September 03, 4021 08:00 [Matriarch 04- Outskirts]

They stood in a clearing, far away from the pallid hues of the Matriarch’s architecture. Jin had taken Indra past the outer gates, into an open field. The grassland was covered in greenery as far as the eye could see—not a tree in sight. There was no security or surveillance out here. If Indra dared to make a break for it, now would be the moment to do so. Yet, when he stared into Jin’s cold eyes as they analyzed his every movement, he knew it was a trap. Every involuntary twitch of his muscles felt like a transgression on his part. The Hyena brought him here on purpose, far away from any secondary parties. It was as if he were silently egging him on, goading him to turn tail and run. Indra was aware that it was a one-way ticket to death. He stood his ground. There was no point in fighting a losing battle. Maybe he would learn something from his senior.

Jin looked disappointed at Indra’s reluctance to defy him, expecting a degree of resistance. He had shed his DIVE Suit, leaving it at the outer gate with security. He told them that he wouldn’t be needing the suit when questioned about it, a smirk directed at Indra. “It wouldn’t be a fair fight. Besides, it’s not like he can touch me anyways.”

The Hyena wore a dark compression shirt that fit snugly around his musculature and a pair of running shorts. He looked relaxed, the wind gently ruffling his hair.

“How’s your Shakti regulation coming along? I heard your team in particular made some significant progress. Bravo,” he clapped, slowly.

Indra grimaced thinking back to the grueling hours he spent in classroom 23D with Kuvira and Garou every day after weapons training.

“We’re only making progress faster because that bastard doesn’t let us leave until we increase our percentage by ten.”

“But now you’ve hit a wall, or at least those two have, right?”

Indra nodded, trying to gauge what Jin was getting at.

“I thought so. The maximum percentage that most Homunculi reach on these is about eighty percent. You’ve experienced first-hand how each increment of ten gets exponentially more difficult to maintain. Well, the only individuals who can get past this threshold are those that have an affinity for a certain type of Shakti regulation called Ascendant Regulation. Look at this,” he said, fishing through his pocket.

Jin procured a disc: two marbles continued to spin steadily while the bubble remained intact.

“A Shakti meter? So what? You’re just doing the same thing we’ve been doing these past few weeks,” Indra stated, unimpressed.

Jin shook his head, chuckling to himself. He lifted the Shakti meter to show Indra the numerical value on the display. His indifference turned to surprise.

“Eighty-two? So then you—”

“This isn’t mine. It’s yours. And it’s still spinning.”

Indra watched the marbles spin continuously, mouth slightly ajar. “How?” he finally mustered.

“Tengri never told you? You’ve been passively regulating your Shakti output. Something must have clicked for you to exhibit this ability.”

“That’s—I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with this information.”

“That’s why we’re here. You’re going to reach one-hundred percent in Shakti regulation, and I’ll help you get there. From here on out the method is going to be different,” the Hyena explained. “You’ll need to take your surroundings into account while you’re also focusing on maintaining a level of balance with how much Shakti you store and release.”

Easier said than done. But the fact remained, he was able to unconsciously perform this function already. Supposedly, it was second nature to him, like breathing. So then why did he have to train for this? Jin tilted his head, trying to discern what Indra was ruminating over. He strolled over to him at a leisurely pace, the Shakti meter in one hand. Placing a finger on Indra’s cheek, Jin watched as he crumpled to the floor, hunched over in pain as his skin burned. The acrid smell of singed flesh lingered in the air. The Hyena bent low, presenting the Shakti meter’s display to Indra. He blinked through bleary eyes, focusing on the number shown: [46].

“You might be wondering why I’m training you, especially regarding Shakti. It’s pretty simple. We’re opposites; in strength, the properties of our Traits, and our respective affiliations—light and dark. The others may tolerate your presence, but I can’t stand the sight of you. Your malignant energy corrupts the very air around you. I’m surprised you have such a faint odor. It seems the details of the contract between you and your Siren are different from his—” he caught himself before he could finish, but it was enough for Indra to come to a sickening conclusion. So there are more hosts. They’re bound to be Hyenas, too. Could it be? Prasanna mentioned something about a dark energy around her brother.

