...sigh, fuck it, I'll be blunt and apologies for spoilering it to the rest of you guys. But since it came up again and again over at QQ I'm just trying to be blunt for everyone.
In this au, Ki is inherent in the natives, as I've said before. But, it's locked as is most of their potential by God. Cuha is merely slightly chipping said limiter and allowing others to freely access their Ki. He's not infusing them with his. Ala Flora making you a hunter in Bloodborne. merely activating what was already there and hidden. Thus, for Garou, this was, in a sense learning a "martial art".
Anyway, in regards to the chapter and to preemptive it when you see it, no, Cuha is not using that settings power, just his way of tricking himself to use...well, you'll see.
This new power…
"Gkh"
"Gkhah!"
Their fists, digging into each other's cheeks, did little to dim the smiles on both of their faces or to hide their bloody teeth.
Hmf! Better than I gave you credit for, hero.
Still, the hero was a thousand years too young to defeat him!
A faint pulsing seemed to be coming from somewhere.
Garou slammed a series of punches, kicks and faints too fast for the still green hero to follow and react too, while also re-diverting a lot of Yuha's attempted blows before slamming a blazing fist into the man's gut, causing his pink eyes to flare wide as he flew backwards.
"Argh!"
Garou grinned.
"Gkh!"
Before freezing and fighting against his protesting muscles and his twitching arm as blood dripped slowly from the small cuts inflicted by the hero and the many cuts in Garou's skin created by his own metaphorical hand for this new power…
It blazed within him, surging throughout his whole body like a tumultuous river, roaring through every corner of his unprepared vessel. Suffusing him, filling and empowering in equal measure.
The heat invigorating.
Intoxicating.
And very much painful.
Both due to his prior failed attempts to access said power, which did more damage to him than his junior did, before at last he managed to blow that voice off, and due to his unfamiliarity with handling said power.
For while it was similar to the energies coursing through his body when fighting…it was also new. More…complete in a sense.
And no, Garou watching his kouhai using it on the tv and inferring and suspecting a great many deal of things, as well as reading that reporter woman's article after detailing a couple of techniques not shown on screen did not adequate preparation make.
If he had to compare this…Ki to his previous empowering methods, while powerful in their own right, when compared to this…'Ki', they felt like but pale copies.
Degraded forms, or more akin to lesser children of a greater sire.
And so.
"Toooh!" he took a deep fortifying breath, his lungs expanding, filling him with life, but, unlike before, he performed the quickening breath with this new energy, for the most part.
"Gkh!"
Being forced to squint, one eye closing, a pained hiss leaving his mouth as his heart jumped well above five hundred beats per minute, something deadly for any untrained weakling.
"This power…"
Snarling, he forced his trembling muscles to obey and forced the live-wire current suffusing his limbs to come to heel underneath his will. Strengthening. Improving his reflexes, his resilience, his speed. Everything. Elevating him beyond human limits in truth and not in the fake way that the old fart's martial art did.
"Tsk."
The sound of the hero's voice drew his attention back to the scowling man, whom, pushing a branch away from his body, rose to his feet. Sinking into another stance, face determined.
Garou's grin widened even if his battered body cried for relief.
Now was not the time to pamper his weak flesh.
Nay.
Now was the time to school his promising junior. More promising than the old fart's remaining…'pupil' at any rate.
For Yuha stared at him with eyes blazing with conviction and determination, not even the fact that Garou had unlocked the man's own power enough to faze him.
Although, he seemed, and rightly so, more wary than before. For even if what Garou suspected was some kind of life sense, all but told him that Yuha, at least in terms of this new power, was many times stronger. Well, what his junior made up in power, he also lacked in skill.
And their gap in power was not sufficient to counterbalance their respective differences in skill.
"Hoh? Itching for another beating, are we?" he taunted, and the hero's scowl deepened. "Have it your way then!" he said and pointed a finger towards the hero whose eyes widened a moment too late as Garou's grin slipped momentarily due to the focus required to harness this new energy in an unfamiliar way, one that he'd only caught glimpses of.
With an alarming speed and just as Yuha kicked towards him, a pale orb gathered on the tip of Garou's finger.
The faint pulses grew stronger.
This is too weak… He scowled and did not move even as Yuha was all but upon him. What am I missing… For his junior's attacks, both the small orbs and that beam at the end had seemed stronger somehow, denser—
Garou's eyes widened and in his mind the image of a garden hose sprang to mind, the flow normally gentle but, when one partially obstructed it, with say a finger…
Of course!
He concentrated on the orb, and it grew heavy. Dense.
