"Show us What you got, Aki," Lem's cold encouragement.
Aki cleared his throat as if it would help and got into position.
"But don't forget to take off your clothes," Maricel added, "or you might ruin them."
"Or I can take them off for you," Cleo said, wearing her suit that fitted perfectly to her well-proportioned body.
"I got it, thanks," Aki replied and hurried to remove his shirt and then his pants.
Cleo went over and took Aki's clothes from him despite his reluctance.
"Now, you're ready," Cleo said and slapped Aki's behind.
"Don't mind her," said Lem. "Just show us how you jump."
Aki's brows furrowed. "Okay, here we go."
He squatted, focused on his leg muscles, and then sprung up to the air and managed to lift not more than two feet from the ground and landed back on the heels of his feet without using his knee to absorb the impact that shook his brain.
"My bad," he said.
Maricel sniggered in disappointment.
"It's okay, Aki, just practice," said Vino.
"Happened to the best of us," added Arman.
"Try again, love," Said Cleo while Lem walked to a distance to take in the scene over the cliff instead.
Aki tried once more but without improvement. And another, and another.
The sun was almost at its peak, and its gentle warmth had long turned to harsh glare.
Cleo sighed.
"Damn it, what am I doing wrong?" Aki asked himself.
"No pressure," said Vino, "We still have time."
"Actually, we don't," Maricel spoke, one hand on her hip. "If you can't do it, we're going to have to cancel you with a Yuven steel."
Arman responded to Maricel, "You don't have to say that."
Aki remembered no mention of executing a doppelganger with Yuven for being incompetent. But what if he really was that bad? There's a first time for everything, right?
"Shit," he cursed under his breath.
"Maricel was right," Lem spoke, coming back. "We can't afford to have a liability. Even our PR officers are lethal in battle. If you prove to be useless, we can at least dissect your corpse and help with scientific research."
A feeling of shame took over Aki. He couldn't have come all the way here just to demonstrate that he really was good at nothing. But there must be something he could do.
"Is there some mental state I need to get into? Or some sensation I need to feel?" Aki asked around.
Maricel threw her hand to the air and lumped herself down on the low grass.
"I don't think I understand what you're asking, honey," said Cleo.
"Just keep trying. We'll wait for you," Vino said while Arman nodded with him.
"It's like a phantom limb," coming back from the other side of the tent, Mel spoke to Aki's relief. "Like a part of your body that doesn't physically exist. Mentally account for all your body parts, and you'll notice that extra space. That's the source of our power."
"A phantom limb..." Aki pondered over what Mel said.
What would be a few minutes of psychic searching compared to that of humiliating attempts at jumping? Aki sat down on the ground, Indian style, and meditated. After a while of waiting, the others sat down as well. Five minutes later, Aki opened his eyes, his face marked with optimism.
"I think I got it," he said.
"Cool," Mel responded and began taking her shirt off over her head and then her shorts.
"Don't get distracted," she told Aki who quickly looked away. "You need to stick your landing first. Match my height. Ready?"
"I am," Aki replied.
Mel leaped straight upwards to five meters above ground and landed with ease, her hair falling back around her.
"Your turn."
With phantom muscles in mind, Aki took off and reached Mel's jump height perfectly but landed awkwardly on his heels again before falling on his ass.
Everyone else leaped back up to their feet, thrilled at the development.
"That's it! Keep going!" Arman and Vino cheered Aki.
Maricel looked over to Lem, both of them sharing pleased smiles.
"That's my boy," said Cleo.
"Your muscles and tendons are stronger than steel, and your joints hundreds of times more durable than compression springs," Mel said, and Aki eagerly listened to her. "Make use of them to absorb all sorts of impacts."
Aki and Mel shared looks and nods, and then they took off and reached the same height. Falling back down, Aki's feet met the ground soles first, dispersing the impact up his legs through his ankles, knees, and hips while anchoring his hands on the earth for balance.
"Again, until you get the hang of it," Mel said.
They jumped again and again, and Aki added more force to his legs each time, both at take-off and landing. The wind began to whip and whistle past him, rushing down his skin and the material of his suit. They landed one more time and gave each other a knowing look. For one last time, Aki must give his best.
It was the fastest and highest Aki (and Ben) traveled using only his body. With Mel only a foot higher at forty meters, Aki scanned the coastline, the forest, and the foot of Mount Soran within several kilometers radius. The sea sparkled towards the edge of the southern horizon. To the west, inland, a rock formation stood amid the greens over which was a curious structure that resembled an archway built. At this height, his downward acceleration felt like the world sucking him back to the surface. And with a compact thud, his landing punched a half-inch deep footprint crater.
"That was good," said Lem, "but not good enough. Things will get serious from here, Aki."
Everyone looked at Aki as if expecting him to combust spontaneously, and Aki caught up to it.
"What's going to happen now?" Aki asked and looked over to the weapons, but seeing no one had taken arms, he was unsure what to expect.
Mel spoke to him. "Remember, pain is good. And you are expected to apply everything you have and will learn to defend yourself."
"Defend myself? From what?"
"From this," Lem rushed in from Aki's blindside, planting a jumping mid kick to Aki's left flank.
The attack took the air out of Aki. It was swift, brutal, and reckless, hitting with a force that could have cut an average body in half.
Aki's twisted body was flung through the air some fifteen meters away before crashing and bouncing on the ground.
"Fuck," Aki wheezed, clawing on the blades of grass.
"Get up," Lem called out.
Aki rose up as fast as he could and assumed a defensive stance with arms held up in front of him, like how they were trained back in Hm.
He had never felt this awake and alive before. His blood flowed through his veins like fire and with his mind so clear. There was little chance that he could win against the leader, but he must defend and fight to survive.