Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2015 3:28:51 GMT -5
[Thread PL: 13,874 base. With Heavy Weights: 3,468.5]
Atsuko went far to the north, to the wastelands of ice and snow. Here, she was alone. The Knight was unable to detect any Power Levels near her, in any case. She chose to come out here so that there were no interruptions, she didn't have to hold back her own power here. And she didn't need to worry over someone catching sight of her battle style. She wasn't the type to shy away from an enemy that knew about her, but it was still tactically advantageous to be an unknown element if a battle should break out. The Albino Saiyan was still in flight...
Looking for exactly the right spot, her weighted cape and robes provided the warmth needed to survive here. Along with her conditioning back at the Temple... Her own Ki was just another layer of protection. Finally she landed in the middle of the Northern Wastelands. This was going to be her training ground. Her first order of business was to find large boulders, the largest that she could find, in fact. It wasn't one of the longest searches in order to find that, all of this was untouched and, after all. The Knight found a rock that was several times her own size.
She takes a deep breath, preparing herself, and then she grasps the boulder. Trying to lift it up off the ground. With the weights, it proved an incredibly difficult task. But the more difficult the training, the more effective it was. She bares her teeth, letting out a growl as her Ki began to flare up. It was taking everything she could pour into the task to rip it out from the ground. But finally she reached her maximum strength, and the boulder gave way. But that wasn't enough for the Albino Saiyan.
She fought to then raise it overhead. She struggled with every ounce of her being to keep balance. Every movement proved critical, her feet dug deeply into the snow, it took several minutes to steady herself, but she had done it. The boulder was held overhead, and then she began to walk. She was going to carry this all the way back to the training ground she had picked out before. She was taking ragged breaths, but the Saiyan refused to back down. She WAS going to get stronger, her time out in the world showed that she was not fully ready to defend it's people.
That had to changed. She decided that it must be so. There was no one here to stop her. Flare probably would have called her crazy. Athren probably would have goaded her on, or maybe join in. And Tau... She'd just say that she was doing it all wrong. All of the distractions were taken away, this was her own private struggle. The Albino Saiyan didn't need help with this, only she could make herself stronger. Her thoughts continued to run on as she carried the massive boulder to her destination. Several minutes under these harsh conditions...
And she finally slams the boulder down. The Knight then set off to find another rock of similar size. Her determination grew despite her body weakening. She found exactly what she was looking for yet again, and so the process repeated. A brief moment to prepare herself, and then she began to lift the stone just as she did with the other. She knew what to do now, so it proved an easier task. The Saiyan refused to let herself slow down, if anything, she was going to go faster! Her own limitations be damned, they would be broken!
Each step felt like they weighed a ton, but she fought to keep herself standing. The stone wouldn't slip from her grasp, to do so was failure; Atsuko continued to decree like that within her own mind. "I'm going to show them all... Exactly how strong I can become.", the Albino Saiyan muttered as she then finally slammed the stone down. It was set a little ways from the other she had gathered. But same as before, it didn't end there. She was going to lay claim to a third, the same as the others. She couldn't rest just yet.
The Knight could feel herself becoming adjusted to the weights. She wouldn't be able to move at her original speed yet, but that didn't deter her in the slightest. All she had to do was stay focused, and fight with everything she had. There were people relying on her, after all. Everyone back at the Temple... They didn't give her the title of Holy Knight lightly, she needed to prove that they were right to put that much faith into her. And as she was, she wouldn't be able to do that. That was going to change, one way or another.
She knew exactly what to do now, lifting such a large boulder wasn't as difficult as it was before. Keeping her balance was something she didn't have to pour all of her concentration into. Good, so she was making progress. But it still wasn't nearly enough. If Atsuko became satisfied with this, she would never be strong enough to defend her home. No, it was far from time to end the training. It needed to last much longer, it needed to tax more than just her ability to carry greater weights, as well. She already began thinking of what her next challenge would be...
All she had to do was bring this final boulder back. It wasn't going to be much longer, with the way she was struggling so hard to get the task over with. Her body may have ached from the constant strain it was under, but she willingly chose to ignore it. She experienced pain just like this before, it hadn't stopped her back then. And it certainly wasn't going to stop her now. The more strain she felt... The more determined she became! She slammed the final boulder down, forming a triangle of stone.
She walked right into the middle of the triangle, and then lowered herself down to the ground. She began doing push ups, starting off with the usual method that everyone uses. The weight wasn't as immense as the boulders from before, but that was alright. They would still make her stronger. Her breathing was still ragged, but her conditioning proved useful once more; all of her time at the top of the mountain... If she could survive on low oxygen, then she could survive this intense training regime. Atsuko continued to egg herself on, and then she began to change push up style.
Now she was balancing on one arm, when she pushed herself up, she quickly swapped to the other arm. This was getting more challenging! The Albino Saiyan reveled in it, how far could she push herself? She had to find out now. Her Saiyan instincts were beginning to awaken, she felt like she was truly alive. That rush of adrenaline was amazing! She could easily become addicted to it, but she wouldn't. She was going to master it, use it to her own advantage. Rather than to let the wild beast run free! Anyone could do that.
