* Age 448 *
Buildings that could hover over ground, cars that could fly to the edge of the sky. One of countless cities, anchored to the earth's soil not by bolts or nuts, but by superconductors. There were places with even greater architecture in just a few thousand kilometers. Capitals so sophisticated, they touched space with their majestic towers. That said, only in this place lay a particular lush forest of thick rooted trees.
If one listened close, there was a consistent yet barely audible crackle through the endless bark. Each thud shook the trees in the forest harder then the last, until an arm snapped forward. The sheer force of displaced air hurled Roshi and Shen into the dirt like ragdolls. The ground gashed by their momentum.
Mutaito who stood several meters opposite of them extended a palm outward. A look of observation upon his elden eyes. He turned to the student who wore a crane cap. Honestly, adept' he acknowledged to himself. No other student was half as talented. Even Roshi, lingered on the floor with a groan. Such a pity, Shen lacked something no master could ever teach.
With a wave, he watched Shen jump to his feet. Dust kicked in the direction of Roshi, a vain smirk sat on his face. " Weak." He whispered.
Roshi clutched his chest, his glare fixed on Shen as he rose, concealing both his seething anger and a violent coughing fit.
Mutaito's voice was calm but firm as he said,
" I can't teach you." His tone a leftover whisper of dissopointment. It was the first time he had ever interrupted their petty squabbles, even on the most tedious days.
Roshi just like the one beside him, stared at master. The sun setting on the horizon darkened the forest similar to their own sunken expressions.
" Farewell." The softly spoken word flattened them like an anvil.
Shen's grand demonour faltered at that moment. While Roshi remained quiet his brows parted, eyes wide.
"Master, you can't be serious!" Shen flung out his arms, voice cracking. "It was a lapse of focus—he distracted me!" His finger jabbed at Roshi. " he yelled.
Mutaito shook his head, when Roshi raised his clenched fist and scolded. " If there was ever a time you could act humble, now would be it! " He wanted to strangle him, the ill begotten pride that leaked from his every pore, tender to the ever growing anxiety bubbling in them.
Shen clenched his teeth so hard he nearly broke the blood vessel across his temple.
Either or seemed ready to fight, anywhere else they would even. Then they looked at Mutaito, the odd smile of satisfaction stewn across his face allowed no such thing.
He may be comparably weak in ambition but in heart, he held considerable potential Mutaito thought.
" The time of my lessons is over. Get to it. " He held faith they would figure out what he ment.
Roshi and Shen didn't respond. A student who rebuked the goodwill of their master was less than a fool.
Mutaito lightly chuckled before he left with a wave. He had vanished a blur in their eyes.
From a spar like any other day, to silence that seemed to wrap around them & tear apart their very being. They were left alone with intense emotions and eyes nowhere to be found. He looked over at Shen. Vascular veins poped and pulsated through his body.
" What was all this even for then? " He whispered in the direction of Matiatio. The gathered anger dissipated, along with the tension in his body visibly fading.
Roshi uncharacteristically sighed. It seemed past all that unbridled arrogance Shen could be lost as he was. " I suppose it was bound to happen. You've noticed right? Our flesh and bones grow as they ever did. While the Ki within stills. ."
Shen nodded, the first agreement in years then turned to him. His body tensed again.
" We have feigned effort for too long. "
Roshi reflected on his life, he could not say everyday was hard fought. In the gaps talent made up. No more it seemed. " Perhaps. " He confirmed just audible enough to hear.
In the next blink Shen launched Roshi skyward with a upercut to his jaw, chunks of earth the size of boulders trailing in his wake, shattering through the canopy above.
Time seemed to stretch. He had not anticipated an attack at all. His mind in overdrive for the sake of survival.
The moon.
He couldn't help to lock eyes with such a pure marvelous white. Not a cloud around to block the scale of its celestial size. Perhaps brighter in that moment of a moment than any star. He'd always had a dream an absurd, stupid one. The only one that had nothing to do with women.
He peered down the parted branches below. The sight made him ponder whether Shen could see the silver light through the trees. In such moments was he the only one to lose himself.
