Ch. 3 Time Flows Like a Raging River

After thoroughly exercising his brain pats it's limits Junior decides it's time to start with his physical training.

"Derek!" Junior calls out to the older man sitting in a recliner chair across the room. "It's time for phase 2"

Derek closes his book and looks up at Junior. "I was unaware we had phases going on"

Junior stands up and goes to place a book back on the shelf. "Well, it's technically like the third or something but it was more for dramatics"

"Ah" Derek sarcastically responds as he stands up. "So what is next?"

"I plan to start training" Junior turns around with a confident grin.

"I have been waiting for that. I shall personally see to your training, your father made sure that I am a capable teacher after all" Derek confidently stated as he straightens his suit jacket out.

"Good. But I also wish to call upon some professional huntsman we have unused favors for. And I plan on training our men as well. I am not satisfied with their current combat capabilities, they are rather…. lackluster" Junior goes to one of his notebooks and rips out a piece of paper and puts it on the desk facing away from himself.

Derek walks up to the desk. "An army is only as strong as its weakest chain after all" He wisely says.

"Exactly" Junior pushes the paper forward towards Derek. "This is a list of people we can use to train our men. You will contact them and get them started training on rotations. Both the instructors and those learning from them. You and I will come up with my own training schedule later. I am aware there are books about aura here so I plan to initially train my body without aura and read more books here. After I am satisfied with my training without aura I will have it unlocked"

"You wish to have professional huntsmen train our men? But only a few have their aura unlocked" Derek questions. "And why leave your aura until later?"

Derek knows that it is smarter to unlock it a bit later, but he is curious as to how Junior came up with it on his own.

"The huntsmen will train those with aura separately, those will be our 'elite units' so to speak. And the huntsmen will train those without aura because nobody ever expects someone without aura to be a super cape ale combatant. And underestimating your opponent will lead to unfortunate events. So we will use that to our advantage" Junior smirks. "And because we can"

Derek smiles lightly as he shakes his head. "Just making sure sir. And if it is what you want it shall be done. I also think getting some of those lazy bums whipped into shape will be for the better"

Junior nods. "And I also wish to start recruiting"

Derek raises a brow. "Of what sort?"

"Of the variety sort. Obviously not to our maximum, but we will start small. And specifically I want to recruit Faunus. Especially those mistreated and with unique Faunus traits. We need loyal members and if we take in some mistreated Faunus and treat them well they will be more inclined to be extremely loyal. But the same goes for humans, those that are mistreated or discarded are to be recruited. You already know who to contact about this task. Make sure he knows to not recruit from the higher ups" Junior takes a note from his desk with the various changes to the building on it and looks it over.

"I'm surprised you wish to include the Faunus. Any particular reason?" Derek asks, he specifically remembers Junior highly disliking Faunus in the past. Perhaps this is a part of his recent changes?

"Because" Junior puts the note back into its drawer. "Why waste untapped resources? The White Fang have already begun to recruit in Vale. Although it is so minor it doesn't matter, I'd rather not let them get the prime picks. That, and the previous reasons of having them be loyal to us for giving them a better life. Along with their various Faunus traits and specifically their night vision"

"Very smart. Although more than a few of our members won't like that" Derek warns.

"Tell them to come to me with their complaints. And make sure the more stubborn ones get straightened out by the instructors" Junior says in his commanding tone. "And has the training room been finished?"

Derek strokes his beard. "It should be just about finished"

"Good, I'll take the rest of the day to relax and then tomorrow we will make the schedule for my training" Junior walks towards the exit with Derek behind him.

"The first day in what? Nearly 6 months?" Derek jokes.

"What do you have to complain? I've given you plenty of time off, I might as well have moved my bed into this damned office" Junior and Derek exit to the loud noise of construction.

"And I thank you for that. I can't keep up with this aging body of mine" Derek says as he walks past Junior.

"Your body may be aging but to me it seems your mind is only getting sharper" Junior stretches his back and places his hands on his hips.

"That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me" Derek jokes before waving the list of names through the air. "I must get going, someone has filled up my plate for the rest of the day"

"I recommend you get to it then" Junior waves him off and goes into his room, which is his old man's room. He just replaced a few things. Namely the bed.

