Fourteenth Predicament - Bobblehead Baby

When given the option to choose their own path, people often make a wide array of choices. Choices which could be interpreted as terrible ones or choices which clearly have great fortune cast upon them. However this is all just the perception of a select few. And even then, the perception of a few can turn into the perception of many, soon to be the shared view and norm for an entire civilization.

So, when will a cull be necessary to keep this perception in check? Maybe it'll happen on its own over time. Though, it's likely to happen in a single instant compared to happening over a large expanse of time.

I figured this was the case as Xander and I are currently confronted by some really miniscule and insignifcant bandit looking background characters. Normally I could've easily handled in my go around. But things happen so I'm leaving things to him while I watch from the sidelines, ready to stomp them out.

"Ari, do you mind holding the groceries while I take care of them?" Xander said, still wearing the kind and innocent expression while profusingly and shamelessly exuding bloodlust and murderous intent.

I shuddered in utter disgust before responding.

"pass."

Xander simply shrugged at my response without giving it a second thought. He dropped the groceries on the ground before briefly stretching before the bandit asshole figures. Taking this small action as a sign of disrespect, the united force of bandits attacked Xander collectively with nearly perfect coordination. Xander however was 5 and a half steps ahead of them all and used their own momentum against them to have each bandit collide into eachother. He continued his stretching until they finally got ahold of themselves and the situation.

"LOOK HERE ASSHOLE, YOU'RE GONNA HAND OVER YOUR BELONGINGS RIGHT HERE AND NOW, THEN WE'LL LET YOU DECIDE ON THE FINAL PUNISHMENT. DEATH OR LETTING US TAKE THAT WING OF YOURS.. IT'LL FETCH A HEFTY PRICE IF YOU DON'T RESIST OR CAUSE A COMMOTION!" replied the discombobulated bandit.

At this moment in time I could clearly see Xander starting to show his emotions, rather.. it was leaking onto his face at a rate he couldn't control. I didn't get it at first and realized what might've ticked him off is the wing comment. It seemed pretty trivial to me though I doubt I'd understand even if I wanted to.

"...Huh, is that so." exclaimed xander, he stood there nonchalantly at the comment now trying to keep himself composed. Almost as if he had some sort of revelation xander changed his composure. He taunted the bandits to attack him instead before prompting them even further.

"I'll give you the wing if you can move me a inch from this spot here you disgraceful swines."

The bandits took on this response with a smirk though still infuriated at how cocky he was. All of them attacked now showing their different array of abilities which were all incredibly unique from the other. Bright lights and shockwaves filled the area as Xander took the burden of being the target for all of them. A plume of smoke filled the area as a body was flung outside of it.

The attacks continued regardless but soon the plume faded and Xander was still standing in the same spot without a scratch on him. Rather cliche in the mind of an avid anime/manga consumer but still I thought this was cool for him. I figured he must've used his Oath Vice or something, his grace doesn't really seem like the type to  make him invunerable.

"Alright scumbags, is that all you worthless sacks of pig semen can muster or do I need to add another handicap so that you can have a fighting chance." Xander uttered, he seemed calm and unbothered while exuding the same disturbing amount of muderous intent that could make a infant cry.

The bandits backed up freaked out at this comment, they couldn't muster any strength past the previous attacks sent towards Xander. One of them stumbled and the entire marketplace laughed at them and their tomfoolery.

Xander smirked as he merely glanced at the bandits for a mere moment. In that moment however, 2 of them simply disappeared. I was taken aback, I couldn't track or figure out what he did or how he did it. Was this a stand user situation where I just couldn't see what was going on cause I didn't have the ability? No.. all he did was stand there and look at them, no pointing or signaling was involved. Xander cleared his throat promptly before speaking.

"Don't get me wrong guys, you all hit me in the true sense. But unfortunately none of the hits had any impact whatsoever. And even then, it's self defense on my part. Rather, it's my responsibility to make sure you suffer as a result of the 'pain' you've inflicted upon me you pitiful worthless curs." Exclaimed Xander, his face clouded while he had a his arms crossed clearly showing no intention of truly fighting.

