Post by Shirin Tao Zhu on Mar 1, 2010 23:42:58 GMT -5
Shirin's clothes were tattered and torn from the battle he'd had not so long ago with that man, Cifer. Shirin had been overconfident. He thought that he was the ultimate weapon, developed by science, and completed by his father and mother. It seemed as though he wasn't as powerful a weapon as he thought. Maybe by normal human standards he was the ultimate weapon, but this new threat...it had made a select few stronger. It had made them beyond human. And the threat was still stronger than that.
If someone like Cifer was around and still unable to fight against the evils of the world, then how could Shirin hope to fight them? Was Cifer on their side? Or did he simply not care who won or lost? These questions plagued Shirin as he sat, leaned against a small boulder in the open plains that rolled across the center of Earth's main continent. The small fire he'd made whipped about in the gentle breezes. It wasn't necessarily cold or dark. Shirin was cooking. In his opinion it was a crude manner of cooking, and it would take a while to fully cook something this way, but that would give him time to review the video files he'd gotten during his fight with Cifer. He lifted his gaze from the several chunks of various meat, fish, and vegetation that he'd shishkebabed and stuck over the fire to cook, and sighed.
He stood up and looked off into the horizon, almost blankly staring. Open Video file Cifer01. Shirin gave the chip a command and it obeyed, playing out the video footage in his eyes as if he were seeing the events transpire just as they had before, but for a second time. The clarity and speed of the video was unreal. It was far better than anything even a high quality, high speed camera could record. Cifer's initial movements were slow compared to the speed he'd unleashed in the later half of the battle. Shirin did his best to recall the events in his own mind to see how well they matched up to what the recording had captured and to see how much he actually remembered. Most of the miniscule details that the video had picked up, he couldn't remember, but he could remember the overall twists and turns of the fight.
After skimming over the video a couple of times he decided to start focusing on the main things he wanted to learn. The foremost choice being the After Image technique that Cifer seemed to enjoy using so much. Speed and agility were invaluable assets in hand to hand combat, and suck speed as that technique displayed, even when Cifer was holding back, would be incredibly useful.
Shirin had the chip rewind the sequence back to the point near the beginning of the fight when Cifer first used the technique when his speed was at its slowest compared to the other times he'd used it. Shirin hoped that watching this version when Cifer was holding back would make it easier for him to learn since this version was closer to the level of ability he was at. That's the way it worked out in Shirin's mind, at least.
In the heat of battle there were a lot of minor details that Shirin hadn't noticed. The most prominent one from when Cifer had first used the After Image was his initial movement during the technique. It was incredibly exaggerated and drawn out. Somehow, though, it was far faster than his normal speed. That didn't make sense to Shirin, but the fact that Cifer had moved so swiftly refuted this thought. It had to make sense somewhere along the line. Shirin figured he might as well give it a shot.
He closed the video out for a moment and moved about ten yards from the rock he'd been leaning on. He turned around to face it. That rock will be my goal. I'll need to see just how fast I can get to it from here. He ran the motion that Cifer had made through his mind a couple more times before taking his fighting stance. He then burst forward from his Crane Style form in the same motion that Cifer had made, exaggerating his movements in a similar manner.
Shirin's result wasn't anywhere near as impressive as Cifer's swift and graceful assault. He looked quite ridiculous extending a single motion that much. Almost like he was trying too hard. Something good did come out of it, though. For the duration of the movement itself, not a second after, his speed was above his normal limit by a small degree. He felt his muscles burn for a moment, likely from the sudden stress placed on them. He cringed and sprang up and down on his toes, shaking off the pain mentally and physically. He couldn't get tired at this stage of training.
He did come to a rather disappointing realization at this point. It was highly possible that even though his muscles had still been in much heavier activity than normal during his hyper sleep, they might not have underwent the full stress levels that he was putting them under now by pushing his own limits. He didn't want to overdo things, but he couldn't afford to slack off. Not knowing whether he'd hurt himself or not by using his powers to their fullest was very annoying and risky.
