Once Eli had stepped into the passage Rachel had left behind in the Chamber of the Judge, he felt his feet sink into loose sand. A cool breeze blew into his side from an endless expanse of blue water on his left - it seemed he was standing upon a wide and sandy shore. A sloping beach of white sand extended before him as far as the eye could see. Waterfowl circled and danced in the cloudless sky above, which seemed to be darkening into evening. There was no stench of seaweed or salt present near this beach; rather, the surroundings produced a sweet scent that was soothing to Eli. He noticed that there were some short plants to his right, where the sand eventually gave way to vegetation.
Turning to the water, Eli walked to the edge of the sand and watched the gentle waves lap at it. He then sat down, directing his attention to the horizon. The water’s vastness amazed him
– the rolling mass of blue was so large that it met the sun as it sank in the far sky, staining the sea with rose. This is amazing. I can’t believe that the fortress can hold so many places like this. It must be colossal!
Before he could become too enthralled by the majesty of the peaceful waves, Eli reminded himself of why he had come to this place. Geez… Stay focused. Where is Rachel? He only needed to look along the shore’s edge to find the female Sentinel sitting by the water about fifty meters to his left. She appeared to be dipping her feet in the water, and she was watching the waves as Eli had been doing.
Eli flew over to her hurriedly and landed beside her, and she looked up at him in surprise.
“Eli!” she exclaimed. “How… what are you doing here?”
“Jack sent me to fetch you,” he explained. “As it turns out, we can access one another’s designated living areas. We’re going to begin a training session at my place, and we were wondering if you and Jean would join us. Want to come along?”
Rachel stood up and brushed grains of sand off her legs.
“Sure,” she answered. “I don’t exactly have anything else to do. Are we headed straight from here to your place?”
“No, I still need to ask Jean, who is back in the chamber,” he told her. “so you’ll have to take us back there – just use your fortress key again.”
Rachel reached into the sand by her feet and pulled out the crystal ball that was her fortress key.
“I guess we’re off then!” she announced. “I could probably use some training.”
She activated her key, and a bronze door was formed before them. After stealing one final glance at the sea, Eli entered through the doorway behind Rachel. The pair returned beside the great rock, in the same area they had used to access Rachel’s chamber; Eli noticed that Jean remained seated in one of the nearby chairs, but now, Jack was seated next to him. The two were conversing about something, and Jean seemed the liveliest he had been since hearing of Gerald’s death.
Eli waved to the pair of Sentinels in an attempt to seize their attention.
“I’ve got Rachel with me!” he called to them. “We are all set to begin!”
Jack and Jean ceased their talk and walked over to Eli while he prepared the entrance to his living quarters. As the bamboo door appeared before them, Eli saw that Jean was clutching a medieval mace in his hands; it was long and intimidating, making it seemingly unfit in the possession of a meek Sentinel like Jean.
“Then it’s time,” said Jack cheerfully, flinging the door open. “Let’s make the most of this.”
Jack hurried through the opening, followed by the other Sentinels.
The four found themselves in the center of the bamboo clearing; Jean and Rachel looked impressed.
“Wow!” Rachel exclaimed. “I thought my domain was undoubtedly the greatest one available, but I’m not so sure about that now. This place is really great.”
“Yes,” Jean added. “It should be a perfect environment for our training.”
Jack was pacing about the clearing, pulling his heels toward his back in a stretch.
“Ah, back to the days of old,” he remarked. “I haven’t done any combat training since I first became a Sentinel. I never got to do much of it, although I enjoyed what little I did get to do.”
“So what are we starting with?” Rachel asked enthusiastically. “Conditioning? Learning special techniques? Basic weapons training?”
“No, none of that,” Jack answered, locking his legs out and reaching for his toes. “We will do some sparring first. I cannot identify your weaknesses unless I receive an opportunity to observe you in battle. Let’s see… Why don’t you all come at me at once? That should make for a fair bout.”
“Fair?” Jean protested. “You just admitted that you have only received limited training in your lifetime. How can you fight three of us at once?”
Jack rose from his stretch and cocked his head to one side, causing his neck to make a loud cracking sound.
“Prove me wrong, son,” Jack challenged. “If you defeat me easily as you believe you will, the only one who pays is me. Now, I’ll stand here in the center of the clearing, and you three will surround me. You can come at me whenever you’re ready.”
