Chapter 6 - Foundations of the Heavenpiercer
The moonlight that once turned him into a monster now bathed him in quiet stillness.
Raiku sat alone at the edge of the cliff, breath steady, eyes closed. The ocean whispered below, and every inhale brought in salt, mist, and the memory of rage.
The beast was quiet now — not gone, but listening.
> [System Update: Time Module Active]
Calendar: Month 1, Day 3
Target: 6-Month Foundation Training
Heavenpiercer Progress: 0%
Mystique Core Activity: Flickering
"You ever gonna blink?" Roshi asked behind him.
Raiku opened one eye.
"You said stillness was the first step."
"I said stillness," Roshi grunted, "not petrification."
---
Roshi's training began slowly — maddeningly so. No sparring. No Ki blasts. No divine insights.
Just buckets of water.
Balancing them on his head while walking narrow beams, dodging bees, and tending to a garden whose vegetables were more aggressive than most soldiers Raiku remembered.
He protested.
Twice.
Both times Roshi made him dig a trench with a spoon.
And yet… he adapted.
Each task carried hidden lessons — foot pressure, posture, body flow. Raiku's movements grew tighter. His control, cleaner.
> [Passive Alert: Agility +2 | Ki Control +3]
Heavenpiercer Foundations Solidifying
At night, the training changed. Roshi would lecture — on energy flow, the philosophy of motion, and the difference between force and finesse.
And after Roshi went to sleep, Raiku would train alone.
He practiced with his tail — turning it into a whip, a balance rod, a tool of leverage.
And slowly, very slowly, he began building something.
---
One stormy night, Raiku stood soaked in the rain, fists clenched.
"I want to create a technique," he said aloud.
The System flickered.
> [Heavenpiercer Style Tree – Custom Technique Module Unlocked]
Sub-path Options:
– ⊕ Brute Path (Power Dominance)
– ⊕ Surge Path (High-Speed Assault)
– ⊕ Harmonic Path (Balance & Control)
Slots: 3 (Prototype Allowed)
He focused, visualizing.
A sudden, precise movement — powered by brute force.
He lunged.
But he slipped in the mud.
Face-first.
"…Tch."
He tried again. And again. Each time, something failed — timing, energy loss, overextension.
By the fifth fall, his nose was bleeding.
But he smiled through it.
"I get it," he whispered. "Technique isn't power. It's precision applied to power."
---
The next morning, Roshi found him still training — wet, scraped, but grinning.
"Kid, if you don't rest, you're gonna end up flatter than my credit score."
Raiku didn't stop moving. "I don't need rest. I need correction."
"Huh." Roshi scratched his beard. "Didn't think royalty could bleed like the rest of us."
Raiku flipped into a kick and stuck the landing. "Royalty doesn't mean untouchable. It means unbreakable."
Roshi snorted. "That's the most Saiyan thing you've said all week."
Raiku smirked.
"Then I'm learning."
---
📆 Time Passed: 3 Weeks
By the end of the third week, Raiku had finally finished his first technique.
He named it:
> Heavenpiercer Style – Crater Fang
Type: Power Technique
Description: A short-range, stance-heavy punch focused through grounded Ki and brutal compression.
Effect: Craters the point of impact and sends enemy flying. Leaves a shock imprint in the ground.
Drawback: Can damage Raiku's own arm if misaligned.
He demonstrated it on a boulder.
The boulder wasn't there anymore.
Roshi let out a low whistle. "That's more than just fancy punching."
Raiku grinned. "It's the fangs of a beast that's learning to aim."
---
But Roshi wasn't going to let him stop there.
"You mastered strength. Now let's see if you can catch a butterfly in a storm."
"...What?"
"Speed, Raiku," Roshi said, stretching his back. "You're a boulder. I want you to become lightning."
---
📆 Time Passed: 2 Months
Speed training was brutal.
Weighted clothing. Forest dodging. Running from wild boars carrying paint bombs.
And worse — Roshi's own "Speed Tag," a daily game where Roshi would randomly launch pebbles at Raiku from hidden places.
The boy was covered in bruises. But he grew faster.
He began seeing paths in chaos.
And one night — it clicked.
> Heavenpiercer Style – Mirage Talon
Type: Speed Technique
Description: A three-step footwork burst that creates afterimage flickers before striking. Can reposition behind an enemy almost instantly.
Effect: Dodging and critical strike potential increased.
Drawback: Burns stamina and leaves Ki trails for skilled sensors.
Raiku used it on Roshi once and stole his shades.
He gave them back after getting hit with the staff.
> [Passive Alert: Agility +6 | Ki Control +4]
---
But Raiku wanted more.
He didn't just want power or speed.
He wanted precision in motion.
And so began the hardest part.
---
📆 Time Passed: 4.5 Months
Every day, Raiku attempted to merge the forms.
Every day, he failed.
Crater Fang with Mirage Talon timing led to dislocated joints.
Talon strikes with Fang force cracked his ribs.
But still… he tried.
Flashbacks came at night.
---
FLASHBACK – PLANET VEGETA, ROYAL TRAINING HALL
"Again!" King Vegeta's voice echoed.
Vegeta, still a child but older than Raiku, was already brutal with his strikes. Every punch was sharp. Calculated. Merciless.
Raiku, younger, mimicked him—but lacked the coldness.
"You're hesitating," barked the King. "Finish him!"
Raiku's opponent was a fellow trainee. His arm was broken, eyes begging.
Raiku looked at his brother.
Vegeta said nothing.
Then a softer voice rang out.
"Raiku."
He turned.
The Queen stood at the edge of the hall, arms folded, expression stern but warm.
"There's strength in control. Even when the world demands brutality."
Raiku lowered his fist.
"I don't want to break things I can protect."
That night, the King said nothing to Raiku.
But the Queen left a scroll outside his quarters — the art of balancing energy.
---
📆 Month 6
It came together under the stars.
Raiku moved slowly—Crater Fang's force shifting into Mirage Talon's flow.
Each movement was water, but carried iron beneath.
And then — strike.
A flawless burst.
The dummy exploded.
> Heavenpiercer Style – Moonfang Drop
Type: Hybrid Precision
Description: A grounded stance-to-burst strike blending sharp footwork with honed internal Ki pressure.
Effect: Perfect balance of offense and mobility. Core technique of the style.
Bonus: Creates a mental echo in slower opponents.
Drawback: Requires perfect timing and focus.
Roshi, watching from the edge of the field, nodded slowly.
"That's no royal move. That's a martial artist's move."
Raiku stood still, chest rising with calm pride.
"It's the first," he said, "of many."
---
> [System Update – Heavenpiercer Techniques (3/3 Activated)]
– Crater Fang [Power]
– Mirage Talon [Speed]
– Moonfang Drop [Hybrid]
Style Progress: 8%
Mystique Core: 7% – Flickering with Awakening Potential
Time Remaining to 6-Month Target: 4 Days