He did tell Cifer that he'd meet him in the finals at the next tournament, though, so he had to give it all he could. Cifer was a tough opponent and he'd only be able to defeat him if he was at his very best. I'll have to go by trial and error and hope that I don't overdo it. Not training for the tournament at all isn't an option. I gave my word as a martial artist. If I remember Grandpa's lessons correctly I basically put my honor as a human being on the line. In this live or die, fight or flight world we live in now...I think it's safe to say that honor is a thing very few people have. I have to keep mine at any cost.
Shirin pauses to take a breath and he moves a few yards from his current position back to where he started. That one movement had covered nearly six yards in only a second. That was pretty fast, but Cifer was able to move and perform multiple attacks from multiple directions in little more time than that. There was still a large gap in skill and ability to be traversed if Shirin expected to have any chance at actually beating Cifer.
He took his basic Crane Style stance yet again and gritted his teeth. He expected the burn in his muscles to be a bit more intense this time, so he was trying to mentally brace himself. He inhaled and then, exhaling as he moved, he bolted forward in the same overly done manner as before. His speed was slightly faster than the previous attempt and he made it a yard or two closer to the rock in the same amount of time. Shirin winced again and gritted his teeth. The burning pain didn't last long, and it wasn't much worse than the first time, but it was still there. Apparently his muscles hadn't fully adjusted to the stronger neural impulses that his superconducting reflexes put out. The quick electric jolt caused a light burning sensation on the inside. It wasn't terrible, but it was worse than the normal pains of tearing down one's muscles during a workout.
When the pain wore off Shirin caught his breath and moved back to his starting place. The pain had lingered a bit longer than before this time, but Shirin was too focused on the training itself to really notice this fact. There must be something I missed. Something he did that I didn't catch on the first watch through. I'll take another look at that initial performance and try to get it in higher detail.
Shirin gave the chip in his brain the commands as such, but it was only able to improve the quality of that part of the video slightly, and only at the cost of some quality over the rest of the sequence. That didn't bother him too much, though, as the only real reason he'd taken the film as a whole was to practice the forms and stances that Cifer had used during the fight. Some of them were more advanced than what Shirin knew, so they could serve that purpose even in lower video quality.
As he reviewed the sequence concerning Cifer's first use of the After Image a second time, this time in a higher definition, he did notice something he hadn't before. Even through his gi pants it seemed that the muscles in Cifer's legs had expanded momentarily before tensing up to unleash incredible thrusting power. It was apparent that the use of energy manipulation to aid his movement was involved. Now the exaggerated starting kickoff made sense. The movement was prolonged to maximize the speed and power of the opening burst of speed to allow it to be transitioned through other movements. It was effectively a way to extend the time that the high speed could be maintained. It was almost ingenious.
Shirin smirked at this thought. Now the whole thing made sense to him. The fact that it finally made sense didn't make it any easier to actual do, though. In fact he was willing to bet that it would require swift and precise gathering of energy in each specific muscle and then even faster expulsion of said energy in an explosive manner throughout the muscle to give the necessary power. He was almost amazed at how much of the technique was mental compared to the physical aspect.
Shirin's expression shifted from focused to determined as he prepared for his third try. This time he was much better prepared mentally and physically. He'd had a good warm-up for this training. He was ready, or at least he thought so. Yet again he moved into his basic Crane form and got ready to go another round.
His aura flickered around him for a moment as he surged energy through his core and legs in an attempt to blast off the start at top speed. He had to take the time to focus the energy in each muscle and then burst it outward, though, so he hesitated for a moment at the start. He immediately noticed the difference in speed, though. It was like the wind friction was going to tear his holey clothes off of him. This was truly incredible. Compared to his normal speed this must have been nearly half again that amount. As he proceeded into the next step, a simple kick to one side, he noticed a distinct loss of that speed. Transferring the speed through changing directions was a whole new ball game. D**n. Solve one problem with this technique and encounter another. This is ridiculous. Then again....no one ever said this would be easy...and Cifer was able to move so fast I couldn't even defend myself with the mastered version of the technique. I guess this is how it is when you fight on that level. I'll just have to close the gap.
Shirin dropped to a knee from the pain after he came to a stop. This time the burning was undeniable. It was a lot more painful than the first or second time. Apparently expanding your muscles with energy and then blasting that power through them took its toll. Gah...ah...I should have...seen that coming... Through the pain Shirin noticed the fading remnant of the blurry, dull image he'd left behind. It was barely an image of him at all compared to the shimmering, fairly clear copies that Cifer had left behind.
