Fist of Heaven and Earth! [ P | T ]

[Axcel]

When Axcel placed his hand onto the rock he could already feel how wet, and consequently slippery, the damn stone was. The fact that he was about to climb up some twenty meters underneath the waterfall didn’t help much either. The task at hand would certainly be troublesome--even Axcel was aware of that, despite his person brimming with confidence. Regardless, he clutched the rock tightly and lifted himself off the ground, beginning the next level of his training.

As two hands gripped two separate rocks, the boy’s legs would struggle as they searched for footing. Immediately he felt the pressure of the waterfall on top of him. It was heavy, relentless, and certainly wouldn’t let up. With every passing moment, Axcel could feel his grip on the rock loosening. If he was struggling just to hold on, then how on earth was he supposed to advance?! Clearly he wasn’t going to make it at this rate, with his grip having fallen to just a few fingers.

No! His brows furrowed and his body tensed. Failure wasn’t an option--not here and not yet. With an iron resolve, Axcel’s left hand tightened what little grip it had on the rock and his right hand shot upwards, reaching for the next rock. His hand, somehow, found its target. Just as he did, his left hand had surrendered its hold over the first rock. If he had been any slower, Axcel would’ve fallen off the cliff and into the water below. It was no wonder that this, at first glance seemingly simple task, was considered advanced training for a Tenjouken user.

"Careful! I think it might be just a little slippery!"

“Huh?” Axcel couldn’t quite hear what Rin had to say so he turned his head slightly towards her direction. “What was that? I couldn’t hear yo--” his inquiry was interrupted by a sudden yell. His broken concentration on top of the constant pressure the waterfall put on him caused him to fall. Was he going to fail already? No--not quite yet. He was determined not too, lest he wanted to fail his training. Just as it appeared that he was going to fall to the bottom of the waterfall, Axcel managed to grab onto a small ledge in the waterfall’s cliff just as he fell. He was barely hanging on, though he had fallen even lower than the point where he begun at. If he wanted to succeed, he would need to climb up twenty five meters.

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[Rin]

From the beginning, I watched every move the male made. Usually, it was harder than people anticipated it to be--all of the elements of the task combined to form quite a formidable obstacle. When he began to climb, I, honestly, expected him to fall. After all, almost everyone fell. Very few people made it through without failing the first time--my father had without falling, I had, and only one other person I knew had done this task without meeting the water below. That made a total of three--either way, it wasn't shameful to do so. It only meant that there was much room for improvement.

My eyes narrowed on his hand as he nearly faltered, but managed to scrounge up the strength--and willpower, I was sure--to keep hold. Though it was difficult to trace every move beneath a veil of water, I did notice him grab a new ledge just before he couldn't hold onto the previous any longer. With a nod, I laid back lazily, intertwining my hands behind my head, but still keeping my eyes on the trainee.

Part of me would be surprised if he didn't fail, and another part of me wouldn't be. Something had been eating at me, a voice inside my head screaming that this guy wasn't normal. That he wasn't just someone who wanted to learn Tenjouken, but that he was somehow important. There was no explaining it. It was just a feeling, and probably a wrong one. I couldn't shake it, though.

My position, laying on the floor, didn't last long, though, as I immediately rocketed up as I watched him fall. Damn, that's it, he-- I thought, before I realized I hadn't heard a splash. Pushing myself all the way up, I ran to the edge overlooking the river and saw him hanging on to the edge above the water.

"Che," I stifled a chuckle and a smile. "What a show off."

[DAVID BOWE]

Learned -- Axcel
+58 -- Rin

[Axcel]

Tenjou no Shuuren (Discipline of Heaven and Earth)
Rank: D, C, B, A, S
Type: Supplementary / Taijutsu
Range: Self
Special: All Tenjouken techniques of equal or lesser rank take one rank less energy to perform.
Description: The most basic technique of Tenjouken, this lays the foundation for the entirety of the style. It is a training of the body and a utilization of it to its utmost potential. Though not on the levels of the chakra-enhanced strength utilized by medic-nin, practitioners of Tenjouken have amazing physical power and speed with which to back it up. They focus on hitting hard and fast using efficient maneuvers. However, their training does not only cover offense; their bodies are extremely enduring and efficient.
Domain: Tenjouken

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Just as it appeared that he was going to fall to the bottom of the waterfall, Axcel managed to grab onto a small ledge in the waterfall’s cliff just as he fell. His momentum swung him toward the wall and he banged his head against the hard wall. Though conscious, blood was beginning to seep down from his forehead. Tinges of red could be seen splashing off his face as the waterfall hit him. It was an annoyance, but a minor one that he would have to overcome if he expected to succeed. Grunting softly, Axcel prepared to move upward.

