Ark 3 Episode 8: In Death Comes Truth.

Tetsu flew straight over the wall that guards Old New York and what a sight it was indeed. These “things”. running everywhere and killing. Each other? It was sickening to watch by all means. What were these? Tetsu commi-commed his dad and sent an image upload to him. “Dad what the hell are thest things?” Tetsu spoke as he flew just above old new York scoping out the surroundings of the area. “They’re known as Danz. People exposed to radioactive chemicals n such. Mutated over time, and becoming creatures of various size, shape, and intelligence. That’s right some of these creatures can “think” and react to situations as humans could. Makes sense since that’s what they once were.” Tetsu looked at them. As hard as it was to face, therse things were indeed once human. Tetsu had slowed down In flight to observe the area, but once he replied to his father “Well, thanks for the info. I’ll keep looking for hideo. With mach 3 I should be able to scouer the city in no tim-“ “Hold on son. Think carefully. Would he really be IN the city?” Tetsu paused for a moment and thought. His dad was right. Why would anyone LIVE in the city with infected. “Theres an abandoned desert area beyond the city. Theres less danz except for maybe some stragglers out there form what I’m picking up on the satellite.” Ochigi said with concern. “Dad….did you hack another pentagon sattilite?” Tetsu said with disappointment. “Heh heh heh…..It’s not my fault the passwords haven’t changed in years. I mean common. “FirtoLays”? Sounds like the head of the country is an anti slimfast kind of man”. Tetsu laughed and shook his head as he darted twords the outskirts using the coordinates his father had inputed into the S.M.A.R.T tech helmet. Tetsu arrived at the outskirts, and lookie there. A man was outside and appeared to be practing a martial arts Kata. Basic Kung fu, Chinese province of course. Tetsu could pick out just about any martial arts style ever invented, and even name key components of self made styles as well. He’d see the man, and then proceed to land 8 feet from his position. He didn’t think he would be hostile, but he wouldn’t take any chances. He’d land and then speak thorugh the mask. “Are you Ketosan Hideo?” The man would stop his Kata and then begin to levitate in the air. With his arms folded, he would turn and look at tetsu in his suit…

Hideo “.... I am..” in my state of tranquility I had been thinking of the things around me... all the death that thrives within this city. Within Kasaihana city I lowered my body and the sand itself slid from my feet in a O as I hit the ground. The wind picked up and I crossed my arms. My chi was flourishing from my body to the point that my hair was always moving. A bright glowing white aura could be seen from even the lowest levels of a chi Practitioner. Specially after I was meditating like that for 15 hours. “ Are you... a government agent. Have you all finally figured out where I live and are you here to kill me. Well better yet... attempt to.” I crossed my arms... if he looked closely he'd see the rocks levitating from there current position. “ Impressive suit... I can tell that it's governement made... or better yet. A government scientist. See look there...”I pointed at the helmet. “ That helmet design was made for the Cyborgs back when they lashed out at the city. Only a few men helped craft those things, and the only ones who would know that helmet desigen... sadily old age has strucken me with the inability to remember there names. Hm.. sorry im rambling again.. “ My massive muscle structure would mostly scare people away. But.... this one was brave. “ Anyways... state your busniess...” Even within his suit... I could sense his Chi. He was calm and I could tell that he was a nice young man just from the happy spirit that channled around his body. Even when in that suit.

