Getting stronger

10 minutes later...

Kazoru found himself gasping for breath, his life hanging on a precarious edge as Tor unleashed the full measure of his formidable power. His control was impeccable, an inferno unleashed yet not a single ember dared to touch the forest.

Kazoru, on the other hand, was teetering on the brink of collapse after the grueling battle. The limits of his endurance had been tested, his magic strained to the breaking point.

"Well fought," Tor's voice broke through the haze of exhaustion. "For an old warhorse to be bested by a snotty brat... Can you still stand?" He commended Kazoru, who had survived the grueling ten-minute challenge.

"Hell no, can't you see I'm drained?" Kazoru's voice was shaky, his body swaying dangerously as if buffeted by an unseen wind. His mana reserves were depleted, leaving him feeling hollow and weak.

"Hmph, very well. Rest, then," Tor conceded, allowing Kazoru to sit. "Today, you will learn to harness the power of your inner beast," he proposed, changing the direction of their conversation.

"What the devil are you talking about?" Kazoru was lost, his confusion clear.

"My inner beast is a gorilla, Sazoru's is a tiger, Kitsune's a fox, and Ishou's a dragon. You, however, might just have a feline." Tor's words were met with disdain.

"Haha, funny. Like hell I'm going to let myself be reduced from a seasoned warrior to a cute, fluffy kitten." Kazoru's retort was immediate, a clear rejection of a beast as unimpressive as a kitten.

"You have quite the pride. It would seem I have turned you into a prideful lion of the family. Although, more of a cub, I'd say." Tor's smile held a hint of pride. He had watched as Kazoru grew, transforming from a young boy into a man who carried his family's pride.

"Now, let's see what beast lurks within you." Tor laid his hand on Kazoru's head, eyes closing as he delved into the depths of Kazoru's spirit.

For a moment, all was silent. Then, Tor saw it - a blaze so powerful that he could almost feel its heat. His eyes opened in surprise. Inside Kazoru, there was a potential so great it left him awestruck.

"Interesting. You possess a potential that surpasses most of your kin, possibly even outmatching Ishou himself," Tor declared, his voice rich with the promise of Kazoru's untapped abilities.

Kazoru was practically vibrating with anticipation. "So what beast lies within me?" he asked, a note of excitement in his voice.

"A monkey," Tor stated simply, and the revelation struck Kazoru silent, his face a mask of disbelief. His pride, once towering, now lay in ruins, replaced by a profound sense of disappointment.

"A monkey? Are you pulling my leg!?" Kazoru spluttered, his voice thick with chagrin. The thought of being equated with a monkey, instead of a creature as awe-inspiring as the dragon that resided within his uncle's brother, filled him with shame.

"Consider yourself fortunate, you fool," Tor rebuked him sharply. "A monkey, when properly trained, can harness both magic and strength. You could even ascend to be the Monkey King."

"That... stinks. OUCH!" Kazoru's complaint was cut short as Tor smacked him on the head, leaving a sizeable lump.

"You underestimate the Monkey King at your peril," Tor warned, his tone bordering on anger. Smoke began to seep from his ears, a clear indication of his growing annoyance. "The first step towards achieving great strength is confidence, something you currently lack."

"But I won't turn into a literal ape, right? Like Kitsune, who transformed into a demonic fox with flames as red as blood. Does this mean I'll grow a tail and take on a simian appearance? That's..." Kazoru grumbled, his voice heavy with irritation.

"You worry too much," Tor cautioned as he moved to sit on a nearby tree stump. "Never underestimate your own power. Although one may not fully comprehend your abilities, you know yourself better than anyone else. Remember, the power of unpredictability can kill your adversary."

"Take your rival, Akira, for instance. Given your fervent desire to surpass him, you should appreciate what you have. There are pros and cons to everything, and you are no exception. Use your strengths to exploit Akira's weaknesses. A more strategic approach, wouldn't you agree?"

"*Sigh* Well alright. At the very least, I get it that harsh truths are the way to get stronger." Kazoru stood up, feeling refreshed after hearing his rival's name.

Meanwhile, in the forest of Kasani village.