The three Sentinels reluctantly obeyed, forming a triangle around Jack; each of them stood about ten meters away from their older comrade.
“Are we supposed to use our weapons?” Rachel inquired.
“Why, of course,” Jack answered. “By all means - you’re going to need them.”
Eli unstrapped his shuriken, and Rachel began whirling her chained weapon, while Jack just snickered. I forgot that Jean has never actually witnessed Jack in battle - he clearly has no idea how strong he is. And I suppose Rachel isn’t necessarily aware either.
Jack drew a deep breath and closed his eyes, transitioning into some state of meditation; Eli raised his open hand to get the others’ attention without alerting Jack. He lowered each of his phalanges into a closed fist one-by-one, then pointed to Jack, signaling to the others that they would strike in unison at the count of five. The pair nodded in understanding, and Eli began to count down with his fingers.
The three clutched their weapons tightly in anticipation as the countdown progressed, whereas Jack did not move at all. Once Eli had lowered his last finger, the team of three dashed toward the old Sentinel with weapons raised. Yes, we’ve timed it perfectly. There’s nowhere for him to go!
They quickly came within striking distance, but as they brought their weapons down upon Jack, he sprang high into the air. The three Sentinels missed him by just a narrow margin, and all of their weapons collided where he had been an instant earlier.
The old Sentinel was now somersaulting through the air over Eli’s head. Eli immediately turned and hurled his shuriken at Jack as he fell to the ground behind him; Jack promptly ducked to avoid the strike. The shuriken continued on its initial trajectory for a moment, then changed direction, while Rachel and Jean charged Jack again.
The old Sentinel, barely exerting himself, planted the blade of his foot in Jean’s stomach with a brutal sidekick. Saliva jetted from Jean’s mouth as a result of the blow, and he tumbled backward. Jack proceeded to sidestep Rachel as she sprinted at him with her chained weapon whirling through the air; he shoved her in the back as she stumbled past him, causing her to fall forward and skid on her belly through the grass. Eli’s shuriken had rebounded and was heading straight toward Jack’s midsection, but he stomped it into the ground immediately before it could make contact. In what had seemed like no more than an instant, Jack had stymied all three attacks, and although Rachel managed to return to her feet, Jean still lay on the ground in pain.
The grass of the clearing was already upturned in several areas, with clumps of dirt scattered about.
“Come on, you’ve got to do better than that!” Jack told them. He lifted his foot from Eli’s shuriken so it could sail back to its owner’s possession. “I need to see everything you all are capable of.”
He scooped a clump of dirt and grass from the ground and hurled it at Jean.
“On your feet, son!” he shouted. “Weren’t you so certain of your victory in this little sparring match? I’m waiting!”
His speed is hopelessly greater than ours – it’s as if we can only move in slow motion by comparison. Hell, he hasn’t even drawn his weapon yet.
Eli was unsure of how to continue; Rachel appeared just as lost and helpless. Jean finally got to his feet and looked to Eli as if he was awaiting orders. Maybe I can try to occupy him in combat single-handedly. That way, the others might be able to find an opening and strike him when he is off guard.
“If you won’t initiate another attack,” Jack began again suddenly. “then I suppose I’ll have to take the initiative. Here I come!”
Jack leaped several meters up through the air and descended toward Eli. The young Sentinel sprang backward just as Jack swung his heel down to his head; the blow grazed the tips of the hairs near Eli’s forehead.
With Eli unbalanced, Jack shuffled forward and jabbed at his face. The blow landed, and blood spurted from Eli’s nose. Jack followed the jab with a devastating uppercut that caught Eli’s chin and forced him onto his back. The young Sentinel struggled to breathe as his nose became choked with blood; he coughed violently while a grinning Jack stood over him.
“You can’t be done this early,” Jack said as he seized hold of Eli’s collar. “I’m not even warmed up yet.”
He lifted Eli off the ground with a single hand and held him in the air. Eli sputtered as Jack’s knuckles pressed into his neck, impeding the flow of air in his throat. As he struggled to breathe, he kicked at Jack’s ribs desperately, but his efforts were in vain.
“Well, this is just depressing me now,” Jack admitted. “I’m disappointed in you.”
