"Shu, your Martial Arts are already at their peak. But, it doesn't mean you can't improve, the only way to make something you've already mastered even better is by, improving your other factors"
Said Amada as she walked around Shu, who was sitting down on the ground, with his legs crossed and his arms on his thighs
"What are the other factors?"
He questioned while looking up at Amada who smirked while crossing her arms together
"Well, one of the factors is of course Sanctuary Energy"
Amada replied making Shu tilt his head in confusion
"Well I know that much, I used to constantly use it when fighting grandpa, it was the only way I could even keep up"
Said Shu while yawning as then fell back against the ground
"Yes, that's correct but I forgot to tell you one very important thing, the more you're Sanctuary Energy control improves the more your other sanctuary techniques evolve, meaning if you achieve another level of control your past achievements become stronger"
Amada explained as Shu simply smirked before raising his legs upwards, slamming them against the ground, using that force and momentum to raise his body up
"So you're telling me that if I achieve a perfect level of Discern, I can improve my body enhancement technique!?"
Shu yelled before grabbing onto Amada's shoulders with a grin of happiness on his face
"It's not a Martial Art technique, it's control. Not everything you learn is Martial Arts. Anyway let's get going, I'm planning on escorting you to my Secluded Place of training"
Amada replied before pushing Shu away, turning around as he then began to walk
"Come on"
Amada ordered, further amplifying her order, causing Shu to nod as he followed right behind her
"what's this secluded place like?"
He questioned while Amada simply smiled, patting his back as they stopped in front of a wall
"Punch it"
"Wait what?"
Shu questioned at the sudden and unnecessary order that Amada gave him
"Didn't you listen? Punch it"
Amada repeated herself while pointing at the wall, making Shu sigh as he separated his legs pulling his right arm back, preparing a punch
"Come on, hurry up"
"Alright, alright, just tell me why in the world am I punching a wall for?"
Shu questioned while charging his fist with Sanctuary Energy, causing his arm to glow a bright blue
"You'll soon see, just punch it"
"Alright then"
Shu replied before slamming his left foot against the ground, creating a crater as he then proceeded to do a quick jab against the wall, leaving his fist print before the wall began to crumble, bursting open, revealing a small place, with a smaller version of the lake Shu saw before, and right above the lake was a mirror.
"Come on, hurry, before it closes up again"
Said Amada before grabbing Shu by his arm pulling him, in the close-up space, as the wall began to regenerate just like every other time before.
"Hey I can't see anything"
Said the boy as Amada simply patted his head
"Then use your Spiritual Awakening, you'll be able to light up the place"
"Yeah but grandpa told me to only use my Spiritual Awakening if I'm facing an opponent I can't beat, or that I have to kill"
"Well, we can't see. The only way to see is by constantly using Sanctuary Energy. And what is something that constantly releases Sanctuary Energy? That's right! The Spiritual Awakening. So use it"
Amada demanded as she pressed her finger against Shu's forehead, who simply sighed, doing as she said.
His body was surrounded by a blue glow, his skin became pale as his blue eyes began to shine. The blue glow would then intensify resembling that of blue fire for a few seconds, before bursting like compressed air. Now it no longer looked like fire, it was now a small glow around his body, and just like his skin, the color of his hair changed, it was now black, no longer silver.
"Oh, that's an interesting Awakening, you didn't change much, I expected some wings or something, maybe more eyes, but all you got was a hair dye. The only time this happens is when you learn the spiritual awakening before awakening your ability..."
Amada explained before abruptly stopping as she stared at the boy for a few seconds
"Don't tell me.."
She whispered as Shu simply tilted his head, scratching his cheek as Amada stared at him in disbelief
"Shu do you have an ability yet?"
Amada questioned, with a somewhat concerned look and with hope in her voice
"No. Why?"
Shu questioned causing Amada to sigh loudly, disappointed in a certain someone
"So, Yorujo didn't help you Awaken your ability?"
Amada questioned while picturing a scenario in where Shu begged Yorujo to help him awaken his ability, but instead Yorujo forced him to learn martial arts
"No, that's not it. I just didn't want to awaken one, if anything he was the one who wanted me to awaken one, in fact, he constantly tried to force me to awaken an ability by doing bets with me"
Said Shu while pressing his index finger against his chin as he pictured a scenario in where his grandpa did just as he explained, while Amada's scenario crumbled to pieces
"Wait, wait. So you're meaning to tell me that was your doing?"
"Yeah, I guess"
"Are you an idiot?"
"No"
"Then why did you refuse?"
"Because I like martial arts"
"Are you retarded?"
"I don't know what that means"
"Ugh—forget it, let's get on with the training"
"Ok"
Said Shu, ending the short and none necessary argument between him and Amada, before she demanded yet another thing from him
"Get on the water"
Shu would then sigh, scratching his naked chest as he stepped into the water. It wasn't all that deep, the water only reached his knees. Of course, this made Shu somewhat irritated as he found this very unnecessary, but right when he was about to yell at Amada, his body began to feel warm, and weak
"Unlike the water outside, this one doesn't grant you Sanctuary Energy, in fact, it steals it from you, but in return, your control improves"
Said Amada as Shu's skin became paler than it already was, resembling the white color of a sheet of paper, while the veins throughout his arms, neck, and forehead became more noticeable. The blue calm aura that he had coated around his skin was no more, now it resembled flame, just like at the beginning of his transformation, right now, at this very moment, in this calm exercise, Shu was dying.