Kigo's Training: Forge Onward, And Surpass The Meteor Hammer!

Note: This is not an “official” training post, that is to say, this post is not meant for gaining any bonus TP. Rather, its purpose is to justify Kigo developing two new signatures.

As eager as he was to meet the rest of the staff, it looked as though they were all engaged in their own activities or were away on official RISING business. With that, Kigo was left to his own devices. He’d heard that prior to his arrival, the team had taken a highly dangerous man into custody; wanting to contribute (and partially to give himself something to do in the meantime), he naturally volunteered to be part of the rotation that watched him.

He’d been added to the roster, of course, but being fresh meat, he wouldn’t get a turn until after his seniors. Which meant he had some downtime to himself. Guess I’ll use this time to train, then… the human figured.

Despite the base being sizably equipped for training the likes of which superhumans used daily, Kigo chose to make a short leave from it, preferring to take his training outside for the time being. With him, he took some of his belongings and a communicator given to him by Amari; that way, he could be called upon to return immediately when he was needed.

Traversing for a short time, he came upon a small mountain range not terribly far from the base. The gentle mountain breeze brought a smile to his face as it caressed him. He set down the bag housing his stuff and the communicator, and began work on building his training site.

It took some time to get everything set up; rocks had to be piled on top of one another, and boulders needed to be pushed into position. In addition, Kigo had to… “borrow” a couple of tree stumps to serve as dummies. He sharply inhaled and started limbering up; he planned on making this day a fruitful one.

He planted his feet firmly on the ground, facing a long row of boulders; at the end stood a tree stump, cut and crudely reshaped to resemble a person. Time halted, and all at once he burst forth from his position, punching and kicking through the air as he maneuvered between each rock. He primed his right fist, raising it up for the final blow. Just before he approached the stump, he stopped his fist just a hair’s breadth away.

Calmly, he exhaled and walked back to his starting point, and began the process anew. Each repetition came at a faster pace, with more attacks being thrown.

His deep, calm breaths had turned to wheezing rasps before long, forcing him to rest before continuing his routine.

Minutes after catching his breath, he found himself going through the motions, rehearsing his katas and forms. Despite serving no actual purpose to his training, it was… relaxing. His body moved freely, letting his mind cascade into the realms beyond. Imagination took control as he closed his eyes, allowing himself to visualize each movement he made and would make.

Slowly, his thoughts drifted back to Nero and Arashi. Human or not, there was no denying that they were both outstanding fighters. Now Kigo himself was no slouch, and knew his own contributions were crucial to the success of their last mission. Inside, however, there was one thought he couldn’t shake.

Could I really have pulled through like I did without the Meteor Hammer?

It was an incredibly potent technique, that much was certain, but it had one glaring weakness. Throwing so many powerful blows against a single opponent like that ate up far too much stamina, so much that Kigo usually kept it in reserve for the appropriate times.

In that mission alone, however, he had used it no less than four times. Hell, he had to rest twice after his second consecutive shot and even after those recovery periods, he was left with virtually no energy when it was all over.

He grew worried, believing that each mission was going to be harder from here on in. One thing was clear. Kigo could not keep relying on the technique in the battles to come…

What can I do when the Meteor Hammer fails, then? What can I do without it?

He probed for answers in his thoughts, unsure of how to solve this dilemma. What else could he bring to the table in a superpowered team? Thinking back again to Arashi and Nero, he reviewed what he’d seen of their fighting styles. Arashi, who, even with his raw strength, handpicked crucial moments to put all of his force behind his attacks, rather than simply slinging his power out all at once.

Power. His thoughts drifted to Nero’s Chaos Afterburner. A beam of pure power, concentrated on weakening, if not outright obliterating a target; an incredible amount of Ki focused into a single point, bursting forth in an awe-inspiring display when the time was right. Now, ideas began to take root in Kigo’s head…
-------------------
Next, he began his rounds of Wing Chun on the wooden dummies he had set up. His hands glided across their surface, turning and pivoting at the slightest change. Soon, they turned into lightning, swiftly moving through each nook and cranny without hesitation. Deciding to put one of his ideas to work, he balled his hands into fists… which ended up smacking the pegs out of place. Damn. That wasn’t it… a flustered Kigo thought. He worked his hands up to the same speed, but this time, he curled his fingers and thumbs, turning them into claws. So far, so good. His hands hadn’t slipped out of turn yet.

Now! And thus, Kigo slipped his hands through; an upturned palm strike met his imaginary opponent’s face, while his remaining claw lashed out at its center. He had ripped out a chunk of the wood, toppling the dummy over several feet. He looked over the bark he’d just torn out, pensive about what he had just performed…

Maybe…

Even after repeating dozens and dozens of times, he couldn’t quite get the timing right like he did in the beginning. Practice made perfect though, he reminded himself.

After completing his grind, Kigo hiked up and sat atop the nearest cliff. Taking a lotus position, he began meditating. Darkness blanketed everything around him, leaving a void where he was its master and sole occupant. The energy in him stirred, shaping this nothingness. It felt like being pulled into a mighty torrent. For what felt like hours, he sat still in this raging void, keeping himself anchored to the ground. His breaths filled the void, and with time, the torrent stilled. He looked at his hands in the void; the power welled up between them. Gradually standing up, he opened his eyes, and slowly exhaled. He arched forward, throwing his arms straight forward.

A burst of energy pulsed out from his palms, sending out a gust of wind. No, that's not right, either... his thoughts invaded. He sat down again, and enveloped himself in the void. This time was dramatically shorter as he got the general feel down the first time; he stood up again, thrusting both hands out...

A magnificent light streamed from his hands; the warmth hugged his skin. Upon releasing his hold upon this power, it faded, yet the warmth still remained. Again, he closed his and meditated, only this time, he began with a dragon formation, his feet dancing across the ground as he went through the forms of Tai Chi. The flame inside roared again, but his mind and spirit remained quiet. He opened his eyes by the final stance, ignited by his energy, and light, even brighter than the last, shone forth from his hands.

The mountainside illuminated in its splendor, as though the ground were moving to challenge the heavens. The light dimmed, Kigo’s energy fading. Even then, he knew it felt... incomplete, somehow. He wasn't sure what was missing, though, and saved that puzzle for another time. It was now sunset, and Kigo reflected on his day.

With these, could I make up for the shortcomings in my Meteor Hammer…?

The answer would not come to him now, he knew that. Instead of dwelling on the question, he decided that his current progress was not enough to warrant sealing away his Meteor Hammer. He swore to hone these new skills into weapons that could rival it, or perhaps surpass it. Only time would tell if his efforts were worth it in the end...