The repulsive force and gravity that pulled everyone down returned to normal motion. Shen blasted up to Roshi, spun in the air as fast as he could like a spun spiked ball. Every rotation quicker, heavier. Before he extended both grasped hands together and brought them down upon the abdomen before him.
" Use your words you fucken baste- " *COUGH* Propelled beyond the barrier of sound to the other side of the forest, he bombarded hundreds of trees. They cracked and striped his back of skin and bits of flesh. When he finally stopped buried beneath the ground. He puked out everything he had eaten that day and some blood.
Slumped in the dirt, his bludgened intestines knawed at him. Like a thousand decrepit hands pulling him apart from within. while he could feel nothing on his back. He guessed more than the trees or rocks, the wall of air must have done the most damage even more so than the kick. Never had such anger and euphoria overwhelmed his brain. To think he had grown enough to survive that.
The joy he felt sombered. How could anybody given such a gift be that much of a fool.
Roshis face strained into a lopsided frown of anger. With a shove of his palm he snapped his jaw back into place. Then in a incredible feat of effort he forced himself into a deep squat. As Inch by inch he squeezed every fiber of muscle to their limit. When he built enough potential force in his thighs, like a spring and in a single bound he traveled halfway up the crevein. The rest of the way he grappled the wall with his arms in a circular swimming motion. The edge was near yet he exerted even more force forward. Right before he would have returned to the sky he jabbed his feet into the vertical wall and punched upward adjacent to the ground as though something was there.
" FLY! " He roared.
His fist collided with the fleshy face before it. Everything he had gathered in force dissipated, while the blur flew helplessly into the air. When he started to fallback down, Roshi caught the edge, flicked his wrist and slowly walked to where he felt a heavy impact in the distance.
Step by step he trudged towards the unmoving body. He could carry multitudes of his own body weight even injured as he was. But when he fell beside Shen, he felt like he had never trained at all.
" We are weak. " Roshi said his voice horse.
In response Shen just laid there, his shirt shredded. Bits of leaf and bark around his open wounds traced along his arms. He must of fell from such a height he reached terminal vollocity. Falls rarely injured those with even a bit of ki.
" One thousand and one times we have fought. And this was the first you lay on the floor and I stand almost dead. " He could not recall when tears started to fall. Was it on the way over. Or after he spoke the last word, still they poured even after.
" We'll never match up to him. We'll never be who he needs us to be. I don't think I can do it.. sorry rival. " The confidence Shen had scowled the world with melted away. Instead he shook and curled into a ball. Soft groans mixed with sadden ones.
Every spar they've ever had took hundreds of hits, precise management of energy and tactics. Thus their tragic condition. A blunt impact on how childish they had been for so long.
" You think so? " He asked, his eyes held to the moon. What luck he had to see the sky again.
When he looked away, Shen wasn't beside him anymore. After he looked up one last time he too picked himself up & wobbled off into the dark forest. Headed to a quite place, the adrenaline as his anger left him.
Several days after, a few miles out from where he last was. Roshi sat legs crossed with his palms together. On top of the over grown roots of a wide tree. A particularly calm place he found a little ways away from the dojo. Long, deep, husk, breaths soothed him into meditation. Rythem comforted where thought provoked.
For the past three days he was at a loss for what to do. Before, his time would be filled with beatings and lessons but that was not the case anymore.
Initially there was no problem he was even eager maybe he wouldn't have to step out of his comfort zone and think of things he'd never before. Then he threw away such rubbish ideas. Calmed himself and delved deep until one battled the other within.
On one side of his consciousness there was a red hue. He found it represented his lust. On the other a dark grey hue which he found to be his unique Will. Only a pinch of will enclosed the martial arts concept, while lust seemed to have swallowed it entirely. When he observed this he was not surprised at all. He more then anyone knew the drive of desire. Still it hurt somewhere.
A surge of pain pinched his heart as for a moment he started to imagine something that he was not nor ever destined to be.
His eyes opened slightly on the third day with droplets of sweat soaked in his hair. Above through the vast amount of leafs, he saw the sky. He wondered aloud what he dared not.
" Did I ever truly train?" He asked his voice raw.
Roshi questioned the worth of his very nature. He felt it deep down a part of him was undeniably excited to be let loose.. for the first time in his life boobs were not what he wanted. However there was another question in his heart. What did he want?
