Ozania Odyssey

Chapter 44: Seiju's Training! Planning For The War Begins!

Seiju trains in the Evac-12 forests, firing off flame JōKai arrows and striking the trees with bullseye designs carved into them, the heat of the arrows radiating outward. Seiju summons a Flame JōKai arrow, the heat of it singeing his fingertips as he places it on the bow and launches it toward the tree. "Flame Bow: Flame Shot!"

Seiju's arrow whizzes by the bullseye, and he clenches his teeth in annoyance. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me. I gotta restart again."

Seiju moves through the forests, his eyes searching for a new group of trees. "Damn, I really loathe training, but.." Seiju replays the battle with Overlord within his mind's eye. "I was useless during that battle against Overlord. Few of my attacks hit the guy. I need to get my aim better if we ever face him or an opponent like him again."

Seiju extracts a knife from his pocket, the scent of freshly cut wood lingering in the air as he carves bullseyes into the trees. "Guess it's time to place those dreaded designs on the trees again."

Seiju positions his bow and draws back the string, aiming an arrow at a nearby tree. "Maybe If I were to generate more Flame JōKai into my arrows, I'd have a legitimate shot at hitting someone as fast as Overlord or, hell, one of those super specimens. Maybe if I were to use a lot more JōKai in my arrows, I can create a larger area of effect, which should allow me to hit faster enemies."

Seiju tightens his grip, and the Flame JōKai on his bow swells, the heat radiating around him. "More. I need to create more."

Seiju summons more JōKai onto his hands, the intense heat singeing the nearby foliage. Seiju ganders determinedly at the burning flame, the orange, and yellow light reflecting in his eyes. "More! I need to summon more!"

Seiju's flame summoning dwindles away as the strength of his hand gives out from the intense strain, causing him to let out a shriek of agony as he collapses. "Damn, I think I went a bit overboard."

Seiju eyes his red, aching hand, the pulsing sensation making his fingers tingle. "Why in the hell am I training so hard? I don't even remember the last time I even came close to putting this much effort into my fighting."

Seiju gazes up at the twinkling stars illuminated by the fluorescent night sky and thinks back to his journey with the other rookies. "That entire experience had its ups and downs. Miri and Astran, getting stronger and just getting away from all those cramping rules, were surely the ups of the trip. On the flip side, that annoying Denkei guy, getting our asses handed to us and those other weird people, were just ugh, it's going to suck tolerating them for the next couple years."

"And that damn Navar, he's the one who dragged us into this mess. Why did we even listen to him? Why in the world did we follow him in such a terrible situation? Matter fact, I didn't follow him. The dude legit kidnapped me. He dragged me all the way to Molorx just to get my ass kicked." Seiju lets out a low, gentle chuckle. "Well, then again, my stupid ass followed him, even when I could have left. And he also motivated me to take my fighting career seriously. Now, I'm not just trying to get women, I can go somewhere. You know what, now that I think about it? He also helped me score the numbers of those hotties at that club. You know what, now that I think about it, he aint so bad..."

Seiju rises from the ground, and a slight orange blaze surrounds his bow. "Alright, grow steadily," Seiju gradually summons more and more Flame JōKai. "Just a little more," Seiju's summoned flame intensifies, the spewing embers singeing the surrounding plants and growing steadily larger. Seiju's flame becomes so powerful the surrounding boulders sizzle as they melt. Seiju's face contorts from the intensity of wielding the fire. "Ok, release!" Seiju releases an arrow, and it lands right in the center of the bullseye for eleven consecutive shots. Seiju lies in the dirt, his eyes closed as he savors the warmth of the sun on his skin. "Whew, bro! I'll take a nap for the day and get back to it tomorrow. I made good progress."