AN: Well I beg your forgivness for such a long delay. I haven't been able to upload for awhile but I do have the next few chapters writen and will upload a few of them over the next few days. Also I will be taking on a co-writer soon so the updates might be longer then normal once I get a set pattern going on. So please be patient with me and I promise I will be updating regularly again soon.
Ten Days
Shinku first opened a portal into the dark dimension, walking in with Beast Boy and Raven, then opening another portal.
"Alright Beast Boy. In there you will find an old acquaintance of the wheels. Her name is Ferocia. She is a shape shifter like you. Train with her for the next ten days, and then we will pick you up." Shinku explained.
"Got it." he nodded as entered the new portal. With a nod Shinku and Raven walked further into the dark dimension finally approaching the wheel.
"Alright Raven. Now what I am about to do is very dangerous, but if it works we will be better off in this." Shinku said as he sat down. Focusing his power he sent his soul into the wheel, letting it appear in front of the wheels spirit.
"Welcome back Shinku." Edorad said.
"The worst has happened." Shinku sighed.
"I know. I felt the tremor all the way here. How much time do you have until you must face them?"
"Ten days until myself and the Titans must face them and four other demons."
"I see. And I sensed that you brought the young demoness with you."
"Yes. She has started learning how to use Kage To Hi Ryu. If we are to stand a chance against the demoness's we need to use every weapon we can." Shinku replied.
"I see. What did you have in mind?"
"I need to be able to purify all of my magic into the flames of Kage To Hi Ryu, and Raven needs practice in the ways of Kage To Hi Ryu."
"I see. Well then I have a solution for you. In here time moves slower, where every day is ten years. You will stay here and train with myself and your predecessors while mastering powers and techniques that you could only dream of. While we are working on this we will have your body acting on its own to train Raven for the next ten days continuously." Edorad explained.
"I see. Be sure to explain this to Raven." Shinku noted.
"I will. I will be controlling your body until you have mastered ninety years worth of training."
"I see." Shinku nodded as he rolled his shoulders.
"Now let us begin." Edorad said as he snapped his fingers and hundreds of beings appeared.
"Kopeki!" Shinku shouted as he saw his old mentor.
"Hello Shinku. It is good to see you once more." Kopeki smiled.
"So now what?" Shinku asked.
"We fight." Kopeki laughed "All of us will be sparring with you, forcing you to learn all of our previous styles and strengths. By the time we are finished you will be the strongest you can be for now."
"I just have one question. Did you ever do this?"
"Of course. But not as long as you will be doing this at one time. Normally we only go for a day at a time and rest for another day. However since you need the rapid growth we will be fighting with you until the ten days have passed." Kopeki explained as all of them activated Kage To Hi Ryu. Thus began the one hundred years of training. Shinku sparred with dozens of different warriors, each one teaching him new techniques, some hand to hand, some flame based, and others taught him blade techniques. By the end of the first day, his ability had increased by ten percent and his knowledge had also increased.
Outside the wheel, Raven was sparring with Shinku's body and was quickly realizing how much stronger he could be when his conscious mind wasn't there.
"Damn. Is he really this strong?" she asked.
"He has potential. I just know how to use it." he said.
"So you do Edorad." Raven nodded as she sent another burst of flames at him.
"Too slow." Edorad noted as he created a wall of flames in front of him to stop the attack.
"Man..." Raven sighed as she rolled to the side to avoid the Dragons Tail that he sent at her.
"Good. Keep moving and keep practicing these movements and then counterattacks." Edorad explained as he told her what attacks to use.
Shinku was now focusing on the techniques that the warriors had been planning but never could create before their time arrived.
"This is a technique that you must learn since you have lost the Magus Sword." Tronic explained. Tronic was the second warrior to serve the wheel and a master of flame manipulation.
"All right." Shinku nodded.
"Instead of using the flames as attacks, mold them into weaponry like your magic." Tronic explained as he created a sword out of the flames.
"I see." Shinku said as he began drawing the flames to his hand, slowly forming a blade.
"Good. Now all that remains is to do this faster. You used something similar to this when you created the succession technique, but now you must do that without the medium."
"Alright." he nodded as he began practicing. The days began to pass quickly until the tenth and final day before the battle when Edorad left Shinku's body so that it could rest and recover while Raven learned to purify more magic. Meanwhile Shinku was learning the secrets of Kage To Hi Ryu from Edorad.
"Kage To Hi Ryu was designed to take the black flames and create a force of light. To truly utilize this power you must accept the darkness that resides inside you, the dark nature that you have and be able to use the true nature that you have." For this we will no longer be sparring, you will be working out your differences with you demon." Edorad explained.