He was breathing heavier than normal now, too. He hadn't thought that this would take so much out of him, but the incredible increase in speed, even in the beginning trials of learning the technique, was sure to take a fair toll on anyone. The fact that Cifer had used it so often and for so long during their fight only furthered the gap between Shirin and him in Shirin's mind. It also fueled the fire of Shirin's determination that much more.
A glint in his eye and a smirk on his face, Shirin got back to his feet and made his way back to his starting spot. He'd nearly cleared the entire distance between his starting point and the rock. Barely five yards separated where he was now from where the boulder stood, taunting him.
I won't fail this time. I'll give it EVERYTHING I have. I'll go through that rock. I WILL succeed. He turns around after getting to his starting point. Shirin's aura burst around him, now dancing wildly on his frame. If he can learn this technique then so can I. He won't beat me again.... And with this thought, Shirin took one more breath before exploding into a zigzag. He knew how to transfer the speed through changing directions and motions now. It required another wide arced, exaggerated movement just like the initial movement that built up that high speed.
The image he left behind was of slightly better quality this time, and it was actually solid-looking with discernible outlines. He only zig-zagged twice, despite his attempt at continuing the pattern, before he noticed a drop in his speed, so he went on a straight path from that point and focused energy into his right fist. He lunged forward with all his speed and power and aimed to smash through the boulder.
And in that instant he came to a halt. Pieces of the boulder seemed weightless as time around him felt like it stopped. The shockwave caused by his blow rippled across his skin and threw the rubble that was previously the boulder into the air. Then the fragments flew on their trajectory at full speed, Shirin's aura faded out of sight and his whole body tensed up from the pain, which didn't help. He would not fall, though. He refused to show weakness now. His breathing was at a fevered pace as sweat began to trickle down his brow. His fist clenched and he slowly relaxed into an awkward stance. I really didn't expect it...to hurt that bad...going all out. It seems I didn't really feel the effects of my fight with Cifer because I was full of adrenaline and unconscious shortly after...This...This is nothing compared to that beating Cifer gave me. I handled that, so I'll handle this, too. Although I don't think I want to go all out like that again in this training session. One zig-zag during a flying after image test should be enough. I think it's more a case of explosive energy bursts from whatever part of the body is facing away from your opponent, kind of like a rocket.
Shirin slowly floated into the air for one last attempt, this time an aerial attempt. His aura formed around him again, this time not with quite as much ferocity as before. It frustrated Shirin to admit, but he couldn't repeatedly go full speed with this technique right now. He might not have been manipulating his energy properly for it in the first place. That could be why it was causing him pain afterward. It was all in his mind right now. Only time would tell if he had succeeded or not.
He gave a quick shake of his head. Now wasn't the time to consider failure. He couldn't let those thoughts in his head. He focused one more time and surged energy into his core and lower half yet again. This time he blasted it out behind him, kicking off from the air as though it were a solid surface thanks to the propulsive force he'd supplied himself with. One final high speed zig-zag.
Things didn't go as he planned, though. His mastery of the flight system in his body wasn't as sterling as he'd thought. Flying at this speed made controlling it hard and he was now spiraling out of control at far greater speed than he was used to. He raised his gaze to see just where he was headed. A small hill was right in his path and if he didn't do something he'd soon be in much more pain than just that caused by using the after image. He pulled his fist back and pulsed as much power as he could muster into it. He would level the hill. Hopefully that would slow him down enough so that he could skid to a halt fairly unscathed.
And once again in an instant there was a devastating impact. The hill nearly completely flattened and Shirin flipped over onto his back, skidding feet first towards the small hump that was left of the hill. He could feel the rough ground and small gravel digging into his back. It was just minor cuts and scrapes compared to what could have happened, though.
When he finally came to a stop he took several minutes for a breather and then got up and went back to his fire. Some of his food had burned on one side, but there was enough of it that wasn't burned for him to make due. He sat down and relaxed for the first time in nearly an thirty minutes. Watching and rewatching the video had taken longer than he thought. He knew he'd gotten a good workout. He could still feel his hands throbbing from punching the boulder and the hill, and his muscles burned from the stress he'd put on them. Now he could have a meal and rest, though, and that's just what he did. He'd practice again in a day or so, likely whenever he got to feeling better. He had also become concerned with his flight skills now as well. It almost ended up badly for him. He sighed and picked up a kebab. That was all for today.