Tetsu breathed a sigh of reilief for a second. He though this man had known his parents for a second. Though would It really be that bad if he did? I mean in these outskirts, it’s not like he’s gonna tell anybody anyways so maybe my secrets safe anyhow….Tetsu looked at the man and listned. His figure was indeed imposing and his chi…….was hevenly by all means. Like. It was warm and inviting, but not to be messed with or harmed. It was amazing. Could this be the power of nothingess? Or just this man’s aura?! And how was he levitating?! Tetsu had so many questions but he decided to open up. Again he didn’t see this man really letting his secret out by all means, so hey what the hell?” Well Mr.Hideo I assure you’re not the only man who’s been dodging the government for the majority of his life. If your familer with Ochigi Ryoji…” Tetsu’s neck steamed as the pressure locks for the mask let loose, and he removed his mask to reveal his face to this man. “Then you should know I am his First and only son. Tetsu Ryoji. It’s an honor to meet you Mr.Hideo, I’ve been looking for you for quite a while now. If your wondering, yes this suit is a government made suit, as My father helped design it. What you may not know is the metal it is made out of, as my father took every bit of it with him and his escape. It’s Ragnainium, I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors about the second space metal besides Adamantium in your day.” Tetsu held his arms out. “This is a result. Combined with my dads prowess and my help of course.” Tetsu moved closer to this man. “I seek a power that you are one of the only few know aobut. It’s called the um….ahem…” Tetsu was nervous to ask this man about the power of nothingness. It sounded far fected and possibly impossible but…..Tetsu didn’t come all this way for nothing. “The power of Nothingness. Sir.” Tetsu would look this man directly in his cold stare, and await an answer regarding his comments and questions.

--Self Narrated

Dr.Hideo looked at Tetsu’s face and then took a surprised tone onto his face. “ah Illiana’s son indeed. You definitely got your looks from her…….I must say, she was quite the foxy lady. Had I been any younger I-“ “OKAY WHOA WHOA WHOA! Look I don’t know what everyone’s deal is but seriously?! God I’m glad I’m the only one who can talk to her anymore.” Hideo noticed the somber look on Tetsu’s face. His detailed attention paying skills surpassed tetsu’s own completely. “She passed long ago. News spread quickly of the Ryoji family crisis, however at that time, it was said to be kept quiet, and to die down. I never wanted that for you or your parents. My condolences boy. Now tell me. How is it you communicate with the dead?” Hideo started stroking his beard in perplexment. Tetsu spoke, with confidence. “Ah well see ,there was a time where I meditated for a week straight, to get in touch with my latent chi center, and try to perfect the mix between body, mind, and chi. I did this, and then twords the end, I started seeing feathers…..Later on after the GMAF I was able to connect to my mothers spirit though meditation, but not for long at all. That’s why I’ve come here. I too am a light Hadou user, and I was hoping that the Power of Nothingness would give me the chi I need……to see her for a little more….and It would help me achive a peace of mind, and help my figting style to develop even further than what it is.” Hideo walked past tetsu and looked out into the outskirts of the desert like area. “The power of Nothingness……. The Power of Nothingness is a state of consciousness transcending ordinary perspective, born through spiritual and mental refinement………..,it is the power to act without being attached to emotions and thought, free of fear, anger, and ego, to draw upon the contents of one's heart intuitively without obstacle and hesitation…… and to be aware of the world and to know one's place and meaning within its vastness….. to flow with all of creation without the need of worry, desire, and doubt. This is not something, esily obtained in a day, as not all things are. This power comes with experience. Time. Age. Maturity. Your too young to even seek this power…and yet, your body tells a different tale all it’s own.” Tetsu looked confused for a second. Hideo continued “The structure of the suit is to fit your muscular build, which is abnormally high for an eighteen year old Kid. You show no fear when seeing my physical dominace, instead you raimain clam and poised. You have the tensenesss of a martial artist, always poised and ready for action or confrontation……Boy what kind of things has that father of yours put you through?” Tetsu’s face took a resientment kind of tone, as if offended by that statement. He continued to listen  however. “Do not get angry with me boy. The sound of your muscles moving to make that face is