Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp
Trickle, Trickle, Trickle, Trickle .....
The sounds of nature permeated the atmosphere from all around. Rushing water, chirping birds ..... The sky was dark. However, the cold nightfall wasn't befalling.
Quite the contrary, the skies looked to be brightening instead of getting darker as one looked upwards to appreciate the fall of morning dew.
Dawn.
The earth kingdom had a vast expanse of land. Many places barren and unfruitful with orange soil like the area where mining village was situated.
In others, were vast greeneries with lush forests teeming with life and vitality. Like where Senlin village was located (Before the surroundings were burned down by the fire nation, that is)
Rivers somewhere close by flowed in those areas, bringing about a beautiful sight for sore eyes.
This was one such river.
The beautiful, calming sounds of nature were rudely interrupted, however, by the sound of an engine.
On this day, as dawn approached, a small Fire Nation sea vessel could be seen sailing on the water.
Of course, it would be considered Fire Nation if the red flag with a fire symbol on the mast hadn't been taken down.
These parts of the Earth kingdom were different from the area before the Mo Ce Sea Prison rig. It couldn't be considered under complete control of the earth kingdom, nor could it be considered Fire Nation colonial territory.
Nevertheless, both nations had troops, soldiers, and spies hidden in various parts of the area.
Now wasn't the time when Omashu had been conquered. So the lands before reaching the great city was considered a hotspot.
To put it in more fitting terms, it could be considered a border of sorts containing some earth kingdom villages stretching for miles with forces from both sides lurking in different areas.
Here, the outposts of the Fire Nation were severely limited due to the fact that Earth kingdom resistance had also set up outposts in this region.
Occasional battles took place every now and then with both sides testing each other in constant warfare.
Due to this very reason, the life of the citizens situated here were miserable. Constantly finding themselves in the crossfire when the two sides went to battle.
Villages were looted and burned, with its inhabitants either being killed or left homeless in the wilderness.
Honestly, Sozin definitely knew how to start a war with the help of the glorious comet, but he certainly had no idea how to end it.
The Fire Nation had waged a century long war against the other two nations. (Airbenders not counted, those guys were wiped out long ago without much contribution to consider).
The resources needed to support such an extended conquest was by no means something it could support solely by its own efforts.
After all, The Fire Islands could only be considered small in comparison to the Earth kingdom when it comes to sheer landmass. Barely a quarter of its total size.
Robbing, looting, pillaging villages were essential in the long run to support their armies if the Fire Nation didn't want to collapse on itself before they could grasp victory.
Battling the Earth kingdom was hard enough. A pesky southern water tribe disturbing them occasionally consumed considerable amounts of resources and manpower to keep at bay.
The result of their actions leaving countless dead and even more homeless. Hence, the refugees could only make their way to the two places in the earth kingdom large enough to protect them.
In short, these war torn parts were not just open to Fire Nation, but also water tribe soldiers, Earth Kingdom Rebels, thieves, cutthroats, and mercenaries.
There was still some room for talking if the riverboat was spotted by Firebenders. If earth kingdom/Water tribe soldiers saw the Fire Nation flag, then all that awaited Luca was a swift ambush.
Hence, the need for caution.
Compared to all the other places he had been to, Luca could only describe this region with one word. Chaotic.
Splash!
A dash of red could be seen being thrown into the river. More followed as objects colored red were dumped from the side of the boat.
Luca stood at the edge, undressing himself as he threw the Imperial Firebender Uniform into the river.
He was no longer in solid Fire Nation territory. Understanding the region he was in, this, combined with his current situation, made this special clothing's value diminish greatly.
If he was spotted by the wrong people, the disadvantages far outweighed whatever small benefits it could bring him. Not to mention, he had no intention to play
Royal Fire guard anymore.
And so, the special uniform ended up tossed into the river. No one would miss it anyway.
All that was left was the helmet. Holding it over the ship's edge, Luca's gaze halted on the red helmet that had a white decoration in the area around the eyes.
Or did it?
He couldn't tell anymore, as the outside of the helmet was stained with blood.
He lowered his gaze. The previously transparent water now had touched of red within it.
Blood from the uniform he just dropped into the river.
