Emotions carry a unique power within themselves. They somehow are linked between the body and the mind, drawing power from two basic foundation pillars.
While a single pillar has earth-shattering might, one can imagine what a perfect balance of two pillars can do. With the added essence of every object strengthening itself to a ridiculous level, now emotions had control over three basic powers.
From envy that separates two souls, to empathy that brings two races together, to anger that divided nations, or love that drove humanity to near extinction.
Emotions under control or set free have always created miracles that shook the world to its very core. Like that brilliant psychologist who once said, ‘Emotions kept hidden create a calm that kills and emotions let loose create a vacuum that can consume hate.’
The dude was an idiot, according to both Kiel and Tetsu.
Sure, he meant it in a way saying one shouldn’t bottle up their emotions and dialogue will force people to talk and sort the misunderstanding out, but since when did humans talk and sort anything?
We manipulate the facts so much that we ourselves believe those made-up facts to be real. When was the last time you saw someone agree to the mistake they made?
Never!
To protect the phycologist's reputation and solve his delusion, one letter from Tetsu who was concerned, and the second letter from Kile who considered him to be an utter moron, was sent, containing nothing but a modified dialogue.
"Emotion is a weapon."
Simple and straight to the point.
Use the weapon as a blade to cut or faint, forcing your enemies to give an opening, or as any shield, to defend and manipulate your enemy to show mercy. Like when Tetsu wailed and scared his pursuers or when Kile fainted and forced a billionaire to fund his pet project.
A master manipulator has mastered every emotion. They can skillfully weave a complex web to exploit emotions and achieve their goals. Turning anger into power, fear into control, and joy into deception.
Kile took this step and upgraded the skill to its next level within an hour. He used sadness to manipulate sympathy, surprise to catch others off guard, disgust to create distance, and love to foster dependence.
Thank god he sucked at acting and lacked any sense of facial cues.
Tetsu stuck to his morals until he witnessed how dumb and easily manipulated others were. Kile also assured these experiments were for their own good and a form of tough love, and this sucker bit into it like a dog pouncing on a freshly seasoned steak.
Research says there are different emotions, from seven to around forty thousand, and even without dwelling on all of them, one can evaluate the power of a single emotion.
Anger contains power, as it can fuel a surge of adrenaline, sharpen focus, and provide a burst of energy that enables individuals to confront challenges or injustices head-on.
Fear serves as a primal instinct designed to protect and ensure survival. It can trigger heightened senses, quicken reactions, and promote caution, allowing individuals to navigate potentially dangerous situations with increased vigilance.
Joy radiates positivity and can uplift not only the individual experiencing it but also those around them. It can enhance overall well-being, boost resilience, and foster a sense of contentment, contributing to a more optimistic and harmonious environment.
Love possesses the ability to inspire profound connections, foster empathy, and cultivate a sense of belonging. It can motivate selfless acts, create enduring bonds, and serve as a driving force for personal growth and fulfillment.
Amongst the forty thousand, or one brand new emotion surfaced for a brief moment.
Tetsu remembered it as a distant memory, a vague image that made little sense. He was certain it wasn’t anger or grief, but a slew of darker, destructive forces, fighting to devour and reign supreme over every other being in its path.
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A sense of pride that never wavered, the twisted satisfaction in witnessing the unfolding chaos, and the hidden balance it drove him through, navigating the intricate balance of power and emotion; being Kile’s subject had its benefits.
A perfect set of balanced emotions drawn from the body. The cognitive mind reads and predicts every move. Precise mana control, consumed, exploded and outlasted a level seven opponent.
Step, twist, pave, pivot, and shoot.
The stag beetle raised the larva sword to strike. The blade swings down, connects with a charcoal shard, misses the human, and severed toes.
A shrill screech overlaps the wails of the larva beetle.
From the moment the stag beetle first laid eyes on the human, till its next step. A simple moment of pride, stupidity, and overconfidence claimed its foot.
Tetsu smiled alongside the devils possessing him.
Turns out toes help maintain a body’s balance and with uneven legs, the beetle regretted its decision to stand taller than Tetsu.
“Inferior beings are supposed to stay below my feet.” His smile grew larger, overlapping with his eyes.