as loud as ever….This “training” you more than likely went through makes you a living breating Human Modification. Anything that allowed your body to be above human standards is human mods as far as I’m concerned….” Tetsu began to speak up. “Well yes…..I’ve heard. I went thorugh my training accordingly, and I’m here today. I was trained to battle Yakuza and Evil doers alike. I fight for the greater good, which is why this suit was created for me. To aid me in that battle. I’m fighting for the innoc-“ “The greater good hm….childish. A monkey could see thorugh that excuse.” Hideo intreupted. “Admit it. You like the thrill of battle do you not?....It is like a drug that all martial artist take. They enjoy the challenge. The feeling of pitting ones exsistence against the other. The feeling of throwing a fist and it connecting to the very being your throwing it at. You suffer from battle lust. It’s a trait that even I battle with daily…but you. You love it. Don’t you.” Tetsu’s mouth droped. He’d never been picked apart so esily someone. He admitted it. Tetsu did love battle. A lot. Even so to the point where he’d pit himself inside of a dangerous situation just to have encounter with someone stronger than himself. “You make your purpose seem just, but you hide the real reason. You fight for the wrong reasons. How can you obtain a power, you’ve not the nessecary mindset to obtain. Comback when you grow out of your little comic book phase.” Hideo attempts to turn and walk away, but tetsu interrupts him by bowing to his knees and asking hideo. “Wait……..y-your right….I won’t deny anything that you’ve said…I really can’t….I just…..I want to see my mother again….and I do want to fight the good fight…In kasihana city every day people die, and get hurt. Always scheming. Always killing. For what? What is all for?! Is there noting I can do?! I just want…….to protect them……I don’t have many friends, or close people besides a select few but….I want to protect what I do have….I want to protect it all..I don’t want to loose any of it to the hands of the Yakuza or anyone else for that matter….please! Train me! Let me do, what my mother’s spirit has set for me to do!” Silence filled the air. The wind blew Hideos pony tail aside, as he kept his back turned twords tetsu. He then spoke. “To protect……that young one is what can decide the difference between a fool and a warrior. You’re the right track. To learning this power. But far from there. I will train you. In the ways of nothingness. Go inside and get dressed. The day is still young. We’ve not time to waste. There is no telling how long this will take and your dedication will be needed.” Tetsu nodded and Hideo pointed to his shack. It looked more like a house in the subberbs but indeed a rather small place to live. Tetsu went inside and discovered a very very nice home. He wasted no time and proceed to change into his training gear. He was ready to learn this new power….and to visit his mom again.

Tetsu got into gear as instructed. He put on a black pair of riped training patns, and some karate gloves Asami had gotten for him. He’d indeed hoped she’d gotten his phone message as she didn’t pick up when he tried to call her the first time. He walked outside to see goken in his same attire. White pants that stoped at the knee, with a grey karate gi, ripped, with one side of the shoulder intact. He stood eyeing tetsu down, and tetsu would look right back at him in the same fashion. “Well boy today, I shall be testing just how far you are along.” Hideo stared at tetsu. He could see all of tetsu’s chi now. It was definitely light based. Blue, with a cool glow, that eminted through out his being. Calm. And not raging. It was like water. Formless. Shapeless. Indeed Hideo thought quietly to himself. “Ah…He is special. And I see the center of his chi lies at his brain. Enhanced brain function to say the least…ninety percent tops. This should be interesting..” Hideo then spoke again. “When two people engage in battle there is no need for words. Come at me young one, and make these old bones brim with the joy of battle!” Tetsu answered his call by closing the distance between them the moment Hideo uttered his last word. Tetsu threw a chi infused punch and hideo answered with his own chi infused punch. As their fist met, the forceful wind blew the dust and and sand around the two in circles around them. To a non chi user it would appear to be a strong wind form the two, but to any chi practioner, they could see the two chi’s clashing to gather, pushing one another. Once their fist had met, a bombardment of blows commenced. Right hooks, left jabs, gut strikes, counter after counter, after long counter. The two matched each other blow for blow, feeling each others movements as if they were in perfect sync. Their fight would  resemble