The marketplace crowd began chanting something for Xander, I didn't get it until the last moment. They chanted the phrase "Bobblehead baby!" Xander smirked at this response while one of the bandits soon began to go through violent changes. Every limb on his body began changing and morphing beyond proportion. Some places on his body shrinked until the entire thing began splurtting fluid like a poorly sealed water balloon.

The sight gave me a flashback to that guy I killed back then and ended up getting branded an outcast for. The only difference was that everyone cheered and raved for Xander as he handled the horrific incident. The rest of the bandits soon succumbed to the chant as Xander then started gesturing his arms as a request to get the crowd louder.

"YOU FREAK, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON, WHAT THE FUCK..! YOU'RE A MONSTER, HOW COULD Y." Exclaimed one bandit, they looked distressed realizing their body was beginning to shrink as their head grew beyond proportion. Xander looked dead into their eye as terror filled them.

"A monster, no. What I am is graced. A freak is the mongrels interpretation for something he simply cannot understand because it is too great for his insignificant brain. What I am is the blessed candidate with the prowess reigning over all forms of scale. A scale which you could spend thousands and millions of years trying to understand and still never scratch the surface. So be grateful that instead of dying in some back alley you have the opportunity to die at the hands of someone chosen by the highest power." Xander preached, his face glimmered with his profound and egotistical speech which wasn't far off as far as truth went. The bandit still stared at him terrified before Xander uttered one final comment. Right when their bodies got small enough and their heads just the right size he posed at them and smiled for the crowd.

"BOBBLEHEAD BABY!~" Xander yelled out as their heads rocked back and forth violently before popping. The crowd went crazy at this while I simply stared at this astronomical waste of time and talent.

Xander picked up the groceries afterwards as the crowd dispersed gradually. I just stared at him while he smiled proudly.

"I thought we were in a rush Xander." I said, clearly not strucken with awe at his performance. I gave him a deadpan stare while he realized what he did.

"Okay, so maybe I got caught up in what I was doing, it was all to show you the power." Xander replied rather bashfully.

"The power..?" I replied with a subtly confused expression over my face.

"The power you too could have access to as a grace candidate." Xander said this seriously, he was truly trying to show how a grace candidate is capable of surreal things beyond comprehension.

It finally clicked that everything he did was a result of his grace, some of it I wondered he even performed but regardless. I was astounded at his control and power from a grace I figured would be completely useless. So if he could do something like that from a grace declaring scale, then what of mine, the divergent.

We soon departed the marketplace with our groceries and made our way to the location for our training. Xander noted we were heading for a monastery where he rained for his grace abilities, I was intrigued at the comment but didn't dwell into it. Only because the entire time I wondered if I could get even stronger just by using this grace. Maybe because I was clouded at the scenery and system in place I neglected it,  I figured it was more of a burden than an asset. Nothing would've taught me how to use it nor did I have any clues for how I'd use it.

No matter how many times before I could never see myself doing spectacular things with a ability called Divergent. A ability which stated almost day one that I was basically dead, that I'd be completely at a loss. As cool as it sounds I just didn't think it'd ever compare to something like magic or mystic arts.

While I was deep in thought on how neglectful I was for my grace, Xander spoke up to me almost knowing that I was thinking about it.

"For the first two, I concentrated my focus and made it so their entire proportionate scale was but a fraction of an atom. For the one afterwards, I randomized the proportionate scale of their body along with their relative size so as you know.. things would rapidly increase and decrease. The last was a victim of a childhood classic which almost all of Yuzuriana knows of.." Xander exclaimed this clearly like a teacher explaining the lesson they intended.

"Bobble head baby?.." I uttered with a confused expression.

"Yeah, the name didn't age well."

We both chuckled at this small moment before arriving at the monastery. As we approached it I realized there was several possibilities to this training.

"Wait, Xander, are we going to learn spinjitsu by any chance. Unlock our true potential? Fight the evil lord garmadon and become the green ninja??" I uttered with a idiotic expression which rivaled those with genetic disabilities. In fact I'm sure they would be considered gorgeous when compared to how stupid I looked. Xander stared at me with a solemn look on his face.