He fired, but it'd been too little too late and Yuha batted it to the side where it blew apart another tree and, using the opening, stepped into Garou's guard.
"Hiaaa!"
And slammed a roaring punch to Garou's chin, making him see stars as he was knocked backwards, managing to catch a glance of his kouhai rising to the air in a rotating spin, trails of green tassels fading in and out of view around him.
Heh. Neat illusion, hero. He couldn't help but smirk as he flipped through the air, this new power making it even easier than usual, and landed on his feet again. Spitting another globule of blood and cracking his neck left and right.
And in his heart, a tiny spark of joy blazed as he stared at the scowling hero. For at least, it would seem there was a person who truly understood what it meant to be a hero. One for whom, even villains could be saved, could be redeemed and win, if they but grasped the hand offered in friendship. A hero who fought for all and not just those popular and would quickly spring to the defense of those he'd been fighting but moments prior if they no longer sought to harm anybody.
It wasn't absolute justice, but…It was much better than what the 'heroes' of this mud-ball liked to sprout.
Oh, Yuha's appearance came at too late a point. For Garou had already made up his mind. The hero's own actions all but solidifying said decision.
And yet…if Yuha continued to act as he had up till now? Well then, a true hero needs a true villain to measure themselves up against and keep sharp, do they not?
As for the rest of the so called "heroes"? Well, if his kouhai kept it up and remained true to his words? Well, they didn't need mere copycats and pretenders around, did they?
Smirking, Garou flung his hand forward at the same time as his kouhai did, twin orbs of energy leaving each of their hands and smashing into one another, exploding, and obscuring their view of another in a small cloud of gray smoke.
Not that either of them let that deter them, if the sound of feet running towards him just as he raced towards the dust-cloud was any sign.
'Thump! Thump!'
'Bang-bang'
They met in the center.
Their fists digging once more into each other's cheeks, grins yet again on their faces.
An expanding bubble of air racing outwards with them as its center and causing leaves to scatter and the trees to groan.
Shit! This so no good… His deadly dance with Garou required most of his focus, leaving little energy or time to spare for random thoughts. And yet, despite it being the case, he couldn't help but wonder about something.
'Thump! Thump!'
A lot of things depended on the outcome of this fight, and yet. And yet…
Why am I smiling?
That…had connotations, none of them good. And none of which he had time for right now.
Catching a punch to the face from a grinning Garou, he smirked back as he started to flip backwards, causing the youth to blink in confusion before the ki-ball flying free from Yuha's foot and smacking into Garou revealed the reason for his smirk.
Landing on his feet, and in the brief instant, less than a second really, that Garou was stunned he raised his left arm parallel to his body, his forearm and clenched fist facing upwards, and as ki exploded from his back in tandem with his kick, the impromptu fake mana-burst pushing him towards Garou. Garou whose eyes barely had time to widen before Yuha's arm slammed into the youth's neck.
"Gkh!"
Garou's eyes bulging as Yuha continued the motion of his arm.
"Lariat."
Finishing his improvised clothesline and flinging the white-haired man back, with Garou landing in a tumbling, choking mess as Yuha shook his protesting arm even as rhythmic pulses, like a softly beating heart, seemed to caress his body with their thrums.
Judging by the limb's protesting signals? He had ways to go before he could emulate A and B. Oh well.
"Hhg…We—" Garou coughed as he rose to his feet, rubbing at his bruising throat even as the grin never left his face. "We are also adding wrestling into the mix?"
Yuha shrugged and prepared himself.
"Whatever works."
And Garou threw back his head and laughed.
"Hah! That's a good attitude to have, kouhai. I approve." A maniacal grin stretched across Garou's face as he sunk into Bang's stance yet again. "In fact."
Yuha's brows furrowed as he watched Garou's grin slip, a frown of concentration replacing it.
What is he—
"Hooooo!"
The youth's muscles bulged, and the barest hints of a red aura started to envelop him.
Yuha cursed and jumped.
Marika's tits! Not that one too!
And yet, he needn't have worried. For instead of activating Kaio-ken, Garou's whole body seemed to spasm, his muscles contorting uncontrollably.
"Argh!"
A scream leaving the wide-eyed youth's lips about the same time Yuha's punch slammed into his cheek, sending him spinning backwards and into another tree.
Heh, if we ever decide to give up fighting, I think we'd do great work as lumberjacks.
The pulsing was almost irritatingly loud now.
Where the hell is that coming from—
Garou pushed to his feet with a groan.
"The hell is up with that technique…" the man murmured, before puking up a small torrent of blood and the youth's muscles spasmed again.
Yuha snorted.
