"AAAAAHHHH!! AAUUGGH!!"
With my back to the wall and half of my vision gone. I couldn't help but think, why? Why would they put me through this, and why am I here? I hate them, I swear I will kill them.
"Ha ha ha," panting, I struggled to raise my hand. My wrist and fingers are bent in all the wrong places. My ribs throb fiercely, and my breathing–well, I'm breathing, thankfully. What did I do to deserve all that? A one-sided beating. Are they really my teammates?
Yuna came over to me and started doing something with her fingers. Hand signs of some sort. Soon after the pain began to fade…what? Did she… do to me?
"Well, you have room to grow. I can see becoming a decent fighter, although it doesn't seem like you can use that sword at all. What a shame."
Because the sword does nothing. It's just aesthetically pleasing.
"Hmph," Siri scoffed, "he has no sword style, but at least he isn't inept. Still a liability. I will teach you the yin&yang style, if you're willing to commit."
Barely audible, I spoke, just loud enough, "d-die…"
"Hmph"
Remen sat on the floor cross-legged across me. "Got a long way to go, my guy, but that ability of yours is very handy. But it feels weird when it's used on you…feels like something is coming inside me." he hugged himself and shuddered.
Bastard, as soon as Siri said 'go,' he leaped like a monkey and headed straight for me. He was so fast, and I knew I couldn't block his attack. So right before I was hit, I switched us, and with his momentum, he crashed into the wall.
With the wind in my sails, I charged Siri with my sword. He dodged all my swings without fail, too easily. So I decided to use my fire to limit his movements, but before it left my hand, it was put out.
I could feel it form in my hand, then it dispersed. What was that? I looked at Siri, lurking closely behind him, was Yuna pointing towards me. She must have done something.
Siri, having seen enough of me, bent over and unleashed a single strike that decimated my hands. If that was a real sword, I'd be dead ten times over.
In that same movement, he followed up with multiple strikes to my body and face. I was stunned. In a moment, I was basically killed 100 times.
And to finish me off, remen came out of nowhere to kick me. Ending the fight as soon as it began.
Is this how they move while in cuncti? I can't keep up. Tch, I hate them all.
"That's a good thing; innate abilities are rare. Usually they're very powerful, but that just adds to his mystery." Yuna placed her hand on her chin, "hmm."
"Hmm, so that's why you picked him?" remen asked cheekily.
Yuna glanced my way then said, "Maybe."
"Maybe?" I said, pointing at her, "Ah, I can talk properly. Ahh! I'm healed." I looked around my body, every bump, split and bruise was gone. I'm back to how I was just before the fight.
But how?
Wait, I know this sensation, I have felt it before. On the day we met.
"How did you heal me? I didn't know people could just do that."
"They can't. She's an imperial controller, the pinnacle of that form, Siri staring back at Yuna.
With her face flushed red, Yuna glanced his way then quickly looked away as she stroked her hair rigorously. "Well, it's not a big deal. I was trained so…yeah."
What is this reaction? I haven't seen it before. Wait! Don't tell me, another tsundere? No, that can't be accurate. There's probably something else here.
But a controller, huh, is that why she was reading that book about aequor?
"What is Aequor?"
At my words, their gazes turned to me, frozen and in shock.
"Huhh!" remen rushed and grabbed my shirt, pulling me back and forth. "What do you mean you don't know??"
This guy is strong.
Siri shook his head while Yuna placed two fingers on her temple as she waved for Remen to let me go." Is this such a big deal? I saw it in your book, and I thought it had something to do with control."
Siri, with an exasperated look, turned to Yuna, "Who did you pick up?"
"Not only control, but the scale is immeasurable," Yuna said.
So, we all sat down for my lesson on aequor. Yuna explained that aequor is basically the power the forsaken creator used to create this world. It flows everywhere and through every living thing. Aequor itself is made up of two sides, but to keep it simple, let's call them positive and negative energy. Put together, they make aequor.
Aequor, being the lifeblood for existence itself, can be used for several things like casting techniques, incantations, touki and control. Sounds simple enough, so aequor is what we use to make our abilities work; I usually call it energy. I didn't think about it, but now I feel extra aware of it flowing through my body. From when it flows to my eyes, or to my legs, all the way to my hands.
As far as I know, I have been using it subconsciously, but considering I can't remember my past, that is probably not the case. I wonder how much I really know.
"So what is control? And how does it work with aequor?" Mmm, no, this isn't right. I thought as I held my chin before continuing, "All of you, how do you use aequor? What are you called? If there is a name for it."
They all looked at each other, and it seemed my question brightened their mood. Siri especially was grinning wider than I'd ever seen.
"Since you asked me first, I will go first," Yuna said as she placed her hand on her chest. "A controller is an individual who manipulates aequor at its purest form. Take, for example, wood, which is used to make chairs, doors, and build houses. Now, skip everything it could be used for, and use wood itself. That is control.
That was how I nullified your fire before you could use it. By dispersing the aequor forming in your hand, I stopped the fire before it even began."
