Foundations of Power, Part 2

  After the training session with Akari, Zenatori continued through the school day and went through the rest of class. As he takes a seat, he sees the same girl in front of him. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

  Zenatori examined the girl closer and saw Akikyo Yachi. Zenatori met her yesterday, but nothing was particularly strange.

  But she suddenly turned back and stared at Zenatori. He couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed and wondered why this girl was taking a look at him.

  After a few moments, she said.

  "You just look so average, so I guess she isn't interested in you look-wise. I guess you have some pretty cool looking hair..?"

  Zenatori frowned.

  "Hey, that's a bit harsh..."

  "I'm trying to see what she sees in you to the point where she'll want to talk to you so much."

  Zenatori narrowed his eyes and sighed.

  "Is it really that serious..?"

  "Of course it is! All I want is to be friends with Akari!"

  "But why, though?"

  "Ever since I met her, she has always had that same cold look in her eyes. I've never even seen her smile once. She seems like she was in a forced isolation that she has no control over."

  Zenatori slightly gave it a thought.

  "Is something wrong with Akari? I suppose that's a question I'd never know the answer to."

  Zenatori exhaled and said.

  "Even then, you really are under no obligation to help her anyway. If she truly wanted help, she would ask for it."

  Yachi paused for a moment.

  "Is that truly what you believe..?"

  Zenatori froze for a moment. He messed something up. But what?

  Yachi lets out a quiet chuckle.

  "Well, for now, I can only watch the master at work for now."

  Akari finally walks into class and takes a seat. She couldn't help but have a slight feeling someone was observing her.

  She looked at Zenatori for a moment.

  "Say, do you feel as if someone's staring at us. Every time I look to see, no one's looking in our direction. I have a feeling about who it is."

  "W-What..! That's kinda crazy. I feel pretty fine right now."

  "Oh, I guess my conjecture was short-sighted. Sorry for startling you."

  "Nah, we all are human after all."

  After time went by, the class was over before either of them knew it. Zenatori was actually starting to understand some of what Mashaka was talking about. It was like learning a new language. Zenatori had taken the time to write some notes down, just in case. Zenatori held his notebook in his hand and walked out of class.

  As he exited the door, he couldn't help but rethink upon that moment.

  "Why did Yachi have that sudden pause? Was it a clash of ideologies? Why does she truly want to help Akari? Gahh, I'm overthinking this. I have an hour before I meet Hayoku in the courtyard again. I'll wait until then."

  Zenatori looked over and saw Yachi looking out the window. The streaks of sun made her skin glamor and its rays of heat struck through the strands of her short hair. She was truly beautiful.

  She abruptly turned around and said.

  "Ah, Zenatori!"

  It seemed that she was waiting for him for whatever reason. Zenatori calmly said to her.

  "What?"

  "Mind if you join me?" she said as she tapped her hand against the window seal.

  Zenatori walked over and looked out the window. The beautiful skies combined with a glowing sun, echoing its light. The clouds kept rotating along the earth as it could only keep spinning. Yachi smiled and said.

  "Isn't it beautiful?"

  Zenatori slightly lightens his eyes.

  "I guess... Is this all you called me here for?"

  "No, I just wished to speak to you. You seem rather interesting."

  "Oh, then what?"

  "Are you a good person?"

  Zenatori is slightly taken aback. He stood for a few moments thinking about what she said. It was so sudden. What is it supposed to mean? He pondered for a moment and thought.

  "Good person..? How could I possibly define what a good person is in the first place? Is there even good people in this world-"

  She looked at Zenatori and cut off his line of thought.

  "You don't need to answer. That answer won't put you at ease, so just ignore what I said."

  "Huh..? How are you going to say something like that and act like nothing happened?"

  Yachi slightly chuckled.

  "I honestly don't know why I said that, just forget it."

  She continued to embrace the warmth of the sun for a few more moments. Zenatori stood strangely and didn't know whether to leave or not. He felt a very odd feeling, he couldn't make. Was it nervousness, uneasiness? It was indescribable.

  Yachi looked over at Zenatori again and said.

  "I think you're a good person. Maybe that's what Akari likes about you."

  Zenatori looked at her questioningly.

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  "You don't even know me, nor does Akari. What are you talking about?"

