents and purposes, they are merely a collection of beasts, to be struck down one after another. If I'm right, then it's better than we feared. They won't be working together." Mikey smiled cheerfully and chuckled. "With that said.. I've a schedule set up for the rest of today."

"In light of the newest information presented by Jeff's drones, I've chosen to call Oswald, Alvios, and Bruce to an earlier meeting, 9 am sharp. We will meet here, prior to everyone else, to discuss guerrilla tactics... Options... Possible routes to take against Ada's treachery to save the women in the tower. Geode will accompany us as well, as he does not need to sleep, and has the most extensive knowledge of void magic in this group."

"Based on my analysis of your abilities, here are my highlights.."

"Jeff, your power, among the group, in terms of physical might, arcane energy, etc is by far, the least formidable, by a large margin. Your magical techniques are focused on offence, but they're easy to pick apart, and don't have much destructive power, making your fighting style like swiss cheese. Above all, you cannot take as much damage as the rest of the crew. As far as statistics go, you are the weakest of the trumps," Mikey admitted, a little downed by the reality. He smiled and spoke louder, so that Jeff could hear his voice through the record he'd left behind. "However... Your arcane energy is also the most viscous. Your Ki moves faster than anyone's. I've classified it as 'grey Ki' or Gyki for short. From my old city's studies, people with Gyki are absolutely alien to the idea of Ki control. Gyki is actually one of the more common Ki types. I thought it impossible to manifest, and yet... You can form Arki with it, somehow. I'm actually kind of blow away!" Mikey nodded and looked down. "Your potential for physical speed is phenomenal, outclassing the rest of our trumps. You may have the lowest strength, poor arcane energy limits, and an irrelevant healing factor, but with the way you harness your Ki, none of that matters. As far as Ki control goes, all of your offence will lie with your Arki manipulation. So you'll be training with me, mostly." Mikey put Jeff's review down and sighed. "Your sage mode is likely your greatest asset. If I had to match you against the order, you would work best against Rajaka and Zelriane."

"Next up, we have Bruce. I've gotta say, you've got one of the largest energy pools I've every seen. Your power and manipulation abilities stretch far, and you may have the broadest Arcane control out of all of us, including me and Jenso. That being said.." Mikey sighed. "As far as control goes, your arcane abilities possess the lowest potential for offence in a 1-on-1 encounter. I noticed it when we fought as well. You're quick with a blade, but your earth manipulation is slow, easy to read, and requires the element to exist prior to use. It seems you harness magic in a similar fashion to Jeff. But you use your arcane abilities in poor fashion. Unless we end up fighting something titanic in stature, much like Prisma, or an entire army, your abilities might be of little use against the order. But your stamina allows for extensive Ki usage, and you share the same Ki type as Jenso, Yellow Ki. Your Ki control is formidable, but it lacks rigidity and focus," Mikey rose one hand and summoned a rushing geyser gauntlet that glowed brightly. "Even with my sub-par Ki, I can match the strength of your Ki with Arki, something that should not be possible. That being said, your astonishing Ki supply should allow you to redouble your energy several times over. If used properly, the weapons you summon should be able to outmatch even Gaian weaponry. Ross will help you with your training, for the most part. With his knowledge of Gaia, Gaian weapons, and earth magic, it would be most beneficial. For all Ki theory, you'll be paired with me," Mikey announced. "If you play to your greatest strengths, It's likely you would be able to fight against Adarine, or Nexus. Our knowledge on Nexus is minimal, but seeing how he's the only member to wear fully functioning armour, I imagine he is trained in some form of martial art using weapons."

