Author: me
Type-Moon (Nasuverse)
Chapter 5. Persistence
"Limits, you say? But who determines the limits? And based on what exactly? You said you were working as hard as you could? Well, then maybe you just need to work a little harder. Is that really the limit of your strength, or can tomorrow beat you today? Instead of giving up, just move forward." - Saitama
*****
It was beginning to dawn and the rays of the spring sun were not yet showing from behind the horizon. In the dojo, the child with white hair and a skinny figure was already swimming in his own sweat, wheezing with exertion, but forced his body to do one more push-up. Sweat rolled in large hail down his red face, from the exertion, forming a puddle under his nose. Clenching his teeth with incredible strength, Sora did one more push-up off the floor, feeling his hands ready to give up at any moment.
- Yes, it is rather sad to see such a picture. - Lucy's voice was annoying as always.
But at this point, it gave Sora the motivation to do one more push-up, and one more, and one more. Although to tell you a secret, Sora is pleased that this cat is keeping him company. In Terraria, our protagonist could disappear into mines and dungeons for weeks, so he got drunk on loneliness.
Intermittent panting and a dry throat, the weary body assumed a sitting position, preventing the wearer from falling face-first into his own puddle of sweat.
- I realize it's the legendary bald cape training, going beyond, plus ultras and all, but this is the world of magic and you'd better be asking Kiritsuga to train you in it with such persistence. Physical power will never win Magic.
Only after drinking a bottle of water did Sora answer Lucy.
- An old man once told me: "If you can do one thing, make it perfect. Besides, my body is the only weapon I can always rely on. That's why you have to train it every day. And although I wouldn't have survived in Terraria without artifacts, if I had relied on them alone I would have died a long time ago.
Vanpunchman workout: 100 squats, 100 push-ups, 100 twists and a 10-kilometer run. This workout is too grueling for my childish body, the only reason Sora has yet to break down from such physical exertion is Synergy, which allows me to work with all aspects of the body's activity. Hormone control, meaningful metabolic management, growth regulation, and more.
It is worth noting that Synergy itself has little physical power, i.e. little effect on matter, so it cannot be used in a "brute" manner. It cannot splice bones, grow nails or hair out of nothing. It first of all instructs the body to send enzymes to the right place, and then acts as a "foreman" and tells it what to do and how to do it, directs everything in its place.
Through such manipulation, Sora was able to increase his body's rate of recovery and, as a result, improve his training results many times over. Though adjusting his physical recovery alone wouldn't have gotten him to do 100 squats, 100 push-ups, 100 curls, or run 10 kilometers when he's not even eight years old. Sora achieved this through even more beneficial use of Synergy, feeding his brain with various neurotransmitters, hormones of happiness, pleasure, relaxation, etc. It kept me from going crazy with such an insane pace of exercise. After all, if you consider that this amount of exercise has to be repeated daily, then the rapid loss of early fervor is only a small part of all the problems you have to face.
- Okay, I'm warmed up, now let's get to the real workout.
- Sounds too confident for a man whose legs are shaking, and he almost passed out from exhaustion a minute ago. - Lucy's an ulcer.
And so the second part of the workout, it's about hitting wood with your fingers and hand. This training comes from the Chinese Shaolin monasteries, the monks used to train their hands and their whole body by stuffing them.
As he approached the wooden pole in the corner of the dojo, Sora's body was still aching, but Synergy was doing its job and the pain was gradually subsiding. With his fingers outstretched, he began to strike without stopping. About forty minutes went by like that. His hands burned, his fingers were numb, and his palm was all red. With each blow, the pain got worse and worse. Only when Sora realized he couldn't take the pain anymore did he stop.
He wanted to lie down and rest, because he'd had enough training. It's just a little respite. Sora had already reached his limit, he couldn't hit anymore, it hurt too much, wasn't that proof.
No. The mind always gives up first, not the body. The secret is to make the mind work for you, not against you.
Don't look for excuses.
Don't put yourself in the shoes of the weak and mired in despair.
Without stopping, he straightened his back, controlled his breathing, got into a stance and began practicing the kata.
As if reciting a mantra of perseverance, he continued to do the exercises.
It wasn't until an hour had fully completed his workout that he allowed himself to collapse from exhaustion. His chest rose high to breathe in as much air as possible. His body was burning and the pain was already tingling pleasantly.
- Well, your persistence is commendable. And the precision of your movements is amazing, who knew you were so talented? - Lucy was sitting in an arrow basket, smoking. That cat is the very embodiment of the sinful life.
It's 8:27 on the clock, Kiritsugu will be up soon, we should go and prepare something to eat. But before he could raise his emaciated body he heard a steady, calm voice.
- Your training is amazing. But you're even more amazing; any other kid, let alone any other normal person, would have given up on you a long time ago. You've been doing this for what, two months now? - Kiritsugu grumbled behind him.