something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLZSKhuFDnY  After about 5 minutes of trading blows (by dbz logic 2 episodes) Hideo would decide to quit playing around and blast Tetsu back with his palm infused with chi, to create a “Force” blast, spanning at least 5 feet in diaeter and push Tetsu 10 feet away from his original position. “That’s the same technique Keyome used!” Hideo charged chi in his hand in a hadouken like fashion and then shot an even bigger force at Tetsu. Tetsu then stood poised and ready charging chi in his right hand. When the blast came within his radius he punched it with his chi engused hand cuased the implosion effect. It’s the same thing as poping a balloon with a pencil. If enough force is applied to the center of an object, the surrounding area of said object will start to crumble in and implode form the internal push being applied i.e the force blast. In the case of tetsu’s punch, his punch would cuase the force to implode on itself and explode around his general area, instead of harming him at all. “Impressive. He countred this technique. There is only one other I thought that to, so he must have encountered Keyome at osme point” Hideo though to himself. He saw that this approach wasn’t working and decided to end it. He then rushed twrods tetsu in a spinning motion, using chi underneath his sandles as a slippery type friction to cuase his body to spin as such. The real prowess of this technique is it’s actually a method of gathering kenitic energy with the spin,and channeling the force of said energy into the body and holding it, upon release. A smiple maneuver that tetsu had seen this preformed before, and would poise himself to counter as such. When Hideo arrived within 3 feet of tetsu, Tetsu would quickly raise his leg, and attempt to axe kick hideo, and stop his momentum completely by forcing all of his kentic energy into the grournd and dispersing it. However, the moment his kick would connect, hideo vanished.Thats right vanished. From tetsu’s sight completely. Tetsu quickly analyzed and looked in every direction: left right,down Up. And with his glance up he saw hideo coming down at a streaming like pace, coated in a bright white aura that not only blinded tetsu, but when hideos chop connected to tetsu, his very being would surcome to the force of the blow, as tetsu’s body LITERALLY went straight thorugh the sand, like a nail thorugh a piece of wood when hit with a hammer. Tetsu grunted in sheer pain, and then grunted as he tried to move, but couldn’t. Even with all of his strength, he was powerless against being traped in the sandy prison. Hideo would laugh with a hardy tone, stroking his beard and looking at tetsu. “Good show boy! A fighter like you is rarely seen in this day and age! Such passion and fire have done these old bones good indeed! Hahaha!” Tetsu continued grunting, trying to get out but failing. “Well boy take heed. When you get out of there come inside and we’ll do some meditational training dealing with the power you seek. You’ve come to the right man indeed hahahah!” Hideo laughed and walked away, as tetsu yelled at him from a far “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY! HELP ME OUT! AGH! GRRRRRR! COMON MAN! GRAAAH!”

Tetsu eventually made his way out, and later that evening,  he and hideo meditated together. Hideo was watching tetsu like a hawk observing prey as tetsu focused all of his chi and began to pressure it as usual, forcing it to expand upon itself as such. Hideo observes tetsu’s chi and thinks very sternly. “Impressive indeed. This boys’ physical body already gives him a higher chi level than average but it’s his method of meditation. His chi is bascily “weightlifting” to grow in size. Very good. He just might be able to learn this power quicker than I originally thought possible…” Hideo speaks. “Very good. Now then, to  obtain this power you must obtain a true understanding of yourself and your place in the world. This is not the easy part of this process. Once you’ve done this, you will obtain the power you seek, and it’s many gifts will benefit you greatly. Physicly you are ready. Mentally…..we’ve yet to find out for sure” Tetsu opened his eyes and nodded. “yes sensei. Are we done training for the night?” Hideo lets out a hearty laugh. “We should be. But.” Hideo at a blinding speed grabs tetsu by his face, using his giant hands to consume tetsu’s skull and throw him out of the window of the house, sending tetsu flying 15 feet into the sand around the house. He then looked up at the starts. It was beautiful. He didn’t really get to see the stars like that in the city. Tetsu quickly stood up however and took a wing chun fighting stance, including the outstrechted front right leg. “I’ll take that challenge! Hyah!” and with that Tetsu and Hideo, trained once more underneath the starts into the night.