It took true skill to tame it! She stops performing push ups briefly, and then balances herself onto a hand stand. She began to lower herself to the earth, and then push herself back up! It was with two hands for now, one had to pace themselves after all. That was an important lesson that she learned long ago, to not bite off more than she could chew. Her pride was dangerous, even to this day. That was why she kept telling herself that power didn't make her better than anyone. It only gave her an obligation to protect.
She then balanced herself on one hand, repeating the task of pushing herself up and then lowering herself back down. Her mind continued to race with everything she needed to live up to, she wasn't scared. She couldn't afford to be. She had all of her life to prepare for this, and the Albino Saiyan was going to continue to prepare for it! When one arm became too taxed, she swapped to the other and simply kept going! However even with all of this, she could feel herself slowing down. She would need to rest soon, but it wouldn't be just yet...
She got back onto her feet, and then proceeded to lie down on the ground. Now she performed sit ups, she couldn't allow herself to break down with so little. Atsuko downright refused for it to be that easy. She was going to earn her respite, her thoughts turned to Tau... Somehow, it seemed like the Human Girl was always one step ahead of her, it was something to admire. But it also drove Atsuko to improve herself. This wasn't like with the Elder of the Temple. Tau showed her just how strong someone could become through sheer tenacity.
It was time to see if Atsuko could match that! Failure was never an option, finally the Saiyan reached her limit on sit ups... But she still wasn't done with training. The Albino Saiyan jumped back onto her feet, and then continued her stride right over to one of the boulders. She then began to punch it with all of the might she could gather. The stone proved a solid foe to train against, especially with the Heavy Weights that the Saiyan was wearing. But she wasn't going to let it win. This was her moment to shine.
Her blows began to pick up in speed in strength. Harder! Harder!! HARDER!!! Her fist went straight into the stone and then split the entire thing in half. She wasn't going to lose her momentum, the Knight immediately turned and charged towards one of the other boulders and began punching it as well! It was still a solid foe that stood against her blows, that was good! She didn't want it to be so easy just because she had gotten fired up! Atsuko smirked to herself as her pace continued to increase. How fast could she force herself to become?!
She was going to find out! Atsuko once more sent her first surging forth with an incredibly powerful blow that split the boulder in half, just as it did with the other. She turned to the final rock, and flew right into action. Pounding her fists endlessly against it! It was starting to feel truly amazing, why hadn't she pushed herself like this before?! It felt like she had been missing something all of her life, and she had just found it! Her body was growing weaker, or perhaps the boulder was stronger than it's kin. But she paid it no mind!
Nothing was going to stop her. She decided that when she first started her training, and it still held true! With each blow against the stone, it slowly began to crack. So she was winning! That only drove her further, her Ki flaring up just as it did before. She began to pick up more and more momentum as she continued to strike the stone. But she still hadn't found that one key strike that ended it like with all the others. Faster! Faster!! FASTER!!! "NGAHHH!!!", she roared as her fist then broke through the boulder, and split it in half as well.
There were no more stones to break through, but she just carried through with the momentum, going into flight and circling around her training ground! The more she could push herself, the better! Her body was going to give out soon, but she could handle just a little bit more! She had to! As Atsuko continued forcing herself on, she gradually picked up in speed. Until she was finally going above what was a reasonable 'maximum' due to the fact that she was wearing Heavy Weights. Now she just had to hold out on this speed for as long as she could!
She was able to maintain it for a solid minute, and then she began to slow down. Finally she landed back in the middle of her training ground, and began to sit down. She felt exhausted, it was time for a breather... She closed her eyes, assuming a more meditative posture. Slow down now, gather the air... Time to regain all of her energy. Atsuko's breathing began to slow as she relaxed, the calmer she became, the more Ki began to flow back into her body. It also allowed her to reflect on everything she had learned thus far.
Her limits were much more than she had expected, but she had broken beyond them all the same. Would her training end here, however? Atsuko pondered on that for a moment, but felt as though it wasn't time for it to end. But she would gain nothing by rushing blindly. She had all the time in the world to allow her body some time to heal. As a Saiyan, she wouldn't take long to recover. Especially considering her lifetime spent hardening herself with constant training... What was happening at her Temple right now? She wondered to herself.
Atsuko tried to concentrate on her home, and the people there. If she tried hard enough, could she sense her brothers and sisters? It wasn't something that would come easily, she needed to pour a different kind of effort into it. This wasn't something she could just punch her way into succeeding at, her mind was just as important. Losing herself in a frenzy during battle may have been the most exciting thing that she could feel as a Saiyan, but she was more than that. She was Human... At least, as far as she was aware.
Even if she learned her true nature, it wouldn't change anything. Nothing could take away the time with her family at the Mountains. Atsuko focused on them... And then, a sudden sensation. She could feel their presence, somehow she knew it was them. Their aura... What made them "them", even as far away from them as she was, it felt like they were right there next to her. It was hard to describe, the Saiyan knew they weren't so close. But she couldn't deny what the sensations said to her. The Albino Saiyan smiled to herself, it was a pleasant feeling...
And a handy ability. This was going to be essential, she could tell how strong they were. She could find out how strong anyone was with this, she wasn't operating blind anymore. This was the one thing she struggled with during her years at the Temple, she lacked that certain 'something' that connected her mind and senses. She still couldn't say what it was. Perhaps she simply wasn't strong enough, or she needed to go out and become used to foreign sensations, whatever the case was... She could sense those around her now. That much Atsuko did know, she had come far.
