Location: Right side of Dojo

  Time of Day: Morning

  Slayer clapped his hands together with a loud SMACK. "Alrighty, Captain! Time to kick off your training. I see you've brought your weapon too. Gotta say... it looks different. Not like anything we've got here."

  Captain glanced at the rifle slung across his shoulder. "Yeah, it probably doesn't look familiar to you. Where I come from, though, this is just a standard issue machine gun."

  Slayer tilted his head, clearly puzzled. "Machine... gun?" He scratched his helmet. "Yeah, no clue what that even means, haha."

  Captain rubbed the back of his neck, searching for the right words. "Hard to explain in your terms. It's called a firearm. Basically, it rapidly fires metal projectiles called bullets at high speed."

  Slayer blinked at him blankly. "...Still got nothin'."

  Captain sighed, tightening his grip on the rifle. "Guess it's easier if I show you."

  Slayer grinned and stepped back, arms wide. "By all means please, demonstrate away."

  Captain raised the rifle and aimed at a training dummy across the hall. With practiced ease, he squeezed the trigger. RATATATAT! The sharp burst of gunfire ripped through the silence, shredding the dummy with clean, precise holes. Moments later, Captain lowered the weapon. Slayer stood frozen, hand to his chin, staring at the aftermath with a blank expression.

  "...Not impressed?" Captain asked dryly.

  "Huh? Oh!" Slayer blinked and laughed. "No, no, I was just thinking. That thing is wild! You annihilated that dummy in seconds!"

  Captain kept his tone even. "It wasn't to show off. I was just demonstrating it to you."

  "Point made. The speed, the precision, the damage, whew." Slayer leaned forward, eyes gleaming. Then his tone shifted, playful and mischievous. "But what if we enhanced it?"

  Captain raised an eyebrow. "Enhanced it? With what?"

  Slayer's grin widened beneath the helmet as he spread his arms dramatically. "Oh yes... enhance it! With Emanation, baby!"

  Captain blinked, his head tilting slightly. "...Ema-what now?"

  "Emanation!" Slayer declared, throwing his arms up theatrically. "Energy born from the harmony of mind and body! It flows through us all! If you can awaken it, you can do more than just shoot faster."

  Captain crossed his arms. "Sounds like magic."

  "It's not magic," Slayer said proudly. "It's you- uh, unlocked. Don't worry, I'll walk you through it in a bit. But for now..." He raised his hands in a mock battle stance. "No weapons. It'll just be you for now."

  Captain gave a short nod and stepped forward. "Fine. Let's see what this is all about." He unstrapped his rifle and set it aside. CLUNK. His armored vest hit the floor with a heavy THUD.

  "Perfect." Slayer stepped closer, his tone turning instructional. "Now, to further explain. Emanation is internal energy, shaped by focus and discipline. The mind generates it, the body channels it, and when it aligns. It becomes visible and real."

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  Captain crossed his arms, listening intently.

  "Everyone's Emanation is different, from color, form, or ability. It's kinda like a fingerprint. It's only unique to you."

  After a few minutes of explanation...

  "And that's the gist of it. Once you trigger it, you'll feel it and begin to manifest it. Your aura will surround you like a flame."

  Captain's gaze sharpened. "So let me get this straight. I need to form a source of energy with my mind... then channel it through my body until it manifests physically?"

  "Exactly!" Slayer snapped his fingers, grinning under his helmet. "Sounds simple when you say it like that, but most people don't nail it on their first try." He tilted his head, his finger on his chin. "Well... except Lumina. That's because she's built different."

  Captain smirked, adjusting his gloves. "Then you're about to witness another first."

  "That's the Emanation spirit!" Slayer nodded. "Very well. The floor's yours, Captain. And remember, calm mind, clear heart."

  Captain stepped forward to the center of the dojo without a word. The room went still. From the edge of the dojo floor, Slayer called out, "Clear your thoughts and focus inward. Let the energy rise, but don't force it. Let it build naturally!"

  Captain gave a slight nod, then closed his eyes. He inhaled slowly HAAH and let the noise of the world fall away. In the quiet, he focused. He pictured a slow-burning ember in his mind. A growing heat stirred, subtle at first, then stronger. A faint red shimmer flickered around him. Wisps of energy curled off his shoulders.

  Slayer leaned in slightly. "There it is..."

  But within seconds, the glow sputtered. FZZT. Gone. Captain tensed, jaw tight, fists curling at his sides. He didn't move, just breathed steady. HAAH... HAAH... Then memories surged. Echos tearing through civilians. Hollow teams screaming. Blood on concrete. His fury boiled. His vow to burn them all. His mind seared... and without warning, something else surged. FWOOOM!

  A violent, black heat-like energy erupted outward, spiraling in unstable arcs. The dojo filled with a low hum, the air itself vibrating.

  Slayer tilted his head, puzzled. "...That's not red anymore."

  Captain let out a raw, growling yell "RAAAGHH!" clutching his head like it was splitting apart. His eyes snapped open, glowing pure white. His face twisted, no longer calm, but consumed by rage. Hatred and bloodlust. The air in the dojo was now thick and heavy.

  BOOM! A pulse of force blasted outward as a black aura erupted around him, violent and unstable. The air warped, distorting with raw wrath. Slayer narrowed his eyes, arms still folded, squinting against the storm. He exhaled through his nose. "Looks like I've got no choice."

  FWOOOSH! A brilliant blue heat-like aura flared to life around him, smooth and radiant. It wrapped his body, focused and commanding. From beneath his helmet, his eyes blazed with piercing blue light. Slayer dropped into a stance. "Three... two... one!" SHOOM! He vanished in a streak of blue, cutting across the dojo. The storm of Captain's fury screamed against him, but he didn't flinch.

  "Sorry in advance," Slayer muttered as he passed. "But it's time for you to go mimis." CRACK! His strike hit clean at the back of Captain's neck. THUD! Captain's body went limp, collapsing to the floor. The raging black aura snuffed out instantly, fading into eerie silence.

  ...Phew. Just in time," Slayer muttered, letting out a long sigh.

  He stepped over and knelt beside Captain, who lay unconscious on the floor. Even in sleep, his face was tight, like he was still fighting something in his dreams.

  Slayer studied him in silence, visor glinting. "What the hell were you thinking about that pushed you to go so berserk?" he said quietly. "Hmph, guess I'll ask when you wake up."

  With a grunt, he carried Captain over his shoulders. "Hrrgh-" He grabbed the rifle and vest with his free hand. "Can't leave these behind. That'd come back to bite me later."

  His boots thudded softly across the dojo floor as he carried Captain down the hall and into his room. Slayer eased him onto the bed, then set the rifle and vest carefully against the wall.

  Dragging a chair closer, he sat beside him, resting his elbows on his knees. "...Now for the waiting game."

  He leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "Actually... better warn the others before I crash too."

  Slayer stood and headed off to find them.

  What exactly had Captain awakened? And was it really his Emanation... or something darker...?

  The truth will soon be revealed...