The Void Monarch - Chapter 29

The third month was at its close, and the harsh training was over for Harper, but things went a little bit differently for Ira. It all started at the end of the first month, that whole month could be described as a complete thrashing at it’s finest. Ira could do nothing, but receive injuries from the Valkyries. They sought to test his physical limits, which turned out to be incredibly high, but the moment Lauren obliterated his heart everything changed.

“Show me what’s different.”

Lauren said as she drew her sword.

Ira laughed in response as he stood up and took a fighting stance. Slowly, a black mist-like substance gathered over his arms and legs, it curled around his appendages and stopped at his elbows and knees. It moved in a fluid manner as it curled and twisted.

Ira lunged forward and left a crater at his previous spot. His speed caused a sonic boom, uprooting most of the trees around him. Lauren moved her sword to block just as he arrived. It had to be noted that Ira lunged beyond the speed of sound, and the distance between him and Lauren couldn’t have been more than 30 feet, he closed the gap in 0.02 seconds. The Valkyries were familiar with speeds beyond sound, so Lauren was able to react, with a combination or experience and pure instinct.

Lauren raised her sword with an underhanded grip and used her other arm to brace it, as she twisted her body, white particles gathered around the sword, Ira grazed the sword causing his original trajectory was slightly redirected away from her and sent him crashing deeper into the forest. The snapping of trees and panicked flight of birds continued for a few hundred feet. Dust rose as a large scar trailed through the forest.

“M-Mother.” Casey said wide-eyed, for the first time in her life she was beyond shocked.

“I know.” Lauren looked at the site of the destroyed trees and forest with a genuine smile, pure excitement decorated her face.

A few moments later Ira stumbled out of the ruined forest area, trying to reattach his right arm. He laughed as he finally put it back on and it instantaneously healed.

“I’ll accept it.”

Ira said to himself as he grinned with elation.

Acceptance. Maybe that’s what he felt. When he killed off the last remanent of his old self, it wasn’t to make himself more ruthless or cold, though some his actions surely would reflect that already, it wasn’t to make himself choose between good or evil since his moral alignment was already unbalanced. It was him accepting he could no longer reclaim that part of himself. His moment of desperation and agony created a ravenous need for power, and even when he no longer remained himself, deep down he still kept the childish and naive hope that maybe he could replace what once was, but now he could accept there was no need for whatever was before.

Deep down, he feared he would hurt the few people he began to care for, in exchange for power, but now along with that ravenous hunger for power was a warped sense of protection he would provide for those he saw as important. They’d grow with him whether they liked it or not, even if they had to sacrifice everything except their lives. To the rational mind that may seem incredibly irrational, but to him, it was only natural. Anything standing in the way of his distorted sense of happiness would earn his purest form of hostility. He never wanted to be that pitiful boy chained to an altar again.

Ira laughed to himself freely. Whether the world was meant to handle someone with a corrupted mentality and unreasonable, was anyone’s guess.

Casey and Lauren didn’t mind Ira’s strange outburst of laughter, instead, they approached in an unbothered manner.

“You have the ability, you just need direction.”

Lauren’s face still held a pleased smile. While Casey looked excitedly at Ira.

“We’ll make sure to thoroughly guide you.”

Lauren placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke with a genuine tone of familial love, Casey also showed a warm expression. Casey already thought of him as one of her own sons, While Lauren valued him more than her own grandsons. She underestimated Ira greatly, it was safe to say that currently, he had the makings of a walking catastrophe. She wouldn’t manipulate or seek to control him, she wouldn’t be a parasite that hindered his development, what she sought was a symbiotic relationship. His actions were sure to increase the growth of the Valkyries. She would give adequate preparation before he carved his path into the world, just like her mother did for her, and just like she did for her daughters.

……………………

The second month is where his real training began.

“Twist your arm as you extend it. I don’t want the fastest or strongest punch. I want the most efficient. Completely extend your legs when you kick, it will allow greater impact.”

Lauren said as she used her hand to readjust Ira’s arms.

Currently, he had chains on each of his limbs and a blindfold over his eyes. Each limb was tied to a large stone cube. Casey stood at the side using magic to reinforce the chains, to prevent Ira from snapping them. The large cubes each weighed fifteen tons, they were cut from the closest mountain by Lauren and Casey, and each one was dragged to the stone stage by Ira. All though his muscles could carry up to fifteen tons, he couldn’t transfer a force of fifteen tons into a punch, not with just his strength. The greater his technique, efficiency, and control, the more damage he would be able to be put into his attacks, needless to say, that was the point of his current situation.

It had been three days and Ira had been doing a complicated routine of punches and kicks while chained to the heavy stone cubes. There had been no breaks allowed, Lauren wanted to force him to control how much energy he used. It was far more practical, for him. While some may argue to use your full power in each fight, if Ira used his full power on most people it would be a waste of energy and frankly, complete overkill. It would be akin to destroying a house for one single fly. Today’s training would introduce something new to Ira.

“Incoming.”

Lauren stepped away from the stone stage.