Tetsu feared that state of mind, yet he wished to find the hidden darkness.
To master it.
Fear isn’t new to him—Tetsu feared everything. That is why he built an armory filled with the skill to flee, but this new emotion had the key to fight, and when in doubt, Tetsu always questioned and did what Kile would do.
"When in doubt, do Kile."
This meant assaulting Kile until you felt good or following in his footsteps.
Do what Kiles does until pieces of the puzzle fall into place and you question what the actual fuck happened.
Tetsu probed around his conscious, trying to replicate or reignite the flame of said emotion.
Unable to name the emotion, Tetsu settled on calling it ‘unbridled pride’ and ‘overwhelming force.’ The foremost carried the backlash, and the latter carried dominance.
With overwhelming force, Tetsu can slip into a state where he channels all three basic powers to their utmost capacity. Only limited by his current stats.
Tetsu drooled over the possibilities and absolute dominance this state held while fearing slipping into the backlash state. His arms still ached from the senseless pounding he dishes out over a harmless trunk. He didn’t even understand the pride or reasoning behind that vicious attack. Not to mention the superiority that consumed his true self.
If it wasn’t for RJ, the pride would have driven him mad.
Like Ying and Yang, one had a little influence on the other, but Tetsu only wanted the latter.
Kile and Tetsu played many emotional games; Games that involve emotional manipulation; Kile never made or played normal kid games. While girls made up houses, and tea parties, and boys played with weapons and violence, Kile played with people. Anything and everything was his plaything, and Tetsu happened to be his first choice of fun. Any theory first gets tested on Tetsu and later on his original target.
Tetsu always wondered if Kile showed that hard love on him or just fattening him up to test harder experiments.
A fist faced the sky and Tetsu pledged to conquer the state of absolute dominance. If not for his vengeance, then to at least break a few toes.
On second thought, Kile might use this opportunity to learn better ways to balance. He might need a new torture program for his best bud.
Felling a bit like his old self, Tetsu shifts the lower half of his pants beside the cave entrance and waves it goodbye.
“Time to hunt.”
Tetsu shifts his gaze toward the horizon, paving a fresh path in his head, the next goal set in stone; Locate and kill the Dandralith.
Training for said outlandish task will have to take place during his journey. Beasts grow much faster than humans and facing a level seven Dandralith is much more difficult than facing other creatures at the same level—Even if he mastered or by chance activated the state of absolute dominance during the fight.
Tetsu at level four would require tremendous luck to survive, as this is simply the difference between an intellectual fight.
Three power training; Body, mind, and spirit.
“Crap!” Tetsu realizes. “This is similar to every fucking martial arts training.”
If he only paid more attention in gym class. “Fucker’s should have told one can pull out miracle with the basics.”
Kile told Tetsu such was the case, but Tetsu was seven at said time. There wasn’t any real magic to consider, and the dude was lecturing him from the toilet seat next door—and both of them were constipated.
“If you mastered the three basics, poop fast and get out. I need a bit of quiet to do my business.” Little Tetsu yelled at Kile, prompting chuckles from a not-too-private public space.
‘Ha-ha!’ Tetsu chuckles.
He found it funny now. Back then, the embracement stuck with him for weeks, building a phobia of entering no public washroom.
As he relived the memories and laughed after a long time, he felt a bit of the weight on his shoulders disappear. Finishing his stretches, Tetsu heads out deeper into the forest. It was finally time to keep moving forward and stop when you find a suspicious Dandralith, of course.
By using higher intellect to hide, sneak around, and gather more information—Oh, how he wished to have had such skill while exiting the public restroom—Tetsu makes it out of the forest and witnesses how truly of a massive shit he was in.
A skyline that never seemed to end, with ethereal colors painting a picture that can never be described.
Tetsu felt small, like an insignificant speck staring at wonders beyond any mortal’s comprehension, an explorer who stumbled into a space of gems, where every gem stores a secret, a hidden message for him to unravel and know its deepest brightest secret.
He reaches out, trying to grab the setting sun. A silly yet satisfying feeling. “Let’s do this.” A smile grew, accompanying the bright stars of a brand-new world.
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