“Tch!” As he attempted his vertical climb under pounds and pounds of pressure, the lad found himself asking the same question he had asked earlier: if he could barely hang on, how was he going to be able to climb up twenty--no, twenty five meters! Then, having recalled his sudden burst of resolve enabling him to push forward and reach a higher ledge earlier, Axcel had found the answer he had been seeking. It was sudden, and it hit him like a ton of bricks (ironically the last thing he wanted to deal with now), but he found it.

Grinning optimistically, Axcel forced himself to reach upward, grabbing onto the ledge his feet had used to hold himself up when he began the task. The answer he had came too was a simple one. Tenjouken was a very offensive style. You attack by attacking. You defend by attacking. Even when resting, you’re constantly moving and giving signs of possible attacks, allowing possible feints. Simply staying on the defense wasn’t going to get a user of Tenjouken anywhere. Blocking and dodging were all techniques meant to aid you in your offense--not as a means of defense.

His answer seemingly renewed his energy. It took him long enough to connect the teachings he had learned only hours earlier to his current training as a means to overcome it. If he simply remained where he was, holding onto the his grip of the rocks without advancing and just waited for an opportunity, then he would inevitably succumb to the pressure the waterfall put on him. He needed to keep moving upward, no matter the difficulty--he needed to stay on the offense, no matter what the enemy threw at him. Only then would he be able to claim to be someone who can utilize Tenjouken.

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[Rin]

On the surface, little seemed to be going on. He fell, even past where he had started, and it looked like there was a bit of blood. The red was diluted by the clear water, crashing down to the water below, but was still quite obvious. Worried, I made my way over, closer to the waterfall, so I could look upon him easier. Though it was difficult to decipher where he had been wounded, it didn't seem to bother him too much. I couldn't help but worry, though, and as he climbed the, approximately, five meters to get him back where he started, I yelled through the water. Since I was closer by, he was likely to hear me this time.

"Are you alright? We can stop, if you need to treat your wounds!" I cupped my hands to increase the volume of my shout. Something, though, told me he would refuse my offer. Maybe it was the determination in his face, which told me he wasn't going to give up. Hell, it even had me believing he'd actually do it before he collapsed.

Crossing my arms, I shifted my weight and awaited his answer. Hopefully, I wouldn't distract him too much--but it was a necessary precaution I had to take. After all, I didn't want anyone bleeding out because they hit their head on a wall training with me. It was likely he was a lot tougher than that, though. And no matter what, I admired him for his determination in Tenjouken. It pleased me immensely to see someone go through this training without a single complaint, and with only eagerness and anticipation.

[Axcel]

Now that he had came to the answer that would allow him to progress upward, he needed to actually move his damn body. It was easier said than done, and despite knowing that he couldn’t remain still if he expected to succeed, he was still having a hard time doing so. His hands were beginning to tire of holding onto the rocks, their grip having to be tightened beyond normal amounts just to hold onto the slippery stones. Despite being wet, the rocks were still rough, and his the skin on his palms were beginning to tear from holding on for so long while being pushed downward due to the water pressure from above.

Just as he was about to begin his ascension, Rin called out to him. This time he made sure not to turn, adjust his posture, or move his person at all when responding to the girl. He didn’t want to fall again, especially after how difficult it was just to get back to where he had been before. Rin said something about asking if he was okay. She asked, though it seemed like she was suggesting, that Axcel could stop the training and treat whatever wounds he had.

“Stop? Like hell I’ll stop!” Axcel cried out, gritting his teeth as he pushed himself upwards. Just as he was about to cave in to the pressure, Axcel released his hold over one of the rocks and reached up to grab onto another. Stopping wasn’t an option anymore. He had already thrown himself into the training, and he had already gave himself to the art of Tenjouken. Giving up now would be, in his book, failing the discipline--something he didn’t intend on doing.

With his resolve growing stronger, Axcel continued his upward climb. It started off slow, but he was beginning to pick up his pace. At first he would be at a standstill in whatever position he found himself in for several moments before attempting to move up again. Now, however, he was moving up at a consistent pace. He wouldn’t stop but for a moment before reaching for another rock. The lad was moving at a steady rate, and was climbing up surprisingly fast too. He had advanced at least twelve meters up.

With another eight meters remaining, would Axcel have it in him to make the home stretch? It was anyone’s guess at this point. The boy, however, was determined in his endeavour and believed he was going to succeed no matter what.

