Chapter 4: Training from Hell.
Author's note:Hey guys. Just wanted to let you know. I added an extra little snippet to chapter 3. Nothing major. Just a few lines that better tie in with what happens in this chapter. Sorry if that's annoying. This is my first fanfiction and I really want it to be as good as possible. Anyway, enjoy.
Yashima POV
When my new Ashikabi promised to train me, I thought it would be simple. You know, the usual: push ups, sit ups, plenty of juice, maybe some cardio. What I got was so much more than that. First, he woke me up before dawn to have a run around the city with no breaks. 100 laps around Shinto Teito without stopping. He said the only way I was stopping is if I passed out. To make matters worse, he had me wear these weighted clothes. Boots, wristbands, and a shirt that were all weighted. Altogether it weighed over 200 pounds!
I felt dead after the run, but he said we weren't done yet. When I asked what was next, he pointed to a large pile of small stones behind him. "I'm gonna throw these at you. I'll start off slow at first, but gradually increase my speed as we go on. Your objective is to dodge as many as you can." Before I could protest, he had already thrown the first rock. I dodged it easily, as well as the next ten or so that came after it. He started to throw them a bit faster, but I was still able to dodge them fairly easily.
He kept increasing, and I had to try harder and harder to dodge them. I started to get tired after a while. Eventually, one hit me square on my left shoulder, making me wince in pain. Hikaru just looked at me and sighed. " You got 30 minutes before we start back up again. This time you'll be fighting me. Catch your breath." I rested for about 30 minutes until Hikaru said it was time to start up again. I readied my hammer. He simply stood there. He didn't even bother to get into a fighting stance. "Your goal is not to defeat me, Yashima. It is to land a hit. If you can land one hit on me, you get a day of rest tomorrow. If not, we start from the top tomorrow morning." I smirked. No matter how fast he is, I should be able to land one measly hit, right?
Oh, how wrong I was. Six hours. SIX FUCKING HOURS! Six hours and not one hit. Every time I thought I had him, my hammer would pass through him harmlessly as though he were made of air. And then he would appear behind me and tap me on the shoulder. It was so frustrating! I collapsed in a heap. "Tsk-tsk. Too bad, Yashima, no break for you tomorrow. Oh well. Go clean up. I'll go after you and then maybe we can help Miya with dinner.", he said. I nodded weakly and went inside to take a bath. I swear my own Ashikabi will kill me before any Sekirei can.
Switch POV: Hikaru
I sat on the back porch, a satisfied smirk on my face. Yashima was really giving this training everything she had. I heard a giggle and looked behind me to see Miya. "So, I assume the training went well?", she asked. I nodded. " She's got a long way to go, but I can see her getting there with time. Once she's ready, I'll teach her to use ki like me." Miya looked at me questioningly, and I remembered that I hadn't told her.
I held up my hand and focused my energy. A small glowing sphere of crimson light formed in my hand. Miya stared at it in awe. "This," I explained, "is my life energy, or ki. While all living things possess it, it takes a great deal of training to be able to harness it as I do. I weaponize my ki and use it in combination with martial arts. I can even use my ki to fly at supersonic speeds." I floated about two feet off the ground and continued hovering there. I could tell she put the pieces together. "So that's how you made it to the lake and back so fast!" I grinned and nodded.
I adopted a serious expression. "I'll be honest. I'm not sure if I should teach her to use energy attacks." Miya looked at me curiously. "Why not? I'm sure that she could handle it, and it would definitely increase your chances of surviving." I sighed. "Miya, you don't understand how powerful ki is. By harnessing it, you gain immeasurable power. Hell, I could blow up this entire planet with one blast of energy if I wanted to. Which reminds me. What planet am I on, anyway?"
Miya burst out laughing. "I can't believe you were here all this time without figuring it out. This is planet Earth." My smile faded. "But that can't be. I was just on Earth a few days before I came here and, while the energy signatures here are similar, they're not the same. Miya! Do you have a computer that I can use?" She nodded, and showed me the way. I looked up various star charts and maps of the solar system. It was the same as the one I came from.
I told Miya that I needed to check something, and stepped out. I flew around the world, looking for various landmarks that would signify I was home. I didn't recognize anything. At this point, I was freaking out. 'I don't understand. How could this Earth have the same position in the same solar system, but be completely different from mine?' Then it hit me. 'That hole I fell through. It must have been a hole in the dimensional barrier! That explains everything. The completely different cities. The Sekirei. Everything!'
I was about to turn around and head back when I was suddenly surrounded by twenty robotic drones. They were equipped with laser cannons and were all branded with MBI in big white letters that fit well with their solid black bodies. They all fired at once. I disappeared and they all hit each other, exploding. I chuckled. "Oldest trick in the book."
I flew back to Maison Izumo and saw a worried-looking Yashima and a curious Miya. I sat them down and told them that what I was about to say would seem crazy, but to just roll with it. They nodded. I took a deep breath. I told them about my brush with death, and explained that our clashing energies must have ripped a hole in the dimensions, which I then fell through. Miya was the first to speak up. "That would explain why I have never heard of the Saiyan race. But, if I may ask, why not just rip another hole in the dimensions?" I explained that it wasn't that simple. While I COULD tear through the dimensions again, there was no guarantee that my dimension would be on the other side.
Yashima had remained silent until this point. "Umm, Hikaru-kun? You wouldn't happen to have a….a wife or a family in this dimension, would you?", she asked, her voice full of uncertainty. I put my hand on her head and told her that I really didn't have anyone special there. It was true. Because of my high power, no one really wanted to be friends. Most people were scared of me. Because of that, I decided to live far away from civilization.
"Besides, I'm in no hurry to go back anytime soon. After all, I've got something to do now. Protect Yashima, and win this game.", I said with a goofy smile. Yashima wrapped her arms around me, and I smiled and patted her head. Miya watched with a surprisingly genuine smile. Yashima looked up at me, tears in her eyes, a big smile on her face. "And I'll get stronger so I can stay by your side! I promise!" I chuckled. "I know you will, Yashima. I know." Miya giggled and triggered her demon stare. "Now, now. While that's very sweet, I must advise you not to go any further, otherwise punishment will be in order." I nodded lazily. Yashima hid behind me.
"Oh, but Miya, can I ask you something? When am I going to meet the "other" guest of this house? You know, the one that's been spying on us for the past couple of days and is currently behind that ceiling panel." I pointed to said panel and heard a quick "Eeep!" Miya just looked up at the panel and sighed. "Matsu, you can come out." With that, a red-haired, busty, spectacled woman dropped down from the ceiling. She was definitely a Sekirei from her energy signature, but it was significantly weaker than any I had sensed before. I noticed that unlike Yashima, this girl did not have the build of a fighter. 'Perhaps this one isn't suited for combat', I thought to myself. The girl simply bowed to me. "Umm, I'm Sekirei Number 02, Matsu. It's nice to meet you, Hikaru-tan.", she said, as she threw herself at me and kissed me.