Yet another week had passed in the former Continent Of Deserts which was currently abundant in forest life. Due to the thriving forests, sandstorms were now almost a rare occurrence. The Masters and Students sat beside the Summer Dome they had made their temporary dwelling place.
"I've been wondering Master Fencer…" Josec said with a worried look on his face. "…when are we going to confront Raichuu. It feels almost as though we've been taking too long a break since we confronted Aeros" Josec admitted.
"That is true" Buern admitted as well.
"It took us five months to make our preparations towards defeating Aeros and we couldn't confront him before the botanists, engineers and diggers had completed their task of greening this continent. One of the reasons we've been waiting this long is to give ourselves enough time for the effects of Aeros' defeat to manifest in the climate" Master Fencer said.
"The five months we spent greening the Deserts of this continent considerably weakened Aeros' power and that effect would be felt worldwide given enough time. Defeating Aeros sealed the deal" Master Kyem added.
"We have been taking a break, certainly, but we've not been idling about. During this period, Josec has powered up considerably by mastering the Shield Of Elemental Neutralization and the Elemental Rainbow Dance Of The Fenixes. He has also been given a clue by Luna as to the next defensive technique he needs to master. Buern as well has begun to understand her role as the inheritor of the Phoenix's Spirit" Master Ayumi said.
"So you're trying to say the purpose for stalling our journey temporarily is to train and become stronger?" Jason asked.
"Hmm" Master Fencer said seriously. "The major reason we've slowed down our journey is what the legends say about Souryu's dramatic increase in power once his generals are defeated. We have no way to measure how powerful Souryu will become and we cannot predict the nature of his attack once his power returns. Taking our current abilities into consideration, we most likely won't stand a chance against him as things are now. There is no need to rush towards an obvious defeat which is why we should take this period as an opportunity to become as strong as we possibly can. Of course even if we did that, there is no guarantee that Souryu will wait to attack us once his generals are defeated" Master Fencer said.
"So what do you suggest we do?" Jason asked.
"The same thing you've been doing. Help as many as you can while you can and build up the body of the phoenix. I doubt your encounters with all the people you've helped so far are mere coincidences. Your journey is inspiring humanity to work together and shake off their isolation. This will be paramount in determining to a large extent, the outcome of the battle against Souryu" Master Pheisl said.
THAT AFTERNOON…
Josec sat with his friends, Harry, Buern, Estelle and Jason. Harry had a grim look on his face as though he were contemplating a very serious matter.
"Is something bothering you Harry?" Josec asked.
"The Masters claim that the one that could most accurately defend against Raichuu's attacks is Josec's mom and that is due to the predominant trait of Lightning users which is their unpredictability. We have also been informed by the Masters that each of Souryu's generals excels and is in fact at the top of their element. That would probably make Raichuu the most unpredictable foe we've ever encountered. We certainly had a hard time dealing with Apollo, Aeros and Aesakal. Those three certainly did cause a lot of havoc to the people of the continents they were assigned to but they didn't directly assault the people of the continents. Anubis and Gargolem were the exception and were probably the toughest opponents we've probably faced. Our battle against Gargolem was particularly worthy of note. He lured us to the battlefield keeping us occupied with his golem army while simultaneously launching a sneak attack against the people of Gaeia. He was one of the most unpredictable foes we'd ever faced especially due to his reputation as general honoured with the name of 'War'" Harry said.
"I think I get what you're trying to say Harry. If we hadn't tasked Josec with protecting Gaiea, there could have been carnage. We can't keep fighting with the assumption that the generals will not attack the people we're supposed to be protecting" Buern said.
"You believe it is likely that Raichuu will attempt attacking the people of the continent to which he has been assigned?" Jason asked.
"Lightning users have tremendous mobility. Unless we can completely contain Raichuu's movements, we shouldn't assume that we can just lure his attention away from the people like we did with the other generals" Estelle noted.
"Harry, since you've noted all of this, I'm assuming you have a plan?" Buern asked.
