In the Heat of the Moment! Training at Mount Vulcan! (97)

Akasan reached the base of Mount Vulcan. He looked up at the top, where smoke consistently plumed out of the volcano's spout. He took a deep breath and started jumping up to the top.

When he reached the apex of the landscape, he looked below him. The orange glow of magma shone on his face as he peered into the endless depths of the lava.

Amun suddenly appeared on the edge opposite him. "Relaxing, isn't it?"

Akasan was sweating. "Why are we up here exactly? I thought we were training for Nil."

Amun chuckled. He looked down at the magma below. "This volcano smokes every once in a while, but it will never erupt. Do you know why?"

Akasan shook his head.

Amun continued. "This volcano belongs to a special... someone. I do not know of the whereabouts of this person. But without them, this volcano can and will not erupt. The lava below believe it or not is supercharged with energy. A very pure work of art if I do say so myself." He looked at Akasan and pointed below. "You will jump."

Akasan's face looked distressed. "Huh?!! Jump?!!"

Amun smiled innocently. "Yes. Jump. You will. And don't bother using any of your normal energies to save you. Only Nil will keep you safe down there. And I placed a barrier up here so that you can't bail."

Akasan backed up a little. "Hey, I didn't sign up for any of this!! I can't even control my Nil as it is, and you just expect me to bring it out as I leap into a mystical volcano?!!"

Amun sipped on a cup of hot tea. "You will jump."

Akasan backed up some more. "What if I die?!"

Amun took another sip. "Then you were a failure."

Akasan backed up another step.

Amun suddenly appeared behind him and pushed on his back with one finger, shoving him down the hole.

Amun paid no mind to Akasan's screams as he fell.

Akasan felt the air around him getting hotter as he fell down. He could no longer breathe from all of the toxic fumes inside the volcano. His heart raced as he rapidly approached his death. He turned around mid-air until his face was facing the pit of fire. His eyes burned from the intense heat rushing into his face. "I'm going to die..." he thought.

Then he thought nothing. His mind was going blank. Random images rushed into his head as his life flashed before his eyes.

--

''The orphanage. ''

''Akasan knew this place well. ''

''It was the earliest memory that he had in his life. ''

''His memories were in all gray tones. ''

''He was jumping on a bed. ''

''A girl was jumping with him, but her face was blocked out by a mass of static like you would see on a television. ''

''"Who is this girl?" Akasan thought. ''

''The girl laughed as they bounced up and down joyfully without a care in the world. ''

''A flash of light. ''

''Akasan was sitting on the stairs that went up to the second floor by himself. ''

''A boy kicked him down the stairs. ''

''Akasan knew who he was, but didn't recognize him. His face was also blurred out. ''

''The girl from earlier pushed the mean kid out of the way and rushed down the stairs. ''

''"Are you okay?" she asked him. ''

''Akasan didn't feel anything. In fact, he felt quite pleasant. Relieved, to say the least. ''

''But something bothered him to his core. ''

''This girl. He didn't know who she was. ''

''"Do I... know you?" he asked. ''

''A flash of light. ''

''Akasan was in his room. ''

''There were two beds. ''

''"Who did I share this room with?" ''

''A girl's voice called to him from the window. ''

''Akasan peered out to see the same girl. He still couldn't see her face. ''

''Who is she? ''

''Why is she still here? ''

''Akasan helped her inside. She brought a sack of potatoes with her. ''

''All of a sudden Akasan felt like he'd been starving for weeks. He gladly accepted the food. ''

''He glanced at the girl who sat across from him. ''

''Her face was still a panel of static. ''

''A flash of light. ''

''Akasan woke up on the floor. He looked around. ''

''It was a run-down slum. He knew this place. ''

''This was where he lived after he'd left the orphanage for a few years. ''

''He walked to the front room where a girl was fast asleep on a dirty couch cushion. ''

''Why was she here with him? ''

''Who was she? ''

''Was she someone important? ''

''No. She couldn't be. He would've recognized her if she was right? ''

''A flash of light. ''

''Akasan stood on a tournament stage. He was fighting someone. ''

''Who was that? ''

''His opponent fought with an open-fist style of martial arts. ''

''Akasan remembered. His name was Haru. Akasan's final opponent in the tournament. ''

''He couldn't hear the crowd. ''

''Only the deafening silence. ''

''A girl's voice called his name from the energetic mass of people. ''

''Akasan looked out into the crowd to see the same girl. ''

''He couldn't see her face. She was getting irritating now. ''

''"Who are you?!! Why are you following me?!!!" he yelled. ''

''She didn't seem to hear him. ''

''Haru began beating him up. ''

''But it didn't hurt. ''

''At the same time he felt like he couldn't breathe. ''

''Something was missing. ''

''His lungs were about to burst. ''

''A flash of light. ''

Akasan'' was in a kitchen. ''

''Who's kitchen was it? ''

''He stared at the stove. ''

''Ah. It was Akasan's old house. He'd bought it after he won the tournament. ''

''This was where his life took a turn for the better. ''

''He glanced at the round wooden table behind him. ''

''The static girl was sitting there eating a bowl of rice. ''

''He still didn't know who she was. ''

''"Why are you here?!!! Who are you?!!! Tell me!!!" Akasan screamed. ''

''The girl stopped eating and looked his way. ''

''She tilted her head. ''

''"What are you on about Akasan? What do you mean by that? Surely you know who I am right? You haven't forgotten me already?" ''

''The girl stood up. ''

''Akasan grit his teeth. "I don't know you!! Stop following me!!" ''

''The girl stood up straight as she walked his way. ''

''"I've cared for you all this time, and you don't remember who I am?!! All the years we've spent together?!! I loved you!!!" she screamed at him. ''

''Akasan fell back onto the wall. ''