"So what you are saying, I must muster all my concentrations into pure concentration?" Volts sat on a stone with his legs crossed near the waterfalls.

"Meditation requires full concentration on one thing, either breathing or an object focused on your mind. Pure concentration means you can fully concentrate your energy and fully realized what you truly are. Sén can't be achieved by most many, but those "many" haven't truly mastered pure concentration." Karura explained with a gentle smile on his face.

"What you've been directing is how I must not be bothered by anything but the object I focused to? Hmph, that's quite difficult than I thought." Volts knew how difficult it was to master pure concentration, considering all five human senses were always active.

"That's how you truly awaken your sixth sense, a sense of your own life form. A sense of your true self. A power to let go all emotions, that's how beneficial meditation can be." Karura stood near Volts, reminding that things wouldn't be as easy as it should be, all it took was dedication.

Volts smiled, reminded of Akira's words that forever changed his perspective.

Volts breathed relaxedly as he closed his eyes, focusing one thing in his mind. His breathing pattern, through many distractions around him starting from the wind, the sound of birds chirping, and anything involved in his senses. Volts realized it was very difficult.

"Don't doze off now, that's the first challenge when you're too relaxed. You need to trick your mind that your only senses are only your lungs while also keeping you awake."

Volts quickly got distracted by the leaf falling over his head, wanting to make it fall. He ended his meditation, finally experiencing how much difficult to focus.

"Challenging, right? Notice how twitchy and how you keep getting distracted? That explained your past, bothered by many problems that you kept move too much. You have to learn how to be in peace with yourself." Karura noticed that Volts had dealt many problems in his life, that he kept getting distracted.

"I understand. It would seem I need to be in a more calmer state not from the outside but from the inside as well." Volts too noticed how much problems he dealt that struck his whole existence, finding it difficult to focus on things.

"Good, you're learning, friend. Sit still and overcome those problems. The past is the past after all." Karura smiled and patted Volts's shoulder, with a heart-calming smile.

Volts then went to continue his training, by not fighting the beast, but now fighting himself.

As Volts resume, Akira trained to perfect his master of weaponry, martial arts, and magic with Kamui helping him.

Kamui stood by his side with a proud smile, watching Akira training and very determined.

Akira swung his scythe at the thrown boulder coming at him repeatedly, he destroyed every each of them, not even giving up. A total of 500 boulders were destroyed, as large as an elephant.

The point of this training was for Kamui to read how much he had trained. But now he fully understood how Akira had experienced.

"There's a saying, "Muscle movements accentuate experience" Your moves are flawed and draws disadvantage, hinting you haven't been taught very well. But fear not, scythes aren't a very fast moving fighting style, I'd say average speed. All you need is to focus on a more strategic movements. A man with a hammer relied on careful attacks than a man with a dual dagger." Kamui advised.

"Well said... I guess... Although I can't die, my friends can. If I died, it would only delay my movements for moments."

"Understandable. How about you work on your magic? There's more to explore from your potential alone, everyone's potential will meet its day. Tell me, Akira... any other tricks up your sleeves, aside from swinging your scythe like a mad man?"

"Limitless survival." Akira responded.

"Never mind."

Kamui then changed topic by asking what Akira's dreams were.

"My dreams? Well, I wanna be a king." Akira answered with a soft smile.

"Is that so? Dull, but I suppose it's your dream, who am I to complain? I look forward seeing your distant future." Kamui seemed uninterested by taking the king's title. However, Kamui didn't seem to be surprised that many people would hope to achieve the highest status in the world.

"By the way, you do know that kings aren't the strongest, yes? I'm seriously boggled by your dreams. I did not sense any thirst for power or anything, but something else... Is there more that you can tell me about it?" Kamui sensed that Akira was hiding something that was the opposite of his dreams.

"Well... My true dream is actually..."

Akira spoke with a soft grin.

"..." Kamui's eyes widened.

"Heh... I see... You truly possess such massive difference than people I've met... even than my master..." Kamui chuckled.

"One day, if you did achieve that... I cannot wait to see how your strong words would change this world." Kamui responded with a proud grin.

"Now, let's resume." Kamui offered to resume the training.

"Right!" Akira nodded.