"Alvios, you were more difficult to review. "Your Ki supply is, by far, the lowest of the trumps. But the brilliance and sheer power behind your attacks competes with Jenso, and that's saying something. This is mainly due to how focused your Ki is. You also possess a rare Ki type, white Ki, or Weki, It bestows astounding regenerative properties to its wielders, and even allows you to heal the wounds of allies. Unfortunately, your arcane manipulation seems nearly non-existent. Without it, the versatility of your techniques is gimped rather severely... Or so I thought." Mikey shrugged. "That being said, you expend energy too quickly. Although your Ki restores itself at an astonishing rate between encounters, if you are unable to take down targets quickly, you'll burn yourself out before you can say sunny side up. I imagine you're already aware of this. Regardless, conserving your energy, supporting allies, and applying care to your movements is crucial. I'll be helping you with Ki control, but out of all the trumps, your ability to manage your energy is already superior. If anything, awakening your arcane network might serve you better in the long run. If anything, I'll have you assist Bruce and Jenso in Ki control methodology."

"Finally, Oswald. I've never seen Ki like yours before. It's almost as if it's.. Not even Ki. Blue Ki is unheard of. From the looks of it, your physical stature and durability are superior to that of the rest of the trumps. You may not possess superior regeneration like Alvios, or strength like Jenso, but your bones, flesh, and mind.. They're like an iron fortress! Your Ki is also naturally resistant to the void, something Geode mentioned to me while we were speaking.."

"It's not just naturally resistant," Geode interjected, "It pairs with the void, like it was meant to produce Veil. Your Ki, it's similar to mine, in more ways than I'd like to admit," Geode admitted, "Manipulating the aspects of reality, gravity, momentum, vacuums, usually requires an astonishing arcane affinity. There are few outside the elves with capabilities like that. And yet, your Ki allows you to do so with ease..."

"But," Mikey stopped Geode, "much like Alvios, your arcane network is untapped. Unfortunately, I have no idea how your magic works. With that in mind, Geode will be your mentor, in the following weeks."

"Lastly, Jenso. You possess Yellow Ki, and yet.. Somehow, your limits are unseen. It's like your Ki grows naturally every day, without any signs of stopping, at an alarming rate, simply through use and abuse. However..." Mikey frowned and shook his head. "Your Arki manipulation is atrocious. It is completely unfocused, defeating the purpose of Arki. Your Arcane abilities are also absolutely littered with holes. Overall, your fighting style is the worst of the trumps, despite your potential far outweighing anyone here. Most noticeable, is that while not using your overheat form, of OWN form, you are actually quite weak in comparison to the rest of the trumps. Even fighting me, as I am now, I could likely defeat you in your base form easily." Mikey continued. "When using omega overheat, you tap into your overwhelming Ki by pumping Arcane energy into your soul. I should have mentioned this, but I'd never gotten a chance to look at your form close up. That is not how Arki is used." Mikey shook his head. "With overheat active, you are literally attacking your Ki to bring its potential fourth. It's like prodding a small animal with a stick. It might fight back viciously, but sooner or later-" Mikey paused and looked at his noted. "It'll die." He grabbed his head and rustled his hair for a moment." Your Ki is resilient, but your stamina is not. That's why you can't fight for prolonged periods of time without tiring yourself out. This carries over to your Own form, as well... The issue with OWN is that, its purpose is solely to overclock one's Ki. It literally pushes it to output as much energy as possible, with no regard for the soul's natural restrain. If you keep using that form, not only will you exhaust yourself, but sooner or later, you will die."

"'fraid so, Jenso-boy," Ross cut in, his voice drained of all passion, "'s how old Seiner died. It's also how I put my familiar into a coma.."

"Right.. With that in mind, our main goal is just... Teaching you how to use your energy..." Mikey took a deep breath and looked back to his notes. "Training, every day, with me, Geode, and Ross."

"Today is the only day planned, so far. I still need a feel for your individual growths..." Mikey looked at the final sheet on his binder and cleared his throat."

"3 PM, following this meeting, I will be talking about Ki control with Jenso, Jeff, and Bruce. Ross will accompany me as well. Following that, Ross and Bruce shall work further, while Luke, on his order, will be working with Jenso, Oswald, and Jeff on strategic alignment.. Whatever that... Means?" Mikey looked at Luke, who was still sulking over the situation with Melina and Ada. "Right.. Proceeding this, Geode will be meeting with all of us, and reviewing our first target, Ada. That is all I have planned for today. Tomorrow, we will review this Ada mishap. For now, I bid you all a good day..."