But she needed to go farther still, the Saiyan lost track of how long she had been meditating. But her body was rested now, her Ki had rebuilt. With a deep inhalation, and then a slow exhale... She stood up. But she was careful to keep her focus. She began to balance herself on one leg, bringing her hands into a praying motion. It was quiet here, the wind and the snow actually helped her concentration, as they reminded her of her home. This was her natural element, once more her thoughts turned to Tau. Being in that Arcade was...
Interesting. To put it lightly, but there was so much noise. She found it a wonder that anyone could get anything done within cities. Everyday life seemed such a strange concept for her. How was it that Tau, who was so alike the Saiyan in many ways, get along so well in a city. Same as everyone else there? Perhaps it was merely as simple as the fact that the Human Girl grew up there, maybe there was something else to it. The Knight honestly couldn't say. Slowly, she began to lift her remaining leg off the ground, hovering in mid-air.
Atsuko took another deep breath. Her thoughts turned to Bernael, the young man that she helped train. How was he doing now? He had his own journey to be concerned about, but she still felt responsible in looking after him. He seemed so helpless the last time they met... Well, that wasn't entirely accurate. He was a fast learner, and he would make a fine warrior. But she couldn't help but feel a measure of concern for his safety. It was almost like looking out for a little brother that she didn't know she had. He seemed just as lost as she was in this world.
She knew so little about him, however. Their meeting was brief, and everyone went their separate ways after that. Maybe they would meet up again? Her thoughts then turned to Flare, the excitable red-haired mechanic that she met. She really didn't seem happy unless she was tinkering away with some piece of technology. The way her face lit up when Atsuko said she knew about a location with ancient technology in it, it still brought a smile to the Albino Saiyan... Come to think of it, the girl's red hair lit up too...
And of course, it was hard to think of her without also thinking about Jax... What was there to be said about him? Atsuko could safely say that she hadn't encountered anything quite like the little guy before. She could only imagine how stressful it would be to have him along on a journey, too. The fact that Flare was as patient as she was with the little robot was honestly surprising. Still... She seemed happy to have him along, as well. As evidenced by just how angry she got when Athren attempted to blast Jax into nothingness.
Ah yes, the Saiyan Prince. He had made quite the impression on the Albino Saiyan. She found him difficult to understand, how could one hold such a cynical view of things? And he seemed so eager to meet his own death. That pride of his, honestly it was difficult to call him anything but a stubborn fool. But... She got the feeling that he wasn't entirely bad, either. He did speak briefly about the struggles he faced. There must have been a lot on his shoulders. But that was all the more reason that he should let others help carry the weight.
Atsuko was determined to show him that he didn't have to do it all alone. Anyone that was making such a demand was in the wrong. It wasn't going to be an easy goal, but hey. Saiyans love a challenge. If she had to, Atsuko would beat that into him. At the very least, she was going to earn his respect. And in return, he would earn hers. Slowly, the Albino Saiyan opened her eyes, and placed her feet onto the ground once more. She felt at peace with her inner self once more, and her body had healed from it's earlier strain.
The Knight proceeded to find a steep cliff. This was going to be her next training method, climbing up to the top without the help of her Flight. This proved one of the more challenging tasks, as she was working against gravity. And the immense weight of the cape she was wearing only increased the difficulty. But she was ready now, slowly but surely she climbed her way up. What would be the result of all of this training? The Albino Saiyan silently wondered to herself, it drove her to push on and find out.
The stronger she grew, the more able she was to defend her home. This day's worth of training was just the beginning. She would need to do so much more if she truly wanted to keep Earth safe. The thought proved exciting to her, this was the life she had chosen. She could have quit at any time that she wanted to. But she never wanted that. This gave her purpose, perhaps in time there would be other things that give her the same feeling. But that was neither the here or now. She was still progressing up the cliff.
If she could accomplish this... There was nothing that could stop her from obtaining what she wanted. Atsuko didn't have a single doubt in her mind, she made no boasts about how she would succeed. She put all of that instead into making it happen. Though her body wanted to give way and fall many times, she didn't allow it. Finally, she was nearing the top. It was just a little more to climb... The hardest part, but she was climbing atop the cliff now. It was the same as the entire climb; slow and steady saw her through it.
Finally she stood on solid ground once more, she caught her breath. The Albino Saiyan then took in her surroundings, the Wastelands continued far. Perfect, Atsuko took off into a run. She didn't use her Ki to assist herself, the same as she didn't use flight to assist in her ascension of the cliff. She was going to use her pure strength to get through this exercise. Even with her Heavy Weights, she was still quite the fast sight to behold. Keeping her balance in the snow and ice was yet another obstacle for her to overcome. She kept her momentum despite it all.
What should the Saiyan train with next? Atsuko had to admit that she was running low on ideas. But surely there was something that would work! She pondered it over as she ran through the Northern Wastelands, no destination in particular. Maybe she should find another large boulder... That might work nicely, she could keep an eye out for one during her run! She scanned her surroundings with her eyes, but she couldn't find anything that would work just yet. Ah well, good things come to those who wait. She was however coming to the end of the plateau she was on...
