Axel, imrsed in the fight, quickly went to help his teacher who lay on the ground, nursing the place he had hit.
"I apologize for the hit, sir. I didn't an to, but I guess I took it way too personal," he said.
The teacher could only laugh as he struggled to get up, now giving Axel a hug. Pulling out of the embrace, he held him by the jaw and said softly, almost a whisper:
"You're now almost ready!"
---
The next series of training went more smoothly than before. It was due to the fact that he was no longer desolate-looking when training, or after, or even in between. Now, he was just happy and serious.
Days went by with the speed of light. Axel, since when last he saw Rhea, had never seen her again due to the fact that he was with the martial arts teacher all day long. Normally, he was with him 14 hours a day, training really hard.
It was not like he spent all day training as he had breaks, but he was with the martial arts teacher all the ti, and even when they weren't training, they discussed, killing ti as he told him tricks and techniques that had helped him during his ti as a superhero.
They also cracked jokes, and after an hour they got back to work, the martial arts teacher that was once jovial turning an, only so to make Axel really learn, which he eventually did.
Throughout that ti, Axel learnt a lot, and when he was finally over, this was what he now knew:
Control Over His Power – At first, Axel's abilities had flared wildly, raw and unstable. His flas going high when not needed. The martial arts teacher had drilled precision into him, forcing him to control his energy, not let it control him.
Footwork & Balance – "A warrior who cannot stand cannot fight," the teacher had said. Although it wasn't a unique quote as Axel had heard often when he was on Earth, at this point, it was useful. Axel had spent hours practicing stances, movent, and maintaining balance even under attack.
Striking & Defense – He had learned the difference between attacking blindly and striking with intent. Each punch, each kick was a calculated move. Defense had been even harder—the teacher had taught him that surviving a fight was just as important as winning it.
Reading an Opponent – "The body speaks," his teacher had said. "Learn to listen." Axel had trained to recognize shifts in an opponent's weight, the flicker of their gaze, the tension in their muscles—all signs of their next move. Although he had sensing powers, it was still valuable as perhaps there might be so things he couldn't just sense.
ntal Discipline – Martial arts wasn't just about fighting. It was about focus, patience, and control. The teacher had made Axel ditate, forcing him to sharpen his mind as well as his body.
Pain Tolerance & Endurance – Training had hurt. Waking up early, standing for hours and collecting punches. Every mistake had earned him bruises, every failure had been punished with extra drills. But pain had beco a lesson, not a weakness.
Precision – Axel had learnt to rember things and not to be too forgetful. At tis before, he had needed to summon his stats every single ti when he was fighting and when he wasn't even. But now, he had learnt to be mature, agreeing that he'll only be doing so once in a while.
---
"Seems you're ready," Royal Cloak said to Axel, stroking his breadless chin. He looked at the ceiling, biting his lower lip just a bit.
Axel only nodded, expecting Royal Cloak to say sothing which he didn't do.
Silence tugged at their chests. Sowhat piercing and dense.
With a grim face now, Royal Cloak said:
"Don't worry, I've already told the others. Told them the mission was a dangerous one and they were the best I had. They seed happy to embark on the journey nonetheless. Seems they enjoy going into realms and all. It's cool, I guess."
They were seated in Royal Cloak's office. The atmosphere was warm. If anything, it was almost cold. Still, it was a good place to be as Axel felt more relaxed being there than normal.
The large screen Royal Cloak had used to show them the monster was still there (it wasn't going anywhere actually). It was off.
Royal Cloak sighed now, and Axel could only look at him, not knowing what to say actually. Since he ca here, Royal Cloak had been unusually silent. His deanor taking a strange twist and him being not so 'normal' as he was before.
Royal Cloak lowered his voice now and said to Axel, drawing closer to him.
"You will face many monster hordes. Being a superhero in Khaos Realm, it's more likely to face monsters than actual villains. You will face villains, but not where you are going."
Axel listened, his face expressionless. His eyes fixed on the screen on the wall, not wanting to make eye contact with Royal Cloak.
It was nightti already. About 11 am and Royal had sent for Axel, saying he would like to see him.
And now here they were.
"If the going gets tough," Royal Cloak said, bringing a very tiny stick-looking object from his pockets. "Break this stick into pieces. It's electronic, by the way. Doing so sends a signal, and then we send large robotic machines to Monsyeran to help you. Even though you don't break it, perhaps you get seriously beaten in battle and the enemies mistakenly break it, then we'll send backup."
Axel nodded in the affirmative.
"Yes, sir!" he said.
"One last thing," Royal Cloak said, giving Axel the stick-looking object. "Kill the king, the Monsyeran king!"
Axel only nodded to that, not replying.
He only asked, "But why the stick? Why can't we just talk to you through a small device in our ears or sothing?"
Royal Cloak grinned and said in an unfettered voice:
"In Monsyeran Realm, words are death."
Reviews
All reviews (0)