July 20,2175
04:30 P.M.
After Jack regained his composure, he came back into the room. Diana was still awake and was staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. The rain was pouring as hard as ever, and the deafening crackle of thunder was loud as ever. It was as if the Earth was scolding its inhabitants for the infighting, and it was crying for the species that was almost driven to extinction.
The rough weather wasn't making it easy for Diana, who was already pretty shaken up because of today's events. She still wasn't told what had happened outside and thus thought that some thugs had shown up at her house.
She had many questions regarding this, like how did Jack know they would come? Why did they come? Did they do something to Jack too? Such questions were welling up in her brain, and the answer? There was no answer, at least not a reasonable one. After all, there is no way a mass genocide could be justified.
Jack entered the room and noticed that Diana still hadn't slept. He walked over to the windows and turned on soundproofing. The windows turned opaque, and the sound of nature vanished.
"There you go, no more noise. I know you have a lot of questions, but please rest for now. I will be in the other room, reading the books in your study. I am allowed to, right?" asked Jack, smiling at her.
"Yeah, go ahead. Make yourself at home. But can I ask you to read it here instead? I am feeling uneasy," Diana said, embarrassed for making such a childish request.
"I mean, I have no problem doing so, but are you sure you will be able to sleep with the lights turned on?"
"Yeah, I have my eye patches, don't worry," she said, pulling out a pair of eye patches from underneath her pillow, showing misaligned eyes. She put them on, and it looked really goofy.
"Pfft~ Hahah," Jack gave a faint laugh.
"Huh? What?" asked Diana, lifting the patch over one of her eyes.
"It's nothing," said Jack, grinning at her. "I will be right back," he added.
"Okay."
The medicines that Jack had given her, especially the Kana energy recovery syrup, were quite straining as they refilled the internal Kana energy by stimulating Kana energy absorption from the atmosphere and also by increasing the rate of formation of Kana energy by cells of "Kai centres" called "Kai cells."
The energy was then sent to the main Kana energy reservoir (Dantian). As a result, it wore down the body considerably. Why did Jack give her this medicine? Was it because she used healing Ikanami to heal her wound? Does that mean the healing Ikanami consumes this much Kana energy?
The answer was no.
The reason was the vest he had asked Diana to put on. It was an army training vest. It would absorb all the Kana energy engulfing the body and would actively absorb Kana energy from the inside. This ensured that the body muscles handled the strain on their own and that the trainee wasn't using physical Ikanamis like body strengthening or speeding to help with their training.
It also refined the body's Kana energy flow as the trainee continuously had to absorb Kana energy from the atmosphere so that they didn't exhaust their internal Kana energy because that would be lethal.
Diana was now sleeping soundly. Her black hair, which used to smoothly wave in the air every time she had it open, was now in a mess, lying around her. Her soft breathing could be heard faintly by Jack. Her eye mask had become lopsided from one side, revealing her right eyelid that was shut tight over her deep brown eyes, which had a depth as vast as an ocean, making Jack drown in admiration every time he saw them.
Jack got up. He had some things to figure out. He entered Diana's study room. The room was well-organized, with a table and chair arranged adjacent to the right wall. A bookshelf was mounted on the left.
Her bookshelf was full of books. He began to browse through them to find a suitable one. He looked through the books and found a suitable book titled "The Essence Of Kana Energy And Its Uses" on the top left corner. He picked it up and went back to Diana's bedroom. He fixed Diana's eye mask and then placed a chair before starting to read the book.
At the training centre, they were taught a lot about internal Kana energy, like how it was formed in the body by seven organs called "Kai centres," which were aligned along the spinal cord.
Atmospheric Kana is just pure energy floating around in no specific direction. It is like electromagnetic waves that don't react to electric and magnetic fields. It only reacts to Kana energy and is attracted to it; hence, it is present in the air in the form of intangible threads.
When they come in contact with ionized Kana energy, like energy manifested by an individual, they attach themselves to it. Kana energy is a part of the dark energy, as defined according to human standards—one of the fundamental elements of the universe.