  She got from the wall and walked over to a nearby vending machine. She said.

  "What kind of drink do you like?"

  "I'm not really thirsty..."

  Yachi got him a drink anyway and received it from the vending machine. She threw the drink at Zenatori, and he caught it. It was some grape soda. Zenatori, confused about everything that's happening, looked at her and mumbled.

  "What..?"

  She then walked off and continued the rest of her day. Zenatori stood quietly, appalled by the conversation. He went back to his dorm and awaited the session.

  After an hour, Zenatori finally walked to the courtyard to begin Hayoku's lesson. He sees Hayoku, who is fiddling with some keys in one hand and is drinking from another mug.

  Zenatori walked toward Hayoku and said.

  "Cmon, drinking coffee this late?"

  Hayoku pressed himself against the wall and chuckled.

  "It's only one pm."

  Hayoku took another sip before questioning Zenatori.

  "So, how far into history have you learned?"

  "I'd say I know the basics. I know about inherent and innate syneji's, along with the founding artists."

  "Well, here's some food for thought: did you know that the founding artists were immortal?"

  "Really, so they're still alive? Where are they then?"

  "Technically yes, but they sealed themselves."

  Zenatori paused for a second.

  "Why would they do that..?"

  A quiet chuckle escaped Hayoku's mouth.

  "It was to defeat him."

  "Him?"

  Hayoku slightly grinned and took another sip of his coffee.

  "600 years ago, a man born during the Okina generation of syneji artists had such unworldly strength that he was seen as a world-ending event. He was referred to as the Sendainoshi, or the generation killer. He was the absolute pinnacle of syneji artistry, inventing the thing we know as today as a Supreme Manifestation. Born with a pool of isotonic force so vast, it was said to have more than the entire generation of syneji artists, combined. His name was Takashimo Rokudan."

  Zenatori briefly thought.

  "Takashimo Rokudan? Supreme manifestations?"

  Hayoku took another sip and continued speaking.

  "No one knows when, but it was around the time shortly after Rokudan was born. He had so much isotonic force that when he awakened his isotonic core, it ruptured the entirety of Southeast Asia and caused multiple faultlines to agitate. That event was known as the Rupturing, which resulted in mass earthquakes across the entirety of Japan and the entire continent. After this event, normal civilians blamed the syneji artists, because they needed a scapegoat. But this resulted in a genocide of civilians by syneji artists, called the Okina genocide. This resulted in the deaths of ten million people in the entirety of Asia. But, after several years, everyone figured out that Rokudan was the one to cause the Rupturing.

  Many attempts to take his life would occur, but they would all fail. Eventually, all syneji artists banded together along with the founding artists and started the Immortal Sendainoshi War, an attack on Rokudan. And after several days, Rokudan defeated them all. He was able to, with a secret technique called the supreme manifestation. It was an unavoidable attack, with no counter, and essentially was an instant win condition against anyone he fought. Now given the moniker, the Reaper of the Okina, he was feared as an incomprehensible God, and thought to be seen as the true dead end in strength, and a true insurmountable force. The founding artists were left with no choice but to sacrifice themselves by transferring their souls into multiple stone-like objects to seal Rokudan's soul. These were known as Sendai Soul Seals."

  Zenatori thought shockingly.

  "It's possible for one person to be that powerful?!"

  Zenatori said.

  "Where are these Sendai soul seals?"

  Hayoku continued.

  "Each seal represented one founding artist, suppressing Rokudan's soul. All five contain 1/5th of Rokudan's soul. But even long after his sealing, he was immensely feared, and used a tool to fear monger the populace of Japan to do their bidding. There were multiple bloodlines made throughout the century in an attempt to create a syneji artist stronger than Rokudan, but none of them have succeeded. He is the true strongest syneji artist to ever exist."

  Zenatori nervously chuckled.

  "Heh, is it possible he could resurrect at any moment?"

  Hayoku waved his hand in reassurance.

  "Nah, it's essentially impossible for Rokudan to ever come back, for that would mean he would have to surpass the soul strength of all five founding artists, which is just never happening, for centuries to come at least."

  Zenatori quietly reflected on everything Hayoku spoke about and stood in silence for a few moments. Hayoku continued spinning his keys and took his last sip of coffee.

  "That aside, how about we go do something fun?" he said with a short smile.