NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Maniac.(1)
The night passed with Number 800 sleeplessly studying the [Ashina Esoteric Text] from back to front continuously, absorbing everything he could.
This text detailed the life of young Isshin Ashina, who fought time and time again, polishing his techniques in the blood of his enemies.
Over time, he consolidated his learnings under the "Ashina Style" name for the sake of his clan's dominance.
"Hesitation Is Defeat."
These words left Number 800's mouth as he stood at the bottom of a mountain with the rest of the children being trained by the cult.
These were the words that stood out the most to him every time he opened the text. It was as if it had put him under a spell.
That morning, the Cult had given the children one iron bracer for each limb that weighed 7.5kg's. They would have to wear it continuously, even when they slept, until the Cult told them to take it off.
The next challenge was to run to the top of the mountain and retrieve a flag within four hours, or they wouldn't have any breakfast.
"Go!"
The instructor shouted this instruction at them, causing the kids to frantically rush up the mountain as fast as they could.
Number 800 wasn't worried about breakfast. He had another goal in mind.
To rush to the top and fight those who were strong enough to make it up there, or just fight everyone he could on the way down.
Number 800 saw kids falling down before they even got a quarter way up the mountain due to their increased weight, but he paid no mind to them.
"Hesitation Is Defeat."
He uttered these words like a madman as he ran up the mountain, pushing any unfortunate child out of the way who was too slow to keep up.
By the time he got to the top, his body was shaking from exhaustion, but at the same time, he could feel himself quickly recovering.
Again, he had to thank the woman who blessed him.
"A few flags are already gone, but no matter."
Picking up a flag, Number 800 turned it horizontally and-
CRACK!
Broke it in half across his knees, turning the flag into a sharp wooden sword.
Looking down at the kids who were struggling to get up, and those who were in hiding trying to ambush the ones who already got the flags, a cold look flashed across 800's face.
He was intending to fight every one of them. Every single soul who drew breath from the top of the mountain to the bottom was going to be at the mercy of his "blade."
'Isshin Ashina tempered his technique in the blood of his enemies. I have to start my own journey as early as possible too. One technique at a time.'
Just as someone else, tired and shaking, got to the top to retrieve a flag, Number 800 stood in front of them, his wooden sword held out to the side.
The child facing 800 already knew what was going on but at the same time, he knew Number 800's rank. To him, this guy was just acting a fool.
WHOOSH!
The child rushed at Number 800 with the last of his stamina, already imagining himself destroying his opponent.
'The first technique is...'
Raising the wooden flag above his head, Number 800 gripped it as tight as possible and replicated the technique he saw within the text.
"Ichimonji!"
The child barely managed to side step the attack as Number 800 had telegraphed it too much. While the swing itself was fast, any one with a brain could tell what attack he was trying to do.
Using this opening, the child kicked Number 800 in the stomach, causing him to slightly move back.
'What the! Is this guy made of stone?!'
"Ichimonji."
Instantly recovering, Number 800 fired off another overhead slash, this time, hitting the boy directly in the middle of his forehead.
"Agghhhhh!!!"
The boy screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, holding his head with blood trickling down his arms.
'Not strong enough. If Isshin Ashina had used this technique, he could have probably split him in half with just this wooden stick. Faster. Stronger.'
Kicking the boy away from the hill, Number 800 started walking down, heading towards those hiding behind nearby trees.
"All of you, face me."
The children of course, didn't take him seriously. They had numbers on their side, and Number 800 was bound to be tired by now. There was no way they could lose.
Together, around ten children immediately engaged Number 800, the difference in strength immediately making itself apparent between them.
Number 800 was getting kicked and punched around like a ragdoll.
One needed to remember, the children were ranked by talent. Number 800 was well, 800th in talent. He was at the bottom of the barrel. Some of these kids in this group were in 2 or 3 hundreds.
Normally, there would've been no way for him to even stand up to them.
"Ichimonji."
WHOOSH!
Somehow, Number 800 found an opening and hit one of the children with his technique, immediately drawing blood and breaking the stick in the process.
This time, Number 800 split the child's skull, leaving his brain exposed as he fell to the ground, completely motionless.
Number 800, a little bit shaken by this scene, gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, his red pupils gaining a stronger glow as the words, "Hesitation Is Defeat.", left his mouth.
This was his first kill, and yet, just one of many on the road to becoming his ideal self.
'I have to steel my resolve. The sword is just a weapon for murder, nothing else. I cannot let a bit of blood throw me off.'
"You...k-killed...him!"
The kids started to back away at this sight. They were not prepared to be killed like this.
Number 800 scoffed as he saw this.
"What was I thinking? Refining my technique against cowards is useless."
Walking back uphill, Number 800 ran into two people who got up to the flags while he was fighting.
Number 900 and a well known powerhouse among them, Number 17.
When Number 17 saw him, she looked back at the kid lying motionless on the ground behind him and said with a hand across her mouth, "Wow. You really killed him. You think the instructors are going to punish you?"
Walking to grab another flag, Number 800 broke it with his elbow this time and made a longer wooden stick, hoping that it could still be used a few times after breaking.
"I don't care if they do. You cannot become strong by hesitating to enact your will upon the world. That is the mentality of the weak."
Raising his "sword" at both Number 900 and Number 17, he continued, "Prove that you're not cowards. Face me."