Looking at this thing, his face grew slightly grim as his abilities reacted involuntarily.
- Spirit Chi: - 20 -
"Crkkkk!" His hands holding the helmet subconsciously increased force and then ...
The helmet was bent out of shape.
Luca immediately regained his composure. Stopping the loss of spirit Chi immediately before he wasted more of it.
The river was long and the boat continued to move onward.
'…. No matter how many times I see it, it still feels incredible'. Luca uttered while grasping the helmet with one hand and raising his hand to take a good look.
The helmet now had two human hand prints embedded at the sides.
'Such power ... Able to bend steel, coming from my unremarkable hands ….'. He wasn't smiling. Nor did he feel the elation of such power, as his face remained expressionless.
Before reaching the Mo Ce prison rig, Luca had been experimenting with his Chi to develop a means of attack. He did.
His enhanced ability to control Chi allowed him to externalize it into the physical realm, making it tangible.
At first, using it as a direct means of attack wasn't possible.
However, all Transversers from Earth had a reservoir of untapped knowledge and a hyperactive imagination. Using a blade as an anchor, he infused his Chi into it and the results proved remarkable.
Enabling him to release slashes of pure chi attacks into the distance before it dissipated.
It looked like the equivalent of sword Qi from those immortal cultivation stories.
Luca still remembered his excitement upon success. His enthusiasm causing him to experiment more and more and unlock new discoveries.
In the movies and novels he went through from his previous life, Chi had varying strengths and limitations in different shows.
Luca, who was an avid Naruto fan, discovered that while regular Chi in this world couldn't boost bodily functions, it still had similar enhancements effects as chakra did on weapons.
For example, sharpening.
After infusing chi into the sword, it could easily cut through metal like paper. On the riverboat, he had personally tested this.
Feeling curious about the effects, he had tried the same thing with spirit chi. Only to come to a surprising revelation.
The previous use of Spirit chi was to activate density shifting and passive regeneration.
But when controlling it this time without the use of attached skills, Luca felt something he had never noticed before.
Strength.
As the stagnant chi flowed from his abdomen to his hands, Luca felt a burst of power briefly envelop wherever it passed through. It was fleeting, barely lasting a second, yet that was enough to tell him all he needed to know.
Regular Chi couldn't enhance the physique..... but spirit Chi could.
It made sense really when he thought about it. Apart from the experience of past lives, the Avatar carried tremendous power and although rare, has shown feats of enhanced physical prowess.
Korra to be specific.
At the moment, however, Luca wasn't in the mood to rejoice. The subconscious use of Spirit Chi wasn't just brushed aside.
As despite his short existence, it had never happened before. This alone let Luca know his current mental state wasn't right, as the blood on the helmet wasn't his.
...
Squelch!
Drip! Drip! Drip!
"Arghhhhh"
"Arghhhhh"
"Arghhhhh".
Three loud wails emerged from the prison rig into the sky. The agony held within them was so startling that the two sides embroiled in battle paused their actions.
Thud!
Thud!
"Argh ..... Ugh ….". Tyro roared in pain as he stumbled to his knees.
A piercing, stinging sensation emerged from his left hand and spread towards his entire being.
"I ..... What ..... Argh". It was terrible. The old man reached out to his left arm …. Only to find ..... Gone. From his elbow downward, nothing was there. Just an open stump that was now leaking blood in torrents.
"..... You haven't gone into shock like the others yet ….". A voice called out to him.
The old man raised his head to look at the man in red who had appeared right before him at some point.
- Spirit Chi: - 30 -
'..... Seriously? Enhanced speed at that level consumed thirty in a second? Thankfully, it's just a second.....'.
His distress didn't reflect in his voice.
"Though that might be because I only cut off one arm while the others lost both".
The fight had stopped, the elements were calm. Dozens of human beings stood frozen in place. The Firebender's because of the scream.
The Earth militia because of what they saw.
Their leader, Tyro just had his arm cut off.
"What in Sozin's name .....". The Warden and his men couldn't help but take several steps back in shock.
What ..... What just happened?
"You have squashed your opportunity to leave this place alive. Now I give you another choice ….". The fighting had stopped, and everyone's attention was on him.