''Only he never hit it. ''

''He fell into the darkness. ''

''He looked up with a shocked expression at the kitchen getting further and further away from him, like a stage on set for a film. ''

''Akasan felt a wave of sleepiness overcome his body. ''

''He closed his eyes. ''

''A flash of light. ''

''He woke up outside. ''

''He was standing in the middle of what looked like a destroyed section of the city. ''

''He looked at the man in front of him. ''

''Akasan recognized him. ''

''Jack the Ripper. ''

''That was his father. ''

''Akasan felt a wave of strong emotions flow through him. ''

''He hated this man with every fiber of his being. ''

''He started running towards him. ''

''He remembered that he let this man live out of his own weakness. ''

''Now he wanted to kill him with his own two hands. ''

''Slowly, he saw the darkness cover his vision. ''

''He could no longer control his body. ''

''Then he felt the worst pain he'd ever experienced in his life. ''

''All over his body, he felt so many sensations at once. ''

''Burning, freezing, electrocution, stabbing, pricking, pulling, tearing, ripping, drowning. ''

''It was like every nerve, vein, muscle, organ, and bone was being torn apart and slowly pulled out of his skin. ''

''He screamed at the top of his lungs in pain. ''

''This was true hell. Something unfathomably painful. ''

''"Kill me..." he murmured. ''

''On the outside, he was fighting Jack. ''

''But that didn't matter. ''

''He couldn't control himself. ''

''He wanted to die. ''

''Another flash of light. ''

''He was standing in a forest. ''

''One that seemed infinite in all directions. ''

''Someone tapped him on the back and started running ahead of him. ''

"''Who was that?" Akasan asked.''

''"Oh," he thought. "It's Judah, my friend." ''

''He was taking the Magi Trials. ''

''He started running after him. "Hey!! Wait up!!" he called out. ''

''But he was slowing down rather than speeding up. ''

''A flash of light. ''

''Akasan was in the throne room of the Royal Palace in Arbok City. ''

''A bloodied girl was sprawled out on the floor. ''

''"Disturbing." Akasan thought. ''

''The girl's face was blurred out with static. ''

''Who was she? ''

''Was this the same girl from before? ''

''What was her name? ''

''Akasan knelt down to touch the static. ''

''A jolt of pain went through his head. ''

''He quickly moved his hand away. ''

''"Who... are you?" Akasan asked. ''

''Another flash of light. ''

''He found himself in a dark room. ''

''A woman stood in front of him. ''

''She was beautiful. ''

''Akasan recognized her immediately. ''

''Tears fell down his face as he ran after her. ''

''"Mom!!! Mom!! It's me!! Wait!!! Come back!!!" he screamed. ''

''She looked back with a gentle smile on her face. ''

''She had two Eyes of Destruction. ''

''Akasan tripped and fell into the darkness again. ''

''A flash of light. ''

''He stood in one of the infirmary rooms of the Royal Palace. ''

''There was one bed there with the curtain pulled back. ''

''Akasan was watching himself crying at the bedside, gripping the sheets and shaking his head in sorrow. ''

''Akasan frowned. "Why was I so sad?" ''

''He walked up to the bed. ''

''A girl was laying there, still. ''

''A white cloth was over her face. ''

''Akasan touched the cloth and pulled it off. ''

There she was.

''He saw her. ''

He could see it.

''He recognized her face. ''

''He immediately hated himself for not knowing who this was. ''

''Tears once again fell from his face. "Kagami..." ''

''All of the previous memories flooded his head. ''

''He knew who she was. ''

''He remembered her. ''

''She was his only friend for so long, his first friend. ''

''She was always there for him. ''

Always by his side.

She fought for him.

Fed him.

Played with him.

Hummed songs for him until he went to sleep.

Woke him up every morning.

Risked her life for him.

''"Why... why did I lose you... why did you have to be the one to die... you're all I had..." ''

''Akasan finally realized it. ''

''He loved Kagami. ''

''He loved her with every bit of his soul. ''

''"KAGAMI!!!!" Akasan screamed. ''

''His rage had no limit. ''

''It blew away all of the memories he had. ''

''Blood streaked down his face from his eyes. ''

''He screamed as loud as he possibly could. ''

''This was his life. ''

''These were his memories. ''

''They were a part of him. ''

He will never escape them.

Only in death, will they fade.

--

A sizzling sound like water hitting a scorching hot pan woke Akasan up.

Tears were falling from his face into the pit of lava.

Akasan was inches away from it now.

He opened his eyes to reveal their deep violet color. "Kagami. I swear. For the rest of my life, I'll never forget you. Until I achieve my goal, I'll never lose again. Never."

Akasan's body became covered in black-violet energy. He no longer felt the lava's heat. He fell straight in.

His energy turned the magma purple.

A black beam of light shot out of the volcano.

From deep inside, Akasan's emotions bubbled up from the depths of his soul. He yelled out with all of his strength.

The volcano begun to shake violently.

Akasan fell deeper and deeper into the lava until he felt himself fall into thin air.

His entire world flipped upside down. Literally.

He looked down at a lake of lava. He kept going up until he lost his momentum and fell back down.

He landed, standing on top of the lava, which had turned back its original color.

Amun was standing to the side on solid ground. He clapped his hands slowly. "Good job on not dying."

Akasan was out of breath. "What was all that?" he said almost angrily.

Amun smiled. "The magma in this volcano draws out our innermost emotions. A perfect exercise for someone like you who is controlled by his rage."

Akasan looked at his hands. Nil was excreting from his body, yet he was perfectly calm. He felt no anger. But at tbe same time he was livid.

Amun was suddenly pouring himself a glass of liquor. "Every day you will be training here for twelve hours. So be prepared."

Akasan nodded. "Whatever it takes."