Without warning, Rachel pounced onto Jack’s back with a fierce battle cry and wrapped her arm around his neck in a chokehold. Jack stood unconcerned, and he calmly grabbed her by the shoulder with his free hand. He then flung her forward, causing her to tumble along the ground with a surprised screech. Grunting with effort, Jack tossed Eli into the dirt beside Rachel. Eli’s eyes were watering from the blow dealt to his nose, while he continued to gasp from his prolonged air shortage; neither he nor Rachel was able get to their feet.
Jack gazed at the pair of Sentinels and shook his head.
“You should’ve used your weapon,” Jack pointed out to Rachel. “I probably would have negated your attack anyway, but at least you would have had a better chance.”
He turned to a trembling Jean, who was looking on with wide, frightened eyes.
“And you…” Jack began again. “You could have capitalized on Rachel’s assault, yet you still just stand there, quaking like a timid puppy. I suppose you will need me to instill some backbone in you!”
The old Sentinel dashed toward a stationary Jean and leaped at him with a powerful yell; from his place in the upturned grass, Eli closed his eyes in anticipation of the brutal blow that Jean was about to sustain. Jack is taking this seriously – he’s showing no mercy whatsoever.
This “sparring match” feels more intense than any real battle.
“What the-?” came a surprised exclamation from Jack.
Eli opened his eyes to see a confused Jack staring at the ground; he had driven his fist into the area Jean had been moments ago.
“Where is he? What kind of trick is this?”
The sound of rapid footsteps could be heard as Jean, now appearing reinvigorated, charged Jack from behind and lashed out with his mace. A surprise attack? How did he manage that? Eli was certain that Jack would not be able to avoid this attack, as it appeared that the
mace would easily club his head. However, Eli had underestimated Jack’s uncanny speed, and he watched the Sentinel crouch just as the mace passed over his head.
“I can’t believe it,” Eli muttered weakly. “That was such a clever trap – I don’t even know how Jean managed to execute it – yet it still failed to break Jack’s defenses.”
Jack laughed in amusement as he dealt a powerful palm strike to Jean’s stomach, sending him tumbling backward. For a few moments, all four Sentinels paused, neither moving nor making a sound. It’s over… This is nothing more than an exercise in futility. We’re no match for him.
Jack studied each of his three sparring partners as they lie motionless in the dirt.
“Jean,” he said, walking over to the defeated Sentinel and helping him to his feet. “I had no idea that you could use puppet clones – even I don’t know how to perform the puppet clone technique.”
Jean managed a weak smile.
“Yes, it’s one of the few skills I possess that could aid me in battle,” he responded. “I actually learned it in the Maw after watching demon-warriors perform it. Once I had seen it executed several times over, I was able to use it for myself – it’s how I managed to escape the Maw undetected.”
“Well, what do you know!” Jack exclaimed, slapping his knees. “I may be an old dog, but I suppose I can still learn some new tricks! You will have to show us all how to use that technique sometime; I believe it could be incredibly useful against the Outlaws.”
Eli and Rachel both struggled to their feet; Eli would have guessed that the battle would have triggered some pain from his burn, but he hardly noticed the injury, as the agony inflicted by Jack’s onslaught had overwhelmed it. I certainly hope we don’t have to face Mary and Clovis in the near future. In my current state, it will be difficult to compete with them.
“You two are probably a bit puzzled,” Jack said as Rachel and Eli hobbled their way over to where Jack and Jean were standing. “The puppet clone technique allows the user to create a shell of their original self: a copycat, if you will. This copycat distracts opponents, and it allows for a stealth attack. I’m not quite sure how it works… I guess that’s just another-“
“Enough!” Eli interrupted angrily; the three other Sentinels whipped their heads around toward him, startled. “I want to know how the hell you’re so strong. If everything you’ve told us is true, there’s no way you could ward off three Sentinels at once with little or no effort –
you’ve had essentially no training during your time as a Sentinel. Explain what’s going on! No lies!”
Jack backed away, holding his hands up in defense.
“Calm down, son!” he urged him. “I understand your frustration, but you need to realize that there are multiple explanations for the results of this little battle we had. For one, I have acquired some fighting experience as a Sentinel, despite the fact that I haven’t encountered many Outlaws. There are often times when I have had to interfere with wars in the Living World, which required me to develop elite combat skills. It is also possible that the Angels have lessened the severity of the Maw since I was sent there. In other words, it may be that your escaping the Maw in three years is not as impressive as you think.”