Seeing this, Luca immediately began his performance.
".... Surrender now. And your lives will be spared. There are other people I'd rather kill".
His words were slow, bland, and seemingly emotionless.
'..... There's no way back now ...'. The road had been sealed. Now he could only carry it out to the very end, no matter what it cost him.
Now he could only hope. Hope that Tyro would surrender without him having to do more.
Not just because he would rather not expend more spirit Chi but also because he didn't want to kill. Not these people anyway.....
Unfortunately, you rarely get what you hope for.
Tyro, who was still gritting his teeth in pain seemed to be awakened by those words.
Luca was marvelled as he saw the emotion within the man's eyes.
Rage, hatred, fear ..... But most of all, unbridled will.
"..... Go to hell ..... Ash maker". The words were spit with hard effort as the man's face began to change color from intensive blood loss. Cold sweat had begun to accumulate on his head.
Luca felt astonished. He never expected such sheer grit and will from a side character without many appearances in the series.
A man's dignity should not be tarnished.
"I've been ready to die a long time ago.... But my death will not stop this attack ….".
"Tyro!"
Numerous yells suddenly resounded as the shock of the earth benders faded.
Then, they rushed towards their direction finally realizing what was happening.
"Perhaps ... But theirs will". The indifference within his voice was chilling.
Following which, the sword resting on his side was infused with ivory white chi.
"Stop them!" The Firebender's were stunned and reacted. Shooting fire at the running earthbenders.
Two stopped, and pushed upward. A stone wall made of coal emerged, blocking them from the attacks. The others immediately took their stances and attacked.
Numerous rocks shot towards Luca's direction.
At that moment, he lifted his blade and slashed.
— Chi -50 - (please note the difference between chi and spirit Chi to highlight which one is being used and when)
The chi shockwave shot out from the weapon in a crescent shaped towards his attackers.
Colliding with the earth attacks, the latter was completely destroyed while the chi slash, although greatly diminished, still carried one with enough force to spit a human in half.
And so it did.
Squelch
Piercing into their bodies, it finally dissipated into thin air. But its work had been fulfilled. The damage created immediately made itself apparent.
Puff!
Blood spurted out from their chests as their eyes widened. Following which, all of them collapsed to the floor unmoving.
Even those who had erected the earth wall to shield their companions were no exception.
The Fire Navy shipyard was enveloped with silence. With the only exception being the sound of corpses falling to the floor.
Tyro turned around, his pupils shrinking at the scene. He wasn't the only one, all those rebels who were about to attack froze in place at the sight before them.
What ..... What was that? That white colored light that just killed a dozen men? A new type of firebending?
Impossible.
'This …. Is the strength of the guards of the royal family?' The Warden felt his scalp go numb. Fear enveloping him from head to toe.
As a warden, he had to have some competency to better manage his position. So although he was quite far from being a master, his bending ability could be considered strong.
At least he thought so himself. But no, he just saw someone kill a dozen earthbenders with one move.
What was that? And that white light …. Was it a special type of flame? Ones used by the Imperial Firebenders?
Like the legendary white flame?
The Warden's speculations were similar to many.
"Your rebellion will come to an end. As you will surrender.....".
Drip! Drip! Drip.
Blood dropped from the blade.
"... or I will kill you all, one by one until you do".
Luca uttered again. His cold words sounding into the ears of everyone close enough to hear them.
"It's just a matter of how many? Ten? Twenty, thirty? How many of you will give your lives fighting a battle you can't win?"
The Warden was being forced back into the rig.
From the time the militia attacked to this very moment, not long had passed. And in this very short timeframe, Luca could only come up with one solution to his problem.
A show of force.
The battle between both sides wasn't something that could easily be stopped. Not until one side gained clear victory.
The Warden, despite being disadvantaged, wasn't going to let that happen anytime soon. Hence, his decision to secure himself and his troops in the rig.
For him, that wasn't ideal.
With the development of his Chi manipulation, Luca's combat prowess wasn't at the same level it was a few hours ago.
With a mid ranged attack, he could deal with Firebenders from a distance with his new chi release.
On the riverboat, he had discovered that Spirit Chi could be used to temporarily increase his physical stats.
