Chapter 9
And so it began. Ronin's training over the years had varied from easy to incredibly difficult, but under Bo Rai Cho's guidance, it went to a level that Ronin never thought possible except in video games and movies. Everyday for those first thirty days, for twelve hours per session, Ronin had to show his new teacher, every move of every kata he had ever learned. The first week focused on unarmed forms every day. Bo Rai Cho told him this was to ensure continuity. The second week, focused on armed forms. This proved harder than the unarmed review. The third week was the most interesting one for Ronin.
On the start of the third week, Bo Rai Cho had erected a large target in the dojo room when he said: "This week we will focus on bringing your powers as the Thunder God into your kombat style. I have seen Raiden throw lighting bolts as a ranged attack, teleport from one side of the arena to the other, use electrocution holds, and by levitating himself, he turned his whole body into a projectile weapon. It will be for you to decided what you will use or not."
Ronin considered these and said: "I think the ranged attack, the projectile attack and the teleport will be most useful to me. Those will be the ones I focus on." Bo Rai Cho nodded his head in understanding and said: "Very well. First let's start on the ranged attack. Since your body is a combination of battery, generator, and conduit, imagine a limitless energy source in your abdomen. Imagine a switch in your mind that connects a circuit between your abdomen and your hands. Flip that switch, open the circuit and let the energy flow from your source to your hands."
As Ronin listened he closed his eyes and held his hands in front of his abdomen and visualized the circuit that Bo Rai Cho spoke of. In his head, he saw the switch . . . and flipped it with a finger of mental energy. He felt the power source in his abdomen start to build up a charge. It felt similar to the energy of the finishing blow he had first dealt Reptile in kombat and the Shang Tsung image of the test the Elder Gods had given him, only far more powerful. He said: "I can feel it Master." Bo Rai Cho answered: "Never forget that feeling. Now, show me your power."
Ronin opened his eyes and looked to his hands to see jagged arcs of electricity jumping from palm to palm and back again. He focused on the arcs and saw them increase in speed and intensity but felt no pain. More like the sensation of perfectly warmed water flowing over his hands. Ronin rotated his hands slowly to develop a feel for this energy he now controlled and focusing on his target on the far end of the room; he threw his hands out in front of him and let loose a lightning bolt as big around as his arm. The bolt flew straight to the target and obliterated it with a loud cracking sound of wood and tearing paper. A moment later, the target reappeared ready for the next blast.
Bo Rai Cho looked on in approval of his student's grasp of the new technique and said: "Now, do that five hundred more times and we will move on." The rest of the day Ronin spent focusing and channeling his lightning bolts until, by day's end, even though he was exhausted, he could summon one at will with little thought. The next day, Ronin opted for the projectile attack. Bo Rai Cho started this lesson the same as the previous but this time said: "Now, instead of channeling the energy from your source through your hands, change the flow into your legs and feet as a starting point."
Ronin felt the charge build as before and did as his teacher instructed. He felt himself rise up off the floor a little but couldn't hold it for long. Again, Ronin channeled the energy, and again, he felt himself rise up a little, only to lose the charge and land on his feet. Ronin felt himself getting annoyed. He had always been a quick learner, especially when it was a skill he truly wanted to acquire, and this skill was one he wanted very badly.
Ronin started the charge again and this time channeled his annoyance into it as well. He started to rise only to sink a little as his annoyance became full-blown anger. The results were unexpected to say the least. He shot up off of the floor and slammed full force into the ceiling. The last thing Ronin saw was the ceiling coming at him.
When he awoke, the first thing he saw was Amperica's beautiful face looking down into his with unhidden relief that he was alright. As he sat up, Bo Rai Cho walked over to him and said: "Control, control, you must learn control." Ronin could say nothing but a: "Yes Master." Bo Rai Cho said: "Enough for today, we'll try again tomorrow." Ronin refused to accept defeat so easily and said as much as he walked back to the center of the dojo floor and started again.