The Knight instead ran faster, and then leaped off! She gathered some of her Ki to slow her descent, but otherwise didn't take flight. It proved a bit of a challenge to find the amount she needed to land safely due to the added weight. But she had plenty of time to get it figured out, she landed safely on her feet. The Saiyan then looked around her new surroundings, now that her run was finished it was time to focus entirely on finding another large boulder. She did have a training method in mind.
It took a bit of searching, but she found another one. She proceeded to grasp it, as she had done three times before. It didn't take quite as long to pull it free as it did with the others, though it was still a time consuming task to deal with. She still knew where her training ground was from here, carefully balancing the rock overhead, she made her way back to it. She could already feel some of the effects of her training. But it still wasn't enough for the Saiyan's tastes. She could get even more results.
She was going to. As she returned to the center of her makeshift training ground, she began to push the large boulder up as high as she could manage it. Then, she began to lower it back down. It was slow going, but Atsuko was pulling it off. And she would repeat this exercise as many times as she could manage it. Which turned out to be more than a few times! The Albino Saiyan decided to make it even more challenging, she stopped for a moment, and then began to carefully balance the boulder onto one hand... Now, she continued her exercise.
Naturally, this was even more difficult for a variety of reasons. Her arm and body were tiring out even faster from this type of strain, but she could handle it. She wasn't just going to set it down and walk away... When her arm became too taxed, she switched right over to the other one and just kept going. The Knight's determination remained just as strong as it always did. It filled her very being as she struggled through the intense training she was putting herself under. So what could she do next in her training? The Albino Saiyan really was running out of ideas...
Perhaps it was for the best, her body really couldn't take much more, even if she kept stopping to meditate like she did not so long ago. Well... She stopped using the boulder for reps, holding it with both of her hands... She began to lower herself down, and then stood up as fast as she could manage, surging all of her Ki forth so as to throw the large stone straight up into the air! She succeeded, and then she hopped into the air, taking flight and aligning herself to face the falling boulder.
She flew up and then began to punch and kick the boulder with everything she could throw into it, attempting to slow it's descent and even stop it entirely! It's a task that any sane person would call impossible. But we've already covered that Saiyans love a challenge... She was, in fact, managing to slow the boulder's descent. She gradually picked up the pace of her blows, and the falling stone slowed even more in response. Until finally she no longer had to lower herself closer to the Earth. Now they were both floating in mid-air as she struck it over and over.
But she wasn't content with this. Obviously the Albino Saiyan wasn't going to be able to push it up into the air. But she could break it apart... She was managing to strike it hard enough to accomplish that, as it slowly began to crack under her constant assault. Just a little more, and she would succeed! This was going to be the final part of her training for the day. Already Atsuko could feel the immense strain on her body, anymore and it would only put herself at risk. That was fine, she could work with this.
Her Ki flared up to it's maximum point as she continued her assault on the stone that would otherwise threaten to pin her to the earth. This was it... Time to finish her training now! Stronger! Stronger!! STRONGER!!! Atsuko pulled both of her fists back, and then thrust them forth at once in simultaneous blow. "HAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!!!!", her shout echoed through the Northern Wastelands, as the boulder then crumbled into many, smaller stones. They fell harmlessly around the Saiyan as she continued o float in the air and catch her breath. She then began to smirk to herself...
No, it wasn't going to end that simply. Not while she was still riding a high! She bursts through the air, throwing all of her might into a stomp on one of the boulder halves, causing it to crumble as well. She then repeated it again, and then yet again. With each boulder now reduced to shadows of their former selves, she landed back in the middle of the training ground... Hmm, no. It still wasn't enough. She called all of her Ki back to it's flaring point again, and then blew it outwards, sending all of the stones flying into the air!
She then glanced upwards, and raised both of her hands! She then began to fire ki blasts as fast as she could manage them, each one dedicated to the task of destroying one of the rocks! Atsuko wasn't going to let a single one touch the ground again! It was quite the boast to make, but she was working fast enough to perhaps make that happen... The Albino Saiyan didn't falter for a moment, even though her body grew weak. Just a little more, almost there... She kept reminding herself of that. And it proved to be enough.
Every single stone had been wiped out by one of her Ki Blasts, all before they had touched the ground. Atsuko then relaxed her stand, closing her eyes. "Phew... I'm done. Time to leave.", the Albino Saiyan commented to herself, and then slowly rose into the air. She stuck to a more casual pace for now, as she began to leave the Northern Wastelands behind. There was much that she needed to attend to. The Saiyan pondered where her journeys would take her next, but... More than that, she could feel as though something was calling her, something greater.
It was a difficult sensation to explain, just what was it that she was feeling? It felt... Benevolent. Like something had cast it's attention onto her, but she was unable to grasp the meaning of all this. The Albino Saiyan assumed that it meant she was not yet ready. But perhaps soon she would be, she would need to meditate more on this later, for now she needed to resume her duties as a Holy Knight. The populace of the world could fall into danger at a moment's notice, and she needed to be there to defend them. Although...
Atsuko might need to rest a little first, perhaps she had overdone it on her training. "Ah well... It was worth it.", she then verbally reassured herself. With that, she picked up the pace. The Northern Wastelands becoming a blur behind her. The Knight pondered what was to be next on her agenda, there was still much of Earth that she had not seen. What she did know is that perhaps somewhere warmer would be a nice change, the harsh conditions were perfect for training, but it would prove horrid for her recovery. So, the Knight's journey continued on... As it always has.