His thoughts were cut short by a swift kick to his ribs. Indra yelped, clutching his side tightly, gasping for air.

“Get up. Don’t think too hard about what I said. I need to see if you can handle yourself against me.”

Indra picked himself up off the ground, sucking in shaky breaths. He glared at Jin, reciprocating his cold stare.

“You have the aid of a Siren, a God Slayer. Show me what you’re capable of with an immortal by your side,” Jin said coolly.

Indra’s right arm became engulfed in black flames, darkness shrouding half his visage. He had a murderous look in his eyes, his irises flashing hazel and his Conduits burning gold.

Jin jumped back to give himself some breathing room, whistling. “Pretty neat parlor trick, but you’re going to need a lot more than some rotten flames to harm me.”

A guttural roar escaped Indra’s mouth as he rushed the Hyena. Smoke billowed around him as an igneous fist emerged from the darkness. Jin blocked it with an open palm, causing Indra to jump back screaming in agony as he clutched his hand.

Indra grit his teeth, frustration mounting as Jin smirked at him again. There must be some trick to his Trait.

Usha, you there? He called out.

“Yes, I am here.”

Good, you said you sensed Amrita when he made contact with my skin, right?

“Correct. The pure energy coating his skin is fatal to me, and transitively to you as well.”

If it’s Amrita that’s burning me, then doesn’t that mean he’s producing it? Like some sort of natural oil secreting from his pores?

“That liquid is holy. I cannot fathom that he is producing it naturally.”

It must be a contract then. But with who?

“The Devas waged war against the Asuras over the right to claim Amrita and attain immortality. Any one of them could have provided him with a contract, though how he was able to find a living god to agree to one, is beyond my understanding.”

Indra paused. The Asuras? What do you mean by that? I thought there was only one Asura. Wasn’t he your leader?

“What lies have they been filling your head with, insect? We—focus!”

Indra snapped out of thought moments before Jin’s outstretched hand swiped at his throat. He rolled backward, narrowly avoiding being gouged to death as the Hyena cleaved the earth with his bare hands.

“Where is your mind when you’re in the middle of a fight?” Jin chastised him, cracking his knuckles.

He’s not even using his Trait! That’s just his normal strength!

“We must find a way to counteract the effects of his Amrita. It has proven difficult to bypass. I fear it will be near impossible for you to land an attack without negating the purity that surrounds him.”

Wait a minute! That’s it! If Amrita is liquid purity, then couldn’t we dry it out with corrupted flames?

Usha was silent for a moment. “It is worth a try.”

Indra’s arm flared up as he swiped it broadly in Jin’s direction. A wave of dark flames enveloped the field, turning the lush grass to ash. Indra’s joy was fleeting, for the sea of black fire was readily dispersed with a simple wave of the hand.

Jin’s eyes flashed, his opal Conduits glowing ghostly white. “Maybe I was wrong. It’s not your contract that makes your situation different. Your souls are melded together. You’re not fighting for control over the vessel because you're already in control. Your humanity dampens the beast’s sinful nature. How fascinating.” He closed the distance between them in an instant, bathed in an ethereal light. “I am pure. Your filth will not touch me,” he stated, unleashing a flash of palms. “Angel’s Divergence,” Jin spoke calmly.

Indra’s body was enveloped in a burning light, a blood-curdling scream escaping his lips, evaporating into panicked silence as he was struck by a series of white hands, branding him from head to toe. His vision was the first to disappear as the intense heat boiled his eyes within his skull. The gelatinous organs bubbled and liquefied, running down his cheeks as his ocular tissue melted. The intensity of the pain he felt was unfathomable, spreading across his face while he suffocated from a lack of oxygen.