---

~ End Of Chapter 136 ~

[tex]

~ Chapter 137 ~

_{Ki Control: The Foundation Of The Soul}

Mikey waited patiently on the battlefield within Jeff's guild-hall for Ross, Jeff, Bruce and Jenso to arrive. Today would mark the start of any actual training. Fortunately, Mikey was confident in his abilities. He may have been weaker than the trumps he was commanding, but his knowledge of the foundations of Ki was unparalleled. It was all just a science, after all. Ross arrived first, walking into the room with a sly smile painted across his face. The 6'4'' bronze man was a powerful figure to behold, but something about his was gentle and unimposing. Mikey waved to him and exchanged his smile. "I'm counting on you to help me out. I might know a lot about Ki, but the Gaians are practically-"

"Don't sweat it, kid," Ross assured him, "I'm more applied in 'usin the stuff, not studyin' it! We'll make a great team."

[Brucenorris007]

Bruce chugged down half a pitcher of water as he entered the arena, setting the vessel down once it had been emptied against the wall. The time since the premier of Ada's footage had seen him split his efforts between meditating to recenter himself and mixing his favorite drinks to aid in burying the unpleasant memories it had dredged up. He stepped onto the battlefield proper, partially conscious of his fingers twitching and knuckles cracking. He restrained his impulses and maintained his ki output at zero. When he stood in front of Ross and Mikey, he inclined his head to each in turn, bowing slightly.
"Whatever training this entails, I'd like for you both to know," Bruce said, straightening up again. "I will be furious if you spare anything out of concern or for any other reason."

[tex]

Mikey turned to Bruce, taken by surprise. He'd expected Bruce to arrive later than the others, seeing how Jenso was usually so full of energy, and Jeff owned the entirety of the building. The two of them showing up late would have been uncharacteristic. With recent news, it was to be expected, but Mikey had never seen either of them in such a state. When Bruce spoke up in concern for the severity of Mikey's training, Mikey's eyes shifted uncomfortably. Pushing people to, and beyond their limits was never his style. Unlike Jenso, who his abilities paralleled in an uncanny coincidence, Mikey was careful, chaste, and married to methods of restraint. It was why his power was relatively static in comparison with the rest of the heroes, but also the source of his discipline.

"An eager one, eh?" Ross cut in, slapping Mikey out of his stupor with an open-palm strike to the back. Mikey jumped up in shock and nodded. Ross smiled, as eerily joyful as ever. The big guy had an odd affinity with smiling, come to think of it. He seemed completely aloof to the dangers ahead. "Don't worry 'bout it. I don't think Mike's the type to skimp out on anyone!" Mikey nodded. Even though he had his concerns, his actions were not hindered in the slightest. He thought so, anyways.

"I wouldn't have shown that recording to everyone if I thought you couldn't handle it," Mikey admitted, "I could have easily detailed the strategic values of our footage without letting anyone know about Melina or Sheira. It wouldn't have made a difference to me. But if anyone here can't handle something like Ada's actions through a screen without busting their tops like Jenso, then there's no point in even going to war, here." Mikey sighed and rubbed his neck vigorously. "The moment they get under out skin in the heat of battle... That's the moment we press the forfeit button. We're already fighting an uphill battle as it is."

[SuperFlash]

"Yeah, I get that... I think I'll be fine now." Jeff's voice echoed from outside the room as he came in and stood next to Bruce. "If anything, it gives me more reason to get past my weak points and to see this through to the end." Jeff said in a calm yet serious tone as he held his hand out in a fist wearing a blue magically enchanted ring which perhaps he had planned to have given Sheira at some point in the future. "She would have wanted me to give it my all despite all that has happened. And that's what I intend to do."

[tex]

"Hello, Jeff," Mikey said, waving to his friend with a sombre expression, "Glad to see you."