"Very well." Shinku nodded as he left the world of the wheels and entered the world of his own mind. Shinku landed on one of the floating rocks in his mind over the green forest and saw his demon sitting there waiting,
"Welcome." it nodded.
"You should know why I am here."
"I do. As much as I would like you to become a full demon, with our ancestor running around I won't have the chance to rule as I want." it laughed.
"So we are calling a truce?"
"Unfortunately that is not the case. Even if you went feral you wouldn't be able to trump her. Our best chance is to fuse together. By doing this you can draw on more of our own demon magic and energies while still remaining human."
"How long would this last?"
"A year or so. It can't be permanent due to the energy it would take to create that, but it will last a long time."
"Very well. If it is our best hope of beating Zea then lets do this." Shinku nodded.
"Alright then." it nodded as he stood up and walked towards Shinku "Death to our enemies."
"Death to our enemies." Shinku nodded as they fused together.
Outside of his body Raven had finished meditating and felt the sudden increase in energy.
"Shinku?" she asked.
"Yes?" He asked as he stood up stretching.
"Are you ok?"
"I feel great." he smiled as he kissed her.
"Ok then. Do you think everyone else is ready?" Raven asked.
"Let's hope they are. The demon code states that you can fight as many times as you like, but if we do then we are in trouble. At the moment your power level comes up to an A class demon without the Kage To Hi Ryu. With possibly S."
"And you. It almost feels like I'm looking at my father again, except the power is purer, and less malicious." Raven replied.
"S class power." Shinku nodded "Let's just hope the others have reached a level close to ours." Nodding Shinku opened a portal and walked back to the tower, arriving just before sunrise.
"Now what?" Raven asked.
"We get Beast Boy back first and then wait for the others. Hopefully they will have done everything they can." Shinku replied as he opened up a portal that led to a jungle world and they saw Beast Boy come walking in, looking tired and in tattered clothes but he seemed to give off an aura of confidence.
"You look like hell." Raven noted.
"I know. But I think it payed off." he grunted as he looked at them "You two reek of power."
"Thanks, I think." Shinku nodded as he opened a portal back to the tower. Once there they saw that it was still an hour before dawn and that the others hadn't arrived yet.
"Will they be here?" Beast Boy asked.
"If they choose not to then that is there choice. It is supposed to be a seven contenders per team but if they don't show up before the first match then they will be disqualified." Shinku explained as he looked up to the fading starry sky. As the sun slowly rose Shinku grinned as he saw the other four arriving. Cyborg and Robin leapt up to the top, Starfire descended from the sky and Terra appeared in a swirl of fire.
"Good timing." Shinku nodded as he looked at each of them. Robin had more compartments on his belt and his cape was more tattered but he seemed ready. Starfire looked the same, except now she had the red shards on a small bangle on her left arm. Cyborg was built more compact and now his right arm had the power amplifier shrunk down and attached to it. Terra looked the same as well with a new belt on her with multiple pouches and she carried a bag with her.
"What's in the bag?" Shinku asked.
"Gifts from the gods. They know what's happened so they decided to try and turn the tables into our favor." she explained as she opened the bag "Beast Boy, you get the Claws of Horus." handing Beast Boy a set of bird like claws "For Cyborg, the thunderbolt of Zeus." giving Cyborg the lighting shaped metal "For Starfire, the Pelican Spear, last used by Achilles." handing the ancient spear to the Tamoranian "For Robin, you have been given the staff of Apollo." tossing the leader the golden staff "I've been given Gungnir, Odin's spear." setting aside the powerful weapon "Raven has been given the sword of Micheal, the angel." she said handing Raven the golden sword "And for you Shinku, you have been given a sword that is said to be the equal of the Magus Sword, a blade that has not been used since the fall. The Sword of Lucifer." she finished handing him the black sword.
"I see." Shinku said taking the blade and looking at it carefully "I suppose there is supposed to be some kind of irony behind this."
"As Hades said "Each weapon has been given because that person will need it by the time their battle comes."" Terra replied.
"I see." Robin nodded as they saw the sun fully rise "So where are they?"
"They will be here." Shinku replied as he sensed magic. Turning he saw a portal opening and Zea standing there.
"Good, you are all here. We will be heading to the arena through here." she explained as she motioned for them to enter. As they walked past she looked at Shinku with interest.
"You have made a deal with your demon." she noted.
"I have. Neither of us wants you around so it is easier to fight you like this." Shinku replied as he entered the portal and arrived at the demoness's chosen arena.