If someone like Cifer was around and still unable to fight against the evils of the world, then how could Shirin hope to fight them? Was Cifer on their side? Or did he simply not care who won or lost? These questions plagued Shirin as he sat, leaned against a small boulder in the open plains that rolled across the center of Earth's main continent. The small fire he'd made whipped about in the gentle breezes. It wasn't necessarily cold or dark. Shirin was cooking. In his opinion it was a crude manner of cooking, and it would take a while to fully cook something this way, but that would give him time to review the video files he'd gotten during his fight with Cifer. He lifted his gaze from the several chunks of various meat, fish, and vegetation that he'd shishkebabed and stuck over the fire to cook, and sighed.
He stood up and looked off into the horizon, almost blankly staring. Open Video file Cifer01. Shirin gave the chip a command and it obeyed, playing out the video footage in his eyes as if he were seeing the events transpire just as they had before, but for a second time. The clarity and speed of the video was unreal. It was far better than anything even a high quality, high speed camera could record. Cifer's initial movements were slow compared to the speed he'd unleashed in the later half of the battle. Shirin did his best to recall the events in his own mind to see how well they matched up to what the recording had captured and to see how much he actually remembered. Most of the miniscule details that the video had picked up, he couldn't remember, but he could remember the overall twists and turns of the fight.
After skimming over the video a couple of times he decided to start focusing on the main things he wanted to learn. The foremost choice being the After Image technique that Cifer seemed to enjoy using so much. Speed and agility were invaluable assets in hand to hand combat, and suck speed as that technique displayed, even when Cifer was holding back, would be incredibly useful.
Shirin had the chip rewind the sequence back to the point near the beginning of the fight when Cifer first used the technique when his speed was at its slowest compared to the other times he'd used it. Shirin hoped that watching this version when Cifer was holding back would make it easier for him to learn since this version was closer to the level of ability he was at. That's the way it worked out in Shirin's mind, at least.
In the heat of battle there were a lot of minor details that Shirin hadn't noticed. The most prominent one from when Cifer had first used the After Image was his initial movement during the technique. It was incredibly exaggerated and drawn out. Somehow, though, it was far faster than his normal speed. That didn't make sense to Shirin, but the fact that Cifer had moved so swiftly refuted this thought. It had to make sense somewhere along the line. Shirin figured he might as well give it a shot.
He closed the video out for a moment and moved about ten yards from the rock he'd been leaning on. He turned around to face it. That rock will be my goal. I'll need to see just how fast I can get to it from here. He ran the motion that Cifer had made through his mind a couple more times before taking his fighting stance. He then burst forward from his Crane Style form in the same motion that Cifer had made, exaggerating his movements in a similar manner.
Shirin's result wasn't anywhere near as impressive as Cifer's swift and graceful assault. He looked quite ridiculous extending a single motion that much. Almost like he was trying too hard. Something good did come out of it, though. For the duration of the movement itself, not a second after, his speed was above his normal limit by a small degree. He felt his muscles burn for a moment, likely from the sudden stress placed on them. He cringed and sprang up and down on his toes, shaking off the pain mentally and physically. He couldn't get tired at this stage of training.
He did come to a rather disappointing realization at this point. It was highly possible that even though his muscles had still been in much heavier activity than normal during his hyper sleep, they might not have underwent the full stress levels that he was putting them under now by pushing his own limits. He didn't want to overdo things, but he couldn't afford to slack off. Not knowing whether he'd hurt himself or not by using his powers to their fullest was very annoying and risky.
He did tell Cifer that he'd meet him in the finals at the next tournament, though, so he had to give it all he could. Cifer was a tough opponent and he'd only be able to defeat him if he was at his very best. I'll have to go by trial and error and hope that I don't overdo it. Not training for the tournament at all isn't an option. I gave my word as a martial artist. If I remember Grandpa's lessons correctly I basically put my honor as a human being on the line. In this live or die, fight or flight world we live in now...I think it's safe to say that honor is a thing very few people have. I have to keep mine at any cost.
