Chapter 16 - Path of the Great Warriors
Rygar stood before a broad, empty space in the clearing, surrounded by shattered stones and patches of earth scattered with small craters. This clearing served as his testing ground—a place where he could experiment freely without worrying about damaging the village or endangering its residents. Yet, even here, the dangers of his practices were ever-present. He was about to test a new concept he'd been developing: vacuum magic.
"If I can control the pressure and create a stable area..." he murmured, focusing mana into his hands.
The concept involved creating a space devoid of air, generating a vacuum field. With this, he hoped to recreate techniques similar to Danzo Shimura's vacuum abilities and amplify his fire explosions. He channeled mana in a specific pattern, attempting to mold the magic with precision... or at least trying to. The required level of control was far beyond what he anticipated.
The result was catastrophic. The unstable magic compressed into a singularity before violently exploding.
Rygar felt the imminent danger of death—a sensation he hadn't experienced in a long time. His body reacted instinctively, using Flash Step to dart out of the danger zone.
A shockwave erupted in one direction, while a sharp, blade-like rift of compressed air shot in the opposite direction, striking one of the millennia-old trees in the distance. The colossal trunk was sliced cleanly as if it were paper, and the massive tree toppled with a thunderous crash that echoed through the forest.
Rygar staggered back, his heart pounding. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he stared at the devastation he'd caused.
"That was too close..." he exhaled deeply, trying to steady his nerves. "One mistake, and I could've been killed."
He had severely underestimated the level of control required to wield vacuum magic. The precision needed was likely at a molecular level.
Determined to avoid such near-death experiences, he resolved to significantly improve his control before attempting any similarly dangerous magic again. Experimentation shouldn't feel like gambling with his life. Returning to his scattered notes, he began mentally cataloging the possibilities and limitations of the magical elements he mastered.
He recalled the day he tried channeling the maximum amount of mana into an Explosion spell. The flames, normally orange, shifted to yellow and then to a fierce blue, indicating an exponentially higher temperature and destructive potential. The intense heat was still fresh in his memory. (If I gain enough control over fire, could I do something like Yamamoto's Bankai?) The idea fascinated and terrified him in equal measure. Flames of that magnitude would be devastating—to his enemies and himself, if mismanaged.