"Man it feels like weeks since I've been in here" Junior jokes. Mainly because he only comes here late at night after studying the entire day.

Junior takes his suit off and flips onto the soft bed. "The rest of the construction shouldn't take too much longer, only about what? A few more months? Hopefully I'll have my aura unlocked by then…" He says aloud as he drifts to sleep.

——————

The following day he goes to the giant training room dressed in a tshirt and shorts. And inside the room he sees Derek still in his suit.

"What? Am I not good enough to make you take this seriously?" Junior asks as he walks up to his second in command.

"Why ask when you already know?" Derek straightens his white tie. "Without your aura this will be too easy. You should already know what my semblance is"

Junior begins warming up. "Yeah, I know. 'Thought Acceleration' right? Basically slows time down for you, damn cheat if you ask me"

Derek shrugs. "That's the gist of it atleast. But you make it sound so easy, if my mind slips in the slightest it will do more harm than good. It may allow me to focus on a battle more but if I get sidetracked it will only end in disaster for me. Like instead of reading my opponents every move I accidentally think about what groceries I need to pick up. It will end up with me being taken out rather easy you see"

Junior finishes warming up. "Good to know. So first thing first. I'm doing sparring, weight training, cardio, lunch, weight training, cardio, dinner, sparring, and then I'll shower and finish the day off reading various book correct?"

Derek nods. "I believe that is what we agreed upon during your breakfast. And before we start, what books do you plan on reading first?"

Junior looks at the weapons rack. "Mainly the various fighting styles. The old man certainly has a few unique ones that would be best to read sooner rather than later. After that is the various weapons books. Then aura or whatever else I choose to read next. But the aura books will probably happen just before I have my aura unlocked"

"Smart, and before we start I will inform you that there has been a little mishap between some of the guys and a rival organization. But it's been taken care of, completely. So you shouldn't need to worry about the Barths in the future" Derek adjusts his cuffs before bringing his fists up. "I'll take it easy since it's your first time, sir"

Junior rolls his eyes. "Gods~" He groans as he also brings his hands up.

——————

The days fly by faster than Junior expected. He's made some speeches to his men and the new recruits as needed. And he's progressed rather well in his training and boom reading. Turns out Junior is a natural fighter, which shouldn't be a surprise based on his body. He's learned fighting from Derek and incorporated it into what he's learned from the books.

But it's kinda hard to practice his techniques when he can't hit Derek…. at all. And he's mostly just been learning how to take blow after blow. And the kicks hurt the worst. But he knows this is for the best. He doesn't want to get too reliant on his aura just encase it breaks and leaves him defenseless.

He's learned how to wield a variety of weapons, his favorite by far is the sword. But he has learned other just to be safe. Even the club, reluctantly. And shooting seems to be fairly straight forward. Point at your target, aim accurately, adjust for whatever conditions you are in, and then pull the trigger.

And he hasn't just trained with Derek, but professional huntsmen and other instructors. And some have come from different kingdoms. But the result of him still getting his ass kicked still remains. But he is doing much better than his men.

His men are getting broken down and built back up basically, something that didn't need to be done to Junior.

Junior now sees why aura is necessary for huntsmen. Even without a semblance it makes you more durable, heightens your senses, increases your speed and strength, and some other various things. But it comes with a drawback. It's that Grimm will be able to sense you and will attack you due to your aura being unlocked.

The days turn to weeks. And the weeks turn to months. And the longer he trains the more he is able to keep up, even without aura.

Junior has also come up with a blueprint for his own weapon he plans to make when he unlocks his aura. It'll be even taller than him when it's finished, but he will be strong enough to use it when the time comes. He will be stuck with Bazooka until much later anyway.

——————

Things are looking to be going smoothly and according to plan. It's been nearly a year since he has reincarnated and he will finally have his aura unlocked. The club will be finished along with the other changes to the building. The items in the old warehouse have been moved to various organized rooms. And he's also bought some land for housing his men in Vale. Just to be sure they have a place to stay and have more comradely among eachother. Some Faunus have been recruited and Junior silenced the more defiant men. Not killing them, but beating them down into the dirt. He was even kind enough to explain to them why the Faunus should be treated better, but only a few people were convinced by those words.

