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A Hero Tale {Complete}

"Good answers," Luke said, nodding and raising both his arms, "But yer all wrong! Initiative! That's the key to victory!" Luke flicked his thumb across his nose and smirked. He turned to Jenso first. "If you're angry, in despair, annoyed, or you panic, bam! You lose the initiative!" He turned to Oz next. "Even if you've got a strategy in the making, you've gotta think on your feet! Can you really discern an enemy's every weakness if you're on the defensive? Even if you could, how would you regain the initiative? Bam! Fighting defensively has its place, but it also puts you at an innate disadvantage, kids!" Luke turned to Jeff and shook his head. "But if you spend too much time thinking, you'll lose the initiative faster than you can say end of the universe. Balance is key!" Luke rose his arms and grasped the back of his head. "Initiative! That will be the core of all your strategic training! And, as it just so happens, you three have covered a few of the necessary steps to gaining and maintaining the initiative!" Luke looked at the three heroes and thought things through.

"Today I was asked to train you three in particular. Alvios and Bruce are apparently scheduled for individual trainin'. I don't know what Mikey's got planned, but the kid seems to have a better head on his shoulder than I do, when it comes to the big picture!" Luke shrugged and lowered his arms. "But never mind that! Today we're gonna be going over three key topics. The properties of initiative, how to spot weakness, and how to send false signals!" Luke looked at Oz and pointed in his direction. "Oz! What do you think initiative means!?" He seemed rather pumped, running on a diesel fuel unlike anything anyone had ever seen, from Luke, anyways. Perhaps unlocking his Ki had revitalised his manly spirit!? Was that it? Luke kept his finger pointed at Oswald, and waited. "Well?"

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Luke smiled and nodded. "Right. I'm not gonna be easy on y'all, so keep that in mind. Also," Luke pointed to himself with his thumb, "Mikey may have taught me a thing or two about my Ki, but I 'aint nearly as strong as any of you, so go easy on me if we get rough, got it?" Luke chuckled and strolled across the platform with his gun slung over his left shoulder. "Today we're gonna be covering some basics. I'm gonna ask a series of questions, and I want you to give me your best answer! Whoever's answer's the best, well, I'll uh... I'll give you a thumbs up, I guess?" Luke rose his index finger and glared at the three trumps sternly.

"Question one, what the number one priority when fighting an enemy? Throw your answers out, you don't have to raise your hand or anything.."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

~ Chapter 138 ~

_{The Art Of Strategy! Luke Has Something To Say}

Jeff, Jenso, and Oswald were prepped and ready in one of the guild's other combat facilities. The room they were in was not built like an football field, rather, it sported a circular platform that hung a few inches off the ground using gravity. Standing on it didn't seem to upset the balance, though. This must have been the same tech that kept Tech-mo castle in the sky.

Luke was waiting inside, standing atop the platform with his hands on his hips. He smiled and waved at the three heroes. "Welcome to the class, buckos!" Luke stated confidently, looking to be in a much better mood than before."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Mikey looked over his friend and nodded. It would take a lot of work, but they weren't about to be slacking with him around! The road to success was paved with pain and mistakes. Mikey was grateful to have had such a great teacher in the past, to have been gifted with such insight on the functions of Ki.

"Alright! Let's work on some drills!" Mikey shouted, prepped to reveal some of his 'super secret' training techniques to everyone around him.

'I can do something now, Kaitlin. I can do something for everyone'

---

~ End Of Chapter 137 ~

A Hero Tale {Complete}

As the nano-bots were eliminated, Mikey sighed. "It's a matter of energy. Your tools are merely tools, and Ki is Ki. You need to play to your strengths, Jeff. Use your speed, and develop your abilities to play to that strength. I can't say exactly how much punishment you'll be able to take, but if you rely on your nano-bots, and enough of them are destroyed in battle, you'll have lost then and there," Mikey explained.

"Bruce, I have a task for you!" He turned and pointed at Bruce, "I want you to form your sword in such a way that I cannot break it by the end of the week!" He looked at Ross and smiled. "Ross will help you with that, I trust he'll have an easier time explaining Ki control than I'd first imagined." Ross scoffed at Mikey's comment and flexed his upper body.

"Of course!" Ross bragged.

"Jenso, I would like you to work on forming you Arki, first and foremost. Forget about the rest of the steps for now. I want you to find the balance of Ki and arcane energy so that you can properly apply it in the future. The way your overheat forms might damage you now, but if you use Arki in a different way... Perhaps you'll be able to continue using it in the battles to come." He turned back to Jeff.

"Jeff, I want you to work on controlling your Ki. Your task is the most difficult of all due to your Ki type, but I'd like to see your attacks reach at least... Mach 1!" Mikey announced, "Faster than a bullet! Take these goals as you will, and step forward slowly. Bruce, the only time we'll meet is to review your progress, from now on. I trust Ross will be able to handle your training on his own. In the meantime, I will be training with both Jenso and Jeff every morning from here on out. It's been decided!" He turned back to Jenso and Jeff and gave them a thumbs up. "I believe in you all."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Mikey rubbed his head and conjured Arki around his right index finger, reaching forwards slightly. He stopped and backed away. "Actually, Jenso, come here," He asked, "Could you fire a small Ki-Shot into Jeff's shield? Pure Ki, please."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

"So first of all," Mikey started, "That whole explosive result, that's your Ki responding to you prodding it. Your arcane system is being thrown into overload, and can't properly mould your energy. I think you need to focus on moulding your Arki into something more focused, condensed, and controllable. Fire is already a difficult element to control, and your Ki is overwhelming, but you can control it if you focus." Mikey rose his hand and conjured his geyser gauntlet. "See how my gauntlet moulds to my skin, unlike before? It's much stronger now, and requires less energy to maintain. Step one is moulding the proper type of Arki. Step two is learning how to control that Arki. Step three? Well, applying it in ways that can't easily be countered," Mikey explained. He nodded and turned to Jeff again, only to have his head conked by his nano-bots. "Jeff," Mikey grunted, reaching up to grab a handful of the nano-mites, "I'm trying to make a point here."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Mikey dabbed his forehead and stepped away from Jenso. "Alright, alright, turn it off!" He shouted over the roaring flames.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

"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."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

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."