Chapter 151 - Training

Age 1991

Max jumped back just in time as Hero crashed into the ground in front of him.

The teens foot stabbed into the ground cracking it around them sending up several jagged rocks that he smacked towards Max. The boy ducked down avoiding the rocky spikes.

Hero's body was tense and he had some more muscles on him. This was because he was using his compression ability on his entire body allowing him to increase his strength and defense but making it hard to move. 

Max let out a loud yell as he punched forward slamming his fist into Hero's chest. He let out a yell of pain though as it felt like punching a rock.

'I forgot how hard he is, in that mode.' Max thought jumping back and clutching his hand. 'Thankfully he can't hold it for long.'

As if on cue Hero breathed out as his muscles stopped being compressed and he uncompressed getting less fit and slightly less muscular but being able to move normally again.

Max struck kicking his leg up and cracking it into the head of Hero causing the boy to fall back. 

Hero punched out with his arm sending out a long and thin bone blade.

'Whoa!' Max thought ducking down just in time as the blade sliced over his head. 'That's new! He's using his ability in another way now?' The teen thought with some amus.e.m.e.nt. 'I knew he would be able to power up quickly.'

"Surprised?" Hero asked giving a large smirk. "Yeah, I've been improving. I can compress my body boosting up my attack power and defense power, for nearly three minutes now. I can use a Big-Arm-Strike once without my arm breaking, and I can use my bones faster, and sharper. I've trained to use them as sharp blades now!" He announced. 

"Good defense, strong punches, self-creating blades, and a powerful regeneration. Compared to most of the people I fight you really are a cut above the rest." Max admitted. 

"Thanks!" Hero announced. He raised his right arm up using his compression to strengthen it. "Yeah before I used my stretching and inflation mainly to try and attack. But every time I stretched, that always ended badly, and my balloon arm doesn't do a lot of damage mostly bouncing the opponent away. Incan compresses a single limb powering it up greatly by forcing my flesh and muscles to get harder and layer over each other. Or I can use it on my whole body but when I do that it becomes kind of hard to move. I also can't stretch, or inflate, or do a lot of anything, when I am like that, since my body is so hard."

"You improve fast," Max admitted. "But it won't be enough." He announced rushing forward.

The two began to clash punching at each other with rapid strikes. They slammed their fists into one another. Several bone pipes stabbed out of Hero's arms sending out a rush of air allowing him to punch faster and faster.

Hero sliced his leg up as a bone blade stabbed out and nearly cutting into Max. Hero spun around kicking out with the bone blade on his leg, again and again, all the while throwing out several fast punches compressing his arms causing them to be harder than rock, and punch with a great force as he balanced on is one normal leg.

Max flipped over the blade landing behind Hero and smashing his elbow into the boy's neck causing him to fall forward.

He wrapped his hand around the boy's face and smashed his head into the ground. He grabbed onto his hair and smashed him down, again and again, bashing the boy into the ground. 

Hero punched up throwing the boy off of him as he jumped back to his feet. He shook his head slightly as steamrolled off of his body, his wounds already putting themselves back together.

He rushed forward as he began to throw out rapid high speed punches. He dropped the Compression ability and instead started stretching causing his arms to fire out and stretch forward at a high speed. Small bone like blades stabbed out of his hands piercing through the air in rapid stabs.

"Rapid Gungnir!"

Max raised his arms up and jumped away in an attempt to block the strikes. "So fast..." He hissed out. "But. It doesn't matter if you don't have enough power to get through my defense!" He yelled slamming a fist forward and senidng Hero back.

"Yeah. You're right. I should go for some more compressed power!" Hero raised his foot up as it streatched all the way up to the rough. Suddenly it inflated and then compressed as bone pipes stabbed out of it, and began to force it down. "Big-Leg-Strike!" He announced kicking down with the massive limb.

Max raised his arms up just in time as the massive limb slammed into him and forced him down into the ground with a mighty boom.

"Ha!" Hero announced loudly pointing into the smoke cloud where Max had crashed. "Take that!"

"So," Max asked. "I have to ask. Have you noticed?"

"Noticed what?" Hero asked curiously snapping his nose back into place. His silver eyes peered over to Max who was smirking.

Max gave a small shrug. "I haven't used my Attribute yet." The boy said simply. "I've been keeping up with you, all the while not even using my powers."

"I call hacks-"

Max rushed forward jumping into the air and smashing his fist into Hero's head knocking the boy into the ground. He appeared behind him kicking out with his foot and sending Hero back.

Hero hit the ground rolling across it as he raised his hand up and a twenty-foot bone spear fired out stabbing towards the boy. 

The spear pierced the roof above them as Max dodged it. Seconds later the bone spear ripped through the roof launching a wave of dirt down to them.

Max flipped through the air smashing his foot into Hero's face and slamming the boy down. He raised his hand up as it glowed a bright orange and lava began to drip down it. 

"You're finished," Max said casually. He punched out slamming the lava hand down into the ground right next to Hero's head.

"Whoa!" Hero said with wide eyes. Max jumped off of him and helped him back up to his feet. "How though? My body is so strong and you kept up with it without an Attribute? How?"

"Equation Of Life."

"Of course it's that white aura stuff..." Hero said letting out a sigh as he rolled his eyes. 

"Mantra," Max said staring down at his hands. "The Equation Of Life. It is our life force. By unlocking it you gain a spiritual power. Even without having your Mantra on, this Spiritual Power, is still enough to power you up greatly." He said casually. "And then I can activate it for an even greater boost. This power it gives is insane. I'm so strong. Being put on Squad One was the best thing for me."

Hero gave a small eye-roll. "Yeah yeah." He said. "Hey. Actually. Can you tell me more about this Mantra? Or Equation of Life or whatever the hell it is called?"

"Oh? Sure?"