He held onto that thought unable to let go. As his wounds finally healed the day after, he left the forest for Master Mutaito's dojo.
The slight crunch of his footsteps upon the uphilled dirt bellow, accompanied every step. As he made his way inside the wide warehouse looking building before him. It reminded him of a barn. Perhaps if you stuck ten together they might be the same size and just as old. A foot inside and he smiled. There it was, beside that obnoxious pillar he had been beaten beside so many times. And over there by the punching bag, he remembered the first time he ever broke one.
To his left Hiroshi the so called attendant of the dojo whistled him over.
" Roshi my boy? Why i haven't seen you sinse the master took you away. You need somthing? How's it been? " He huffed like a boar his twirled grey mustache as glorious as ever. Had there not been a counter between them he would have been grasped into a bear hug.
Few were unable to hear his words with the way he spoke. To the very day he wondered how someone so old could be so full of vigor. All the times where he laid on the floor in fatigue he'd watch him interact with others. It was always hilarious not many could weather his personality.
" Not much big lug, im just a little lost. " Roshi answered in his usual casual way. Or he tried to. If one looked close his eyes weren't as set as they usually were.
" Well damn. One such as you only look for three things: women, fists, and meat. Weird. Is there something wrong? " He never saw this promiscuous man whore be how to say discouraged. The way he slumped a little and his eyes hung low. Instinct more so, but he trusted the gifts of his trade. And so subconsciously he strengthed his tone on the last few words.
" Did master ever tell you the cost of his teachings? " Arms crossed he stared into the big lugs eyes. Dismissing the gleam of worry behind them
" Useless question, he told everyone. " Gripped between his pincer like fingers the wood creaked under the pressure.
" At this rate we will never achieve it, I need to change and not in a physical way. I need to let loose. " He balled both hands into clenched fists then let go.
*Bang
*Bang
" HHAHAHA well if that's the case wait here ive a gift for you. " Laughter befall the entire area as one then two smacks vibrated the place. Poor counter it was mostly cracked then.
Several minutes later he heard loud distant thumps until with a shove the sweaty behemoth rushed back through the entrance. He slamed the book down, small next to his massive hands. Roshi lifted the book holding it between his palms. He remarked to biglug how old it looked. The texture of the blank cover, of the pages dirtied rough, slick with dust in others. The thing wasn't damaged, clearly unused for many years.
With a pause he looked at big lug shrugged the possibility he was used as a garbage disposal and parted the pages.
HIROSHI CHAMPION DIARY.
Big bold letters darkened further by grime stamped the first page. The page after was commentary of the big lugs early martial career. People he had met, secret hangouts and most importantly the so called unbeatable beings of which not all were human. Only someone like master could match.
For half an hour he stood there eyes zipping back & forth. Page turn, after page turn. A quarter way through the book he smiled with goosebumps littered across his skin. Years upon years of dedicated conceptulazation, research and biology of such beings. So many new ideas ran through his mind. For so long he had been focused on the growth of Ki. Never had he thought to make anything with it.
*thud
The book clasped shut. Without hesitation he slid it over to Lug. " I am un worthy of your life's work sir. If I may ask, did you succeed?" Roshi measured the man before him with respect he had only ever shown master.
Lug pat the book. Delicate like, slow. He could tell the man yearned for the words held inside.
" No. There are humans. There are talented humans & there are monsters. Follow me. I'll show you which one you are. " With a toss the book returned back to Roshi. He followed behind toward the sparring area. It took immense patience to avert his eyes. Something he found joy in feeling for some reason.
Lug stood at the edge of the mat glancing around for someone. There were multiple grunts that echoed around. As twenty or so spars occured at once. Some paced faster than others. Some with more weight. " Encrid, get over here i need to talk to you! " He yelled across the dojo. Not in the mood to take off his shoes and walk over personally.
One of the smaller framed participants was startled. The moment of lapse cost him a round house to the head. After some long winded bows back n forth. He swayed on his way over with a annoyed look. Blood falling from his scalp.
" Need somthing big bro? " He asked though his mind was clearly elsewhere.
Lug pointed at Roshi. " Spar with him. " He ordered with a amused look.