WC: 5,003
Requested Reward: Power Level!
Atsuko went far to the north, to the wastelands of ice and snow. Here, she was alone. The Knight was unable to detect any Power Levels near her, in any case. She chose to come out here so that there were no interruptions, she didn't have to hold back her own power here. And she didn't need to worry over someone catching sight of her battle style. She wasn't the type to shy away from an enemy that knew about her, but it was still tactically advantageous to be an unknown element if a battle should break out. The Albino Saiyan was still in flight...
Looking for exactly the right spot, her weighted cape and robes provided the warmth needed to survive here. Along with her conditioning back at the Temple... Her own Ki was just another layer of protection. Finally she landed in the middle of the Northern Wastelands. This was going to be her training ground. Her first order of business was to find large boulders, the largest that she could find, in fact. It wasn't one of the longest searches in order to find that, all of this was untouched and, after all. The Knight found a rock that was several times her own size.
She takes a deep breath, preparing herself, and then she grasps the boulder. Trying to lift it up off the ground. With the weights, it proved an incredibly difficult task. But the more difficult the training, the more effective it was. She bares her teeth, letting out a growl as her Ki began to flare up. It was taking everything she could pour into the task to rip it out from the ground. But finally she reached her maximum strength, and the boulder gave way. But that wasn't enough for the Albino Saiyan.
She fought to then raise it overhead. She struggled with every ounce of her being to keep balance. Every movement proved critical, her feet dug deeply into the snow, it took several minutes to steady herself, but she had done it. The boulder was held overhead, and then she began to walk. She was going to carry this all the way back to the training ground she had picked out before. She was taking ragged breaths, but the Saiyan refused to back down. She WAS going to get stronger, her time out in the world showed that she was not fully ready to defend it's people.
That had to changed. She decided that it must be so. There was no one here to stop her. Flare probably would have called her crazy. Athren probably would have goaded her on, or maybe join in. And Tau... She'd just say that she was doing it all wrong. All of the distractions were taken away, this was her own private struggle. The Albino Saiyan didn't need help with this, only she could make herself stronger. Her thoughts continued to run on as she carried the massive boulder to her destination. Several minutes under these harsh conditions...
And she finally slams the boulder down. The Knight then set off to find another rock of similar size. Her determination grew despite her body weakening. She found exactly what she was looking for yet again, and so the process repeated. A brief moment to prepare herself, and then she began to lift the stone just as she did with the other. She knew what to do now, so it proved an easier task. The Saiyan refused to let herself slow down, if anything, she was going to go faster! Her own limitations be damned, they would be broken!
Each step felt like they weighed a ton, but she fought to keep herself standing. The stone wouldn't slip from her grasp, to do so was failure; Atsuko continued to decree like that within her own mind. "I'm going to show them all... Exactly how strong I can become.", the Albino Saiyan muttered as she then finally slammed the stone down. It was set a little ways from the other she had gathered. But same as before, it didn't end there. She was going to lay claim to a third, the same as the others. She couldn't rest just yet.
The Knight could feel herself becoming adjusted to the weights. She wouldn't be able to move at her original speed yet, but that didn't deter her in the slightest. All she had to do was stay focused, and fight with everything she had. There were people relying on her, after all. Everyone back at the Temple... They didn't give her the title of Holy Knight lightly, she needed to prove that they were right to put that much faith into her. And as she was, she wouldn't be able to do that. That was going to change, one way or another.
She knew exactly what to do now, lifting such a large boulder wasn't as difficult as it was before. Keeping her balance was something she didn't have to pour all of her concentration into. Good, so she was making progress. But it still wasn't nearly enough. If Atsuko became satisfied with this, she would never be strong enough to defend her home. No, it was far from time to end the training. It needed to last much longer, it needed to tax more than just her ability to carry greater weights, as well. She already began thinking of what her next challenge would be...
All she had to do was bring this final boulder back. It wasn't going to be much longer, with the way she was struggling so hard to get the task over with. Her body may have ached from the constant strain it was under, but she willingly chose to ignore it. She experienced pain just like this before, it hadn't stopped her back then. And it certainly wasn't going to stop her now. The more strain she felt... The more determined she became! She slammed the final boulder down, forming a triangle of stone.
She walked right into the middle of the triangle, and then lowered herself down to the ground. She began doing push ups, starting off with the usual method that everyone uses. The weight wasn't as immense as the boulders from before, but that was alright. They would still make her stronger. Her breathing was still ragged, but her conditioning proved useful once more; all of her time at the top of the mountain... If she could survive on low oxygen, then she could survive this intense training regime. Atsuko continued to egg herself on, and then she began to change push up style.
Now she was balancing on one arm, when she pushed herself up, she quickly swapped to the other arm. This was getting more challenging! The Albino Saiyan reveled in it, how far could she push herself? She had to find out now. Her Saiyan instincts were beginning to awaken, she felt like she was truly alive. That rush of adrenaline was amazing! She could easily become addicted to it, but she wouldn't. She was going to master it, use it to her own advantage. Rather than to let the wild beast run free! Anyone could do that.
It took true skill to tame it! She stops performing push ups briefly, and then balances herself onto a hand stand. She began to lower herself to the earth, and then push herself back up! It was with two hands for now, one had to pace themselves after all. That was an important lesson that she learned long ago, to not bite off more than she could chew. Her pride was dangerous, even to this day. That was why she kept telling herself that power didn't make her better than anyone. It only gave her an obligation to protect.