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[Rin]

Without even looking at me, and with no hesitation, he answered that he wouldn't stop. Part of me was surprised, but mostly, I'd expected it, and I was happy to hear it. Grinning and crossing my arms, I couldn't help but wonder how far he'd go.

"Like hell, huh?" With a shake of my head, I let my arms fall to my sides and fell back onto the grass. It was wet from the nearby waterfall, and the rain. That was commonplace in Ame no Kuni, though, so I felt comfortable as I leaned back, supporting my body on my arms. I'd watch the man climb the rocky wall, at first in short bursts, but eventually, at a steady, solid pace. In fact, I was beginning to believe he really would make it on the first try. Was he that skilled, or just that determined? Or, perhaps, it was a mixture of both. Either way, I was impressed--but my thoughts wouldn't last long on the man's performance. Out of my peripheral vision, I noticed a shadow pass by at the top of the waterfall. It would most likely be invisible to the trainee, considering the water blanketing him and most likely blinding him to anything up above.

Curiously--and cautiously--I set a foot to the stone wall next to the waterfall and dashed up it. In a moment, I passed by the determined boy, though didn't give him even a passing look, as my concern rested with what I'd seen moments before. Once I found myself atop the cliff, I could see nothing--no presence of any kind. Whatever had cast the shadow made its existence here ephemeral, which worried me a bit.

Had it been my imagination? I shook my head--no, I was sure I'd seen it. Either way, though, the training would go on.

[Axcel]

It was only eight meters, and from another person’s perspective, it didn’t seem like much more for Axcel. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Even though he was a mere eight meters away from the top, the pressure that pushed against him from the waterfall grew in strength. It was a lot more powerful there, and would only get worse as he moved up, than where he had begun. Not only was it harder to advance, but as he progressed upward and came closer and closer to the top, it would only get exponentially worse.

Still--Axcel wasn’t about to fall here. No, he wasn’t quite ready to do that just yet. He needed to climb higher! To the top! Though his body weakened, his spirit did not falter. As the water poured on him, Axcel let out a short groan as he forced himself to move upwards. Now that he begun, he knew he couldn’t stop. If he stopped now, especially in his weakened state, then the waterfall would consume him and force him downward.

Though his muscles ache, he continued onward through sheer force of will. He needed to keep moving forward--needed to always be on the offense! Just like a Tenjouken user. He knew the answer he had concluded to earlier was the one that would carry him to the top--and from the looks of it, that’s exactly what was going to happen. The lad had advanced another four meters, putting him four meters away from the top. He was getting close, but the water was getting even stronger. It flowed constantly, and the damn thing wasn’t letting up at all.

Teeth grinding amongst one another, Axcel did what he could to ignore the fatigue and aches that his body felt and continued. His body was beginning to give up on him, and it felt like if he didn’t hurry up it would become unresponsive. Roaring as he practically punched upwards in an effort to grab the next rock, Axcel moved up even higher. At this point, he was literally a meter away from the top.

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[Rin]

I'd begun to think it had been my imagination. That, or perhaps an animal passing by; we were in the wilderness of Ame no Kuni, after all. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling something different was going on--and I couldn't deny the size of silhouette I'd witnessed. Worrying about it really wouldn't do me much, though, so I turned to see how well our little newcomer was doing. Splashing through the water of the river, I kneeled down at the edge, sure that the water wouldn't have enough force to push me over. When I finally glimpsed over the edge, I was quite surprised to see how much progress had been made. He was so close, in fact, that I was nearly in his face as I peeked over--though I continued to stare down. I was proud, almost enough to reach down and offer him a hand up, if I didn't know he would reject it. That, and I figured I'd like to see him do it alone, anyways.

In that moment, the ground shook quite intensely. My first instinct was to check behind me, though I resisted in order to make sure that the shaking ground didn't loosen his hold on the wall. If it did, I would quickly reach down and grab his falling arm--if it didn't, as I figured it wouldn't--I'd turn to find the source of the rumbling.

Before me sat a massive--and apparently quite angry--red crocodile, thrashing its tail about this way and that. With a scowl, I balled my fists and charged at it, ready to defend both myself and my company. Dodging a quick slash of its front claw with a simple leap, I landed a swift kick to its jaw, sending it backwards a few meters before I ran back to help the trainee. He hadn't yet come over the edge, and wouldn't have yet witnessed the monster that awaited him.

