Roama World's The Pendant: Orphan Blade's Origins

Chapter 13: The Enlightened State

Universe: RoamaVerse

Location: Chakra-Aura Dojo

Year: 1991

"I want to see accuracy and precision in your strikes, students," Tyler instructed the Clan members. Some weeks have passed and Sensei Hashimoto placed Tyler in charge of training the Ace Clan members for their upcoming missions. With the rogue ninja threat growing more and more apparent, especially with the rising number of attacks in the outskirts and their alleged UltaPortal experiments, the Ace Clan was ready to take a more aggressive and offensive measure to defeat them. Despite being able to contain this mysterious rogue clan of ninjas and the rogue clan's inability to successfully build an UltaPortal, Sensei Hashimoto was taking no chances and was determined to put an end to the threat once and for all.

Tyler was reviewing wing-chun techniques and teaching some arnis to the Ace Ninjas when Lucas ran over to him, sweaty and out of breath.

"You're late," Tyler said, not even giving him a glance as he wrote on his clipboard notes.

"Sorry man, I just got the message from Sensei a half an hour ago," Lucas said as he showed Tyler the holographic message. "I didn't know I still had to come to training while suspended."

"This was a last minute decision we've made, so I'll let that slide. You're on reserve now, just in case of emergencies," Tyler clarified. "Besides, you were right about one thing. We need you for intelligence purposes, especially since you seem to have the most exposure to this rogue ninja clan."

"Is that so?" Lucas questioned. This came off as a surprise to him, considering how Tyler normally disregards Lucas' statements that inflate his ego, no matter how helpful it could actually turn out. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose, he thought to himself.

"I'm going to have you spar Anika," Tyler said, bringing her up to the center from the kneeling group of students.

"I'm sparring who now?" Lucas asked. Being out of practice for some time, he started feeling slightly nervous, especially having to suddenly face someone as skilled as Anika in front of the other clan members.

"An Ace Ninja is always ready to face a threat, even in the most unexpected moments," Tyler said. "It's time we show the students what we mean by that."

As Anika turned towards him, bowed, and stood in battle ready stance, Lucas held up his guard, feeling a lump form up in his throat as his hands started slightly shaking and sweating from the sudden adrenaline rush.

"Begin round... FIGHT!" Tyler commenced, beginning the match. The battle drums started beating, with Lucas reading Anika's swift movements and studying her patterns. After throwing the first few strikes, Lucas successfully landed two punches, gaining Anika's respect and causing her to step up her own pacing. After a few seconds of stance shifting, Anika threw rapid distraction strikes for Lucas to block and slid in for the sweep, causing Lucas to trip and fall to the ground as Anika simulated a finishing strike to his temple.

The students cheered as Tyler declared Anika's victory in this first round. "Anika wins round one!"

Lucas struggled to get back up, feeling the defeat and bitter humiliation from losing the match as quickly as he did. After a few seconds, Lucas was back on his feet, guard up and determined to take the match more seriously as he stared down Anika in a focused state. The aura that was radiating in his palms emanated strongly as he felt the power grow intensely within him. After Tyler commenced the second match, the battle drums began beating again, with Lucas timing his movement to the beat of the drums. Anika sensed this heightened state of focus in Lucas, which was one she had never detected in other opponents before. Both started exchanging strikes and counterstrikes, fighting toe-to-toe against one another and creating great excitement in the crowd of spectating students. Lucas was much more relentless in this round, being just one step faster, stronger, and more strategic than Anika was, allowing him to deliver the combination of strikes and aura energy bursts that sent Anika flying, ending the second round almost flawlessly.

"Lucas wins round two!" Tyler declared, shocked at Lucas' performance, but maintaining his professionalism. The students sat there in silence and awe, but after a few seconds, began cheering. Anika stood back up, shaking off the loss and going to congratulate Lucas for the victory.

"Oh my Lord, I haven't had a match that intense in forever. I must say, I'm impressed," Anika said, still shaken but full of excitement from the match. The aura was still emanating from Lucas' palms even as the match ended.

"Thanks, Anika. And must I say, your performance was quite-" Lucas halted. A rush of adrenaline and panic suddenly hit him like a giant wave as his eyes lit up. In that moment, Lucas lost himself, completely unaware of what was going on around him, trapped in a nightmarish vision he suddenly found himself in. There he was, in an empty field surrounded by rogue ninjas.

DREAM STATE

What the hell is going on?! Where am I?! Lucas thought to himself. Right in front of him was Isao Nakayama and the four other leaders of the rogue ninja clan Lucas encountered on the night he was almost killed. Fear ran through Lucas as he stood there petrified.

"You can't stop us, Lucas. The invasion has already begun," Nakayama said as the other four drew their weapons. "We may have failed to eliminate you and Kristine, but that won't keep us from hunting you down."

END DREAM STATE

"Lucas? Lucas? Are you okay?" Anika asked, concerned at Lucas, who stood there in the unresponsive and petrified state he was in. The energy within him was rising at a dangerously high level, and everyone around him could detect it. Tyler knew immediately what was about to happen.

"Anika! Get away from him!" Tyler demanded. Suddenly, Lucas' eyes lit up as he let out a loud cry and a burst of energy came out from him, sending everyone falling backwards. Lucas had lost control.

"Evaline, Alvin, Anika! We need to get everyone out of here so we could contain Lucas!" Tyler ordered.

"What's happening to him?" Evaline asked in a panicked and worried state.

"Lucas has achieved The Enlightened State. I don't know how, but I'm afraid he has no control over it yet," Tyler explained. "We need to calm him down."

Alvin started gathering up the students to evacuate the premises as Evaline and Anika tried to calm Lucas down. Tyler held two escrima sticks as he stood behind Lucas in a battle ready stance.

"Lucas! You need to snap out of it!" Evaline said. Lucas was still unresponsive, the energy from him emanating so strongly, that his aura could be felt from miles away. As Evaline and Anika continued to try and calm him down, Alvin stood next to Tyler in a battle ready stance as well.

"What should we do, Tyler?" Alvin asked, ready and determined to act immediately.

"We wait," Tyler said. "We don't want to provoke him, so unless he attacks, we should see if Evaline and Anika could reason with him."

Alvin watched Lucas in horror. "I've never seen anyone actually achieve The Enlightened State. The fact that it's Lucas... This is terrifying..."

"Lucas... None of us are going to hurt you..." Evaline said in a calm manner. Lucas was still unmoved and enraged.

"You're afraid. We understand," Anika said, holding out a hand. "Please... Let us help you."

Suddenly, Lucas turned his head around and struck Tyler and Alvin with an aura burst, sending them flying backwards.

"Tyler!" Evaline screamed. She started running for him, but Lucas struck her down with an aura energy burst. Anika ran over and picked her up off the ground.

"Oh my. Evaline, are you okay?" Anika asked, seeing some blood start running down Evaline's face. Lucas started to make his way out of the dojo's field as Tyler and Alvin slowly got back up on their feet.

"We can't let him leave, guys," Tyler yelled. "He needs to be stopped now!"

Before any of them could reach him, Lucas vanished behind a cloud of dust, causing great confusion and concern.

"Where did he go?!" Alvin asked as he drew his katana and frantically looked around him.

"He's not in control of his actions," Tyler said. "But I felt in his aura that he intends to go to the center of the kingdom. Call Sensei Hashimoto right now. We need his help to stop Lucas before he causes any more destruction."