ALL NOVEL Sparring With Mako
(Aden's P.O.V)
After deciding on Mako and Iroh, I didn't hesitate to purchase the first one from the database. I scrolled through and winced upon finding Mako being sold at 100 Training Points and Iroh at a whooping 200 Training Points. He was the most expensive one in the database by far. Thankfully, upon reaching Master level in Firebending, I could access the next tier up which was Grandmaster, ergo, Iroh was up for grabs.
I took a deep breath and calmed myself down. There wasn't a need to get too excited and jump the gun. Mako was up first, a veritable Lightning genius to get me acclimated to using Lightning along with my fighting style, seamlessly blending the two together and then…Iroh, a grandmaster to test myself on all facets of my firebending and maybe even more. After all, Iroh had been a general…he probably knew way more about fighting than me. He seemed like the type to cover all his bases.
I stood up at the highest peak of a mountain in the fire plane. This one was even bigger than the previous one during my seclusion. The one that had been reduced to debris and charred stones by the Lightning showers. That incident reminded me of the common tribulation in cultivation novels. Mmmh…now that I think about it, it did seem as if I was cultivating. I pressed on the purchase tab and watched as 100 training points were deducted from my balance. I was now left with 285. Damn. A small burst of energy and Mako appeared beneath the mountain, looking up at me. Like a mortal offering a god, a challenge. Well, let's oblige him.
I took a step into the empty air and started falling off the peak. Halfway there I called upon my inner fire and like a flick on a switch the fire grew colder, more precise, methodical and cutting. Sparks of Blue lightning clad my form as I landed with an impact on the ground. The ground cratered under me and the immediate section of the ground near my feet, caved in slightly. I straightened up and rose.
Mako remained fearless. He fell into a stance and spread out his legs to a steady position. I took calm steps towards him, closing the distance between us to only 20 meters apart. I read his form, falling into a classic Firebending position as well. He seemed to be in his twenties, telling me I was dealing with Mako at his peak. I couldn't half ass this. A small breeze blew between us and the fight started.
Mako's feet swept out as he flipped, sending a scythe of fire towards me from his leg, I calmly stepped to the side and watched it pass by me. He followed up the scythe with quick and successive punches through the air, shooting out balls of flames that I unravelled, ducked under and swept to the side with flame energy covering my hand. I jumped up to escape a flame arc aimed for my legs and flipped while in the air.
Flames shot out of my feet towards his position as I speared down to the ground. He rolled away while I slammed down and melted the earth in one burst due to the hot flames. I felt a stirring through my energy sense and the jet of flames under my feet suddenly pushed me upwards again. My training pants turned to ash from the shins to ankles. I looked down and saw blue streaks of electric energy bombard that position. Mako's outstretched fingers were slightly smoking.
His eyes followed my body whilst in the air, a look of determination coming across his face. I scrunched up my eyebrows as another lightning bolt cut through the space towards me. I felt it through the air with my energy sense allowing me to spin away with my jet flames. However, I knew I couldn't evade them for long. This form of flying was not as flexible as with Airbending. It was fast but not that great at sudden direction changes. So it's only fitting I switch to Lightning like my opponent had.
The flame under my feet grew erratic and the color as well as aesthetic changed. My whole body felt energized and a screech cut through the air. Mako's assault grew more and more violent as he attacked. The whole area filled with energy blasts of the electric nature. I did my best to stay ahead of him. Blitzing away just before any of his attacks could land. Learning how to react. Each second used to dodge or evade helping my understanding of how I could utilize this force of nature with my energy sense to dominate the field. However something was bound to change.
After dodging for so long I started putting my efforts into the next reasonable move. Redirecting his Lightning. One of the streaks hit me on the chest and I grabbed it with my energy control, wincing slightly as I was a little late and ended up getting shocked slightly. The Black Sabbath T-shirt I had on, was scorched to a blackened mess, revealing my chest to the world. My fingers moved in a precise movement and I heaved, gathering his power and dispersing it towards the sky. The streaks of lightning were uncontrolled and uneven. Seems like I had my work cut out for me when redirecting the energy. Luckily, I would adjust and Adapt to using this new skill as if I'd been grinding for years. Which was the point of Spark of Enlightenment but I digress.