"As grateful as I am to train you, I'm afraid I can't help mental retardation.." exclaimed Xander, he had a profound and saddened look on his face as if he really felt pity for me.

"Ignore me.." I shamefully said, I didn't realize how stupid I sounded until now.

"Well.. my protege, let's get started right now why don't we. Ignoring your previous comment. Call out your manual so we can get started!" Xander said this rather happily assuming I knew what that was. He opened the monastery gates as this comment came out. I fidegeted a bit before replying.

"The fuck? I get a manual for this shit?.." Uttered by me with the same stupid face as before. I looked at him blankly while he held his hand and chanted a single phrase.

"Tianyu Shenzhou, o manual." A random book popped into his hand, though it was pretty thick when I looked at it. In large letters on the front it showed "GRACE HANDYBOOK, HOW TO! Scale Edition" It was funny and depressing to see. Xander opened it allowing us both to see a variety of pages with illustrations, notes and tips for the grace candidate of scale. He'd flip to the first page where a long list of previous owners could be seen. Looking again I could see a bunch of sticky notes and tabs sticking outside of the large book.

I was surprised at the sight, though xander paid no mind. I never realized or even thought I'd get a how to manual on powers, I guess something must've happened where I couldn't or wouldn't be able to know this information. I was a bit reluctant to do the same phrasing as him so I just tried to call for it within my head. I kept my hand out as slowly but surely it began to materialize within my hand the same way it did for him. The biggest difference as far as the manuals went was there was a floral design of black roses on mine along with "Divergent Edition" placed on it.

Xander was just disappointed at how I didn't know of it beforehand, but for me this was solid progress. We both peered into the booklet curiously to see its contents allowing us to see that instead of a long list of previous owners there was only 2 including me. A slight bit confusing for the both of us but we proceeded past that to see how I'm supposed to use my grace. On page two was the letter I got when I did my magic affinity test, this was the introduction page. Though some of details and bits got cut or edited to be more concise. But even then some things felt completely new as far as I'm concerned.

The grace ability that you have acquired is known as the 「Divergent」. Know that it's not specifically and only based on you, but it's made to act off of you and to mutate, and grow stronger.

• The one who has become the wielder of divergence no longer acts within common comprehension or reason as you are entirely separate from everyone and their entirety. No longer bound or strapped down by concepts everyone else needlessly abides by as you're completely the ruler of your own world.

• "Possibilities which never ever occur become open to you, as you're completely outside the wheel, the box which confines all of creation and its children. Not even the entities who've transcended beyond its confines are truly free, except for you. You exist solely alone and by yourself no longer within the infinite spectrum which 'everything' is defined on and defined to be on."

• "You alone can adjoin and create things, ideas, and solutions which would ultimately result in failure for anyone else. No longer are you simply a slave to the causality of existence, duality doesn't apply to you as you're completely independent."

• "Divergent objectifies all that is considered to be an absolute outcome, anything inevitable, or unavoidable. Whatever considers or holds those stances becomes subjective and irrelevant. Regardless of the complexity, or how essential it may be.

• "Abilities can be created, applied, and utilized via Divergent. Simply trying to erase divergent will prove to be futile as circumvention is going to apply to the event, all but refuting any form of erasure leaving divergent forever with the user regardless of their own will and discretion. No Entity, force, natural law, phenomena or construct can remove divergent. Simply trying to think of ways to remove it would be futile as it'd only add to the list of things in which can't remove it."

• "Finally, as one who wields divergent. Your past, future, and present remain incinerated for the rest of your days. No longer to exist in the true sense. As one who lives as the Divergent grace, altered paths will follow you upon each endpoint. Paths which will split and grow as a response to your very being.

Just like before, it was a mouth full to read. But this didn't change anything for me. I continued to open the manual and saw a fully illustrated and descriptive guide to using my grace ability. Just by looking at one section I could feel my understanding increasing each moment. I felt with this.. I'd really be able to continue onwards.. but what am I even working towards?