He lay unmoving in a crater kilometers wide, the air on his skin like millions of knives stabbing him to death. Then…nothing. There was no more pain. It was over in an instant, though it felt like an eternity of anguish. Indra’s DIVE Suit was intact, yet the entirety of his body was covered in full-thickness burns, the damage reaching down to his nerve endings.

“I may have overdone it,” Jin clicked his tongue, crouching low to inspect the charred corpse. He blinked at the sight of a slight rise and fall of the Homunculus’ chest. “Your resilience is unmatched!” he laughed. The Hyena crossed his legs, watching mirthfully as Indra struggled with each raspy breath. “You don’t seem to understand, but when you fight, you fight to win because losing out there means death. You’re a smart guy, intuitive to some degree, yet you insist on outgunning your opponents in every fight and end up nearly beaten to death every time. I have half a mind to let you die here and call it an accident. Aren’t you ashamed? Angry? You’re pathetic,” he spat in disgust.

He scowled at the husk, holding on to life by a fraying thread. Sighing, he pulled a box of pills from his pocket, shaking it until a few fell into Indra’s throat. He forced the Homunculus to swallow, lifting the back of his head with one foot. Immediately, Indra started to heal. His skin grew back, each dermal layer repairing itself in an orderly fashion. The last organ to heal was the first to go; his eyes grew back into their sockets starting from the optic nerves.

Indra turned over, retching, emptying the contents of his stomach. He wiped his mouth with a shaky hand and then clutched his head tightly, shivering as he rocked back and forth. He frantically checked his eyes, running his fingertips over the sclera. Indra flinched, tripping over himself to get away from Jin as he moved closer. He scrambled to his feet, hastily clawing his way out of the crater, glancing back at the man ambling towards him with a carefree attitude.

“You need to control yourself. Think strategically, not emotionally. The way you control Shakti in battle is problematic. Whenever you get hit, you switch from passive control to manual control, which greatly cripples your ability to manage your energy. The way you release that energy is also a problem. You tend to let energy leak, constantly releasing it rather than keeping a tight lid on your Shakti,” he explained, ignoring Indra’s attempt to escape.

“Don’t get near me! You—you burned me alive! The suit—”

“Was intact. That wasn’t Chait’s fault. It can protect you from external damage but if I touch your skin, the essence of purity I exude will burn away any and all corruption, meaning you as well. Besides, these pills that Chait’s made saved your life, didn’t they? They'll come in handy. Tengri mentioned your restriction. Inconvenient, isn’t it, giving up healing for more power? Couldn’t you have given up something easier, like alcohol? Our records show you have a history of substance abuse. It would have been a good way to develop some healthy habits for once.”

The Hyena grabbed Indra by the collar, throwing him back into the center of the crater. “Look, take a breather—” He paused when Indra curled into a ball shaking uncontrollably. Jin sighed, irritated. He sat at the edge of the crater, waiting for him to recover. Minutes passed, but the Hyena was patient, watching closely as Indra calmed down.

“The powers I gained wouldn’t have been as strong,” he finally answered.

Jin shrugged, twirling the pill box between his fingers. “You’d be surprised at how many vices you can forgo to reach the same effect.”

Indra stared at the box suspiciously. If those pills are supposed to expel Amrita from my body, then how do I still manage to heal?

“Hey, can you toss me another pill?”

“What for?” Jin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I need to test a theory.”

Jin looked intrigued, humoring his request. The Hyena removed the lid, reaching into the pill box. He recoiled suddenly, dropping the box while shaking his hand. Bingo.

“What—” Jin stared at his fingertips, a look of shock on his face as smoke rose from them.

“Those pills…”

They’re made of absolute corruption. Indra answered.

“Even the most pure can succumb to overwhelming corruption,” Usha cackled.

This is the chance we’ve been looking for.

“Indeed. He is right about your Shakti, however. You need to refine your technique. Collect and store as much energy as you can by compressing it to its limit. Keep your Shakti contained up until the instant you make contact with your target. Focus on a single point in space and release.”