At first glance, he seemed soulless to Sora, devoid of any emotion or desire, but after living with him for almost a year, he realized that this is... not far from the truth. Though when they are together he allows himself to soften a little. The old man talks little about his past, but what Sora hears makes him realize it is a shit world, he said after a couple of bottles of sake.
He lost his wife and daughter in the Fourth Grail War, which caused the fire that Sora found himself in shortly after his arrival in this world.
Kiritsugu himself was the so-called "Mage Killer. He is also quick to point out that Kiritsugu is a vicious mastermind of the Killing Mages who, by speaking this language to the child, shows how badly he communicated with children and maybe by doing so he was trying to discourage Sora from learning magic. In fact, when you think about it that way, all he said was scary and disgusting things about the magical world that is called the Moon World here.
- Actually four months, I was able to hide it from you for quite a long time.
- And why would you do that? You want to show your persistence? Why do you want magic? Why do you want this life? How many times have I told you, knowing magic, your life in this world will be full of sorrow and suffering, and you with your eyes, your life will be even harder. You have no idea what magicians would do to get their hands on mystical eyes. I just don't want you to have to go through all this. - Kiritsugu spoke from his heart.
Sora understood his father's concerns, for according to Kiritsugu there is no place for rainbows and unicorns in the World of Magic, but rather it is a world of cruelty and depravity. Mages are willing to do the most immoral things to reach the Root. And the remaining magical beings either wish death upon mankind or think of them as ants.
Besides, Kiritsu thinks that Sora is the one who saved him and he doesn't want that life for him, but...
- Better this life than no life at all. I'm well aware that I'm different. I act older than my peers, I feel different, and these eyes, they see everything, and I may not know magic, but I am already part of the Moon World. I want to be able to protect myself, to protect those I love, my family, you! - At these last words, Sora did not hold back his emotions.
- ...Let's go to breakfast. - Ignoring his son's outburst, he turned around and went into the house.
Back in the house and washed up, Sora began to prepare breakfast. During the year of living with Kiritsugu, he learned how to cook well, there is no other way, living with him you either condemn yourself to starvation, or learn to cook yourself. While Sora was working on his breakfast a tiger burst into the kitchen, growling his name.
- Soraa, oh Soraa, I missed you so much. And what are you doing here, oh cooking, and I'm right on time as always. - Taiga.
A girl with short, light brown hair and brown eyes. She is their neighbor and often comes to them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, well, like often, always. Her grandfather, Fujimura Raiga, is the head of a yakuza gang based in Fuyuki. He and Kiritsugu are good friends, and when Sora found this out he almost cried from happiness, his good-for-nothing old man has friends.
Now Taiga attends Homurahara Academy and is a star of the kendo club. She met Kiritsugu because of his friendship with her grandfather and afterwards she became a regular visitor of the Emiya family home. Kiritsugu became her personal English tutor and Sora became her personal chef.
- Good morning, Fuji-nae, sit down at the table, breakfast will be ready soon.
- Ooh, holy kotatsu, it's good in the morning. - This country really does have comfortable tables, whoever invented kotatsu is a genius.
- So, Sora, are you continuing your training? Kiritsugu's always nagging you to tire yourself out. And why would you do that, who are you going to fight?
- Of course, Fuji-nae. But I train not to become stronger than others - I train to become stronger than my weaknesses and laziness!
- Such clever words, are you really a child? But, I don't care, whatever it is, whatever you think, I will support you, but please don't hurt yourself Sora. - This girl, she really has become like a sister to Sora and just to protect her, he has to become strong.
Kiritsugu arrived a few minutes later, and Sora, having finished cooking, served the dishes at the table and sat down with them.
- Itadakimas! - there was a real family atmosphere at the table during breakfast, Taiga bringing a brightness and tenderness to their home that Kiritsugu could not show, and a childlike, cheerful mood that Sora could not bring. Chatting about simple and everyday topics around the table with his family is exactly the kind of life Sora has always dreamed of.
- Sora, you really are a good cook. How could a simple broth and rice and egg be so good? - As he ate his breakfast, he did not forget to praise his culinary talents.
- Thank you very much, Sora. Well, have a nice day, and I'll run off to my studies. Kiritsugu, take care! - After finishing breakfast Taiga ran outside as fiercely and quickly as she flew into the house.
Sora, on the other hand, gathered the dishes from the table and went to wash them. He didn't go to school yet, Kiritsugu felt he didn't need to yet. He had already gone through things that would break a normal person and he was a child of seven. Though it wasn't the least of his talents that made it possible for Sora to be home-schooled. And so now his timetable is brainwashing, mostly math, but on top of that he also reads different literature which helps him to learn about people without facing them.
His thoughts were interrupted by the old man's voice.
- Sora, after you wash the dishes, go to the dojo. - The old man's defeated voice sounded.
- Do you need help with anything?
- No, you're going to learn Magic.