It is free of any particle, even photons, which are the only particles in electromagnetic waves. Thus, if the photons are removed from radiation of energy equal to or higher than gamma radiation, we get Kana energy of intensity proportional to the energy of the radiation used.
When humans extensively used atomic bombs in the Great War, the atmosphere was full of gamma radiation. Kratians came and used their K-filters to convert the radiation into Kana energy.
Internal Kana energy circulates around the body through a special pathway, much like the lymphatic system, except the material being circulated doesn't gather in a common organ. Instead, it radiates from a common organ called Dantian, which is the main Kana reservoir, and distributes itself around the body. The Kana energy inside them is concentrated to such an extent that it travels around the body in a semi-vapor liquefied state.
They have special nodes at intervals called aura nodes. These regulate the Kana flow around the body. They are blocked at some places by birth so that the Kana energy doesn't enter immature organs and harm them. The aura nodes thus block the whole Kana pathway except for necessary organs. Kana energy needs to be circulated through these blocked pathways in order to manifest an Ikanami or just raw Kana energy outside.
There is a phase called general training classes where, with the help of augmented reality, students are made to practice the Ikanamis that were ever visible in their pedigree chart because sometimes Ikanamis of even ancestors would blossom in some cadets.
Jack's pedigree chart was among the few in which all the Ikanamis were present and frequently repeating. So he had to take beginner classes of every Ikanami out there.
He was taught basic stuff like sensing Kana energy in the atmosphere, absorbing it, manifesting his internal energy around him, passing their own Kana energy into someone else, and controlling the intensity of Kana energy passing.
Then comes the basic Ikanami training. For Jack, considering his unique pedigree characteristic, he had to take basic training of every Ikanami out there—diverting energy to their limbs to move their movements faster or reinforce their bodies with Kana energy for Speedster Ikanami and Body Strengthening Ikanami. For Healing Ikanami, refining their Kana energy flow and passing it with a certain intensity to wounds so that it's not too much and forms a tumor or not too little, leading to decay.
For Psychic Ikanami, he was taught how to use his own Kana energy as a medium to control environmental Kana energy to do telekinetic actions and pass his own Kana energy into someone's brain and track the activation of the language centers in their cerebrum and trace them back to his own brain. Then his brain would subconsciously decode them into words, allowing him to read minds. He could also transfer his thoughts into someone's mind by reversing the process.
Since the Ortho Sapiens had taken over the training center, he would not be able to learn the advanced techniques of his Ikanami. Jack concluded he would have to learn them from his books and practice.
In front of him, Diana stirred in her sleep, her feeble groans disturbing his immersion. She turned and fell asleep again.
Jack got up and decided to check what was happening outside. He quietly stood up and came to the hall. There again, he saw the corpse of Juno lying there, blood flowing from her stomach. Jack went to her and petted her on the head.
If she were alive, she would've started purring and jumped up on Jack's shoulders and played with him, yet she was there, lifeless, paying the price for something she didn't even know—no one did. They were just suffering as a result of the greediness of the humans.
Are the humans our enemies? Or is it really just the terrorists? Jack was still wondering in his head, his mind full of spite and hatred.
He wanted to give a proper burial to Juno, but he thought it would be best if Diana did so. He got up and descended the staircase. He opened the door slowly. It was still pouring heavily, and the thunder was flashing violently. A perfect time to test his newly awakened powers. He put on his Ortho Sapien attire back just in case and went outside into Diana's backyard. He put his helmet on the ground beside him and started to practice.
He started by releasing his Kana energy into the atmosphere, slowly increasing the intensity. When he started, he felt warmth all over his body. There was no visible evidence of something being there, yet he could sense something engulfing him. An energy was emitting out from the aura nodes all over his body and engulfing him. A few seconds later, his hair started waving upwards, which was extra heavy as it was wet from the rain. Thirty seconds into it, he could sense a thick coat of energy, colorless, wrapping around him like gentle flames, and he could visibly see some rain droplets deflecting from their path.