Ohh, so that's what she did. I could feel it scatter in my palm, that's extremely handy and very overpowered, my god, "it's like you're skipping a lot of steps. Since you just have to use aequor in its purest form."
"Yes, but no." Yuna brought her hands forward and started making hand signs, "Yes, I do not have to worry about extra incantations, techniques and whatnot. And it has uses that can only be accessed via control."
Sounds very tidy to me. Being able to control the power of this world, while not needing to learn any other ways to use it. I am very interested in this path.
"However, Aequor has far fewer applications with control. What you can do is very limited."
"It is limited? Why does it seem so powerful?"
"What you make of aequor is what's powerful, not manipulating aequor itself," Yuna said with an assertive tone. Is that what she thinks? I guess she is right, she knows more than I do, but it sounds so cool.
Yuna raised her index finger, as if sensing my excitement, "That's not all, nero."
"Oh, go on."
"Control is extremely hard to learn, not to mention master. Even I, as well, am still learning every day."
She almost sounded sad saying that. Is that why she was reading the book about control? Most likely. There is definitely more to it. I will make a mental note to look into it if I remember.
"Yuna, your explanation took too long," Siri said with displeasure all over his face.
"I suppose so." Yuna bashfully turned her side. Now it's Siri's turn; he is a swordsman that's for sure, so I wonder what else he has to say. Something about Touki, maybe.
"I use aequor with my sword. I am a sword saint of the yin&yang style."
After speaking, he stayed silent and watched me. What does he want me to say? I hate this dude.
"That's it?"
"I'm not done. I was trying to gauge your reaction, but you had none."
"Well, I don't know anything. I don't know how much you want me to react.'
"Anyways, the yin&yan style is one of the four recognized sword styles of this world. It is a prestigious sword style that takes years of diligence and refinery. Out of the four sword styles, it is by far the most well-kept; not many are qualified to use it."
Where is he going with this?
"However, as a sword saint, I am more than capable enough of giving you the grace that is learning this style," Siri said as he stared at me.
"Hmm, I will think about it."
Just because it is Siri, I will not be learning this. In fact, I have no interest. Yes, he is strong, but a lot of people are strong. It's not because of his sword style, and why is he talking about it like it's the best thing since sliced bread?
Also, isn't he supposed to be explaining how he uses aequor? I get with his sword, but how? He just rambled about his sword style. Tch, this guy.
"Fool," Siri said as he folded his arms. At least he is done talking.
"Last but not least, me" remen who had his head reading on his hand, grinned from ear to ear, "I will explain what this guy couldn't" he said as he lightly shoved Siri.
"I explained all I should have."
"So, I use Aequor through Touki."
Touki! "What is it?"
Remen scratched his head as he thought, "mmmm, well, touki is what makes us strong, ya know. It's what allows us to jump real high, run real fast and cut through strong stuff. U get?"
He said, looking at me straight-faced.
No, I don't understand. What is wrong with these two?
"You two are hopeless." Yes, Yuna, explain. Touki is when you wrap aequor around your body to enhance your physical and nonphysical abilities. It is what allows, remen, a user of the monkey god style to be so physically gifted, and it is what swordsmen wrap around their swords to enhance their techniques."
I turned to Siri and remen "was that so hard?"
"Don't let me kill you."
Ahh, this silver-haired guy can't take a joke.
"So everyone has their own way of using aequor, huh? I guess I use it in a bunch of ways already."
"Yes," Yuna agreed, "there are people like you that use aequor in multiple ways, but for identification, I will give you a list, so you can easily sort out who you're up against."
– If their primary source of attack is a weapon, then they're a weapon user.
– If they fight with their bare hands and feet like remen, then they're a martial arts user.
– If they use sigils, hand signs, magic circle, incantations, staffs and anything of that nature to transform aequor, then they're a technique user.
– If they use hand signs, incantations and glyphs, then they're a controller.
Seems simple enough, I will sort of remember some of it. But wait, don't control and technique seem closely related? They both use hand signs and incantations, but I guess weapon users and martial artists both use touki.
Maybe some arts share similar methods of casting; it will not be surprising. Now that I know all of this, my past battles are becoming a lot clearer, to think I was this clueless. I am pretty sure the Ehtkar with the death mask was a controller. That, or he used a technique? He had a hand sign active when I saw him, and he had manipulated Maya and me without seeing or touching us.
That has to be control, right? Or a type of technique? But do they work like that?
Ahh, this is too much.
"Ya, deep in thought, huh?"
"It's an eye opener."
"Don't bother trying to learn too much; pick one and master it. It will save you more stress, trying to do it all is not for humans," remen said as he stood up.
My eyes flashed with recognition. Not for humans? Reminds me of that uncomfortable conversation I had with Maya, not being human, huh? Anyway, what does he mean by that?
"Nero"
"Y-yes, yuna"
'It is a lot to take in, but this is all you need for now. You will learn more, with time, experience and training."
She's right, learning more now might blow my head off.
"Yeah, you're right."
Yuna nodded as she left for the door. "Get some rest and prepare. We leave in 6 hours."
I nodded. Aequor lesson aside for now, the real mission is about to begin. I hope Maya is safe.