Five years ago.
Is karate a sport or a martial art? The truth is that due to its origins karate is a martial art. In other words, an art of war. That means that it has attack and defense techniques, but at the same time it has an extensive philosophical baggage of peace and self-control.
One of the things that impressed Nahuel the most, when he was learning Karate, was the importance of meditation. Clear your mind of all thoughts and concentrate on inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Deep, steady breaths and a clear mind prepared him to learn karate.
Meditating for at least five minutes before training cleared his thoughts enough for him to focus. And yes, meditation can definitely improve your fighting skills!
Nahuel and the other students were sitting cross-legged in the middle of the Karate dojo. All with their eyes closed and concentrated on their respective breaths.
"Forget about school, family, problems," said the sensei, bald tall and strong, walking among the meditating pupils, "forget everything! Visualize an empty room and in the center of it, imagine a ball of light starting to grow out of nowhere. This intense light, made of pure energy, represents anything you hope to achieve by training in karate. By the time you are done with your meditation, the room should be totally enveloped in nothing but light and energy."
Light and energy...
After meditating, the training felt more accomplished. Nahuel felt that he was getting stronger every day.
One day, Fran and Roger cornered Nahuel (again!). There was nowhere to escape. The corridor ended behind his back and he was alone. No one to ask for help.
"You haven't had your weekly beating, yerk," Roger leaned in, threatening.
Nahuel got into a combat stance, without fear. Frank and Roger looked at each other's faces and burst out laughing.
"What's that?" Roger asked between laughs.
"He's watching a lot of Cobra Kai," Frank continued with the sneer.
Nahuel closed his eyes and remembered the teachings of his sensei. He visualized that sphere of energy inside him and then imagined it spreading out and covering everything.
When he opened his eyes he felt invincible.
Frank threw himself first. Nahuel evaded him, with such ease, as if everything were moving in slow motion. He hit the big guy in the stomach, grabbed his arm and took him down. The ground thundered loudly as Frank fell.
Roger's mouth was open. Nahuel gave him an amused look and beckoned him with his hand, as if inviting him to combat. Roger didn't like that at all, he gritted his teeth and threw a punch that Nahuel nonchalantly blocked. Just a kick to the stomach was enough to reduce Roger to the ground, on his knees.
Roger was red, maybe from rage, maybe from lack of air. He glared at Nahuel, but the little karate fighter responded with a smirk and a karate salute.
That felt SO good!
So much training paid off.
***
In the present.
In front of Nahuel stood a monster about three meters long. Crustacean legs, lizard head and arms, and a shell on its back that looked quite sturdy.
The Rockura...
Nahuel smiled nervously and looked at Elian out of the corner of his eye. The masked boy was still unconscious.
"Looks like I'm going to have to fight alone," he told himself. His voice echoed down below, through the darkness and the black mist.
The Rokura roared. The boy felt its fetid breath, and drops of saliva rained down. Nahuel felt his stomach churn.
'Gross…'
Nahuel pointed to the Rokura.
"Hey monster! I won't let you hurt me or my friend! I already lost Yaima and no one else will die today! I don't care that you're bigger than me! I will defeat you… yes, I will defeat you and we will save those children on the surface."
The Rokura roared as if it disagreed with Nahuel.
The boy had faced people bigger than him, like Frank and Roger. Karate had taught him that size wasn't everything. Strength implied much more, such as the power of the spirit.
Oh, and Nahuel had a blinding inner spirit.
The boy took out the treasure. That little pendant with an ocher sphere.
"Transformation!"
An ocher light flooded the place. Nahuel's clothing disintegrated to give way to ocher-colored armor. The helmet covered his forehead and skull, but he had his face uncovered.
[ NAHUEL – EARTH USER
ATK: 200
DEF: 300
MAGIC: 120
SPEED: 170
STAMINE: 200 ]
"First elemental skill," the boy exclaimed, "solidification."
A round, diaphanous sphere, like a crystal shield, surrounded Nahuel. The Rokura roared and clawed. The attack collided head-on with the boy. But he didn't get a scratch. He barely moved it.
"Ha! Is that all?" Nahuel mocked, "You're big, but you hit like a little kitten."
That was due to the first elemental skill. It gave him extra resistance. And not only that, but each attack from him doubled in power.
Nahuel punched the air and rocks erupted from the ground and shot like small meteors at the Rokura. The beast ran and dodged the projectiles.
"Not so fast!"
Nahuel crouched down and placed the palm of his hand on the ground. He felt echoes of power sweep through the land. He felt every little stone, every grain of sand.
Then, the ground opened up into a crack under the Rokura, the monster was trapped.
Nahuel threw rocks again that hit the monster. However, the shell on his back protected him. It was too sturdy.
The boy had to think of something else. That's why Elian couldn't face it alone. That shell would not be easy to break.
'The size doesn't matter,' thought Nahuel. Then he closed his eyes and saw that sphere of light inside him. When he reopened the oeyes, he imagined the entire room covered in ochre-colored energy.
"If I cannot break your shell from above," Nahuel said, "I will attack you from below!"
That was a great advantage for Nahuel. By controlling the earth, he could launch attacks from the ground.
"Second elemental skill," he uttered, "ascending earth pikes!"
Horns of earth sprouted in a row, under the Rokura's legs and… CRASH! They impaled the monster, in different parts of its body. Blood spurted everywhere and the Rokura howled in pain.
It soon stopped moving, stopped struggling, and fell limp.
[ VICTORY! RAKNA POINTS EARNED: 10]
Nahuel wanted to celebrate, but everything turned around. The breakfast went up his throat and his vision went out of focus.
'Oh, no… what's wrong with me?'
It was as if the force left his body. Poof! A flash of ocher light and his armor left him. He went back to wearing his usual clothes.
"Hey, human boy, are you alright?" A shrill voice spoke to him.
'Who said that?'
It wasn't Elian. He was still unconscious. There was someone else there.