He could still go further. Forty seconds into it, he could see colorless semi-gaseous liquefied flames roaring violently around him and sense unseen energy around him at a far greater distance. Small electric sparks broke through the air randomly, their sound sharp and strong. He kept increasing the output. The flames roared more violently around him, the electric sparks were now more frequent and much stronger. The unmaterialized energy flames were much larger now, spreading about three feet around him.
He could feel a few of his last aura nodes opening. This was it. He had now unlocked the power that would make him able to fight in battle. He could finally avenge his family, friends, and kin.
He started feeling exhausted after maintaining the power for a minute. Exhausting your Kana energy is lethal, so he stopped. He sat on the ground in the lotus position and closed his eyes. He put his attention to his surroundings. The sound of the rain and thunder was breaking his concentration, yet he tried harder because he knew he wouldn't be getting a silent surrounding in battle. Heck, he wouldn't even get the time to refill his reserves. He needed to perfect this technique so he could absorb it as quickly as he could.
He silenced his mind. Thoughts would occasionally come up; he ignored them. It was just him and the atmosphere. He radiated a bit of his Kana energy into the atmosphere. The atmospheric Kana energy attached itself to his energy. He released a lot more energy around himself in the form of the threads. The atmospheric energy threads wove themselves into a thread-like structure, linking his own energy threads. They kept on accumulating on his energy until no thread of his energy was left uncovered.
He withdrew his energy through his aura nodes. The atmospheric energy had latched itself to his energy, and when he pulled his energy back, the atmospheric energy entered him with it. The energies condensed and went to his Dantian, where the foreign energy became his own.
Jack felt refreshed. He got up, ready to test his Ikanamis. He took out a gun from his pouch and disassembled the attached knife that was arranged at the muzzle. He used it to cut his left palm a bit. It was painful, but there was no subject to test his powers on. He gathered his energy into his palms, passed a bit of energy into the wound, intensity equal to the energy of his own internal energy. Nothing happened. The wound just stayed there, blood flowing freshly at the touch. He didn't have the Healing Ikanami.
Jack reached into his pouch and took out a speedy regeneration inducing cream. He applied it on the incision and it healed up in about two minutes.
"Alright time to get back into it," He said.
He diverted his energy to his legs. They felt reinforced. He got into position and ran. The beginning jump was very powerful and quick, yet his limbs didn't move any faster. The force they exerted increased. He didn't have the Speedster Ikanami.
The increase in force, however, was suggestive that he had the Body Reinforcement Ikanami.
He gathered his energy and distributed it all over his body. His body felt lighter, and his muscles moved more easily and effectively. He could feel explosive power welling up inside him, waiting to be used. He distributed some more energy, equal to what, when he had manifested in the atmosphere, formed the first visible coat of energy. Some energy was leaking from his body, forming an approximately two-inch-wide colorless aura around him.
He jumped. His jump height had drastically improved. He could almost see into the first-floor window. He got into position and dashed forward. In the blink of an eye, he had dashed about three meters.
He came out of the lawn and looked for a tree outside. In the midst of the urban forest, there were no visible trees out in the open. He got into a neighbor's lawn and saw some oak trees—the perfect size to test out his powers. He got into position, pulled his right leg back, and withdrew a bit. He turned his waist to his right a bit. He clenched his fists and punched with all his might. He first propelled himself forward with his right leg and then threw a punch. The momentum of both movements added up into a massive impulse. The tree's trunk, about two feet wide, broke with a loud crunch and flew off a few meters, smashing into a wall, breaking through it too.
This power—this magnificent power—was his. He dashed to the broken tree and tried to lift it. At first, he could only raise it a few inches off the ground. He channeled more energy into his body, causing the capsule of energy surrounding him to expand, spreading a few more inches outward. The tree lifted four feet.
"Need... more power," he grunted.
He pushed even more energy through his body—the same amount that had caused small electric sparks to form during manifestation. The energy around him intensified, now visible as a faint, colorless aura.
