Chapter 57: Chapter 057 – Last Spar

[2009 – July]

The Phoenix was happy, as strange as this sounded. And the reason for its excellent mood was the Mortal God currently embracing and being embraced by her host.

The young being had truly and utterly surpassed all of the Phoenix's expectations. Not only had he managed to free Jean from the bald telepath's control, but he had also given Jean the confidence and opportunity to strive towards her own goals while reigniting her passion for something else than playing hero.

He had even arranged for Jean to finally receive the guidance she needed to gain full control over her power.

The Phoenix felt the great progress her host made daily and knew that it wouldn't be long before even the last mental barriers that blocked Jean's connection with it, would be torn down.

Still, the Phoenix was a patient being if nothing else and knew that it shouldn't rush or push forward at this moment, not when Jean was gradually gaining more access and control over her true power.

Jean's mastery when it came to the manipulation of the Pheonix's flame was already beyond anything the omnipotent being could hope for, considering the short amount of time she had spent on getting familiar with it.

The Phoenix was equally pleased with the Mortal God's progress, seeing him advance his own powers step by step, as only a being with such potential and drive could be a worthy companion for her host and successor.

Soon, very soon, Jean would finally be ready to start inheriting her power and the Phoenix couldn't wait to meet the Mortal God in person when that time came.

…

[2009 – July]

It took less than an hour to learn every move there was in Muay Thai. Every kind of strike or stance was simply ingrained in my body by watching Araya perform them while I activated my Adaptive Muscle Memory.

I could feel my body changing minutely every second that I watched her demonstrate a kick, punch, or strike.

I didn't just learn to perform these moves in a static way though. No, I learned them as if I had spent months or years repeatedly performing them as if I had tempered my body with endless training of them.

This however didn't make me a master of that Martial Art or even a qualified fighter, even though my physique suggested otherwise. I knew I could probably take down even the best-trained soldiers in an unarmed fight, but that wouldn't be a testament to my skill.

Martial Arts weren't just about learning how to efficiently use one's force, they were about timing, judgement, and experience. These weren't things that could be learned in a day.

Thanks to my Peak Human Condition, my reflexes, memory, and talent in this aspect were phenomenal but it still took time to learn these things.

Adaptive Muscle Memory had been necessary to eliminate drawn-out sessions where I did nothing but learn the correct stances and applications of physical force, which meant that I could now wholly focus on honing my skills when it came to timing and judgement.

It was my perfect memory and incredible mental capabilities that would aid in becoming proficient with those two aspects of combat and I estimated that it wouldn't take me more than a few days.

Also noteworthy was that I couldn't endlessly use Adaptive Muscle Memory, as it was mentally taxing to absorb such comprehensive knowledge. Though with a bit of rest I could still use it for roughly an hour every day.

I knew that if I enhanced my mental capabilities, which mainly pertained to enhancements to my brain, I could extend this duration, though that wasn't necessary for now.

…

[2009 – July]

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Receiving the force of the incoming knee strike with my palm, I diverted and absorbed the power behind that strike to shift my body sideways.

Exerting great force through my legs while borrowing the strength of my upper body through the tensing of my waist and abdominal muscles, I drove my elbow forward, aiming toward Araya's throat.

As I wasn't using the full speed granted to me by my Peak Human Body, she managed to block the strike with both hands even though it forced her back several steps.

Araya though wasn't surprised or distracted due to the suddenness of my counter. Her experience and confidence in her own abilities allowed her to keep her focus without problems.

She displayed this perfectly as she used the momentum of her retreat to deliver a spinning back kick that was aimed at my neck without pause.

My senses though had picked up on the slight tensing of her thigh and waist muscles, while the minor shift in her stance likewise couldn't escape my sight.

Diving beneath her kick, I didn't hesitate to try and fell her with a sweep of my own leg.

Once again proving her incredible skill, the black-haired young woman of asian descent pushed off the ground with her other leg mid-kick and flipped over my sweeping leg, landing on the slightly springy floor.

It did however take her a moment to steady herself so that she could take up her fighting stance again. Sadly, it wasn't a moment I had planned to give her.

Thanks to my enhanced mental capabilities, I had taken to planning my moves ahead and thinking about possible counters, so her evasion didn't surprise me. On the contrary, I didn't need even a fraction of a second to initiate my counter to her evasive maneuver.

So when Araya was still trying to take up a stance, her eyes caught sight of my knee heading for her chin without any chance to block or dodge.

*BANG*

A sound as if I had struck a metal plate rang through the training room in Hellion Mansion as my knee clashed with an indestructible blackish membrane, while Araya took a few steps back instinctively.

I had erected a barrier only moments before my strike would have made contact with her, as I didn't want to seriously hurt her and knew that such a strike at point blank could do incredible damage, even though I had not delivered it with the full strength I was capable of unleashing.

Araya was after all a normal baseline human and would undoubtedly die if she suffered a blow fueled by my enhanced strength.

Sighing audibly, the young asian woman dropped her stance as she remarked calmly: "Thanks for that. I wouldn't want to take that head-on. Also great timing on the counters, I don't think there is much I can teach you anymore though."

"No problem. I was the one to insist on no excessive protective gear so that's the least I could do.", I replied lightly, before I continued, "And don't be too hard on yourself, I learned a great deal from you. It also isn't a fair comparison. You know I owe my learning speed to a mutation."

Araya knew about my mutant status and I had told her that I learned incredibly fast due to a Secondary Mutation, though I didn't reveal any more than that.

Araya was also right in her statement that she had nothing to teach me anymore, as we had constantly sparred over the last ten days, which had been enough for me to surpass her in skill alone.

She may have more experience than me, but I was already beyond her in every other aspect of combat.

I was thankful for her of course, which was exactly the reason I had asked Emma to remove any memory Araya had of me after today's lesson. While fiddling with another person's mind wasn't something I was fond of, I knew this to be the right decision, as the less Araya knew the better for her.

As a high-profile mutant, everyone I had potential contact with would be a target. Be that a target of Charles' investigations, SHIELD's, or any other organization keeping tabs on me. I wanted to spare her this trouble, as this simply wasn't something a normal human should be involved in.

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