[Jensoman]

Jenso walked into the room, with a sad look on his face. The recent events made him think a lot about what had happened. He knew that he shouldn't have lost his cool like that. It wasn't the first time Ada messed with him like this, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. He walked up to Mikey and Ross, nodding briefly towards Bruce and Jeff respectfully. He looked at Mikey. "I'm here...I'd like to apologise for my behaviour earlier today. I should have realised sooner that Ada's actions were all an attempt to get under our skins and possibly divide us. I won't give in to it!" He stated, clenching his fists. "I'll do my very best to improve. I'm glad I have you and Ross as my teachers now!" He stated, looking up at Ross briefly as he smiled.

[tex]

"It's fine, Jenso. That wasn't easy for any of us. I'm glad you're all here, though. We can begin immediately," Mikey said, turning to Ross. Ross nodded and Jenso and gave him a thumbs up, before following Mikey into the ring.

"Today is all about theory, the way Ki works, and how we manipulate it," Mikey started, conjuring one of his geyser gauntlets, "I may not be as strong as any of you, but I know for a fact that my Ki manipulation put the three of you back into kindergarten!" The water around his hands condensed until it appeared as if his skin was glowing a sapphire-blue, with the surface rippling constantly. "We'll be talking mostly about how controlling Ki works, and how Arki is.. Well, a thing. Bruce, you may be a little left out in the Arki portions of the training, but if you feel up to it, don't sit out. It's definitely a good skill to master... That being said, Arki is vastly inferior to outright Ki manifestation." Mikey rose his hand and extended the gauntlet past the tips of his finger. The water seemed more translucent as it got further away from his body.

"Ki grows weaker as it leaves our bodies. That's a fact that nobody has been able to get around. Whether it's in our auras, leaking into the atmosphere, or in an energy blast, it can't last for very long without being connected to its source, that being our soul. Think of it as soul energy. That's why most people use it to augment their physical abilities. It's extraordinarily uncommon for somebody to have the capability which allows them to release Ki from their body the way you two do," Mikey explained, pointing to Bruce and Jenso. "Yellow Ki and white have the easiest time existing in the atmosphere, though. Grey Ki does not, which is why you, Jeff, cannot manifest it outside your body normally. Ki, at its core, is pure power. Where the arcane makes up all matter and energy in the world, Ki makes up all life! Without Ki, you can't be alive. Same goes for animals, and probably the Order, as well. Of course, arcane energy works the same way, in a sense. It helps power our digestive system, our brains, organs, it produces oxygen, keeps atoms from splitting apart, you name it. In theory, humans can't exit without both and arcane system, and Ki."

"Applying Ki to combat is the action of using it to enhance physical abilities, or launch it from your body. Ki tends to be very... Temperamental when it's separate from the host. It destroys indiscriminately. The only time it can be controlled once it's left the body, is if it has been enhanced with Arki. But as I've mentioned, Pure Ki outclasses Arki in raw destructive power by miles. When expelled from the body, it can also place a great strain on the soul if overused. Sometimes this can actually cause it to grow, like a muscles. Other times, it can weaken you, cause sickness, or outright end your life. The soul produces Ki indefinitely, but if our souls are stretched too far, they tear apart just like any muscle would. Easy stuff, right?" Mikey paused and turned to Ross. "On average, a human's Ki doesn't affect their strength unless they can tap into it. If it's somehow abnormal however, it innately affects their abilities, albeit at a reduced severity. Ross has told me how Gaians are naturally gifted, sporting souls that are at least three times more powerful that a human's on average. Their arcane network also differs vastly from ours. I found it fascinating when looking into Ross's anatomy. But that's besides the point."