And he made sure to do the beatings publicly with his other men watching. Sure he took a few blows himself, but he took them in stride and proved he wasn't to be fucked with. He even defeated a few that had their aura unlocked, but those fights took a lot more energy and effort.

And the training room wasn't just for his own use. The room was extremely large and had lots of various equipment. So his men were joining him I. The training room, they just trained separately. But they were motivated by how much effort Junior was putting in.

——————

"Are you ready?" Derek asks as he placed his right hand over Junior's chest.

"Yes" Junior seriously says as he closes his eyes and stands tall.

"I shall begin then" Derek takes a deep breath before reciting the ritual.

"For it is in power that we achieve strength. Through this, we become a paragon of duty and sacrifice to outlast all others as we gain the power to shape our own destiny. Infinite in potential and unburdened by expectation, I release your soul, and by my hand, empower thee" Derek says his chant as he glows a light blue.

Derek's aura touches Junior and seemingly enters his very body and soul. After the chant finishes Derek's aura blinks and slowly fades away and he takes his hand away. As Derek takes his hand off of Junior he opens his eyes with a bit of effort due to some mild exhaustion.

Junior's dark black aura surrounds him, and the feeling is as if a weight has finally been taken off his soul itself. Junior looks down at his hands and then looks to Derek.

The older man looks to be exhausted to a higher degree than Junior has seen in the past few months.

"You ok? I thought the ritual shouldn't affect a person that much" Junior say, feigning ignorance.

Derek catches his breath. "Yes, but when a person unlocks the aura of another it may take more or less effort depending on the amount of the aura they are trying to unlock, and you. You have an unnatural amount. Congratulations boss"

"Oh? Is that you acknowledging that I'm ready?" Junior is rather surprised. Derek has only called him sir or Junior in the past year.

"Yes, but you've practically already been taking over these last few months anyway. The men all already see you as their boss. Especially after you increased the Xiong family name by having them patrol the not so safe parts of Vale. Our reputation hasn't been this 'good' in a long time. And the other side of that coin, your ways of making Lien has also been revolutionary for the family. And we still haven't even opened up the club yet" Derek praises Junior, something he holds back on doing to not end late the ego of Junior in fear that he will go back to his old ways.

"Fair enough" Junior shrugs and flexes his arms as he can feel the aura coursing through and slightly around him. "Guess that makes taking over a needless point to worry about. And now I get to train with my aura until I unlock my semblance. But I plan to also work at the club and get some of the other businesses kicked into higher gear. Guess that means you get to take somewhat of a break Derek, of course I'll still keep you as my right hand and second in command"

"It's an honor boss" Derek bows slightly.

Junior nods. "Now I plan to go ahead and forge my own weapon. Take the rest of the day after making sure the guys aren't fucking around setting the club up"

——————

After hours of painstaking labor, Junior is able to forge the weapon of his dreams. It's basically a giant glaive with a squared blade that transforms into a giant great sword. Said sword can get taken apart into a long longsword and an automatic rifle. It can also shoot in it's other forms, although slightly less accurately.

Having his aura made making this giant thing a reality. Because without his increased strength he wouldn't have been able to finish it all in one day. He even tried adding his aura into it, but it didn't work and didn't seem to do anything.

Junior waves the great sword around. "It's a damn shame I'm forced to use Bazooka, but that just makes using this baby that much sweeter when I'm finally able to"

The square glaive form of the weapon is mainly its compressed form as it makes it easier to transport. Even if it's still over 7ft long.

——————

"Alright boys!" Junior shouts as he rests Bazooka in its club form over his right shoulder. He is addressing most of his men currently. "As you know we have been making some changes. And there's still more to come!"

The men just stand one the ground floor of the club and look up at their boss who is standing where the dj equipment will be moved to later.