[Axcel]

The pressure he felt was unbelievable, but if anything, things got easier from here. Not because the task itself became easier, but because of the amount of adrenaline surging through him upon seeing how close he was. Forcing himself upward, Axcel could feel his hand push past the water, where it was free from its clutches. Though he wasn’t necessarily above the cliff quite yet, any onlookers would see his hand shoot up and reach for the nearest edge. That was it--all he had to do now was pull himself over the cliff’s edge, and he he’d complete the training.

Then a booming sound nearly shattered his eardrums. It was loud as hell, and to make things worse, the ground started rumbling viciously. It didn’t matter at that point though, Axcel’s fingers had dug into the damn ground, the boy being much too stubborn to fall down cause of an outside interference. His grip on on the rock loosened slightly and he almost lost his footing, but he wasn’t about to fall. In fact, moments after shaking ceased, Axcel pushed himself over the ledge and onto the surface of the cliff he had been climbing, away from the waterfall. Finally!

He was damn tired, but it looked like he wouldn’t be getting any rest just yet. He was on all fours, pushing himself up and onto his feet. It was then that his gaze would meet with the crocodile’s, the wild beast staring Axcel down just before being sent backwards by Rin. Though he was certain this was not part of his training, the lad decided to make it part of his training menu. Despite it not being planned, it was the perfect way to put him to the test. Even though his body felt like it was battered, the aches and pains were something he could overcome now that he wasn’t under constant pressure. He felt as light as a feather now that he was out of the waterfall.

“Stay back Rin!” Axcel called out as he removed the top part of his gi and threw it on the ground. He rolled up each of his pant legs so they were just below his knee, something he did in order to avoid having the soaking wet pants to hinder him. Stretching his limbs slightly and cracking his joints, Axcel had, at this point, recovered his breathe. Though tired, his stamina hadn’t died on him at least. He still bleeding a little bit from his head, palms, and the soles of his feet, but it was nothing too serious.

“Now. . .come!” Axcel spoke to the alligator, challenging it as if it were a person. He assumed a fighting stance, the same one Rin had when they sparred not too long ago. They would see if he had become strong enough to defeat the beast using only Tenjouken.

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[Rin]

When my student flipped himself over the edge and lay breathing heavily, I turned and assumed my fighting stance as usual. Though this creature was certainly formidable, I didn't doubt for a single moment that I could easily take it on. So, I relaxed my body, steadying my breaths into a completely unsteady rhythm. My mind pushed out everything except the fight--and the excitement I felt from it--and just as I was about to move in, I was taken by surprise. The man was already on his feet, although bleeding from his hands, feet, and head. The blood was natural after having climbed the wall--at least, on his hands and feet, but what certainly wasn't natural was his intention to fight the monster.

"Oi--I can easily take it, this is dangerous. Look at--" He'd already entered a stance, similar to my own--did he plan to only use Tenjouken to take it down? A grin found its way onto my face again, though I couldn't help but worry considering his condition. Still, part of me wanted to see what he could do. After all, he'd come quite a long ways--and, despite his current state, this was a perfect way to test it. If things went south, well, I was still here to stop it all. Although I knew with great certainty that he was capable of much more than what he'd learned from me, and assumed if things got that bad, he could save himself with what little energy he had left.

"--Che. Fine, don't blame me if you die." Crossing my arms, I turned my back and pretended not to care. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite fool myself, and before the fight started I'd find myself turned about, watching intently and with great anticipation.

[Axcel]

Now that his breathing stabilized, Axcel started to feel his energy returning. It was as if he was getting a second wind. Perhaps it was the adrenaline coursing through his body? Regardless of what it actually was--Axcel was ready to take on the beast before him. When he called out to it, having challenged it, it looked like the giant red crocodile stomped one of its feet in response. Both rubble and puddles of water splashed outwards as it did so. Was that its way of accepting?

“Fine, don’t blame me if you die.”

“Die?” Axcel replied, sounding as if he didn’t know the meaning of the word. “I’m not allowed to die. . .not yet.” He spoke, a grin worn on his face. His words did hold meaning, to an extent. He wasn’t going to allow himself to die in such a place--no matter what. He had things to do, a war to try and prevent, and as cliche as it seemed--a world to save. A heavy burden fell on his shoulders, but it was one that he was more than willing to hold onto, if only until others stepped up in his place.

It was shortly after he spoke that the red crocodile came rampaging towards him. It was fierce, for sure. Axcel wasn’t sure how it was going to attack just yet, so he remained in position, ready to act at a moment’s notice. Just when the crocodile was a few meters away, it unhinged it’s massive jaws and tried to eat Axcel whole. It was almost laughable, was the wild animal underestimating Axcel? It must’ve lacked its natural instincts--otherwise it would’ve been able to sense that Axcel wasn’t just a victim waiting to be eaten.

