"I can't go back."
"You have to."
"What makes you so sure that this is my best course of action?"
"Michael, do you even hear yourself? You left her, you left all of them without so much as a word. What are they supposed to think? You just decided you didn't care for them anymore."
"That's not what happened!"
"Is that so, then what am I missing? Tell me Michael who did you tell? Who knows why you left and have been gone for so long?" Michael stood there quietly, he didn't want to continue the conversation. Jiyu sighed and then spoke.
"Listen Michael, I can understand why you did what you did. You want to keep them safe so I'm assuming you chose to leave this way so that they wouldn't follow you or try to help, but think about how crushed they must feel how betrayed they must feel. I'm not jeopardizing your quest you have to defeat this demon, if you don't want to talk we won't go train with Matthew." Jiyu backed away and left Michael to his thoughts. Michael knew what he was doing was right. They didn't need to know, did they?. Despite feeling sure in his actions the seeds have doubt had planted. Michael got up and left to go find Matthew.
Despite being an old man Matthew was an amazing fighter. He was effortlessly able to beat Michael in a fight multiple times over the course of hours. His stamina strength and speed were unfathomable to Michael.
'Fuck, how is he so strong?'
"Come Michael, this demon you've spoke of wouldn't let you live after fighting it would it? You're stronger than most but you lack technique."
Michael didn't even know what he meant.
'Michael tried to advance and was beaten down again and again and again. Suffice to say he started to get angry and it manifested in a way neither of them expected. Somehow a punch Michael threw despite being easily blocked by Matthew had so much energy behind it Matthew was sent flying backwards. Matthew was stunned but came to his senses.
"Let's stop this Micha-" Before he could finish Michael had rushed the man with a flurry strikes each just as powerful if not more powerful than the one before. Matthew dodged each attack and when he looked at Michael he was shocked. Michael was faster and stronger but his face had this expression of hate, he bared his teeth and each strike was accompanied by a shout. Matthew knew he had to end the fight quickly so he did. He activated fortress to counter one of Michael's strikes and iron fist to deal two separate blows. The first to the liver made Michael drop his hands to hold his torso leaving his face open for a clean strike knocking him out.
Michael awoke later in the bed he was allowed to sleep in, he was bandaged in areas where he received extensive damage. Jiyu sat in a chair reading a book. Michael sat up and was greeted by Jiyu
"Nice to see you are well, but we have a bigger issue at hand."
"Yeah? What is that?"
"Matthew told me of your bout with him. He stated you seemed to gain an alarming increase in strength, and speed but your face. Overwhelmed by emotion you activated a Martial Art I had hoped you didn't have."
'What?' Michael closed his eyes and focused on his abilities.
Abilities
UNRELENTING HATE
Unarmed Strike
Cutting Edge
Ability Boost
Iron Fist
Fortress
Evasion
Passive Recovery
Withstand
Piercing Shot
'Unrelenting hate? This is what gave me that power.'
"Listen to me Michael. You cannot use this ability."
"What do you mean. Jiyu this is what I need."
"No! This ability is a double edged sword. You gain strength and speed far beyond what you are capable of but your cognitive functions diminish. Your Moral compass, the ability to make decisions, sound judgement, your own identity! It will all be taken from you. You'd be nothing more than a beast."
"And what makes you think I can't control it, can't harness it and use it?"
"Michael this ability can only be used when your emotions cloud your judgement. By nature you cannot control it."
"And I say, Fuck that!" Michael got up from where he was sitting and found his clothing.
"You can thank Matthew for the training session. Now I know what I'm capable of. Goodbye." Michael headed for the door but was stopped by Jiyu.
"Listen to me Michael I cannot allow you to go. You willl lose yourself to this power."
"Jiyu. Move." Michael spoke coldly in regard to Jiyu who only sighed in response.
"If this is what it must come to then so be it." Jiyu grabbed Michael by the arm and threw him through the door and into the Main Hall, Michael stopped tumbling when he hit a wall.
"That's it Old man!"