Eli gritted his teeth with anger upon hearing Jack’s insulting words; Rachel placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Yes, you need to calm down,” she told him. “If anything, we should be honored that we get the chance to learn from Jack. We all need to work together if we want to beat the Outlaws.”
“Exactly, and that brings me to my next point,” Jack added. “After receiving the opportunity to spar with you, I’ve identified several obvious deficiencies in your fighting abilities. The time has now come to correct these deficiencies. But where to begin…”
He flicked Eli’s nose with his index finger without warning; Eli staggered back with pain.
“Why did you do that?” he demanded. “That area is still sore from your punch.”
“Yup, that’s it,” Jack stated, appearing to have come to some sort of revelation. “I need to toughen you all up – both physically and mentally. That is how we will progress with our training, and I have the perfect exercise.”
Jack flew off into the bamboo forest surrounding the clearing; stalks of bamboo rustled and creaked as he rummaged about in the undergrowth.
“What’s he doing now?” Eli asked impatiently.
An enormous chunk of bamboo came rocketing from the forest, and it landed directly in front of the unsuspecting Sentinels with a loud thump. Eli knelt down to study the hefty segment: It was over one meter in length, with a dense, tan exterior.
“Look out!” Rachel shouted as two more bamboo segments came plummeting down towards them.
The trio leaped away as the large plants came to the ground; Jack came soaring out of the foliage behind the bamboo he had hurled.
“Perfect!” he said with satisfaction. “They’re all about the same size and shape. They’ll be more than enough to challenge the three of you.”
“What are we going to do now?” Jean inquired.
“One of the few training exercises I learned from my earlier times as a Sentinel,” Jack told him. “This will be the first drill you attempt under my tutelage. It won’t be pleasant, but it’s a fine place to start nonetheless.” He pointed to the straw hut at the edge of the clearing.
“Now,” he continued. “carry these big logs over there. That will be your starting point.”
Too thoroughly beaten and tired to argue, the three obeyed, and each seized hold of one of the bamboo segments. Since the bamboo was hollow, Eli assumed it would not be as heavy as it looked, yet he found himself struggling to get it off the ground. The best he could manage was to simply drag it along, and Rachel and Jean did not seem to be faring any better. Dare I even ask what he plans to have us do with these?
“Hurry along,” Jack ordered from beside the hut. “We don’t exactly have infinite time to waste.”
Huffing with fatigue, the three finally managed to reach Jack; they released their bamboo fragments and let them tumble to the ground.
“You’re going to need to pick those back up,” Jack told them. “Place them upon your backs and squat down – you’ll be doing some duck walking.”
The trio of younger Sentinels groaned with dismay.
“Are you telling us we’ve got to carry these things around on our backs?” Jean asked him.
“Yes,” Jack replied. “I want you to carry them along the perimeter of the clearing, preferably three times. This exercise will be tedious and wearying to say the least, but its benefits will far outweigh its costs. You’ll strengthen your bodies as well as your wills – I cannot think of a more appropriate drill to initiate your training.”
Jack scooped one of the bamboo fragments from the ground effortlessly and directed Jean into a crouching position; he then laid the bamboo across his shoulders. Eli gulped as he watched Jean tremble beneath the weight of the log, knowing that he and Rachel would have to bear the same burden. Without hesitation, Jack then did the same for Rachel and Eli. Though
the group had not even begun to move yet, Eli felt a debilitating ache in his legs from the weight of the segment.
“All right, time to get moving,” Jack told them nonchalantly. “The longer you have to carry those things, the worse it will be for you. Keep as close to the edge of the clearing as you can, and don’t you dare rise from that squatting position.”
Eli summoned his remaining strength to begin hobbling along from his crouching position with the crushing piece of bamboo on his shoulders. Every time he took a single step, it seemed he was undertaking some tremendous feat; the muscles in his legs quickly became so tight that he could barely move them. Judging by the sounds coming from beside him, Rachel and Jean were not enjoying the exercise any more than he was.
“This bamboo is quite extraordinary,” Jack remarked as he trailed behind the struggling Sentinels. “The density of its exterior is so great that, even as a hollow plant, it is as heavy as lead. You won’t find anything of the sort in the Living World.”
Taking miniscule steps forward, Eli found that it was a constant battle to merely keep his head up. He often had to allow it to drop, which caused him to lose sight of his path and collide with the other Sentinels.