"As I said, Ki loses power once it leaves our bodies. So then how to people launch Ki projectiles, create Ki weapons, and the like? Simple! Well, not simple at all, really," Mikey admitted, brightening his geyser Gauntlet. "This gauntlet of mine may be an Arki proxy, but let's just pretend it's pure Ki, ok?" Mikey began extending it further, until it was more like a spear than a gauntlet. "See how the water is more see-through the farther it gets from my body? I'm doing that on purpose, but it's a visual aid- ah. Basically, to do something like this, create a weapon, I would cycle Ki and and out of my body constantly. In doing so, it maintains the weapon without loss of strength. But if my Ki isn't plentiful enough, or strong enough, my weapon would be weaker, the larger it gets. Shooting Ki is the same principal. The action of doing so is not something I need to explain, obviously, but the idea is pretty simple. It goes out!" Mikey then launched a ball of water from the tip of his gauntlet towards the edge of the stadium. "Like so, but more glow-y and with less uh.. Less gravitational pull," he added as the water bubble fell to the ground. "How do we make projectiles stronger? And how do we make Ki-weapons more durable? Well, in theory, if your Ki allows it, as mine clearly does not, it's an act of finesse..." Mikey reduced his geyser gauntlet until it was meshed with his skin again.

"Lesson 1, Ki does not listen to you if you yell at it! Ki is driven by our emotions, that is true, but it's just like Nexus told you, Jenso. Emotions have a wide array of effects on it, and we can't really control our emotions that easily. Even if we could, the desired effect, stronger and faster projectiles, isn't assured. So, what if we changed the composition of our projectiles?" Mikey's geyser gauntlet then began to expand, and then shrank again, looking almost the same. The ripples from before however, changed to parallel, zig-zags that ran up his arm. "All I've done is taken the same amount of energy, and changed the way I channel it. Now, this gauntlet that once had the capacity to resist one of Bruce's most powerful sword strikes, can pierce right through Jeff's most powerful barrier mechanisms like tissue paper. Same amount of energy, different composition." The pattern disappeared, and the knuckles of Mikey's fist grew less than a milometer thicker. "Here, I've just changed the flow of my Arki to circulate rapidly around my knuckles, nearly 400 times as fast, actually. Yet, the difference is barely noticeable, yea? Somebody without special eyes wouldn't even be able to notice it, since there was absolutely no change in how much power I'm using." Mikey rose his fist forward and smiled. "And yet, although my punch has lost it's piercing properties, I can now out-do Jenso's base-form brute strength easily. Instead of flooding tons of Ki into my fist, I've merely changed the way I use it, and in a manner of seconds, I've outclassed every single one of you in brute strength. Fun, right?" Ross looked at Mikey and his eyes twitched. This little guy was suddenly stronger than Jenso. "Ross, can you create a Ki-barrier?" Mikey asked. Ross nodded quietly and summoned his earth-render great sword, holding it firmly in front of him. The blade glowed with energies as he held it. "With any other one of my techniques, there's no way I could get through one of Ross's defensive abilities. Not even Jenso's flame dragon punch can get through Ross's guard if he's focused enough. But-" Mikey turned to Ross and threw his fist forward with quite a bit of effort. Upon contact, Ross's blade shuddered, and his feet ground backwards. He lowered his blade and chuckled.

"Didn't break my guard!" Ross chuckled, despite being moved at least 20 feet, "But I think my wrist's uh.. Shattered?" Ross de-summoned his sword and clasped his wrist. "Eheh... Give that a few hours."

"Sorry about that!" Mikey said, removing his gauntlet. "Right, so uh... That's the importance of Ki control in a nutshell. It takes a tremendous amount of concentration though. I wasn't able to reach this level of power until just recently, myself. I developed it for a rematch against Jenso, actually," Mikey admitted. "When it comes to specifics though, I can certainly lend a hand! Let's see.. Uh... Bruce!" Mikey snapped his fingers and waved Bruce over. "Can you summon your blade, just like when I was analysing you? Don't try to change it, just bring it on out.."

[SuperFlash]

Jeff sat back watching Mikey go on about his presentation interested on what he planned to have Bruce do with it while meanwhile contemplating whether he could apply similar properties into his wind orb and wind scythes to be able to counter different things in different situations. He then to the side began to lowkey make a small draft of wind circle around his hand and started to expirament with it as well applying various amounts of ki and arcane to it trying to see what kind of results he could get out of it.

