Zajra

Zeralf and Genzo were both in the center of a large courtyard reaching about a radius of one kilometer all around and filled with desert sands. It was currently sunset and the amber sun dimmed on the distant horizon, two silver moons one crescent and the other full moon were out in the slightly yellowish-red sky.

Zeralf was in black briefs with no shirt and barefooted, a jet-black tattoo of an unknown symbol could be seen covering his right scapula if one looked from behind. His long white hair flew along the breeze's direction as he took a meditative sitting pose.

Genzo stood exactly ten meters from him while trickling his sword.

'' This will be your training area should you succeed.'' He muttered with a pensive look.

'' So what are the steps involved in manifesting your Zajra? '' He asked again just to be sure the kid knew what he was supposed to do right.

Zeralf remembered everything without missing a step. This was the seventh day since their previous discussion and each day, he had been studying the steps involved and also preparing his body to be in its optimum condition for the task.

'' The first step is sensing external Ki. ''

'' Being able to sense external Ki means I should be able to gauge my Ki reserves. ''

'' I then go ahead and sense my soul energy which would lead me to my soul realm. ''

'' Inside the soul realm, I must find my Zajra. ''

Zeralf answered with his eyes closed.

'' And what are the risks? ''

'' With every second trying to find my Zajra, my Ki is being depleted, and should I exhaust it, I'll start consuming the soul realm. ''

'' With every second I try to manifest my Zajra for the first time after locating it, my soul realm is being weakened. ''

He answered again with a little shaky voice. Even he was afraid as anything concerning the soul realm was just too sensitive. He was free from the first risk since his Ki was boundless anyway which halved the risks but the second one was also troublesome.

'' You can start. ''

'' Remember, your Zajra is part of your true self. ''

Zeralf nodded and start sensing the surrounding Ki. He had done this step several times actually but he still decided to take things slowly.

The surrounding Ki had different colours depending on its source. The Ki here was mostly brown coming from the sands and from there he checked his Ki. Even after seeing it multiple times he still felt amazed whenever he checked. His Ki actually came in different colours, some parts were golden, and others are silver, grey, black, and red. The multiple colours though were not the interesting part, what amazed him was actually how boundless and unending his Ki looked. Even he didn't know where it ended.

'' Now the soul energy. '' His concentration spiked since this was his first time trying to track his soul energy.

He carefully inspected his head's internal region and waited till he spotted a dot where some of his Ki gathered. The dot was green in colour almost twice a pea size at the center of his head. Minute green energy was released to his body constantly from the green dot.

'' Found it. '' He thought as he concentrated on the green dot.

Moments later, he felt his consciousness warped location and he found himself in a golden dimension filled with voidness.

'' On the outside world, perspiration filled Zeralf's naked torso and his forehead crisped.

'' Manifesting your Zajra as a mortal is indeed dangerous. ''

'' Since you want him to have quick growth, I sure will push him to death door. '' Genzo reminisced and his conversation with a fella in the past few days popped up in his head.

******

In a dimly lit room, Genzo and another figure were currently arguing.

'' That kid is dangerous and you know that. '' Genzo voiced in a strong tone while maintaining eyes contacts.

'' I know that already which is why we need to befriend him. '' The figure also replied with a serious tone not ready to back out.

'' You know his bloodlust actually affected me for a jiffy. That kid is messed up by HIM, he's clouded with vengeance. ''

'' You know he's actually one of them. '' The figure replied now in a soft voice

'' Which makes him more dangerous. ''

'' Other nations are nurturing them and we can't hinder a potential powerful ally out of fear of being betrayed. '' The voice paused and continued. '' The whole of Ezgard is at stake Genzo moreover he is just an innocent kid who got caught up in we adults' power struggles. ''

Genzo was silent at this point, he knew the other person was right, it was not as if he despised the kid, in fact, the opposite was the case, he only feared the potential threat that lingered around him.

'' You know one of my abilities, this forbidding feeling has been hitting me these days, even stronger than the last cosmic war and it keeps growing stronger. ''

'' Genzo, something we can not see yet is happening in the dark which keeps disturbing me. ''

Genzo's heart pounded heavily when he heard this, if it was another person that told him, he would have just brushed them off, but this person before him, his feelings were always accurate. And what could be brewing in the dark that was even stronger than the last war?

'' Fine. ''

'' I'll take him as my little brother. ''

'' This Throne shall put him near death situation and watch him grow. ''

He waved his large sword and continued. '' I'll only guide him, his decisions are his. ''

-------------

Back to the present time, Zeralf's body was covered in a slight golden Ki wave and his consciousness had already begun searching for his Zajra.

'' I'm spending too much time already what am I missing? ''

He had been searching for hours by now. If it was any other mortal, they would have long depleted their Ki and started devouring their soul realm.

'' Zajra is part of your true self. '' Something clicked in his head.

'' I see. '' A feeling of understanding dawned on him. '' I was not supposed to randomly search for it, I must feel. ''

'' He sat down in the soul realm and closed his eyes. An eerie blackish-violet aura began to shoot out from his body densely and minutes later he felt something within his reach and grabbed it.

His body in the physical world was slowly being covered by the blackish violet aura and soon it submerged the golden glow while spreading outward.

'' He is about to manifest his Zajra. '' Genzo noted and stood in full alert in case something was to go south.

Zeralf grabbed the thing tightly and started feeding it with his bloodlust. Nobody taught him but he felt that was the right thing to do.

'' What! ''

'' My soul realm is being devoured at a quick rate. ''

His stomach churned in fear as he noticed this, he increased the feeding proceeds but the rate at which the soul realm get devoured increased until it became unstable.

Even Genzo knew something was definitely amiss but he can't interfere at this point.

'' Why is his soul becoming unstable all of a sudden? ''

He was still thinking about this when he felt a massive discharge of Ki.

Inside the soul realm, Zeralf's soul was about to completely collapse when a dense golden Ki blasted through, it stopped the devouring process and even filled what was supposed to be his Zajra with tremendous Kí.

His soul stabilized at this point and it even seemed as if it was growing stronger. The yet to be manifested Zajra continue feeding on his bloodlust and Ki and soon it exploded and Zeralf got blasted out of the soul realm.

'' I see, so this is what happened. '' Genzo sighed in relief when he understood what stimulated the event earlier.

'' At least it's over. ''

Zeralf opened his eyes at that time which were glowing strongly and a weapon that released a powerful ominous aura slowly manifested in his hands.