"I do but it's not something currently achievable" Harry said with a very serious look.
"Why not?" Jason asked.
"That is because, to a large extent, my plan depends on Josec's level of mastery over the Zone Of Absolute Defense" Harry said.
Josec assumed a serious gaze.
"I hate to admit it but your observations are probably right. If it is imperative that I master the Zone Of Absolute Defense for your plan to succeed, then I suppose its best I get to work" Josec said and stood up.
Estelle smiled.
"Josec and Harry really trust each other don't they? Josec hasn't even heard Harry's plan yet but he's taking Harry's words seriously…almost as though he's certain the plan will succeed" Estelle said with a smile.
Buern laughed.
"You should see them try to cover up for each other in class" she said.
Josec walked over to where the Masters were sitting.
"Mom" he called.
Master Luna turned to face him. She could tell why he had come and saw the determined expression in his eyes. She nodded.
"I'll teach you" she stood up and the two headed over to the clearing.
Josec and his mother, Master Luna began to converse.
"To teach you the Zone Of Absolute Defense, there is a certain prerequisite that is necessary" Master Luna said.
"And that is?" Josec asked.
"A comprehensive understanding of wavelengths, in other words, mastery over the principle of affinities" Master Luna said.
"I still recall your lesson on how elemental affinities play a role in determining personality types" Josec said.
Master Luna nodded.
"So you should also be able to recall the implications of utilizing an improv of any element different from your element of affinity" Master Luna said.
"Yes, it implies an affinity for and an understanding of people of that element's affinity" Josec explained.
"Like your Elemental Rainbow Dance Of The Fenixes, the Zone Of Absolute Defense is built upon the principles of the Shield Of Elemental Neutralization however, you should have begun to understand the limitations of your Elemental Rainbow Dance Of The Fenixes" Master Luna said.
"It is more useful in battling opponents with different or multiple affinities" Josec said.
Master Luna frowned slightly.
"You are still lacking in experience Josec. Your Elemental Rainbow Dance Of The Fenixes has another flaw, a flaw that cannot be remedied without great experience. The only reason it appears to be so effective now is because you've only used it against opponents you are familiar with. You understand Buern, Harry, Estelle and Jason, not just their fighting styles but their personalities as well. This understanding of their personality though you've never thought hard enough to realize it is also an understanding of their elemental affinities and wavelengths. You can adjust your affinity to theirs and neutralize their attacks completely because of this understanding of their personalities, their wavelengths however that might not be the case in confronting unfamiliar opponents, the reason Buern told you that great experience is necessary and not just skill" Master Luna explained.
"I see. I never really thought about it that way but it makes a strange sort of sense now that I've heard you explain things into detail like this" Josec said.
"It is also the reason you had to undertake Master Fencer's trial before you undertook Master Kyem's. It's because the principle of affinities cannot be easily mastered without an understanding of adaptability. The Psychorage Improv you had to learn was not simply to enhance your physical strength" Master Luna said.
Josec nodded.
"In high level battles, it is imperative to prevent an opponent from comprehending your wavelength lest your strengths be nullified through their comprehension of it. Naturally, every element has an infinite range of wavelength types but a human can only utilize a limited range out of the unlimited range. This is mostly dependent on how vast the human's experience is. When two humans with similar wavelength ranges clash in battle, they both have an equal chance of neutralizing each other's attacks. Victory is often decided by a unique wavelength range that is beyond the comprehension of an adversary thus if an opponent's full wavelength range forms a subset of your wavelength range, you have the upper hand in battle" Master Luna explained.
"I see. I never imagined that the principle of affinities was important and could be applied this way. I didn't even think there was a logic to it" Josec admitted.