She then balanced herself on one hand, repeating the task of pushing herself up and then lowering herself back down. Her mind continued to race with everything she needed to live up to, she wasn't scared. She couldn't afford to be. She had all of her life to prepare for this, and the Albino Saiyan was going to continue to prepare for it! When one arm became too taxed, she swapped to the other and simply kept going! However even with all of this, she could feel herself slowing down. She would need to rest soon, but it wouldn't be just yet...
She got back onto her feet, and then proceeded to lie down on the ground. Now she performed sit ups, she couldn't allow herself to break down with so little. Atsuko downright refused for it to be that easy. She was going to earn her respite, her thoughts turned to Tau... Somehow, it seemed like the Human Girl was always one step ahead of her, it was something to admire. But it also drove Atsuko to improve herself. This wasn't like with the Elder of the Temple. Tau showed her just how strong someone could become through sheer tenacity.
It was time to see if Atsuko could match that! Failure was never an option, finally the Saiyan reached her limit on sit ups... But she still wasn't done with training. The Albino Saiyan jumped back onto her feet, and then continued her stride right over to one of the boulders. She then began to punch it with all of the might she could gather. The stone proved a solid foe to train against, especially with the Heavy Weights that the Saiyan was wearing. But she wasn't going to let it win. This was her moment to shine.
Her blows began to pick up in speed in strength. Harder! Harder!! HARDER!!! Her fist went straight into the stone and then split the entire thing in half. She wasn't going to lose her momentum, the Knight immediately turned and charged towards one of the other boulders and began punching it as well! It was still a solid foe that stood against her blows, that was good! She didn't want it to be so easy just because she had gotten fired up! Atsuko smirked to herself as her pace continued to increase. How fast could she force herself to become?!
She was going to find out! Atsuko once more sent her first surging forth with an incredibly powerful blow that split the boulder in half, just as it did with the other. She turned to the final rock, and flew right into action. Pounding her fists endlessly against it! It was starting to feel truly amazing, why hadn't she pushed herself like this before?! It felt like she had been missing something all of her life, and she had just found it! Her body was growing weaker, or perhaps the boulder was stronger than it's kin. But she paid it no mind!
Nothing was going to stop her. She decided that when she first started her training, and it still held true! With each blow against the stone, it slowly began to crack. So she was winning! That only drove her further, her Ki flaring up just as it did before. She began to pick up more and more momentum as she continued to strike the stone. But she still hadn't found that one key strike that ended it like with all the others. Faster! Faster!! FASTER!!! "NGAHHH!!!", she roared as her fist then broke through the boulder, and split it in half as well.
There were no more stones to break through, but she just carried through with the momentum, going into flight and circling around her training ground! The more she could push herself, the better! Her body was going to give out soon, but she could handle just a little bit more! She had to! As Atsuko continued forcing herself on, she gradually picked up in speed. Until she was finally going above what was a reasonable 'maximum' due to the fact that she was wearing Heavy Weights. Now she just had to hold out on this speed for as long as she could!
She was able to maintain it for a solid minute, and then she began to slow down. Finally she landed back in the middle of her training ground, and began to sit down. She felt exhausted, it was time for a breather... She closed her eyes, assuming a more meditative posture. Slow down now, gather the air... Time to regain all of her energy. Atsuko's breathing began to slow as she relaxed, the calmer she became, the more Ki began to flow back into her body. It also allowed her to reflect on everything she had learned thus far.
Her limits were much more than she had expected, but she had broken beyond them all the same. Would her training end here, however? Atsuko pondered on that for a moment, but felt as though it wasn't time for it to end. But she would gain nothing by rushing blindly. She had all the time in the world to allow her body some time to heal. As a Saiyan, she wouldn't take long to recover. Especially considering her lifetime spent hardening herself with constant training... What was happening at her Temple right now? She wondered to herself.
Atsuko tried to concentrate on her home, and the people there. If she tried hard enough, could she sense her brothers and sisters? It wasn't something that would come easily, she needed to pour a different kind of effort into it. This wasn't something she could just punch her way into succeeding at, her mind was just as important. Losing herself in a frenzy during battle may have been the most exciting thing that she could feel as a Saiyan, but she was more than that. She was Human... At least, as far as she was aware.
Even if she learned her true nature, it wouldn't change anything. Nothing could take away the time with her family at the Mountains. Atsuko focused on them... And then, a sudden sensation. She could feel their presence, somehow she knew it was them. Their aura... What made them "them", even as far away from them as she was, it felt like they were right there next to her. It was hard to describe, the Saiyan knew they weren't so close. But she couldn't deny what the sensations said to her. The Albino Saiyan smiled to herself, it was a pleasant feeling...
And a handy ability. This was going to be essential, she could tell how strong they were. She could find out how strong anyone was with this, she wasn't operating blind anymore. This was the one thing she struggled with during her years at the Temple, she lacked that certain 'something' that connected her mind and senses. She still couldn't say what it was. Perhaps she simply wasn't strong enough, or she needed to go out and become used to foreign sensations, whatever the case was... She could sense those around her now. That much Atsuko did know, she had come far.