"Enough with the completely black suits! We aren't a funeral service or anything! Switch your black ties out for one of the red ones we have ordered. You all will be wearing identical suits. The only people allowed to wear anything different is Derek who will keep his white tie and me. I'll be wearing the white dress shirt. Make sure the newcomers know this and keep it in mind. Everyone, and I mean everyone will be getting a pair of red sunglasses to wear as well. And I haven't forgotten to accommodate the Faunus of our family, those special suit orders will be finished tomorrow" Junior looks out over the crowd of men and wonders why there aren't any women, a bit too much testosterone but oh well. "Now get back to work and finish this place up so we can open it up tomorrow. The sooner you guys finish the sooner you can go back home for the day!"

The men like to hear that they can get some time off, who doesn't like those words?

Junior and Derek watch the men from above.

Derek has his hands behind his back as he stands to Junior's right side and about 2 steps back. "Hard to believe its only been a year"

Junior takes Bazooka off his shoulder and leans on it. "Yeah, but I do have a question Derek. In all this time I haven't seen you use a unique weapon. Why is that?"

"I was wondering when you would ask that. It's because my weapon broke in a fight before your father passed away. And I haven't had a need to get or make a new one. The ordinary weapons in the training room are good enough for me" Derek glances to the side. "We should probably move so the men can finish their work, it seems a few are a bit eager"

Coming up the stairs is a large built bull Faunus and a rather muscular man as they carry up some electronics.

"You're right" Junior puts Bazooka over his shoulders and puts his arms over the weapon. "Guess it's time for me to get back to some training. I'll be busier from tomorrow on after all"

Junior and Derek walk past some men and make their way to the ground level and walk through a door that leads to various hallways. It's practically a maze but Junior is the one who designed it so he knows the right way to go. It's mainly to deter people from just walking up the stairs and going to the end of a hall to find his office.

Derek looks at Junior's back. Junior has grown an inch to stand at 6'10" and his body has bulked up immensely. And there's a slight beard growing on his face. Derek looks at Junior's hair and wonders if he will do something special with it, he did hear Junior talk about cutting it when things start to pick up.

'Why the hell does facial hair have to be so gods damned itchy!!!' Junior curses in his head. He's always hated that itchy beard faze when growing it out, and this life isn't any different. "Derek, I'm going out early tomorrow. I want you to double check everything before I get back"

"It'll be done. Tomorrow is the big day after all, or should I say big night?" Derek slightly jokes. The club will open tomorrow night for the first time after all.

"Call it whatever. I'm gonna balance our new budgets you do what you want. I trust you won't fuck around" Junior continues along his path as Derek stops.

"Sir, yes sir" Derek lazily salutes before turning around and going back to the club. He doesn't understand the whole appeal of a club but he knows it's an easy way to make some fast and easy Lien.

As Junior gets back to his office he practices spreading his aura over Bazooka. It's still a bit weird and jarring for him but it's fairly easy.

When he gets back into his office he takes the budget book from its shelf and places it on the desk.

As Junior sits down he places Bazooka against the side of the desk. He opens a bottom drawer of the desk and takes a box out and placed it on top of the desk.

"I was told not to open you until I officially became boss. Guess it's time to see what else the old man left for me" Junior says and opens the box.

Inside there are rings. Some more intricate and fancy than others. The most intricate one is made of a black metal and has a ruby as the gemstone with and X on it which most likely represents Xiong. The other rings are basically just metal rings, but they give a weird vibe to Junior.

When he picks one of the less detailed rings up he notices that it's practically trying to pull his aura to it.

Junior smirks. "I suppose anything could be a weapon, even a leek could be strengthened by aura after all"

The rings seem to be specially made to help increase a persons proficiency in hand to hand combat. Sure a punch could be strong, but what if that fist had metal that conducted aura? It would make that punch much stronger.

Junior takes the Xiong ring and placed it on his ring finger of his right hand. He also has 6 of the other rings. He places them on his other fingers besides his thumbs and his left ring finger. The left ring finger was reserved for that special someone he will eventually meet.

"That's a feeling I'll have to get used to" Junior flexes and relaxes his fingers. "Might as well balance the books for now I guess"

Junior gets to work. Renovating the entire building definitely put a dent into the total amount of money he had to work with. But in the long run it was worth it.

Besides the renovation he also spent a little money to help some local businesses around Vale. Having some people owe you some favors isn't a bad thing after all.

And he will be paying a few of those people a visit tomorrow.