"One... two... THREE." With a mighty effort, he hoisted the tree into the air.
"All right, let's try something," he muttered.
This time, he unleashed every bit of energy he could muster. Sparks crackled across his skin, and his hair whipped upward as if caught in an unseen force. He hurled the tree skyward—it soared several meters high, at least seven. Taking position, he jumped, reaching a height of about five meters, and delivered a powerful kick. The tree split in two. He seized the broken halves midair and slammed them into the ground with all his strength. They hit the earth with a resounding crash, embedding themselves deep into the wet soil. Jack landed beside them a few seconds later with a solid thud.
Breathing heavily, he paused to replenish his Dantian. Then, realizing the commotion he had caused, he quickly got back on his feet.
"Time to test the last Ikanami," he said.
The Psychic Ikanami—the most versatile of them all—was invaluable in both combat and utility. It had the potential to turn the tide in a critical moment. The ability worked on the principle of Kana energy's adherence to polarized Kana energy. Normally, when one manifests Kana energy, it moves freely, formless and untamed—this is called non-polarized energy, the same as the atmospheric energy surrounding them. However, when Kana energy is shaped or directed with intent, it becomes polarized, and in doing so, it attracts non-polarized energy.
Jack released his Kana energy into the air, molding it into the shape of an arm, as if sculpting a limb out of the atmosphere itself. At first, it was just an outline filled with air, but gradually, the Kana energy settled into a stable structure. A semi-gaseous, liquefied arm-like formation took shape. Jack condensed its walls, strengthening them, until the structure solidified into an invisible but tangible limb, moving precisely as he willed. The rain droplets clung to its outline, giving it a shimmering, ghostly presence.
Jack took a step back and extended the arm toward one of the buried trees.
With zero effort, he lifted it. He had expected to feel some resistance, some weight pressing back against him—but there was none. It felt as if the energy itself was doing all the work. He flung the tree with a flick of his Kana-formed arm, sending it flying out of sight.
Jack stared in astonishment at what he had just accomplished. A crack of thunder snapped him out of his daze.
He withdrew his energy, and the spectral arm shrank before disappearing into him. The residual foreign energy trapped within it flowed into Jack, refueling his Dantian slightly.
Two seconds.
That's how long it had taken to manifest the arm. In battle, every second mattered, and if he could make the process even more efficient, he could react to anything. An idea formed in his mind.
"What if I merge the two steps together?" Jack thought.
Jack projected his energy again, this time on a much wider scale. As expected, the atmospheric energy responded, but this time, instead of simply molding it, he compressed the volume inward, increasing its density. The structure shrank, its mass condensing, and there it was—the Kana arm, formed in just half a second. A major improvement.
Excited by his progress, Jack decided to experiment further. He projected his energy in the shape of a slab and condensed it. The solid block hovered in midair. Jack disconnected his energy thread from it, but the slab remained suspended.
He hesitated for a moment, then cautiously placed a foot on it. It felt as sturdy as stone. He shifted his weight and placed his second foot on it, standing fully upright. The slab held firm.
A grin spread across his face.
Jack manifested more slabs, climbing higher and higher into the air.
He reached about ten meters off the ground.
"Now, let's see if I can absorb it back."
He reached out with his energy, extending it toward one of the slabs. The moment his energy connected with the structure, it seamlessly merged with its walls. A realization hit him—he could move the slab freely.
He reabsorbed the block, and it vanished into him. Then, with a simple thought, he reconnected to the slab he was standing on. He moved it. It responded instantly.
It worked!
Jack was hovering, gliding through the air, using the slab beneath him as a floating platform. A surfboard on an ocean of air.
Though the motion made him slightly nauseous, and at one point, he nearly lost his balance and fell off.
"Guess I'll have to practice to get used to this," he muttered, shaking his head as he descended, landing lightly against a nearby wall for support.
Jack checked the time.
5:30 P.M.
"With this, I can fight too. Let's get going. It's about time Diana woke up," he said, heading toward Diana's house.