"It is the reason your Elemental Rainbow Dance Of The Fenixes and my Zone Of Absolute Defense will not be useful in battle against an unfamiliar foe without the exchange of at least a single blow. To put it simply, you can only defend against an attack you've experienced at least once. In a way, an exchange of fists in battle is also an exchange of information. The ability to learn from and adapt to an opponent's attacks is one of the deciding factors for victory. The Zone Of Absolute Defense is only 'absolute' in the sense that one recognizes the flaws in one's defense as well as one's limitations and quickly remedies them. The moment you are unable to recognize the flaw in your defense is the moment the Zone Of Absolute Defense will fail" Master Luna said. "Master Fencer is right in that there is no such thing as an impenetrable shield. The strength of the shield is ultimately dependent on the one who wields it" she added.
"In other words, to strengthen my shield, I must strengthen myself" Josec realized what his mother was getting at.
"The reason my Zone Of Absolute Defense will always be effective against you is because I am your mother and thus understand you better than anyone else" Master Luna said with a laugh.
"That goes both ways Mom" Josec reminded her.
"Remember, the more experienced and adaptable a person is, the greater their ability to alter their wavelength to suit the battle environment" Master Luna informed Josec.
"Is the Zone Of Absolute Defense effective with every element? It should be possible to use it with elements other than the lightning affinity" Josec asked.
"Josec, no one would willingly walk into an obvious trap. The Zone Of Absolute Defense is thus most effective with elements that can be used invisibly thus it is most effective with elements like lightning, flame, water, earth and wind. It is not very useful with flame though because even an invisible flame generates heat. Wind is difficult to read even when invisible so it is very effective with wind. Water in the form of vapour is also invisible and dust when it is not concentrated is invisible. Lightning however is most effective because it can easily alter the nature of air through the process of ionization" Master Luna said.
"I understand that a comprehensive understanding of wavelengths is necessary in utilizing the Zone Of Absolute Defense and I think I kinda understand the theory behind wavelengths but could you explain the Zone Of Absolute Defense to me?" Josec asked.
Master Luna assumed her fighting stance.
"The first phase in raising the Zone Of Absolute Defense is to release your joki into the air around you and thus ionize it like this" Master Luna said as she released a great amount of lightning joki from her body.
"This field of ionized air negates close range attacks through its ability to stun and immobilize anyone who dares to venture into it. Of course it might not be very useful against Raichuu since his affinity is lightning as well and if you recall, I was unable to completely immobilize you" Master Luna reminded Josec.
Josec recalled his ability to move slightly even after being stunned by Master Luna's Zone Of Absolute Defense.
"The next phase is a bit tricky since it requires knowledge of an opponent's wavelength. You need to remember to ensure that the field of ionized air is of a different wavelength from an opponent's or it will be rendered ineffective. However for this phase…" Master Luna said as she waved her hands gracefully about the field of ionized air. "…you create a multitude of wavelike paths within the field of ionized air, paths that flow around you but never lead to you. These paths should be of the same wavelength as an opponent's so that if the opponent chooses to attack from beyond the field of ionized air, his attack will be directed by these wavelike paths away from you due to the property of lightning to typically choose the path of greatest conductivity" Master Luna explained. "You can try attacking now" Master Luna encouraged Josec.
Josec shot beams of lightning towards her but immediately the beams entered the field of ionized air, they warped unnaturally and flew away from Master Luna.
"It's quite similar to refraction really, in that the waves of lightning are bent" Master Luna explained.
"Amazing!" Josec exclaimed in awe.
"Since you can utilize the Elemental Rainbow Dance Of The Fenixes, you have an advantage in that you can utilize multiple wavelengths by switching wavelengths back and forth rapidly amongst your afterimages but you'll still need a lot of experience to be able to do that effortlessly" Master Luna explained.
"Thanks Mom" Josec said gratefully and hurried back to the others.
THAT EVENING…
He informed the others of all that he had learnt from his mother. They were all very amazed.
"I also have a vague idea of how to utilize the Zone Of Absolute Defense" Josec said.
"Good, in that case, I will now inform you of my plan. Plans to amplify Josec's Defensive abilities in the battle against Raichuu" Harry said seriously.