Mako grew frustrated and his fingers begun dancing in the air as he built up a charge stronger than before. Meanwhile I leaned to the right and shot off, leaving the air screaming behind me while I skated in above and around the master Lightning bender. My speed was nearing 300mph as I pushed myself to move even faster.
A circle of pure energy left in my wake surrounded Mako in a ring from the sky. I had decided to go on the offence in an unexpected move that would test how good I was at control. Each passing second that circle grew smaller and smaller squeezing him in. My body escaped the ring. The whole energy structure sustainable through my will alone. Mako's next attack was stronger than before. He held up his fingers to the sky and screamed as a blast of Lightning escaped his hands towards me.
I looked on and decided not to dodge. Unfortunately for him, the attack did not even make it past the ring of Lightning above him. The energy was sucked in and added to the whole thing, increasing the ring's size and power. Am energy field appeared from the ring and covered the whole area beneath it into a dome. Here goes nothing. 'Try to keep the blast radius to 10 meters and no more.' I told myself, holding my hands up. The last thing Mako saw was a focused look on my face before I snapped my finger and destroyed anything inside that dome.
The lightning streaks left jagged and burnt trails around a soot filled crater that had nothing alive standing on it. Despite my victory, I didn't feel that happy. Mako was barely a challenge. And although I had the control down...there was the issue of how much power I put into any attack. Lightning was dangerous. I couldn't half ass it because it was fast and deadly. I needed to know I could attack an opponent out there in the real world without risking civilian lives or property through wild attacks. Any of those streaks of electric energy could kill someone.
I stepped down to the ground and immediately took a meditative pose. It was easy to fall into my unique breathing pattern. Absentmindedly, using my inner flame for body refining. The fire run its course through my body, warm and reassuring. It cleansed both it and my mind. Helping me to self reflect on everything that had happened. I was clearly already above Mako in Lightning and fire-bending. I reckon I could even take two of him on. None of his attacks could land without me reading their trajectory and I was faster, stronger, more durable and way more powerful than him. I needed a real challenge to test the upper limits of what I could do.
Which meant...it was time to purchase the big guns. Iroh was a beast. My palm was shaking in anticipation at what I could learn from him. A general in the army, a member of the white lotus- made up of some truly scary as fuck people like Piandao and Bumi and not to mention he was also a prince of the Fire Nation, someone who had grown up in war. This is either going to end up really badly and I get my ass kicked or...mmh actually I don't see how else it could go down. I was normally super confident but... Iroh wasn't your run of the mill bender. The only advantages I had over him were two things. My stronger physique and Equity. That's it.
I scrolled down the database tab and came upon the purchase option. I clicked on it and the whole screen shuddered for a split second, making me frown. What was happening? A new test box appeared before my vision.
(Alert)
(You cannot purchase a spiritual entity. A request has been put forward for his assistance but ultimately, the decision to appear falls on him. A bridge between worlds has been established should he choose to heed your call.)
Comeagainsaywhaa?? If I can't purchase him...why the fuck is there an option to do so on the database?!!
I blinked my eyes in surprise. That is not where my focus should be. Iroh is a spirit? What is going on? I tapped the text box. Minimizing it and enlarging it once more in confusion.
"Did I finally break the system? Or have I gone insane?"
I wondered to myself.
"Neither, I would hope. Especially the last part. I would love to share a cup of tea and have a nice conversation with my host after all."
An old, smooth and dignified voice said from my side. I...I hadn't even felt him appear. Then again, he had 'answered' my call which meant in a way I'd given him permission to arrive in my realm.
I turned, dismissing the text box and observed him. A small tea brewing table set in an asian theme if the China cups were anything to go by, was set before an old man, with a heavy set yet short build and a glorious beard that framed his chin perfectly and fell to his chest. His eyes held a glint of mirth while his lips were set in a small smile. Robes of earth Kingdom make were worn over his body and he sat on his feet staring at me curiously.
Well, I'll be damned...it actually is Iroh.