"Unlocking your ki was surprising enough let me tell you, but managing to copy that with but a glance? You're good, senpai. But not that good."
Garou scowled.
"Oh yeah? And—"
The pulsing exploded into an almost painful heartbeat, forcing both of them to grit their teeth as it was mixed with the sound of ginormous gears, or perhaps jet turbines, beginning to spin and a soft golden glow reached them.
"The hell?" Yuha murmured and as Garou turned to the side with wide eyes, he joined him and there Kisha stood, visage firm and in her hand she held a lance, a golden lance whose shine was rapidly growing and around which a second drill like lance of golden energy grew and grew as the girl with visible effort started to slowly lift it to point towards Garou.
"The hell?" he could hear Garou murmur.
"S-Gkh! S-sacred l-l-lance—" sweat poured down the girl's face as she tried to mouth each word.
"I don't think so!"
Only for Garou's panicked roar to drew Yuha's gaze and his eyes to widen
"How did it go, again?" the man asked with a grin and a sideways glance at Yuha. "Shin—"
Fuck!
For the kid had raised his hands in a familiar pose, forming a triangle, energy mounting, and even if Yuha could tell that Garou's technique held numerous flaws within it. Having more similarities to a simple condensed energy beam than a true Kikoho?
Kisha had little chance of surviving either.
For an instant, the world slowed, seemingly freezing and turning gray.
He knew what he should do. The smart thing would be to grasp this opportunity with both hands and put an end to Garou for good. Take advantage of this grand opening and show the man what a proper Shin Kikoho was like.
Kisha barely had time to realize her mistake and for her eyes to widen as she saw and felt death's imminent approach, she would never get the chance to fire off her attack.
My king…Mama, Nisha…I'm sorry—
And yet, it was not to be.
For her King, appearing right in front of her and next to the ancient one with a pair of fingers touching his brow caused her heart to beat like mad.
"Kikoho!"
Her King roared and threw his arms to the side and a scarlet bubble of energy sprang into existence around them both, growing denser and denser, especially at the front and then the energy hit and just as it did, a familiar voice screamed.
"No!"
As the dust settled, Yuha panted and blood seeped from numerous cuts and his whole front half felt half-burned. Each breath causing his muscles and chest to expand, bringing with it a fresh wave of agony as exposed muscles came in contact with the air.
And yet, his regeneration was already at work and this was nothing to Mars-sensei's tender mercies. He would kiss the girl when they met again, for she'd been right that a good pain tolerance was essential. But that was for later.
He let his arm drop and with it, went the already mostly broken remnants of his mix of an android shields and the technique he'd seen Gohan use against Broly once.
And his lack of experience with either technique showed. Something to rectify in the future.
"You're still alive there, kouhai?" Garou said, voice filled with wonder as the dust cleared fully. "Impressive," the man said and crossed his arms. "Tell the girl to put away that thing of hers and come get your beating like a good student and we'll be done soon."
Heh. Bastard. Yuha grinned. Worst thing was that he could tell the bastard meant it. It would seem that Garou was at last satisfied, or close to it at last. So, it would seem that his bullshit back at the press briefing had worked after all…even if it had caused the bastard to appear rather sooner than expected.
"So, what are you waiting for? Don't tell me you're scared—"
"You asshole!" a familiar voice cried and Yuha blinked, feeling the bewilderment that shone on Garou's face as a pair of chocolate feet smashed into Garou, knocking him backwards.
"Blegh?"
And landing, with her teeth gritted right where Garou had been was none other than Nisha, the black-haired sister scowling with anger at the youth who rose to his feet with a curious expression on his face, setting his jaw back in place with one hand.
"And who might you be?"
Nisha snarled.
"The sister and subject of the woman and the King whom you were about to kill both."
Garou blinked, and with a finger scratched his ear, glancing at Yuha.
"King, eh?"
He shrugged, thankful for the minor break, for his skin had almost fully regenerated. "To be decided in a little less than a week, they insist I'm to be their King. I disagree. And so, we'll let a match between me and their Queen decide the outcome."
Garou grinned and nodded. "Heh. I approve, kouhai."
Yuha blinked as his skin finished healing.
Bloodthirsty bastard. Of course, he'd approve of such a method for conflict resolutions. Figures that would earn me his praise…
"It doesn't matter what you approve of," Nisha growled and Garou eyed her with a closed eye and a lazy smirk, crossing his arm.
"Oho?"
"It doesn't matter cause you'll be dead!" the girl roared and threw a punch towards the youth. A punch he easily ducked under, even if Yuha could see his eyes widen as the air burst around Nisha's punch due to the sheer force contained in it.
