Second Ability: The Shadow Part I

As proposed by the doctor, he would have physical training. This is to train his body to prepare for the mana of his second ability. The doctor knows that having a second ability would also have different mana.

If a body would contain two different manas, but the body's weak, the mana would either run amok, called Mana Surge, or worst, die from too much mana, which the body can't handle, Mana Overload. These symptoms would only show for dual-ability users. This is why, Val is making his body prepare for a sudden surge of mana once he manifests his second ability.

During these 6 months, he had been in different physical trainings, the doctor at times would throw him at some military exercises, other times in a gym and use the gym facilities. However, at the end of the day, straight for 6 months, Val would always be bombarded with 1-on-1 training with Ember, combat training.

Although, there are times when the two redheads would throw some pranks instead of training, and some people would suffer from their antics.

At one point, due to innocent bystanders being the victim of the two's antics, Dr. Lewis decided to put a stop to it. With heavy loud footsteps, he walked towards them, veins visible out of his forehead, his nose flaring from anger, while shouting loudly to the both of them.

"Who the fuck are you to run your pranks in here!!? You do know that others also are using this facility!?!?! HUH?!?!?! WHO THE FUCKING ARE YOU? YOU BOTH ARE NOT BELLATOR!!! YOU BOTH ARE DESTROYERS OF THE GYM!!!" along with cursings in different forms.

The people who heard the doctor loudly cursing the two, sweatdropped, and silently praised his braveness to scold the two of them along with the cursings like it's some sort of chant.

While the two redheads lowered their heads and were kneeling while listening to all kinds of curses the doctor throws at them, they felt like their ears are bleeding from all those curses, and their faces, look like they were kicked puppies.

After several scolding and making the doctor shoot up his blood pressure from all the chaos the two had brought, six months had quickly passed by.

And so, after six months of physical training, Val's body had obvious results: lean muscular body, with six-pack abs, and his hair got longer.

Before, Val's height was a tad bit smaller, Ember's height is around 6'2, while before, Val's height was 5'5. Right now, aside from the physical enhancement that happened before, adding a growth spurt, his height has increased, Val's height hit the 5'8 range.

Exeo, on the other hand, was quiet, just silently receiving the reports about the two's activities. And so, when the 6 months were up, he decided to show up and watch how their youngest would be able to manifest his second ability.

Right now, all three Bellators are inside the training room, including Dr. Lewis, but there are no spectators this time. They wouldn't want their abilities to be leaked, and if there might be a spy inside from other countries, they wouldn't give out their trump cards, do they?

So, Val's training is no spectators allowed, Dr. Lewis is an exception. Although there's a possibility that he might be a spy, not they didn't trust the doctor, he is also there to monitor his vital signs and if the worst comes to worst, he will be there to assist the young Bellator.

Another is that Dr. Lewis had been sworn with an oath, the Mana Oath, that if ever he leaked any information to the enemies, or if he betrays the Bellator, he would go on Mana Surge and would lead to Mana Overload, which is death.

After a few warm-ups, Val faced the three, on his left side, the two older redheads, and on his right, the doctor.

Val sat down on the concrete floor, crossed his legs, and slowed down his breathing. He shut his eyes, and let his mind not to think of anything. Then, he frowns slightly. He went inside his mind and can see in his consciousness the black sphere again. This time, the purple fire was not surrounding it. He cautiously flew near the black sphere, and he was inwardly shocked by how big the black sphere is, it's as tall as its height and width, if he spreads his arms, at least two of his own body.

'This sphere has been inside me?'

He doesn't dare to go nearer as he is afraid it might cause him to shake again, like what he did to manipulate the purple fire. However, he doesn't have an inkling of how to make this black sphere react but going near it, would be the only way for the sphere to react.

He landed slowly near it, 10 steps away from it, and then, he slowly walked towards the sphere, step by step, trying to see if there was any reaction, and when he was close, a mere 3 steps away, the sphere started shaking.