"Correct Rozu, my you are a quick study." Bori was teaching Rozu basic math when the two heard a large crashing sound, both startled by the sudden racket. Bori urged Rozu to stay in her room and despite being scared understood and stayed. Bori exited and made his way to the Main hall where he was greeted by Matthew. Matthew then showed Bori just what was happening. There stood Master Jiyu and Michael, both were bruised had torn clothing and were bloodied.
"Is this what you want to become Michael? A mindless monster?" Jiyu taunted, Michael charged forward but his attack was easily dodged by Jiyu. Jiyu landed gracefully but Michael looked almost inhuman. He was hunched over, fidgeting with teeth bared and saliva escaping his mouth.
"Shut up!" He roared as he charged Jiyu again.
"Matthew shouldn't we-"
"No. Master Jiyu said to me he wished for me to not get involved so I am staying put."
"But."
"Have faith Bori. Master Jiyu has dealt with this before."
The two kept fighting Jiyu continuing to taunt Michael and avoiding damage whilst doing so. All the while performing light strikes or parrying Michael off balance. Until at one point it had gone wrong. Michael had predicted an attack was on its way and dodged backwards. He became dangerously close to both Bori and Matthew who both gasped. Michael turned around and saw red.
"Bori! Matthew! Leave now!" Jiyu shouted he tackled Michael allowing the two to escape Michael's potential attacks. From this Michael was able to grab Jiyu and throw a powerful uppercut launching him several meters into the air. Bori and Matthew decided that they couldn't allow this to continue. Jiyu landed with an audible thud as Bori and Matthew tag teamed Michael. Unlike Jiyu they had no intention of taunting him. They were determined to either end the fight or end Michael, and they were successful in the beginning. Michael was incapable of combating the two and slowly his strength began to fade.
"Bori?" Bori heard from a faint voice. He turned to see Rozu who stared at the scene in horror. Master Jiyu was hurt, Bori and Matthew were fighting and Michael looked like a monster. From the distraction Michael was able to throw a powerful roundhouse kick at Bori launching him into a wall and embedding him in it. Matthew put up a valiant fight but was not able to bring Michael down. He was grabbed by the arm and thrown through the main entrance sending him flying outside. With no combatants Michael turned his attention to Rozu. His mind was gone and he was unable to control his full powered assault towards the young girl who was frozen in place. Michael was mere inches from the girl when a blast of golden energy was shot towards Michael. He felt a burning sensation his anger turned to fear as he soon believed he was going to die, the pain was so severe. He fell to the floor unable to move but conscious. The blast had come from Jiyu who had amassed an attack he had not wished to use, but the situation had gotten far out of control. Bori escaped his tomb that was the wall and Rozu ran towards him crying uncontrollably.
"Rozu! Are you hurt?" Bori checked her over to see she was bleeding. A cut ran across her face despite surviving had Jiyu not intervened Michael would have definitely killed her. Jiyu was shaken up. He tried to save Michael but ended up hurting everyone else. This moment would be a brand on him forever, but he put his pride aside to check up on his family. Bori was healing Rozu Matthew had just re-entered ready for a fight but after seeing Michael on the ground stood down.
'On to Michael.' Michael had not yet seen what he had done and when Jiyu turned him over he was still livid but after seeing the destruction he had caused he quickly subsided it. Then he saw Rozu in pain her screams were like bullets ripping into his heart. He felt nothing but remorse and hit him with a vengence.
"Did I-" Michael's voice was shaky he couldn't handle everything he was seeing.
"Yes, though I am to blame as well."
"Oh God." Tears fell down Michael's face he couldn't hold back the emotional wave that was attacking him.
Okay so self check report. Where the fuck have I been? It has to do with my work though that doesn't necessarily help anyone understand why it took much longer for me to get this chapter out and why it's shorter than most, so I shall explain in greater detail. I was occupied for a long while on a particular assignment. I can't go into detail about what exactly it was but we have finished the assignment but I didn't want to spend a long time writing a full length chapter so I settled for just under 2k words to keep the creative juices flowing. I hope you all enjoy this chapter love you guys I'mma see y'all soon. LATER!