A couple of days passed, and Hideo was impressed with tetsu’s progress. His hand to hand had become even firecer, though Hideo’s was superior, Tetsu had once again made subtile improvments in his fighting, cloisning more distance, and even learing a little more about grapples and the fighting style known as “Hapkido” Tetsu knew the style very well, but decided to practonize it more than what he had. Aslo his chi usage had become more subtle. Hideo eve tought Tetsu the art of using Chi as a means of repair. If tetsu’s joints ever got severed he could create a temporary fill using his chi and solidifing it to replace the tear temporarily, however this is in no way permenant and is only meant to be used during combat emergencies. Tetsu took note, and would only use it as such. Tetsu woke up in  the guest room, laying in bed and thinking about Asami. Regardless of what she thought, she was always on tetsu’s mind by all means. He layed there and thought to himself for a moment. What challenges today would hold for him. His alarm clock, or rather hideos, rang. Tetsu then got up, and headed to the guest bathroom, and began brushing his teeth. Going thorugh his morning routine as usual, and then emerging to find Hideo outside of his door with a warm smile. “The wife has prepared breakfast. Let us feast before todays bout. It will be your final test.” Tetsu smiled in excitement. He’d been beaten, mentally and physicly abused for an entire week sright and was glad for the results but was ready to finllay harness the power of nothingness! Tetsu went to the kitchen and had breakfast with hideo and his wife. Strange it was seeing Hideo act compassionate. He always seemed so calm and meancing, but had an aloof charm. Here he was sweet talking his old lady. Boy could she cook though. You wouln’t think living outhere would do any good for anyones motor skills. Once breakfast was done, Hideo spoke some strange words indeed.” By the way tetsu. Suit up in that armor of yours for training today.” Tetsu cocked his head to the side. Why? The suit wouldn’t allow him to use chi by anymeans what so ever, so why would this bennifit him. Ah well. Tetsu trusted Hideo and did as instructed. He suited up in gear, and went outside to wait for hideo. He tried to communicate with his dad but it was a fuzzy signal similar to a t.v screen. Stragne. Also the suit felt strange on tetsu’s body. As if it was getting…..heavier. Then to tetsu’s worst surprise, he was over encombured with weight. He couldn’t move an inch. He struggled to even lift one arm up, but it quickly fell back down. Tetsu’s maximum lifting limit was a ton…the suit itself is two tons, a whoping 1,000 pounds more than what tetsu can move. “Ahh! Tch! Hey! Hey hideo help! The suit! I-it’s malfunctioning!” Tetsu tried his darnest to turn around, and painfully slowly that’s just  what he did. He turned to see hideo standing there with his arms folded, and a stern serious look on his face. “This…..is my doing young Ryoji.” Tetsu’s face looked at hideo in shock. Tetsu couldn’t beilive he had been tricked. He let this man fool him into a situation he couldn’t get out of. “Why! W-why are you doing this! I thought you were gonna teach me! You can’t be serous right now!” Tetsu attempted to move twrods hideo, but with each step strain enduced on his body, and he simply could not maneuver and fell down to one knee. Hodling himself up was a chore all it’s own now. “This is you last test for me Tetsu. I am not going to kill you or harm you. That will not be my decsison. But for what lies outthere….I cannot say.” The wrods out there rang it tetsu’s head. He wouldn’t leave tetsu in the wilderness full of god knows what without being able to move would he? “I’m going to give you the opportunity to obtain peace and find your true purpose in the world. Through survival, you’ll be able to truly see the difference in who you think you are. And who  you really are. When and if you come back. You’ll have the power you’ve sought after. Godspeed tetsu Ryoji.” And with that last line, Hideo reared his barefoot back and booted tetsu twords the outsikirts of the Desert. His two ton body picking up massive momentum and traveling at least 50 miles away from his original possiton. Hideo would speak aloud. “There are danz galore outthere. Some worse than ones we have in the city….If you come back. Your are a true vessel worthy of the Power of Nothingness.” Hideo turns around and walks off. Tetsu has crash landed inside of a sand dune, the force of Hideos kick rendered him unconscious. Unable to move. Unable to react. He lays there. Awaiting his body to awaken.