Impressed by Ronin's dedication, Bo Rai Cho said: "Try and supplement your own energy with that of the environment you are in. Electricity exists in some form in just about everything in existence. Change the perception of your energies and you will see what I mean." Ronin listened and thought about it. He knew about the bioelectricity that the human body used to transmit signals to various muscle groups and he also knew about the regular kind of electricity used in almost every other aspect of his previous life. Ronin felt his feet rise up off the floor again but kept his eyes closed as he tried to 'change his perception' as Bo Rai Cho had suggested.
As Ronin focused his attention on his perception he felt himself slip a little as he refocused and brought himself up again when he realized that he was trying too hard. Realizing this, he felt something shift in his mind. He opened his eyes to see tiny electric arcs flowing everywhere he looked, the walls, floor, and ceiling. Everything was coursing with small electric arcs, especially Amperica and BoRai Cho. Ronin was reminded of scene from one of Johnny Cage's best movies: "Matrix Master." As understanding finally came, Ronin drew in the energy from everything but the other people in the room and rotating in mid-air until he was parallel with it, he focused on a target dummy, raised his hands over his head, clenched both fists and flew straight and true at his target. As Ronin flew, the exhilaration of the moment took him as he yelled: "COME AND GET SOME NOW!"
The target dummy was slammed against the wall as Ronin used the moment of impact to bounce away from his target and land neatly on his feet. Bo Rai Cho smiled and said: "You see. You can do it. Now, do it one thousand more times, and we will be done for the day!" Now that Ronin knew what to do, it came much easier but still, by days' end, he was exhausted.
For the third day of the week, the teleport was last. However, since Ronin's epiphany of the day before, the electric currents in everything around, this lesson was the easiest. It come down to remembering that as the God of Thunder, he was essentially made of electricity and by day's end, Ronin found himself teleporting all over the house as well as the dojo room. For the rest of that week, Ronin practiced all of his new techniques upon the random order of Bo Rai Cho. Even then, the Outworld martial arts master was relentless in the regimen for his student.
The final week of the evaluation, would prove to be the hardest training period Ronin would ever participate in. The last week was spent in sparring at full speed and power with his teacher. At first, Ronin lost every match, badly. What could be expected of sparring with a teacher of the martial arts with over 10,000 years experience? Due to his status as a God, Ronin would heal in an hour. especially with Amperica's tender, loving care. But still, he felt every punch and every kick. Ronin nearly ordered the master out of his home after being on the receiving end of Bo Rai Cho's projectile vomit attack. After getting over his initial disgust at such an attack, Ronin thought it better to turn Mariko loose on Bo Rai Cho. Needless to say, that was the first, and only, time Bo Rai Cho used that technique.
By week's end, Ronin was improving to a point where he could get a draw with his teacher, especially after thier last spar. The match had been as brutal as usual but now Ronin was giving as good as he got and both men, Master and pupil were beaten and bloodied. Bo Rai Cho came at Ronin with his Monkey Flip technique when he teleported back a few feet so that the Master was standing in front of him as Ronin remembered his favorite actor, Johnny Cage, and dropped into a split and power punched Bo Rai Cho below the belt. The Master, caught off guard by this, moanedout loud with agonywrit large upon his face as Ronin recovered and summoned a particularly powerful lightning bolt and blastedBo Rai Cho across the room. Before the poor man could land though, Roninlaunched himself across the floor with his torpedo attack and caught the older man in the midsection and slammed him against the wall on the far side. After landing,Ronin knew it was a lucky hit and went to see if his teacher was alright.
Ronin said: "I'm sorry Master. Igot lucky! Are you going to be alright?"Bo Rai Cho stood up and said: "Well done! That is one way of kombat. By linking attacks, you will cause your opponent much grief. Very good my student, very good!"
At the end of the evaluation, Bo Rai Cho came up to Ronin and said: "Your skills are adequate for now, Lord Raiden. I look forward to continuing your training in the years to come. For now, I must take my leave of you. I will call on you again." The Outworld teacher left that day but Ronin would make it a point to see him again as that it would probably take a few centuries of training to actually beat Bo Rai Cho with anything resembling consistency. Fortunately, he had time.