The duo started fighting in truth, and through Yuha could see that the brunette had enough strength to hang with Garou and himself…she lacked the skill. She wouldn't last long, especially once Garou was tired of playing with her.
"Kisha."
"Y-yes, my king?"
He eyed the lance, whose glow had dimmed and was now pointed towards the ground.
"This was your 'distraction'?"
The girl blushed.
"Y-yes."
He sighed and raised an arm, ruffling the girl's white hair, making her blink and blush.
Fuck! Not…not important, problems for future Yuha!
"I wasn't aware you had Rhongomyniad," he said and the girl's eyes widened.
"How do you—"
"Later."
"Ah, yes, of course!"
"But know this for future fights. I could see you struggling to both pull it out and use it. An ultimate move that takes a long time to charge up is no good unless you can provoke your enemy into challenging your attack. Train yourself to be able to pull it and activate it faster in the future."
"B-but, the sacred customs prohibit needless usage of—"
He scoffed.
"What is more important, obeying your customs or being alive to repent later? And besides, training so that you can survive a future battle and protect your subjects doesn't sound 'needless' now, does it?"
Kisha's eyes widened in understanding and wonder.
"Gkh!"
Nisha winced as Garou planted a punch in her stomach with a bored sigh.
"That aside," he jerked his head in the direction of the fight as he took advantage of this brief reprieve to catch his breath and plan his next move. "Where did your sister come from?"
"Ah, I sent a message to her—"
He snapped his fingers in understanding, that instant movement thing you do underground! It's tied to the way you use telepathy, I take it?"
The girl nodded.
"Still, if you could contact her, and given that you travel so fast underground, why did she take so long to arrive, and for that matter, why did you not contact your mother?"
The girl blushed and lowered her head, mumbling.
Yuha frowned.
"What was that?"
"I said neither of us are that good with the skill yet so as to reach into the depths of the mantle and as for why sis was late, she was carrying the hero she is staying with, with her. At least until he could no longer handle it and she had to drop him topside." Kisha rolled her eyes. "You over-worlders are so fragile. Still, he should be here soon enough."
A grin stretched across his lips.
Metal-Bat is on his way here? That's great news!
Now if only he could stall until the man could get here.
He could jump into the fray again, but now with two princesses to protect…not a good idea. And yet…
Watching Nisha getting pummeled, he couldn't let her keep fighting by herself.
And I can't stomach it either.
Still, he needed something. Something with which to stall for time and which Garou couldn't copy. Something—
In his mind, a second set of faded memories flashed. Memories pertaining to his second [template] and a power which he had yet to use. A power which he didn't know how to use.
A power which nobody on this earth could access or had knowledge of.
A power which would have proved mighty useful a dozen times over now and yet…
He grit his teeth. I just have to believe, believe that I can do it and kick reason to the curb, isn't that how it goes?
Still…
He eyed his hand and then chanced a glance at Kisha, the girl watching him with hopeful, innocent eyes.
Trying to access Spiral Power in the heat of a battle as a Hail Mary move sounded a bit too risky, even for him. And yet, what was he left with?
He eyed his hand, making a fist.
Oh. Marika's tits, how I want to punch and wipe that smug smirk off the bastard's face…
Neurons fired and a sudden flash lit up his brain.
Wait…
He eyed Kisha again.
This was stupid. It had no reason to work, and yet…and yet, if you squinted, and were half blind and color blind as well. And a bit of an idiot to boot, the girl could somewhat pass as her, could she not? And he already had experience with brainwashing himself. So, why not? At worst, it would cause Garou's focus to shift back to him.
And besides, even if they are not the same powers. Believing in yourself and 'burning bright' is a component of both. I'll just have to believe it will work.
"Kisha."
"Y-yes, my King?"
"I'm going to try something foolish, and I want you to go along with it. I'll seem a tad mad to you but just say the words, at worst…At worst, I'll draw Garou's focus back to me again. At best. Well…"
The girl listened with rapt attention.
As hit after hit rained down on her body, Nisha, in the privacy of her mind started to regret her decision to attack without thinking.
But…she did not regret jumping to the defense of her sister…or their King to be. Just the fact that she did not assess the situation better is all.
Still, if her King, or the lout she'd carried half way to here before his whining about nausea and such became too much, could lend a helping hand? That'd be great, thanks!
For serving as a punching bag to this upstart, human was quickly growing tiresome as well as bringing to mind memories of her airheaded cousin.
She'd probably love this. She was such an idiot…
But now was not the time for that, she—
"Hey Garou!"