When the crocodile made attempted to eat the lad, Axcel swiftly stepped to the side, letting the crocodile to pass him as it did. Upon doing so, Axcel, already in a fighting stance, jabbed towards the beast’s eye. His arm wasted no movements, and took the quickest path. This was heaven’s punishment. The jab connected, and though it was too weak to actually render the eye completely blind, it would definitely be useless as far as sight goes for the next minute or so. Immediately the beast trashed about, swinging it’s tail wildly.

Axcel leaped up into the air and towards the side, but the tail managed to clip his legs as he was in the air, sending him flying and flipping through the air. Landing against the ground after sliding several meters, Axcel was rather fond of his new positioning. He was far as hell from the edge of the cliff, and he knew he wouldn’t have to worry about being knocked off.

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[Rin]

"Hn," shifting my weight, I couldn't help but wonder where this guy's determination came from. He's not allowed to die yet, huh? "What a strange guy . . ." I said, setting a hand on my hip as I watched the coming fight. The beast made the first move, and I soon realized I was a little too close to the fight. When it's jaws came closed, I had already leaped a few meters back in order to avoid any thrashing it might unleash.

I noticed that the man had jabbed straight for the crocodile's eye--with perfect form, even after climbing up the waterfall as he had. Yeah, this guy was something else. A slight cringe fell over my face as I watched his legs get clipped from underneath him mid air, and as he skid along the ground. Still, his position was far more favorable before, and it seemed that he'd gotten a second wind somehow. Whatever was driving him, it must have been important. That, or he was just stubborn for no reason. I could relate to that.

What I had considered was how he would actually defeat the beast. Sure, he'd struck its eye--a weak point--but that would never actually conquer it. It could be blinded, and weakened, but never defeated; it wasn't as if blinding the creature would change the way it fought dramatically, either. It would still thrash about, and, due to its size, eventually hit its target. So what would he do? The ledge was there, sending it off the edge could kill it on the rocks below--but did he have enough strength left to perform such a feat?

If he did, well, I'd hardly be surprised anymore.

[DAVID BOWE]

Learned -- Axcel
+92 -- Rin

[Axcel]

Hien (Flight of the Swallow)
Rank: B
Type: Supplementary / Taijutsu
Range: Self
Special: Allows the user to change momentum in midair, and adds a boost of momentum equal to one jump. Can be used once per jump, plus one more each time retrained.
Description: By kicking against the air and utilizing chakra similar to the way it is used when walking on water, the user is able to "double jump." This can be used in any direction, for a second upward boost, to alter momentum midair to avoid an attack, or even upwards to plummet to the ground with a boost of momentum.
Domain: Tenjouken, Tenjou no Shuuren 'B'

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This crocodile was really something! It’s size was so massive that whenever it swung it’s tail about, Axcel would have a hard time evading it. It wasn’t weak either, nor was it slow. It didn’t seem to have to sacrifice speed for power, as it was pretty damn fast considering how big it was. The creature that stood before him was one helluva annoyance. The only reason Axcel was able to evade his attacks up until now was because he remained at his blindside--which would be no more fairly soon.

Axcel already knew what he needed to in order to overcome his next obstacle, the crocodile. He would need to learn a much more advanced technique utilized by Tenjouken users: the flying swallow. It was a technique he had only seen once, performed by Rin’s father even. It was the one technique that managed to capture his interest, the one that made him want to learn Tenjouken over any style. Now was the perfect time to make an attempt at learning it, despite having only seen it once.

Hien, the flying swallow, enabled the user essentially jump twice. This had a magnitude of uses, especially to Axcel, who relied on ninjutsu primarily. Indeed, though he wasn’t too shabby at taijutsu, he excelled greatly when it came to ninjutsu. Being someone who used ninjutsu, positioning was everything. If he was caught in a bad spot, he was pretty much dead assuming he was against a formidable foe. Being able to change his momentum in the air, a place nobody wants to be caught in, was a great advantage to have. Not only that, but it could serve as a gap closer, or a way of furthering distance between him and his foe.

So, all that he needed to know now was how the hell the geezer Ishikawa was able to do it. Axcel was almost certain it involved chakra to an extent. It didn’t seem possible for the technique to be one that was solely a taijutsu one, as the old geezer was able to do more than just a double jump but jump several more times whilst still in the air. Unfortunately, it looked like Axcel would just have to give it a shot, because the red, angry crocodile was headed his way. . .

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