EPISODE 3: TEMPUS FINIS (THE END OF TIME) PART ONE; THE TWO ULTIMATE POSSIBILITIES

Gaiden opened his eyes. He was still in Master Hiruko's clutches. Elements swirled around them as they travelled through Time and Space.

"I see…you knew what I was going to do before I actually did it. The only explanation is that I had already performed the actions you negated at least once" Gaiden said.

Master Hiruko opened his eyes in surprise.

"You…know? Tell me boy, have you ever been to the Spirit Realm before?" Master Hiruko asked.

"Why are you so shocked? No, I haven't been to the Spirit Realm before. Is my knowledge of your ability really that surprising?" Gaiden asked.

"I see…so that is why you were chosen" Master Hiruko said.

"What do you mean?" Gaiden asked.

"In this world, there are ultimately two kinds of people. Those that lean towards the Spiritual and those that lean towards the Material. Those that lean towards the Material have…to put it in technical terms 'Finite Mortal Souls'. They can only perceive the Visible and they can only perceive events that have either already occurred or are in the process of occurring. Those that lean towards the Spiritual on the other hand can perceive all the aforementioned however they possess 'Infinite Immortal Souls' to put it in technical terms. Their Infinite Immortal Souls allow them to perceive the Invisible as well as possibilities that have not yet occurred as well however they can only achieve this feat if they have visited the Spirit Realm at least once in their lifetimes. The more they visit the Spirit Realm, the greater the possibilities they can perceive. You Gaiden have never been to the Spirit Realm and you attempted to defy your Fate. This tells me that you lean more to the Material than the Spiritual however you have memories of a possibility that was negated or prevented from occurring. One of the reasons Tristran is so fearful is due to the fact that once he negates a possibility, all memories of that possibility are lost. Thus one can never learn from any experiences gained from the negated possibility. Needless to say, strategy has limited applications when it comes to dealing with Tristran since it is mostly dependent on the ability to learn from past mistakes. Try to imagine what that means" Master Hiruko said.

"Losing even once to Tristran means losing all hope of ever defeating him. If I can't even recall which moves work against him and which do not, how do I even fight him?" Gaiden realized.

"Bingo, and that is where you come in my boy. You, the New Human Saints and Dragon Saints you are about to encounter on your journey as well as your predecessors. There is an Ancient Legend Of A Ninja who first defeated Tristran. It is said that Tristran was immune to all Magic and Taijutsu (Hand to Hand Combat Skills) but was vulnerable to techniques that fused Human Fighting Techniques with Spiritual Power…in other words Ninjutsu (Secret Techniques). This Ninja was the progenitor of the Art Of Ninjutsu. This Ninja is none other than you…Gaiden" Master Hiruko said.

"B-B-But that would make me…the Ancestor of my own Parents!" Gaiden screamed in shock.

"Are you even listening to me?! After everything I've just told you that's what you're so worried about?!" Master Hiruko yelled angrily.

"You just don't get it do you?! Can you imagine all the years of Harsh Training I had to endure?! That could have been avoided by speaking these three simple words to my parents 'Respect Your Elders'" Gaiden said.

Master Hiruko shook his head in boredom.

"I suppose you will have to learn the hard way. We're here" Master Hiruko said.

Gaiden found himself floating through Space. Countless Stars swirled around him. He noticed a Tremendous Strairway spiraling all the way from where he stood into the Highest Heavens.

"Welcome Gaiden, to Tempus Finis also known as the End Of Time. First, let me give you a brief introduction to the Task at hand. Look above you" Master Hiruko pointed.

Gaiden raised his eyes and saw Two Great Dragons. The First had its Upper Body made out of the Elements Of Generation and its Lower Body made out of the Elements Of Destruction. In the Second Dragon, the order of the Elements was reversed. Both Dragons were biting their Tails. This first Dragon represents the True Timeline, its Head represents Ryuujinn, the Heart, its Tail represents Tristran, the Spirit Of Hatred. The Head devouring the Tail, well, I leave you to figure that part out" Master Hiruko said. The First Dragon looked peaceful forming a Complete Circle. The Second Dragon represents a distorted Timeline beginning with the Fall Of Ryuujinn after Tristran's Deception and Rebellion. The Head in this Timeline represents Tristran and its Tail represents Humanity" Master Hiruko said.

"What?! We become Tristran's Dinner?!" Gaiden screamed in horror.

The Elements whirled about this Dragon in a Chaotic Manner.

"I have decided! That Second Dragon is going down!" Gaiden roared as he charged towards the Stairs and began to ascend them.

"Don't be reckless Gaiden! You can't change the Timelines with brute force!" Master Hiruko warned.

"Who said anything about changing the Timelines?! All I'm after…" Gaiden said when he was above the Two Dragons. "…is the Head Of This Man-Eater Of A Dragon! This is how you slay a Serpent!" Gaiden roared as he leapt towards the Second Dragon.

Master Hiruko sighed in exasperation.

"This boy will never learn. At best he's just going to pass right through the Elements" Master Hiruko said.

"SECRET DRAGON SLAYER ART! SERPENT HEAD CRUSHER JUTSU!" Gaiden roared and enforced his feet with Crystal.

His feet connected with the Head Of The Second Dragon. It roared in pain, opening its Mouth and releasing its Tail in the process. At that moment, there was a distortion in the Elements on its body and the Elements Of Generation and Destruction swapped positions causing it to match the First Dragon in appearance.

"GO GAIDEN! I TOTALLY MISJUDGED YOU! YOU ARE A TRUE GENIUS!" Master Hiruko roared passionately.

"He distorted…the Second Timeline where Tristran reigns Supreme?!" Master Hiroshi exclaimed in shock.

A moment later, the Elements on the Second Dragon reverted to their initial state as the Second Dragon violently bit on its Tail.