“That’s it,” Jack encouraged from behind. “Keep moving along – I told you this would be a test of will.”
Eli became light-headed due to the fatigue he was experiencing, and he began to disassociate from the world around him. Still, he somehow managed to continue moving.
“I want you to pretend that you’re in a fight against Outlaws,” came Jack’s voice again.
“You are extremely exhausted, but you need to continue battling if you wish to preserve the lives of your comrades. What will you do? Will you roll over and die, or will you find a way to continue fighting? These are questions you will be forced to ask yourselves in time.”
Eli made an effort to take note of Jack’s words, despite his fatigue; as he trudged onward, rounding a bend in the clearing border, he recalled his battle with the Outlaws. He remembered his victory over the gauntlet-wielding Outlaw, and he thought about the grueling battle he and the others had fought against Mary. Perhaps most important of all, he invoked memories of Gerald’s death; the feeling of dread that befell him upon learning that his fellow Sentinel had been killed returned to him once more.
I can’t let something like that ever happen again. No matter what, I have to ensure the safety of my friends. No Sentinel deserves to be banished to the Void. Somehow, Eli managed to salvage one last ounce of vigor from the depths of his being; he felt rejuvenated, as a hint of additional strength returned to his legs, and he continued forth. As the straw hut came into sight ahead, he became aware of the heavy breathing of Rachel and Jean behind him. Though they were likely exhausted, they also had refused to quit, which motivated Eli even further.
Despite his renewed motivational drive, however, his legs quickly grew weak and numb again. It felt as if every step he took would be the last he could manage, yet he always found a way to keep moving. In a battle, failure is simply not an option. Warriors will always grow weary and fatigued, but the one that surmounts their limitations will be the one to succeed.
Never surrender, and I will never lose. As long as there is the slightest amount of strength remaining in my body, I won’t succumb to my opponent.
With splinters from the bamboo now boring into his shoulders, Eli envisioned Mary in his mind. Images and scenes from their battle in the Living World seemed to flash before his eyes, then they quickly faded. He additionally saw fragments of the visions he had witnessed within the transport cube, the ones that had presented him with troubling and perplexing events.
He caught sight of an image of his father’s face, the same one that had been nailed to a wooden post near the village he had visited. Figures of shadow danced before his eyes, and he transitioned into some sort of hypnotic state.
Though he knew he was still trudging on, he felt as if he had ceased the exercise; Jack’s shouts from behind began to fade out of Eli’s awareness once again. Now, he saw a legion of Sentinels marching along a barren plain – a vision he had not yet seen before. There were initially about two dozen of them, but one by one, they began to vanish in cloaks of mist. After half of them had been swept away by the mist, the rest were enveloped by a blazing inferno, and they too disappeared.
These scenes are grippingly life-like. Why am I seeing them now? I wonder if this new one could even mean anything… With all the marching Sentinels out of sight, the inferno continued to rage. Eventually, the flames parted, revealing a slender object suspended in the air amidst the fire. As the object’s black casing slowly slid off of it, a katana blade was revealed, and Eli recognized it as Jay Takashi’s weapon. The exposed blade rose upward, while the flames
below darkened and liquified; the dark-red liquid spread across the entire plain in surging waves, frothing and heaving. A sea of blood… but whose is it?
Nobody was present within the sea, yet Eli could still hear voices raised in battle cries and screams; he was almost expecting to see Mary emerge from the shifting mass of blood, but he neither saw her nor heard her dreadful cackle. The vision remained as it was, although Eli hoped that it would change or disappear, as the sight of the blood unsettled him. He could smell its scent as well; the taste of blood was even in his mouth.
His concern heightened as he felt a thick, warm fluid flow around his ankles. Looking below, he saw that the blood from the sea had somehow reached him; it was rapidly rising, reaching his hips as it produced a sickening gurgling noise. His surroundings became pitch-dark, while the blood tugged down at his clothes. Now breathing quickly with panic, Eli shrugged the bamboo off of his shoulders and tried to free his legs from the blood. To his dismay, his efforts were fruitless. The blood soon became level with his shoulders – all but his head was engulfed in the sticky mass of red liquid.
“What’s… happening?” he sputtered as blood filled his mouth.
He became engulfed completely, and he lost consciousness.