He was nervous, but still continued, with a serious expression. He clutched both his hands in a fist and step by step goes nearer. The shaking of the sphere is gradually intensifying as if the whole area would crumble.

He slowly lifts one of his hands, unclutching it, and slowly leans forward to touch the sphere. When his palm and the sphere are in contact, a burst of light shot out of the sphere, then a cracking sound can be heard. He was squinting, while his other hand was on the sphere, his other hand was covering his eyes from the bright light coming out of the sphere.

Then, the sphere was slowly crumbling away, with the light still coming out of the cracks, and when the sphere cracked open, everything was white. Val couldn't open his eyes because the light was so bright.

After a few minutes, the light faded away, his vision was blurry but gradually came to focus. Then, a shadow is standing in front of him. There's no telling if he was facing in front or back, as everything from his head to toe is covered in black.

Val quickly removed the hand that was previously touching the sphere and with a quick reflex, he jumped away.

He asked, "Who are you?! Why were you inside the sphere?!"

The shadow didn't answer but rushed forward, Val couldn't feel any killing intent, but just in case, he readied himself in a fighting stance.

However, when was about to throw a punch, he saw that the shadow was smiling while rushing forward, then suddenly, it went past him, and disappeared. He quickly turned around, his eyes scanning the area, but all he can see is white, then suddenly, there it is again, a loud thump he can only hear.

'Don't tell me... ugh...is this how I manifest my ability...' as he frowned deeply, and soon fell on his knees, gasping for air, with eyes wide open. He felt a burning sensation from inside his chest, slowly going upwards. He couldn't see what was happening to his body outside, but he could feel the burning sensation. It still continued going upward and into his left eye. He immediately closed his eyes, the burning sensation was worst, but the feeling that his left eye would pop out of his eye sockets was no joke.

'Uuurgggh!'

He opened only his right eye, while he covered his left eye with his left palm.

It was like someone was trying to forcefully remove his left eye. He was still gasping for air, saliva coming out of his mouth. His eye focus is shaky and blurry and when he looked up, he saw again the shadow. He asked in between his gasps, with his right eye still opened, and his left eye covered, he said, "W-wha -t...d-id you do t-o m-e?", his right hand clutching in a fist.

The shadow, who looks like still staring down at him, seems like it understood Val's question, opened its palm, and emitted a small sphere.

'So, this...'

The shadow from the sphere showed him his second ability. When he saw the shadow's palm showing the small sphere, he lowered his head and closed his eyes. He tries to slowly calm his breathing, feeling the mana that was just inside his body, currently running wild.

'Think nothing else, think nothing else.'

Then, his breathing slowly calmed down, and his hand which was clutched in a fist, is slowly relaxing too. He knows that he needs to control this mana, and so when he calmed his breathing, he slowly moved his body from a crouching position and moved into a sitting position, crossed-legged.

Inside his mind, he's doing the same position as what his outside body was doing. He concentrated, frowned slightly, and felt the mana from the black sphere. The mana that came from the black sphere felt cold, not icy cold, but a creepy kind of cold, like how he felt he was on death's door. He shuddered a bit, but then he slowly guided this black mana to spread all over his body.

He tries to intertwine the mana with the purple fire. To prevent any backlash, the purple fire which has already spread out all over his body, introduces the black mana slowly. He guided the black mana and saw that there was no reaction from both purple and black mana. So he intertwines them slowly and carefully, and if there's a slight reaction, he would stop.

He would wait for any reaction to calm down and then proceed again. He kept on doing this for quite a while, and Val didn't know how long he was doing it. He started from the center of his body, then slowly spreading it out to his arms and legs.

Once he was done, he calmed down again, slowly breathed in and breathed out, and opened his eyes.

He saw that the shadow was sitting in front of him like he was waiting for him to finish. He doesn't know whether the shadow knows how to talk, as he can't see a mouth. He felt that the shadow kept staring at him, tilted its head to the side.

"Give me a name.", it said in a distorted voice.

He widened his eyes in surprise, he didn't know that it can talk. He didn't answer but indulged him, thinking of what name he can think of this shadow. He rubbed his chin and with a bit of thinking, he asked, "What's the basis of me naming you."