Tetsu would awaken to find himself in the desert. The heat was blaring down on his black armor, and he could barely move his body by any means. He was wearing two tons on his body. It’s been at least……24 hours since Hideo had kicked him. Tetsu managed to sit up, but it took all of his strength to do so. This man could literally not move by any means whatsoever. “Dammit….the suit is so…heavy…..and hot!” Tetsu managed to stand, but it became quite difficult to even walk in the sand, let alone get out of the dune he was in. Tetsu had to pour chi into his body and simuitainously cuase multiple adrenaline rushes in order to even climb out of the sand dune, let alone start his walk back twrods civilization i.e hideos house. He took the helmet off of his head and straped it to his back. He looked over the looming hills and began to walk, for it was all he could do at this point. He started his walk, at a dangerously slow pace. The sun brimming down on his being, overheating his body. He was sweating and the only thing he could do to counter it was lower his bodys temperature manually, depleting his already hard at work chi source. As he walked he lost count of his steps. 788? 978? He didn’t know. He kept walking. Thinking aobut his life up until this point. About his battles. His only love interest. His mother. Ah his mother. She was a lovely sould, who tetsu desperately wanted to see again. Is it selfish? To do all this to bring a family back together? Of course it is. But it was a family that tetsu never got to have. Recalling his sorrows. He almost shed a tear for his beloved family portrait he kept in his mind. Neither him nor his dad had been the same since her passing. The walk drew on and tetsu could feel the hunger,and fatigue catch up to him. His vision growing blurry, but his chi pressed him on. What he had left. As chi is dependent on the physical body of the user, and tetsu’s condition right now wasn’t exactly tip top condition. His levels were depleting…..fast……..in this vast desert, tetsu had no food. No water. No form of survival. Hours had passed. How many? To many. Tetsu lost count. He’d even started haluciniationg. All the while thinking to himself “It’s not real…..it’s not real….” After a few more hours he started seeing copies of Asami all over the place. Her slender frame walking twords him and disappearing. He wanted to call out to the image but his lips were so dry, he could only muster a low groaning noise similar to a zomibes. He was depleting….he was dying……more hours passed, and it seemed like the sun wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Tetsu started to wobble in his steps. He was at his wits end. The illusions turned into actual people who spoke to him. “I work alone….Your not needed here” Keyomes words rang in tetsu’s ears. “Please be okay son….I just can’t….loose you” “Tetsu! You know I hate when you do that!” “nice going supercop haha!” The voices of people tetsu knew played in his head. He kept his sanity somehow with is brain and didn’t give in, but sadly with his chi running dangerously low, he was fatigued beyond beilif. He walked a few more steps and then fell face forward. He layed in the sun. His armor was supercharged with heat. Cooking him on the insde. He was PAST dehydrated. He looked at the sky. It was beautiful. Big bright and blue, with striding clouds spanning its surface. “So peaceful……” tetsu uttered. He thought about why hideo sent him out here. What was the purpose? Had he been betrayed? Double crossed? Trapped in the jaws of death? Tetsu had no clue, but he knew one thing: he was knocking on deaths door. He tried to stand, and for a moment he did, or at least thought he did. He fell asleep and actually had a dream about standing but in reality hadn’t moved. Tetsu thought to himself. “Betrayed………..a sick way to die……I didn’t accomplish anything…..or maybe………I did.” Tetsu  thought about his status as the Dark god and supercop. Two forces who made a name for justice in Kasihana city. He thought about it and was glad. He wasn’t going to leave empty handed.Tetsu continued to ponder. “in the end….I just wanted to protect it. My home. My friends and rivals. The city I’ve come to love. The people I do and don’t know. The city needs hope……..I could’ve given so much more but I guess…it’s up to someone else. I never tried my hardest on the little things……I regret that….but I’ll die here……happy with what….i left…….” Tetsu passed out. His body cooking in the sun. Sweat brimming form his being. He was surcuming to the face of death, and had his resolve. Which was exactly what he needed. Tetsu saw his own Astral image appear to him in a black