[Brucenorris007]

Bruce's brow furrowed, absorbing Mikey's lesson with a critical eye. He didn't enjoy the thought that he might be excluded from any part of it, and might have repeated his sentiment from earlier, though, recalling what Mikey had said during their evaluations about focusing on their individual strengths, he resisted.
Bruce stepped forward at Mikey's behest. He closed his hand around his sheath, the hilt of his blade materializing out of ki in the next instant. He pushed it up out of its resting place with his thumb before pulling it out fully with his other hand. His impulses nagged him to attempt the manipulations he'd seen Mikey doing, but Bruce was a student here, so he heeded Mikey's request and waited.

[Jensoman]

Jenso's eyes widened as he watched Mikey's demonstration, which ended up with Ross's shattered wrist. 'N...no way..' He thought in shock. He ended up gritting his teeth for a moment. The display felt similar to how Rajaka fought, despite that it was far weaker. And yet, it was still stronger than his flame dragon punch. What Mikey had achieved was impressive. He had the same feeling like Mikey had felt towards him in the past, however. He couldn't afford to fall behind on Mikey, and this technique could be useful.

Jenso clenched his fists, and began to coat them with Arki. It was a feat that he'd done before, with both Ki and Arki, in order to defend himself against strikes. He never knew that he needed to change their composition to actually apply increased damage instead. 'Change their composition, huh..' He thought, doing his best to channel his Arki differently towards his hands. He tried to do it similarly to how Mikey did.

[tex]

Mikey stepped forward and placed on hand on Bruce's wrist, looking at the blade intently. "Ki weaponry is something I've always been fascinated by. They can range from something absolutely indiscernible from a common sword, to a radiant blade of light. It's incredibly high-level stuff. But if your opponent understands your Ki flow..." Mikey coated two of his fingers in Arki, slowly gliding them along the edge of Bruce's sword. In mere moments, the blade dissipated, shattering into thousands of tiny fragments. "It's not really a matter of power, in disabling them. And when a Ki weapon is destroyed, it's costly on our resources. Fortunately, Bruce here has a pool beyond anything I've seen before. The point is clear, either way." Mikey nodded to Bruce and looked over at Jeff and Jenso. "Jeff, Jenso, as much as I appreciate your enthusiasm, now is a time for listening, not a time for fidgeting," He snapped, glaring at the impatient inventor. "Don't try to hide i- I can clearly hear your magic!" Mikey sighed and shrugged. "Bruce, the way you composure your blade seems conservative. Not only is the Ki flow below what I'd imagine you're capable of, but it's feels rigid, rather than fluid. And no, that's not a pun," Mikey assured Bruce, with a light scoff. "A sword is a sword, but Ki isn't a sword.. If that makes any sense. Uh.. How do I explain this.."

"Ki 'aint matter!" Ross interjected, pushing Mikey aside with his uninjured hand, "Ya can't think of it like that. Ki weapons are an extension of our soul, and I aint speakin' all metaphorical or whatever. Essentially, you can make 'em as dense or as light as ya want. Don't think of it as some kind of complicated doo-hickery, think of it like.." Ross thought to himself for a second, and then his eyes lit up. "Ah!" He summoned a rock in his hand, and smashed it against the ground. It split into a million shards. He did it again, smashing yet another rock at an angle. This time it split into less shards, bounced across the room, and landed much farther away. "Shapes! Patterns! Which one is stronger, faster, more durable? What angles are we talkin' about? Like, if ya hit a triangle on one of its sides, it'll break, but if you strike the tip, you'll break your fist!" Ross scratched his head and shrugged. "Somethin' like that." Mikey walked past Ross holding his chin.

"That's uh... Surprisingly accurate," Mikey whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Surprisingly? eh, just cause I aint no magical scientist, don't mean I don't know my stuff!" Mikey turned to Ross and rose his hands defensively.

"Of course!" He pleaded, turning back to Bruce. "It's not something done overnight, obviously, and managing your Ki flow to suit your needs and strengthen your weapons becomes more difficult with the more Ki that you use. But I'm sure you'll improve quickly, considering how solid your blades are already," Mikey admitted. "Jenso, Jeff," Mikey continued, "About Arki.."