Agility, strength, physique ... Would all receive varying levels of increase depending on how much was consumed.
The reason why Ty Lee could defeat a group of elite Earthbenders all by herself wasn't just due to Chi blocking, by also her extreme agility and flexibility enabling her to doge attacks aimed at her with ease.
From the little he understood, the use of Spirit Chi could bring his physical status to such a level and even higher just based on the speed he recently displayed.
With the cost being lower than density shifting, his ability to take on groups of benders had skyrocketed by several levels.
Time was limited and there was a lot he didn't understand.
It wasn't a permanent solution as he still needed to conserve his Spirit chi, but compared to only ten seconds of invincibility, the extended battery life was a major upgrade.
But if the Warden retreated, then he only had two choices. Join the warden or fight the Earthbenders himself.
Between the former and the Latter, Luca liked neither option. Dealing with the earthbenders was now within his capabilities, but with their numbers, the cost was too great.
One man against dozens of earthbenders, his regular reflexes were nowhere near fast enough to dodge everything that might come his way.
A year incarcerated at Capital Prison was to thank for that.
Thousands of ants could take down and elephant. Without density shifting or Chi enhancements, an attack would hit sooner or later.
With Spirit Chi ....
If he simply just attacked, then they would all fight back in fear despite him showing overwhelming power.
And if he simply dealt with some and told the rest to back down in order to be conservative, then it could raise suspicions on his capabilities.
The development of things after that was out of his control. An idea he didn't like one bit.
The worst possible case scenario, he might exhaust close to half of his reserves, doing all the work for the warden with no substantial gain.
Instead of that happening, he chose another method resulting in what was happening before him.
He had consumed nearly 30+ spirit Chi for instantaneous movement. Strengthening his physique cost 1–2 points per second.
The total amount consumed now was unknown. But everything he had done had clear intent.
Cutting off their arms was for their screams to draw attention.
His statement for Tyro to surrender was for everyone present to hear. Giving the illusion that he preferred to capture them instead of killing them.
Explaining why he insisted on their surrender instead of outright ending their lives.
And Although it wasn't definite, from his understanding of the series, he knew Tyro wouldn't agree.
Hence, the next scene.
Cutting off Tyro's arms wasn't just for attention, but also because he didn't really want to kill these men.
As a fan of the Avatar franchise, he knew that they were doing nothing but fighting for their rights. For freedom, fighting against the enemies that sought to conquer them.
They weren't the ones on the side of aggression. They were the oppressed who had done nothing wrong.
Luca's morals and principles prevented him from outright killing them. He was after all human, not a cold-hearted murderer.
The circumstances of killing the Fire Nation soldiers were different.
In real right, the earthbenders should be his allies. But were they?
That didn't seem to matter anymore. A series of complex connections had led to this very moment. He was now taking the persona of a Fire Nation officer, standing on the side of his enemy disguised as an ally.
The moment he killed the first Earth militia, they were bound to be on separate sides.
Cutting off Tyro's hand ... There was no going back.
Which led to the next scene. A Chi Slash to kill eleven men.
The moment he did, Luca felt his hand tremble slightly.
'…. I just killed innocent men...'.
The effect of an instant bloody kill was particularly striking. Simply to give them all despair that they were going up against an enemy they couldn't win.
To let them know that extra fighting was pointless.
This was the purpose behind Luca's actions.
The silence and Tyro's shock were the result. Good, but not enough.
He would rather not gamble on the chance that these people would accept reality.
He knew it the moment he saw the look in Tyro's eyes. That look of hardened veterans who would rather die than submit.
If Tyro still didn't accept it, then his efforts would be for nothing. So it wasn't enough. He needed a final push, one more thing to throw him off the edge.
"Since you won't decide, then I'll help you count ….".
'Wait.....!' Tyro's eyes widened. 'What?…'.
Luca immediately took action. His Red Army boots twisting to a certain direction before his spirit chi was reactivated.
-1
-2
-2
-1
Strength filled his muscles as he rushed forward with swiftness a trained elite couldn't possibly possess.
— Strength: 10 - (18), Dexterity 9 - (18) Constitution 11 (16)
Squelch!
...
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