The dance started, and the rat started the dance with its dash, and Viga followed its rythm. Viga's feet are positioned shoulder-width apart, with the weight evenly distributed between both feet; his toes are pointed forward; the knees are slightly bent; the hips are square and level; his tailbone is tucked in slightly; and his torso is upright.
Right hand in deep chamber position, high above the shoulder, elbow bent with the stick at the back; left hand in full chamber, across the chest, just above the right hip. His sticks paralleled each other at his back.
This position allows for quick and efficient movement and strikes with the sticks or weapons. The arms are kept loose and relaxed, allowing for fluid motion and the ability to quickly react to any incoming attacks.
Overall, Viga's stance was relaxed and ready for movement in any direction. The placement of his hands and feet was critical for proper mobility and control, which are essential in Arnis techniques and strategies. As the rat lunged at him, Viga deftly stepped to the side and swung his sticks in a double sinawali pattern, creating a wall of criss-crossing strikes that hit the rat solidly at its back.
The rat squeaked loudly as it bounced back on the concrete ground. As it bounced back, Viga continued his fluid movement and executed the upward strike. The rat was propelled back by the hit.
Viga quickly followed where the rat was thrown and quickly gave the rat a forehand strike. The rat quickly stood up after being thrown back and dodged to the left, but Viga was ready with his second strike, a backhand strike, which caught the rat on the side.
The rat, still stunned from the hit, tried to retaliate with a claw swipe, but Viga was too quick, parrying the attack with a downward block. He followed up with a thrust, but the rat was able to dodge to the side and counter with a bite.
Viga jumped back quite surprised since this was the first time he was attacked by a bite, evading the rat's jaws and quickly executing the upward strike, which hit the rat's chin, causing it to stagger. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Viga followed up with a horizontal strike, hitting the rat on the side of its head and knocking it down.
The rat, though dazed, was not giving up yet. It quickly got back on its feet and charged at Viga with renewed energy. But Viga was ready, and with a swift downward strike, he hit the rat's paw, causing it to squeek in pain.
The rat, now cautious, circled Viga, trying to find an opening. Viga noticed that nothing was happening to the rat except to stun it or throw it back. Viga had already thought of this even before he ventured out the second time. Now it confirms it; he remembered the fight that he had with the first rat, and after stabbing the rat so many times, it didn't actually cause any damage to the rat. The same thing was happening now. After all the punishment he gave to this new rat, it didn't cause any damage at all. Viga's brain already found the solution; he needs to recreate what happened in the last stab.
He attempted to replicate it during his training at home, but he failed to achieve the same result. He believed that there was a missing element in his approach, and his analytical mind wasn't working at the moment since he was out of danger and he was not much of a deep thinker to begin with. The only solution he could come up with was to take a chance and attempt it during an actual battle, which he instinctively felt was the right decision. Despite being cautious, some actions require taking risks.
He figured that since he hadn't asked for it the first time, it would undoubtedly appear the next time. And he thought it to be true; his instinct urged him to believe it, so he did. And as he fought this new rat, he continued to believe that the warmth he had felt before would return.
As the battle went on, Viga kept on believing, his fingers tightly gripping the Arnis sticks as the rat scurried closer, its beady eyes fixed on Viga. With a quick step forward, Viga began to move his arms in a swift and deadly double sinawali pattern, the sticks weaving back and forth in a blur of motion. He tossed everything to the back of his mind and only kept on believing. To all those months that he put all his efforts and dedication into his practice of the art of Arnis, and most of all to himself.
As he persisted in believing, something clicked into place: the warmth from the first fight returned. His gut told him to ignore it and just keep on believing. And so he did it, believing, and the warmth, as if it already knew what to do, just spread from his heart all the way to his body and then to his limbs. Then it started to flow on his Arnis sticks, as if to coat them with something. Viga ignored it and just fought head-on with his beliefs.
Then there was the answer; he didn't need to force anything, and he didn't need to learn any additional things; it was there all along. Viga kept on moving; with this newfound power that was surging inside of him, he was truly dancing with the rat, with each movement flowing effortlessly into the next.
The rat hesitated, it became wary as it noticed that some sort of change was happening to its prey, but then it disregards it and lunged forward with a sharp swipe of its claws. As the rat lunged forward, Viga gracefully sidestepped and delivered a swift strike to its side. Now that his stick was coated with his belief—that's what he decided to call it—it didn't just stun or fling the rat; this time, the strike to its side actually caused damage, making the rat squeak louder than ever, and the side that received the hit started turning opaque.
Viga was already moving, his sticks creating a blur of motion as he executed a rapid double sinawali. The rat tried to counter with a swipe of its claws, but Viga's movements were too fast and too precise. His sticks hit the rat's claws with a resounding clap, disarming it and leaving it defenseless.