"Arki, is to be considered a weaker variant of offensive Ki. Essentially, by meshing our Ki with arcane energy, we create a new form of energy that can actually survive for a long period of time outside of our body. Not only that, but since our arcane energy is infused into Arki, we can control it once it leaves, and make it do more than just destroy, the way Ki does. Jenso, you in particular need to reshape the way you use Arki. The way it is now, it acts almost as if it's just slightly stronger arcane energy. You have a habit of infusing your arcane attacks with Ki, instead of actually creating Arki to use at your leisure, which is why it's such a hassle to control and maintain," Mikey explained. He turned to Jeff next. "Jeff... The composition of your Arki is fine the way it is. Perfect, even. If you try and mix the amount of Ki and arcane energy you're using, you'll just end up losing most of the force behind your attacks. It's not a matter of composition with you, it's a matter of control." Mikey rose his hand and summoned a bubbles. "Remember how easily I could dispel your spheres? Your Arki is loose, too wavy, and easy to pick apart. I recall you telling me that Dacer matched one of your techniques in power, cancelling it out. If my theory is correct though, he simply tore it apart with a much weak attack, because it's form was poor." Mikey tapped his temple. "You can't think of using your attacks like Jenso or Bruce. If you try and win using power alone, you'll get killed faster than any of us. You have to embrace your handicap, and use what you have to your advantage, speed. It doesn't matter how many contraptions you build to improve your Ki's power, or your arcane mastery. They won't help nearly as much as your natural abilities. The more your rely on machines to make up for your weaknesses, the faster you'll fall prey to the enemy. You think they'll have a hard time destroying your gauntlets, or any other gadget you bring out into the field?" Mikey shook his head. "Those nanobots of yours are small and fragile. There's no metal on this planet that I've heard of, anywhere near capable of standing up to Raw Ki for long."

"When it comes to your Arki, you need only make your attacks sharper, and more precise. Use your speed to your advantage, instead of just trying to power through everything with your techniques. Use the momentum of your Ki, focus it down into its densest possible form, and the enemy might not even be able to visibly keep up with it."

[Brucenorris007]

Bruce stared at the place where his blade had been moments before Mikey simply made it disappear, his fingers still held as though gripping the hilt. He listened intently, though, to Mikey and Ross' explanation, taking particular notice of Ross' comment that ki was not an object, but an extension of the soul. It made sense to him. Finally able to accept the ease with which it was destroyed, he glanced down at his sheath. He wondered if having it, something he felt a bit emotionally attached to, affected the flow of his ki into his blade. He made a note to experiment in the coming days while everyone trained.
Breaking himself out of his reverie, he focused on the rest of Mikey's talk to Jeff and Jenso about Arki. Bruce had the feeling that the information might not directly influence his own personal training, but understanding how his allies would operate during the final confrontation could mean the difference between victory and death.

[Jensoman]

Jenso listened closely as well, ceasing his efforts with his Arki as Mikey ordered. He listened closely to his friend's advice. "So I need to alter how I use my Overheat form...and any Arki-technique in particular...I see." Jenso responded calmly to his companion. His focus right now, was to alter the composition of his Arki like Mikey suggested.

[SuperFlash]

"Okay, I get where you are coming from but I still can't help but feel you underestimate my nanotech." Jeff grunted doing his best to not take the words as an insult. "Though it isnt wrong that I do need to work on my wind techniques and I've already gotten ideas for new ones and ways I could perhaps amplify things. I really do need to firstmost emprove the wind orbs and scythes. I won't get nowhere unless they can do there jobs as they are ment to be."

[tex]

"Jeff, do me a favor," Mikey asked, "Bring in some nano-tech. Let me show you something." He turned to Jenso. "Jenso, go into your overheat form. I think I might be able to guide you a little more."

[Jensoman]

Jenso nodded at his friend. "Omega..." He muttered, and crossed his arms. "...OVERHEAT!!" He called out, as white flames erupted from his body as he uncrossed his arms. His pupils turned into white flames as he stared at Mikey. The temperature in the room began to rise rapidly.