void. “So this is death huh” It was the same black room tetsu used to experience feathers falling but ther were none this time around. “Tch…if this is death then maybe it’s just an endless void I can’t get out of……….” Tetsu began walking like last time he was here. As he walked, a voice boomed to him “So you’ve finally surcumed to it huh. 48 hours in the desert with not food, and even now your not dead. Impressive boy, you really ark peak human as I concureed.” Tetsu looked around for who was there. It was hideo’s voice for sure, but tetsu couldn’t see him. Tetsu began to speak “Damn you old man! You killed me! I thought……I thought we were friends! Master and student! My life is over! It’s at an end it s all all! Your! Fua-“ “Clam down child. Dead people can’t communicate through meditation. Your almost dead this is true, but that was the point.” Tetsu looked perplexed, but still just as angry. “You WANTED me to die? What the FUCK! YOU SHOULD’VE KILLED ME HUMANELY, NOT MAKE ME SUFFER!” Hideo replies. “To obtain the power of nothingness, one must come to terms with their place in the world, and themselves. You young tetsu were not. You’ve never even stopped to realize you true potential, even for a second. Your brain. Your brain over thinks situations, and places it’s own “limiters” on your capabilities. You don’t beilive in the potential you poses for you think you’ve already achieved it. FOOL!” As hiideo screamed, tetsu could feel the air shift in the blackness. Hideo was serious. And he was right. Tetsu….really didn’t give himself any room to grow. Until his fight with Keyome he pretty much thought he could do anything. He had to be brought back down to earth. And even with that, he began underestimating his abilities to the fullest. His own power would fluxuate based on his own perception of what he could and coulnd’t do. It was this that held tetsu back form his full potential. Tetsu realized this, and was shocked. His mouth droped, as he uttered words. “I…..your right…..your absolutely right….i place my own limits on my capacity…even with my brain I over think the obvious and simple things…” Hideo would metaphorically nod with a grunt and continue talking. “It’s time to let go. You seek a power that requires you to know your true self. And the only way to do that is in death. For in death, a person gains more character than any living man. They come terms with their deeds and achive a higher meaning in the after life. To obtain a higher awareness of what it truly means to live, and to detach yourself form the vices of humans, is what grants this power. You wernt far from doing so on your own, but you needed the push. And I’ve given it to you. Congradulations. You tetsu have obatiained the power you’ve sought after. Keep positive in your views, lifestyle, and battle prowess, and this power will never fail you. Even your mother will be happy to see you more often than before.” Tetsu smiled with joy. He’d done it. He’d achived the training he needed and with a huge grin would yell out “ YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!! I DID IT! HAHAHAHAHA! FUCK YEAH!!!!! I DID IT I DID IT! WOOOOOO!” Hideo’s hearty laughter filled the black void, and his voice continued talking. “To complete your test it’s time to come back. Wake up young tetsu.” “Huh?” Tetsu said stunned. “Wake up? What are you talking about, I never fell asl- HOLY SHIT!!!!!!” Tetsu would scream the last part of the sentence as he stood up and looked around. He was still infront of hideos house, and hideo was meditating right infront of him, with a huge grin. Tetsu looked at himself. He was hot, but he was fine. No fatigue, no chaped lips, no inner cooking no nothing. His condition hadn’t changed since he “thought” he was kicked into the wilderness. Tetsu uttered “But…..I was! And I swear I! it was like!...how did you?!” “That Tetsu. Is the true Power Of Nothingness. To be in control of ones own reality, allows sustained over others realities as well.” Tetsu shook his head. He then accepted it. This power was something otherworldly by all means. Tetsu then dropped back to his knees infront of hideo and bowed before him. “Teach me……this power.” And for the rest of that week tetsu learned how to harness his new chi, to even greater hights, even developing a brand new technique know as the “Kentic Strike.” Or “Power Fist” being its original name. He continued his training with hideo for the ramiander of the week, obtaining a new outlook on things, and new meditational techniques to take home with him. Should he decide to stay or go that is, but he really didn't want to keep asami waitning any longer than what he had.