Shirin pauses to take a breath and he moves a few yards from his current position back to where he started. That one movement had covered nearly six yards in only a second. That was pretty fast, but Cifer was able to move and perform multiple attacks from multiple directions in little more time than that. There was still a large gap in skill and ability to be traversed if Shirin expected to have any chance at actually beating Cifer.
He took his basic Crane Style stance yet again and gritted his teeth. He expected the burn in his muscles to be a bit more intense this time, so he was trying to mentally brace himself. He inhaled and then, exhaling as he moved, he bolted forward in the same overly done manner as before. His speed was slightly faster than the previous attempt and he made it a yard or two closer to the rock in the same amount of time. Shirin winced again and gritted his teeth. The burning pain didn't last long, and it wasn't much worse than the first time, but it was still there. Apparently his muscles hadn't fully adjusted to the stronger neural impulses that his superconducting reflexes put out. The quick electric jolt caused a light burning sensation on the inside. It wasn't terrible, but it was worse than the normal pains of tearing down one's muscles during a workout.
When the pain wore off Shirin caught his breath and moved back to his starting place. The pain had lingered a bit longer than before this time, but Shirin was too focused on the training itself to really notice this fact. There must be something I missed. Something he did that I didn't catch on the first watch through. I'll take another look at that initial performance and try to get it in higher detail.
Shirin gave the chip in his brain the commands as such, but it was only able to improve the quality of that part of the video slightly, and only at the cost of some quality over the rest of the sequence. That didn't bother him too much, though, as the only real reason he'd taken the film as a whole was to practice the forms and stances that Cifer had used during the fight. Some of them were more advanced than what Shirin knew, so they could serve that purpose even in lower video quality.
As he reviewed the sequence concerning Cifer's first use of the After Image a second time, this time in a higher definition, he did notice something he hadn't before. Even through his gi pants it seemed that the muscles in Cifer's legs had expanded momentarily before tensing up to unleash incredible thrusting power. It was apparent that the use of energy manipulation to aid his movement was involved. Now the exaggerated starting kickoff made sense. The movement was prolonged to maximize the speed and power of the opening burst of speed to allow it to be transitioned through other movements. It was effectively a way to extend the time that the high speed could be maintained. It was almost ingenious.
Shirin smirked at this thought. Now the whole thing made sense to him. The fact that it finally made sense didn't make it any easier to actual do, though. In fact he was willing to bet that it would require swift and precise gathering of energy in each specific muscle and then even faster expulsion of said energy in an explosive manner throughout the muscle to give the necessary power. He was almost amazed at how much of the technique was mental compared to the physical aspect.
Shirin's expression shifted from focused to determined as he prepared for his third try. This time he was much better prepared mentally and physically. He'd had a good warm-up for this training. He was ready, or at least he thought so. Yet again he moved into his basic Crane form and got ready to go another round.
His aura flickered around him for a moment as he surged energy through his core and legs in an attempt to blast off the start at top speed. He had to take the time to focus the energy in each muscle and then burst it outward, though, so he hesitated for a moment at the start. He immediately noticed the difference in speed, though. It was like the wind friction was going to tear his holey clothes off of him. This was truly incredible. Compared to his normal speed this must have been nearly half again that amount. As he proceeded into the next step, a simple kick to one side, he noticed a distinct loss of that speed. Transferring the speed through changing directions was a whole new ball game. D**n. Solve one problem with this technique and encounter another. This is ridiculous. Then again....no one ever said this would be easy...and Cifer was able to move so fast I couldn't even defend myself with the mastered version of the technique. I guess this is how it is when you fight on that level. I'll just have to close the gap.
Shirin dropped to a knee from the pain after he came to a stop. This time the burning was undeniable. It was a lot more painful than the first or second time. Apparently expanding your muscles with energy and then blasting that power through them took its toll. Gah...ah...I should have...seen that coming... Through the pain Shirin noticed the fading remnant of the blurry, dull image he'd left behind. It was barely an image of him at all compared to the shimmering, fairly clear copies that Cifer had left behind.