But she needed to go farther still, the Saiyan lost track of how long she had been meditating. But her body was rested now, her Ki had rebuilt. With a deep inhalation, and then a slow exhale... She stood up. But she was careful to keep her focus. She began to balance herself on one leg, bringing her hands into a praying motion. It was quiet here, the wind and the snow actually helped her concentration, as they reminded her of her home. This was her natural element, once more her thoughts turned to Tau. Being in that Arcade was...
Interesting. To put it lightly, but there was so much noise. She found it a wonder that anyone could get anything done within cities. Everyday life seemed such a strange concept for her. How was it that Tau, who was so alike the Saiyan in many ways, get along so well in a city. Same as everyone else there? Perhaps it was merely as simple as the fact that the Human Girl grew up there, maybe there was something else to it. The Knight honestly couldn't say. Slowly, she began to lift her remaining leg off the ground, hovering in mid-air.
Atsuko took another deep breath. Her thoughts turned to Bernael, the young man that she helped train. How was he doing now? He had his own journey to be concerned about, but she still felt responsible in looking after him. He seemed so helpless the last time they met... Well, that wasn't entirely accurate. He was a fast learner, and he would make a fine warrior. But she couldn't help but feel a measure of concern for his safety. It was almost like looking out for a little brother that she didn't know she had. He seemed just as lost as she was in this world.
She knew so little about him, however. Their meeting was brief, and everyone went their separate ways after that. Maybe they would meet up again? Her thoughts then turned to Flare, the excitable red-haired mechanic that she met. She really didn't seem happy unless she was tinkering away with some piece of technology. The way her face lit up when Atsuko said she knew about a location with ancient technology in it, it still brought a smile to the Albino Saiyan... Come to think of it, the girl's red hair lit up too...
And of course, it was hard to think of her without also thinking about Jax... What was there to be said about him? Atsuko could safely say that she hadn't encountered anything quite like the little guy before. She could only imagine how stressful it would be to have him along on a journey, too. The fact that Flare was as patient as she was with the little robot was honestly surprising. Still... She seemed happy to have him along, as well. As evidenced by just how angry she got when Athren attempted to blast Jax into nothingness.
Ah yes, the Saiyan Prince. He had made quite the impression on the Albino Saiyan. She found him difficult to understand, how could one hold such a cynical view of things? And he seemed so eager to meet his own death. That pride of his, honestly it was difficult to call him anything but a stubborn fool. But... She got the feeling that he wasn't entirely bad, either. He did speak briefly about the struggles he faced. There must have been a lot on his shoulders. But that was all the more reason that he should let others help carry the weight.
Atsuko was determined to show him that he didn't have to do it all alone. Anyone that was making such a demand was in the wrong. It wasn't going to be an easy goal, but hey. Saiyans love a challenge. If she had to, Atsuko would beat that into him. At the very least, she was going to earn his respect. And in return, he would earn hers. Slowly, the Albino Saiyan opened her eyes, and placed her feet onto the ground once more. She felt at peace with her inner self once more, and her body had healed from it's earlier strain.
The Knight proceeded to find a steep cliff. This was going to be her next training method, climbing up to the top without the help of her Flight. This proved one of the more challenging tasks, as she was working against gravity. And the immense weight of the cape she was wearing only increased the difficulty. But she was ready now, slowly but surely she climbed her way up. What would be the result of all of this training? The Albino Saiyan silently wondered to herself, it drove her to push on and find out.
The stronger she grew, the more able she was to defend her home. This day's worth of training was just the beginning. She would need to do so much more if she truly wanted to keep Earth safe. The thought proved exciting to her, this was the life she had chosen. She could have quit at any time that she wanted to. But she never wanted that. This gave her purpose, perhaps in time there would be other things that give her the same feeling. But that was neither the here or now. She was still progressing up the cliff.
If she could accomplish this... There was nothing that could stop her from obtaining what she wanted. Atsuko didn't have a single doubt in her mind, she made no boasts about how she would succeed. She put all of that instead into making it happen. Though her body wanted to give way and fall many times, she didn't allow it. Finally, she was nearing the top. It was just a little more to climb... The hardest part, but she was climbing atop the cliff now. It was the same as the entire climb; slow and steady saw her through it.
Finally she stood on solid ground once more, she caught her breath. The Albino Saiyan then took in her surroundings, the Wastelands continued far. Perfect, Atsuko took off into a run. She didn't use her Ki to assist herself, the same as she didn't use flight to assist in her ascension of the cliff. She was going to use her pure strength to get through this exercise. Even with her Heavy Weights, she was still quite the fast sight to behold. Keeping her balance in the snow and ice was yet another obstacle for her to overcome. She kept her momentum despite it all.
What should the Saiyan train with next? Atsuko had to admit that she was running low on ideas. But surely there was something that would work! She pondered it over as she ran through the Northern Wastelands, no destination in particular. Maybe she should find another large boulder... That might work nicely, she could keep an eye out for one during her run! She scanned her surroundings with her eyes, but she couldn't find anything that would work just yet. Ah well, good things come to those who wait. She was however coming to the end of the plateau she was on...
The Knight instead ran faster, and then leaped off! She gathered some of her Ki to slow her descent, but otherwise didn't take flight. It proved a bit of a challenge to find the amount she needed to land safely due to the added weight. But she had plenty of time to get it figured out, she landed safely on her feet. The Saiyan then looked around her new surroundings, now that her run was finished it was time to focus entirely on finding another large boulder. She did have a training method in mind.