Both Nisha and the pest blinked and at an unspoken agreement jumped a step back and glanced to the side, where the voice had originated. Only to find Perfect Zero grinning towards the human, fist cocked by his side, a peculiar green energy starting to come and go in intermittent gasps. Forming just as quickly as it'd dissipated around him, while behind him, her sister stood, tall, regal, one arm on their King's back and using the ancient one as…an impromptu stuff?
"Hoh?" Garou asked with a smirk, crossing his arms. "Finally grew tired of hiding behind this weakling's skirt?"
Yuha grinned, and the green tendrils seemed to appear more and more.
"Hardly! I was just trying to think up the best way to wipe that smirk off your ugly mug and I have it at last!"
"Hoho!" Garou grinned and spread his arms. "By all means, then! Give it your best shot!"
Her King snorted and shook his head.
"No, that alone won't be enough."
"Hooh?"
"No, I want you to try and replicate this. I bet you can't."
Garou's eyes flashed and a dangerous smirk spread across his lips as he ignored, ignored her and mirrored her King's stance.
Still, it was for the best. She took a wary step back. Content to observe and recover.
"Toooh!"
"Toooh!"
Twin screams echoed across the clearing and the blaze around Yuha flickered on and off until her sister leaned in closer and spoke with a gentle voice.
"Focus my Saint, believe in me who believes in you and blaze! Burn your…Cosmo bright!"
And as the flicker of green blossomed into a full steady aura around Yuha, Nisha could swear, that for a moment around the man a translucent curious silver seeming armor with the helmet of a horse formed.
"Yes, my lady!" he shouted, and his eyes blazed with stars. "Garou! Don't you know?" he asked as both of their powers continued to build even if Garou seemed to be straining and struggling with something, judging by the frown on his face.
"A Saint is at his strongest when he fights to protect Athena!"
"Who the hell is 'Athena'?"
"Pegasus Ryu Sei Ken!" Yuha roared, dashing forward and out of her sister's surprised grasp his hand shooting forth at incomprehensible speeds, completely invisible to Nisha's eyes and then its twin joined it, spewing forth spiraling green death as Garou raced to meet the hero, his own blow racing to meet Yuha's…
Or at least tried, for just as his hand extended, his muscles contracted and the skin around the limb burst.
"Argh!"
And then the blows landed. Flinging the pest back, deep into the throng of trees and out of sight.
Before she knew it, it was over.
Perfect Zero coming to a stop within her arm's reach, leaning forwards, gasping and steadying himself on his arms and knees as the mirage around him disappeared and her King's form seemed to slim back down, trails of green and red energy leaving his form.
"Z-Zero, are you ok?" she asked, closing the distance and offering a supporting hand to the man, helping him stand.
Yuha wiped his mouth with his forearm, and even though his short gasping breaths, offered her a smiling nod.
"Of course he is! He fights for 'Athena' after all! Hmf!" at the sound of her sister's voice, she turned and gave the overly proud brat the stink eye.
Don't try to pretend you understand what any of that was, you bookworm! Neither of us have any idea as to what just happened!
Still…
"Is it over?" she asked and Yuha shrugged.
"More than likely, I doubt he is in any condition to keep fighting after that."
Her eyes boggled.
"You mean he's still alive?"
"More than likely? Yeah."
She opened her mouth, but then—
"Yo, rookie! What did I miss?"
She whirled around.
"You incompetent, lazy, buffoon! What took you so long?!"
"Woah woah! Easy there, missie! I came as fast as I could, what with the nausea and all…"
Was…was he implying that she was at fault here? She let go of Zero, her sister quick to catch him and stomped towards the siscon.
"Why you—"
Behind her, Yuha laughed.
Again, no, he didn't access Cosmo, it was a weak activation of Spiral Power through a convoluted route.
Also, the mirage of a [cloth]? Spiral Power and unconcious usage of magic materilization to form a cheap knock off, appearance only, no magic powers and stuff.
And don't worry Garou couldn't copy Spiral and failed to copy Kaio-ken, as that shit needs active instruction (or brain download) to learn, as for his Kikoho? A cheap knockoff as Cuha said, more in line with a concentrated Ki beam than the attack itself, otherwise, resilient or not, Garou would have been knocked unconscious by the lifeforce drain. But hey, learning even this much by extrapolating and watching/reading the news? Millenia fighting genius...
Not sure I got his character down correctly, but, eh, working through memory here and any disrepancies chalk it up to au.
As for [Rhongomyniad], did you realy think such a weapon would be used on a street level fight and to off the hero's rival? Shame, shame... :P