He was breathing heavier than normal now, too. He hadn't thought that this would take so much out of him, but the incredible increase in speed, even in the beginning trials of learning the technique, was sure to take a fair toll on anyone. The fact that Cifer had used it so often and for so long during their fight only furthered the gap between Shirin and him in Shirin's mind. It also fueled the fire of Shirin's determination that much more.
A glint in his eye and a smirk on his face, Shirin got back to his feet and made his way back to his starting spot. He'd nearly cleared the entire distance between his starting point and the rock. Barely five yards separated where he was now from where the boulder stood, taunting him.
I won't fail this time. I'll give it EVERYTHING I have. I'll go through that rock. I WILL succeed. He turns around after getting to his starting point. Shirin's aura burst around him, now dancing wildly on his frame. If he can learn this technique then so can I. He won't beat me again.... And with this thought, Shirin took one more breath before exploding into a zigzag. He knew how to transfer the speed through changing directions and motions now. It required another wide arced, exaggerated movement just like the initial movement that built up that high speed.
The image he left behind was of slightly better quality this time, and it was actually solid-looking with discernible outlines. He only zig-zagged twice, despite his attempt at continuing the pattern, before he noticed a drop in his speed, so he went on a straight path from that point and focused energy into his right fist. He lunged forward with all his speed and power and aimed to smash through the boulder.
And in that instant he came to a halt. Pieces of the boulder seemed weightless as time around him felt like it stopped. The shockwave caused by his blow rippled across his skin and threw the rubble that was previously the boulder into the air. Then the fragments flew on their trajectory at full speed, Shirin's aura faded out of sight and his whole body tensed up from the pain, which didn't help. He would not fall, though. He refused to show weakness now. His breathing was at a fevered pace as sweat began to trickle down his brow. His fist clenched and he slowly relaxed into an awkward stance. I really didn't expect it...to hurt that bad...going all out. It seems I didn't really feel the effects of my fight with Cifer because I was full of adrenaline and unconscious shortly after...This...This is nothing compared to that beating Cifer gave me. I handled that, so I'll handle this, too. Although I don't think I want to go all out like that again in this training session. One zig-zag during a flying after image test should be enough. I think it's more a case of explosive energy bursts from whatever part of the body is facing away from your opponent, kind of like a rocket.
Shirin slowly floated into the air for one last attempt, this time an aerial attempt. His aura formed around him again, this time not with quite as much ferocity as before. It frustrated Shirin to admit, but he couldn't repeatedly go full speed with this technique right now. He might not have been manipulating his energy properly for it in the first place. That could be why it was causing him pain afterward. It was all in his mind right now. Only time would tell if he had succeeded or not.
He gave a quick shake of his head. Now wasn't the time to consider failure. He couldn't let those thoughts in his head. He focused one more time and surged energy into his core and lower half yet again. This time he blasted it out behind him, kicking off from the air as though it were a solid surface thanks to the propulsive force he'd supplied himself with. One final high speed zig-zag.
Things didn't go as he planned, though. His mastery of the flight system in his body wasn't as sterling as he'd thought. Flying at this speed made controlling it hard and he was now spiraling out of control at far greater speed than he was used to. He raised his gaze to see just where he was headed. A small hill was right in his path and if he didn't do something he'd soon be in much more pain than just that caused by using the after image. He pulled his fist back and pulsed as much power as he could muster into it. He would level the hill. Hopefully that would slow him down enough so that he could skid to a halt fairly unscathed.
And once again in an instant there was a devastating impact. The hill nearly completely flattened and Shirin flipped over onto his back, skidding feet first towards the small hump that was left of the hill. He could feel the rough ground and small gravel digging into his back. It was just minor cuts and scrapes compared to what could have happened, though.
When he finally came to a stop he took several minutes for a breather and then got up and went back to his fire. Some of his food had burned on one side, but there was enough of it that wasn't burned for him to make due. He sat down and relaxed for the first time in nearly an thirty minutes. Watching and rewatching the video had taken longer than he thought. He knew he'd gotten a good workout. He could still feel his hands throbbing from punching the boulder and the hill, and his muscles burned from the stress he'd put on them. Now he could have a meal and rest, though, and that's just what he did. He'd practice again in a day or so, likely whenever he got to feeling better. He had also become concerned with his flight skills now as well. It almost ended up badly for him. He sighed and picked up a kebab. That was all for today.