Viga could see the fear in the rat's eyes, but he knew he couldn't let his guard down. He continued to move, his sticks weaving intricate patterns in the air. The rat tried to make a run for it, but Viga was too quick. He closed the distance between them in a flash and delivered an endless series of strikes until the rat gave its final squeak.
The dead rat began to transform into a fog-like substance that floated away before disappearing as it lay on the concrete ground. It left behind yet another fairy dust, which Viga absorbed. When Viga experienced the unexplainable sensation again, he was certain that the white fog or fairy dust was making him stronger. Once more, he enjoys every moment of it, and now that he is certain of it, he wants more of it. Viga was unaware that the partial circle had briefly appeared again and that it was now beginning on its way to becoming a complete circle.
He then analyzed the fight and came to the conclusion that the fight was much easier this time; he didn't even get injured. With newfound confidence, he started his search for another rat.
From that day on, Viga started his purge of the rats in the dilapidated house whenever he was in the bizarre world. Every fight turned easier and easier, and every time he defeated a rat, he felt much stronger than before.
Viga had encountered some close battles in the past, such as when another rat appeared while he was fighting one. Fortunately, he had become stronger since then, but he still got hit by a rat near his chest, tearing his clothes. Later, he noticed a faint glow emanating from his torn clothes, and upon closer inspection, he saw a nearly complete circle just below his collarbone. It was difficult to see the circle clearly without a mirror, and the dim glow was only visible for a brief moment.
In the following battle, Viga came prepared with a mirror to confirm the existence of the circle he saw on his chest during the previous fight. After the encounter, he checked and verified the circle's presence just below his collarbone, and it seemed to be getting more complete with each rat he defeated. He estimated that it would take a dozen or more rats for it to be fully formed.
He had also developed a theory that the rats were somehow connected to his friends' parents' constant arguing, or that the rats were a manifestation of their fighting. During the months he spent clearing the house of its rat infestation, he noticed that there were weeks when his friends' parents argued much less or even took a break from their constant arguing. These were the times when he managed to reduce the rat population, and whenever he returned to the bizarre world, the rats did not seem to multiply. However, there was a period of two months when he was not summoned to the bizarre world, and he feared that he had lost his ability to travel there.
At that time, his friends' parents resumed their fighting, and when he was summoned back again, he noticed an increase in rats in the dilapidated house. Eventually, his friends' parents decided to separate, leaving one of them behind in the house, who became much more depressed.
The rat problem in the dilapidated house worsened due to the situation of the people residing in it in the real world. However, as their situation improved, the infestation lessened. It's possible that his involvement in the bizarre world also helped stabilize their situation, to the point where they eventually decided to leave the house. Once the people left, the rats left behind did not multiply anymore, and he was able to clean up the house of the remaining rats. It took him more than a year to complete the task, and he regrets not having done it sooner. Perhaps if he had cleaned the house earlier, it could have prevented his friend's family from separating.
And on one occasion, Viga observed a rat attempting to scratch or eat something in the neighbor's property adjacent to the dilapidated house. He noticed that there was some kind of barrier hindering the rat from reaching the neighbor's fence. It appeared as though there was an invisible wall obstructing the rat's path, and the rat was eagerly trying to pass through it, probably enticed by something tasty on the other side. The neighbors living there had a typical living situation, similar to Viga's own family.
Based on what Viga observed, he thought that if the rat could find a way to bypass the obstacle and access the neighboring property, it might infect something to the people living there. Like the neighbor became involved in the argument of its neighbor. This type of situation is common in the real world, where conflicts between neighbors can escalate and cause harm. Viga believed that it was fortunate that he was able to eliminate the rat before it caused any more harm.
After successfully cleaning the dilapidated house of its rat infestation, Viga observed that the place began to look more and more like a regular home, which gave him a sense of relief. He wishes that whoever moves in next would have a much better situation than the previous residents. Viga was apprehensive about the possibility of the house becoming dilapidated again, particularly since he lives nearby and does not want anything to infect his own home.
Viga can now resume his exploration of the mysterious world, now that the issue with the dilapidated house has been resolved. He is eager to discover what else this world has in store for him, including the mysterious circle on his collarbone.
But first, Viga practiced controlling the warmth inside his body until he could barely say he could control it whenever he wanted. He began by spreading the warmth in his chest, gradually extending it to encompass his entire body, and finally covering his sticks. Although it took considerable time and practice, he eventually succeeded in gaining this control outside of battle.
After becoming skilled at spreading the warmth throughout his body, Viga began to focus the warmth on specific parts of his body. He discovered that when he concentrated the warmth on his eyes, his vision improved, allowing him to see farther and perceive things more slowly. Similarly, when he focused the warmth on his hand, the power in his hand became stronger.
At 16 years old, Viga can finally say that he has some mastery of controlling the warmth inside his body and focus it on different parts of his body. This was also the time when he started to concentrate the warmth in the area beneath his collarbone. When he focused the warmth there, a complete circle would appear, with an additional faint dot at the center. As long as he focused on that area, the circle would remain visible.
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