Indra followed Usha’s guidance. He procured a pill from the box in his DIVE Suit, impressed that the suit hadn’t been fried. He swallowed the pill, gritting his teeth. Jin furrowed his brow, watching as Indra gathered Shakti into his core, brimming with vitality. He tensed his muscles as he compressed the malleable energy into a dense ball of power. Jin’s eyes lit up once more as he coated himself in Amrita. A coat of black covered Indra’s arm, in place of the raging flames from before.

Jin let loose a volley of arrows, brimming with light. Indra feinted to one side, avoiding the storm entirely.

He charged forward unfazed, entering within range of Jin. Spikes of light emerged from the floor, shooting up towards Indra. He leapt high to avoid them, keeping his eyes focused on his target.

Jin took the opportunity to shoot him down while he was in midair, vulnerable without recourse. He loosed another volley of light arrows, sailing towards Indra at incalculable speeds. Indra’s eyes flashed in surprise. He crossed his arms reflexively, manifesting a guard of shadow to protect him from harm.

The pressure was immense; the volley of arrows ripped into his guard, fully disintegrating it by the time the barrage had ended. What was left, however, was a grinning Indra. The light could wipe away his very existence, but the Vessel was no longer defenseless: he could now extinguish the light.

Indra landed heavily in front of Jin, moving in close. Their height difference made in-fighting optimal, giving him access to all of Jin’s vital organs. He bent low, slipping under jabs and punches, ducking under high kicks, and flipping agilely over low kicks.

Indra threw a flurry of punches back, all of which were either blocked or dodged without a single wasted movement by Jin. They continued this rhythmic dance at inhuman speeds, the clash of their attacks echoing throughout the scorched field like claps of thunder.

“Your efforts aren’t enough, it seems. For you, a vessel of corruption to touch a being like me—one who signals the coming of salvation—it’s futile to think you would ever be able to do so. I admit, I thought you would put up more of a fight, but I think we should end it here.”

Indra could sense his impending doom, bringing his fist back close to his ribs. It was now or never. Jin brought down his right hand in a chopping motion, aiming for Indra’s neck.

Time slowed down; everything moved at a snail’s pace. Darkness spiraled within Indra’s enclosed fist, a single line of power extending from his core. He extended his arm forward aiming straight for Jin’s heart. He could feel the heat of the Hyena’s hand as it inched closer to his neck. The instant before Indra made contact with Jin’s chest, the heat dissipated, however, returning in front of his extended fist. No matter what obstacle or barrier Jin put in his path, he would push through all of them without hesitation. With an iron resolution, Indra focused all his Shakti on the point of contact: the furthest protruding knuckle.

“You?” —he growled— “A beacon of hope? A paragon of justice? Don’t make me laugh! If you’re the harbinger of light, then I’ll be the antithesis of everything you stand for!” A flash of black emerged at the instance of impact.

Indra yelled at the top of his lungs. “Devil’s Convergence!”

The area was engulfed in black hellfire. A lone figure was launched from the flames, his clothing burnt to ashes. He reoriented himself midair before digging his heels into the ground, ripping a trail of dirt before stopping in his tracks. His arm was still bent, steam rising from his hand. He watched as Indra soared through the air, landing forcefully in front of him, panting heavily.

Jin stared at his hand, or what was left of it. The flesh had been melted away, leaving only bone. His attention turned to Indra. His arm was coated in darkness; a floating black ring surrounded his wrist, refraining from making contact with his suit, yet it seemed tethered to his arm. The Hyena grinned, eyeing the massive raven’s wing protruding from Indra’s right shoulder.

“Maybe you’re not a lost cause after all. A creature of sin you may be, but I have a feeling you’ll become an unstoppable force in due time.” He flexed his wrist back, a white light enveloping his skeletonized hand, giving it a translucent physical form. He stepped back into a fighting stance, folding one arm behind his back and extending the other, beckoning him. “Come, let’s continue.”