Roshi baffled, took off his shoes. Assumed a guarded, fist balled and raised, elbows tucked, narrow legged stance before his opponent and waited ready. His form was perfect. Not too lax in the knees or stiff around the shoulders. A testament to his mechanical intuition and training. Encrid or so he was called, took up a stance as well. It was the same one he'd seen for years. After all he had sparred countless times with everyone under the same teacher. Hands raised elbows tucked. A mirror image of his own form.
The same frenzied smile laid on the man's face to. Alas...
With the absolute minimum output of Ki he tapped the floor with his right leg. To him, it took more effort to breath than to crack the mat covered wooden foundations beneath him. But he managed to restrain himself, it was a very casual burst of speed in his eyes. Encird on the other hand barely flinched with that smile still on his face. As Roshi closed the distance in a instant. With a slight nudge to his knee he fell onto his back. The arms thicker than his smaller frame would suggest, a bystander. They did nothing to stop his advance.
To everyone else Lug included. There was the swift hardly registerable sound of air rapidly splitting, the kind only high speed transportation make. Then Encrid on the floor.
Rosh extended his hand to him. The man chartaristicly grasped it with a wide smile unbothered by the utter loss. " Again! I think I almost figured it out this time. "
Around the dojo if he was considered the strongest Encrid was the weakest. He had never won a spar after the first few years he began. His growth just wasn't there. Dispite that he arrived earlier than anyone even himself & left later. Romurs even spread of him training to sleep. In some ways this was the strongest person he had ever known.
" I said it a thousand times already, align your stance to your center of gravity first. And those arms. Are they noodles? You have them up to protect your upper body. Dont just copy me. That said. You've improved from last time. " Roshi slapped his back a little harder than he ought to with a chuckle. He couldn't help it, the wall that stood before him was the same as Encrids. If he could smile like that then shouldn't he?
After a few more spars Lug spoke. " To finish what i said before. He trains like no one ive ever seen. And i have been tempered through countless battles. I think you realize or are starting to, the difference between us. You too approach your limit. Just the limit of monsters" His arms crossed his massive chest. He emphasized the meaning with long deep breaths.
For a moment he wondered if he'd be as helpless as them. There wasn't a single idea he could come up with to reach the level of his master. Not without time, perhaps multiple centuries would be enough. He just didn't have that time. The quest for three hundred more years of longevity was in his eyes equal in difficulty.
" Was my beating strictly necessary? " Encrid muttered. Bruises etched along his bare torso & shoulder.
Lug inched close to him the lad clueless. Smack. " No. " Encrid cursed him his head tender.
Roshi blinked then walked away, the urge to understand the contents of Hiroshi couldn't be abated much longer. He was about to bid farewell on his way out when Lug grasped his shoulder. " Your taking him with you. "
" Who? " He asked.
" Him. " He said, his finger pointed to the obviously exhausted person to his side.
" No. " He explicitly shook side to side.
The response to his answer, was Lugs gaze upon the book in his possession. He ever so slowly extended his palm outward to him. The item was so precious to him he had backed up a step in response. " Fine. But if he doesn't agree I'll have to refuse. "
" I agree " Encrid proclaimed immediately before Roshi had the chance to scoff at Lugs blackmail & explain.
Roshi closed his eyes for a moment. Took a deep long breath very long indeed. Then opened them. " I have chosen to partake in a gamble journey of life and death. Either I succeed or I die. If you come with ill expect no less conviction. "
Encrid glanced around the dojo. In a ninety degree bow he yelled his voice so loud most stopped their spar or what they were doing.
" Thank you for all that you have given me! " He coughed after from the strain on his throat and asked. " Where we headed? "
Lug pat his shoulder with genuine laughter.
" Best come back the strongest there ever was kid. And don't die out there or I'll butcher you." He shoved them out the door before they could say anything.
Roshi wondered why he had such freedom. Wasn't his job the opposite of pedestrian removal.
Encrid sighed as they marched. His hand for whatever reason subconsciously started to rummage through his pockets. Until he stopped. A profound realization spread across his widden eyes. " I left my bag. "
~Silence~
" Your doomed. " Roshi remarked. Face like that of a fish, deadpinned and disappointed.