Chapter 14: Different Methods

Jojiro was standing on the platform, ready.

There was no hurry in his posture. Just that calm of his that needed no announcement.

At the foot of the steps, Mozir was already moving around for no apparent reason.

-Are you ready? -he said to Heliya, with an energy that didn't fit inside his body.

Heliya glanced at him sideways.

-I'm not -she responded-. I have no interest in Jojiro being tough on me.

Jojiro observed them both from above for a moment. Then spoke.

-Heliya. We start with you.

Heliya climbed the platform without rushing, with the expression of someone who already knows they're not going to like what's coming.

Jojiro looked at her calmly.

-I'm going to let you use your stellar ability. I want to know what you're capable of.

Heliya looked at him with doubt.

I don't know how far I can go.

-Are you sure about that?

-Yes -Jojiro responded, with a confidence that left no room for debate-. Don't hold back.

Heliya didn't hesitate any longer.

She closed her eyes and activated her stellar ability.

Telepathy.

She entered Jojiro's mind calmly, searching for the point where she could read his thoughts. But something took her deeper than she intended.

And then she saw them.

Memories.

A young Jojiro, in the Intellectual village. Images that arrived in fragments, clear but fleeting. And among them, something she didn't expect.

Jojiro had been the last of his siblings to learn to control an element.

She didn't expect that.

She had no time to process more.

Jojiro's presence expanded all at once.

An invisible force pushed her out of his mind with a firmness that allowed no negotiation. Heliya opened her eyes immediately.

Jojiro was looking at her with an expression that wasn't irritation, but wasn't comfort either.

-The reason it's easy for me to cancel your ability -he said calmly- is because I increase my presence. If you manage to control yours, knowing when to increase it and when not to... you'll be a problem to face.

Heliya processed the words in silence.

Jojiro continued.

-Besides seeing memories, can you control the movement of others?

Heliya hesitated.

If I could do that...

-I'm not sure -she responded-. I've never tried.

-It would be interesting for you to try -said Jojiro-. But for now I'd rather you focus on controlling your presence.

Heliya frowned.

-How can I do that?

-To achieve it you have to relax completely -Jojiro responded-. Body and mind.

Heliya made an expression that needed no words.

-I don't have enough patience to achieve that.

Jojiro looked at her for an instant.

-Then you'll be a burden to the others.

Heliya didn't respond.

Those words hit her harder than she expected. And without meaning to, they made her reconsider her way of thinking.

Jojiro turned toward Mozir.

-Mozir. We're going to start with your reflexes and your defense.

Mozir looked at him without saying anything.

-When I faced you, I noticed you lack both. In a real fight, strength won't be enough.

A brief pause.

-I'm going to attack you. And you'll have to dodge my strikes.

Mozir processed the words for a moment.

He couldn't deny it. It was true.

From below, Heliya listened in silence.

-Good luck with that, Mozir.

-Let's go. I'm here.

Jojiro positioned himself in front of Mozir.

He looked at him steadily.

Several seconds passed without either of them moving.

And then the blow arrived.

The palm of Jojiro's hand connected directly with Mozir's face before he could react. The impact made him step back several paces.

Mozir stayed still for a moment, hand over his face.

-You didn't warn me.

Jojiro looked at him with the same calm as always.

-Warn you? The enemy never warns you when or how they're going to attack. You have to be ready for anything.

Mozir repositioned himself.

This time he wasn't going to be caught off guard. He took his stance, eyes fixed on Jojiro, alert to every movement, to every sign of what was coming.

Jojiro approached slowly.

And then his hands moved.

A combination of palm strikes, fast, from different angles. Mozir tried to read them. Tried to anticipate them.

He couldn't see any of them.

The blows landed on different parts of his body one after another, giving him no time to react between one and the next. His legs gave out. One knee touched the ground.

He stayed there for a moment, the frustration settled in every part of his body.

How is it possible I didn't see any of them?

-Let's try again -said Jojiro.

Mozir took a deep breath.

That's right. I gain nothing by complaining. I just have to keep going.

He got up with more determination.