The shadow suddenly smirked, and a thin white line appeared on its face.

"My name will be a command. When you say my name, my powers will manifest which you can control."

'His name will be a command?', Val frowned and thought of something. "Deleo", he said and stared again back at the shadow.

The shadow tilted his head again to the side, and asked in disbelief, "Do you already know the sphere's power?"

"Uh...no? Why? Is there something wrong with the name Deleo?"

The shadow snorted, "Deleo fits perfectly for my power.", the shadow stood up and smirked, staring down at him. He continued, "Do you want to know what exactly this power is?" Val nodded, and with a wave of the shadow's hand, he was pushed out of his mind.

Outside, he opened his eyes and gasped for air. His whole body was sweating, and again, his left eye bled.

'That prick! He asked me but then kicked me out!', Val frowned rubbing his temples, and clicked his tongue.

When he calmed down and regained his eye focus, he looked up and scan the surroundings, he noticed that he was the only one in the training room. His brothers and the doctor are nowhere to be found.

'Maybe they went out for a bit.'

He decided to train again with his newly gained skill but the door to the training room opened, and the doctor, with a grim expression, walked towards Val.

He ignored Val's disheveled appearance, and said, "Your brothers are in my laboratory. They went unconscious when they touched you. They got worried when you started bleeding in your left eye, I tried to stop them but it was too late. So I decided to bring them there, don't worry no one knows." he stared down while saying this to Val, who's currently sitting.

He panicked when he heard it and stood up immediately, "How long were they out?"

"4 hours ago", the doctor continued, "Follow me." And so, they went to the laboratory and when they arrived, the two are in a bed, still lying unconscious. They are currently being monitored by the doctor's colleagues, which have also sworn secrecy with the Mana Oath. Val showed a worried face and is currently watching them, with glass dividing them.

Then, he turned around, with his back facing the glass, and was about to go out, when the doctor asked, "What happened back there?", as he looked sideways to Val.

"I am not sure, but I will find out, I have to go train first. Doc, please look after them, and when they wake up, please call me. I'll explain to you everything that happened.", Val just said and went out of the laboratory.

'The doctor said I was bleeding, hmm..that means, it may be that time when the sphere was broken and that shadow came out.'

When he arrived back at the training room, he sat on the floor, crossed his legs, and emptied his mind.

He is now able to at least go in and out of his consciousness, and there, he saw the shadow again, floating about in the empty space. He walked straight toward it and directly asked, "My brothers were unconscious when they touched me."

The shadow stopped floating and slowly landed, he said in a distorted voice, "Do you...by any chance have a purple fire?"

Val frowned at the question but still answered, "Yes, I do, and so are my brothers."

'Hah! Is this fate or what, so that guy and this are his successors? Heh, interesting.', Deleo thought amusingly.

The shadow circled around Val, floating, he said, "Hmm, the guy that first had the sphere," he landed gracefully and then turned to face Val, and he continued, "Also had a purple fire.", stopped in front with his hands on his back.

Val just nodded without changing his serious expression.

The shadow's head tilted to the side and said, "Oh? You knew?"

Val said, "Yes. And...", he paused, thinking, 'That means I can share with him what happened to the first Bellator'.

He hesitated for a moment but soon opened his mouth and said, "I saw his...last moments, partly.", gazing down. He recalled the feeling of being at the door's death, he felt what Reinhart had felt at that time when the dagger pierced his chest.

The shadow didn't talk and looked away, as if remembering something, and looked back at Val, and said, "So much for the strongest ARM user eh?", although his voice was distorted, Val could feel that it was somehow sad.

Val was deep in thought on what the shadow had told him and was about to ask something when the shadow interrupted him, "Your brothers are awake, you should go.", and was pushed out.

He slowly opened his eyes and saw someone standing in front of him. He looked up and said, "They're awake, aren't they?"

The doctor was inwardly shocked but, just nodded and let Val follow him back to the laboratory.