It took a bit of searching, but she found another one. She proceeded to grasp it, as she had done three times before. It didn't take quite as long to pull it free as it did with the others, though it was still a time consuming task to deal with. She still knew where her training ground was from here, carefully balancing the rock overhead, she made her way back to it. She could already feel some of the effects of her training. But it still wasn't enough for the Saiyan's tastes. She could get even more results.
She was going to. As she returned to the center of her makeshift training ground, she began to push the large boulder up as high as she could manage it. Then, she began to lower it back down. It was slow going, but Atsuko was pulling it off. And she would repeat this exercise as many times as she could manage it. Which turned out to be more than a few times! The Albino Saiyan decided to make it even more challenging, she stopped for a moment, and then began to carefully balance the boulder onto one hand... Now, she continued her exercise.
Naturally, this was even more difficult for a variety of reasons. Her arm and body were tiring out even faster from this type of strain, but she could handle it. She wasn't just going to set it down and walk away... When her arm became too taxed, she switched right over to the other one and just kept going. The Knight's determination remained just as strong as it always did. It filled her very being as she struggled through the intense training she was putting herself under. So what could she do next in her training? The Albino Saiyan really was running out of ideas...
Perhaps it was for the best, her body really couldn't take much more, even if she kept stopping to meditate like she did not so long ago. Well... She stopped using the boulder for reps, holding it with both of her hands... She began to lower herself down, and then stood up as fast as she could manage, surging all of her Ki forth so as to throw the large stone straight up into the air! She succeeded, and then she hopped into the air, taking flight and aligning herself to face the falling boulder.
She flew up and then began to punch and kick the boulder with everything she could throw into it, attempting to slow it's descent and even stop it entirely! It's a task that any sane person would call impossible. But we've already covered that Saiyans love a challenge... She was, in fact, managing to slow the boulder's descent. She gradually picked up the pace of her blows, and the falling stone slowed even more in response. Until finally she no longer had to lower herself closer to the Earth. Now they were both floating in mid-air as she struck it over and over.
But she wasn't content with this. Obviously the Albino Saiyan wasn't going to be able to push it up into the air. But she could break it apart... She was managing to strike it hard enough to accomplish that, as it slowly began to crack under her constant assault. Just a little more, and she would succeed! This was going to be the final part of her training for the day. Already Atsuko could feel the immense strain on her body, anymore and it would only put herself at risk. That was fine, she could work with this.
Her Ki flared up to it's maximum point as she continued her assault on the stone that would otherwise threaten to pin her to the earth. This was it... Time to finish her training now! Stronger! Stronger!! STRONGER!!! Atsuko pulled both of her fists back, and then thrust them forth at once in simultaneous blow. "HAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!!!!", her shout echoed through the Northern Wastelands, as the boulder then crumbled into many, smaller stones. They fell harmlessly around the Saiyan as she continued o float in the air and catch her breath. She then began to smirk to herself...
No, it wasn't going to end that simply. Not while she was still riding a high! She bursts through the air, throwing all of her might into a stomp on one of the boulder halves, causing it to crumble as well. She then repeated it again, and then yet again. With each boulder now reduced to shadows of their former selves, she landed back in the middle of the training ground... Hmm, no. It still wasn't enough. She called all of her Ki back to it's flaring point again, and then blew it outwards, sending all of the stones flying into the air!
She then glanced upwards, and raised both of her hands! She then began to fire ki blasts as fast as she could manage them, each one dedicated to the task of destroying one of the rocks! Atsuko wasn't going to let a single one touch the ground again! It was quite the boast to make, but she was working fast enough to perhaps make that happen... The Albino Saiyan didn't falter for a moment, even though her body grew weak. Just a little more, almost there... She kept reminding herself of that. And it proved to be enough.
Every single stone had been wiped out by one of her Ki Blasts, all before they had touched the ground. Atsuko then relaxed her stand, closing her eyes. "Phew... I'm done. Time to leave.", the Albino Saiyan commented to herself, and then slowly rose into the air. She stuck to a more casual pace for now, as she began to leave the Northern Wastelands behind. There was much that she needed to attend to. The Saiyan pondered where her journeys would take her next, but... More than that, she could feel as though something was calling her, something greater.
It was a difficult sensation to explain, just what was it that she was feeling? It felt... Benevolent. Like something had cast it's attention onto her, but she was unable to grasp the meaning of all this. The Albino Saiyan assumed that it meant she was not yet ready. But perhaps soon she would be, she would need to meditate more on this later, for now she needed to resume her duties as a Holy Knight. The populace of the world could fall into danger at a moment's notice, and she needed to be there to defend them. Although...
Atsuko might need to rest a little first, perhaps she had overdone it on her training. "Ah well... It was worth it.", she then verbally reassured herself. With that, she picked up the pace. The Northern Wastelands becoming a blur behind her. The Knight pondered what was to be next on her agenda, there was still much of Earth that she had not seen. What she did know is that perhaps somewhere warmer would be a nice change, the harsh conditions were perfect for training, but it would prove horrid for her recovery. So, the Knight's journey continued on... As it always has.
WC: 5,003
Requested Reward: Power Level!