The soldiers settled down again once Juno reverted his arm to normal. However, the impression embedded itself within everyone's minds. They wanted to achieve the impossible.
Juno continued, "Now that you all have unlocked the Body Trait, I will train you in the most basic of uses. But first you'll need to control your energy. The process of manipulating energy is ingrained in the subconscious of all humans. However, to activate it willingly takes extreme concentration. As one experiences more, the manipulation will become more efficient. Think of it like cleaning an aqueduct. If you want the Body Trait to make yourselves stronger, then it will be much easier for your energy to flow through you and enhance your strength if the path is clear and your body is used to willing the energy forward."
Juno glanced at each of the soldiers.
"Is this clear?"
"Yes, sir!" They shouted in unison.
"Good. Now, in what ways can you manipulate energy? There are two distinct manipulations for each Trait, called Stages: the Self Stage and the World Stage. Self Stage manipulations allow one to enhance themselves and their own energy. These manipulations are the simplest, as you are only dealing with your own energy. The World Stage involves the manipulation of the world's energy. The world is filled with its own boundless expanse of unique energy. It doesn't like to be tempered with, so the use of World Stage requires one to overpower a portion of the world with their own energy. This is done by mixing your energy with the world's energy, then manipulating it as if it were a part of you."
The captain paused once more, then slowly descended the stairs to the side, coming level with his subordinates.
"Get into pairs. You'll be practicing the Self Stage. Nothing else."
His voice was cold and serious, more so than the short lecture he gave before.
The soldiers shuffled into pairs just as ordered. Bolin and Teddy had grouped up, so Obai placed himself next to the person to his left.
The man was roughly the same height as him and had the same dark hair, but it was cut much shorter and in a much sharper shape. He appeared determined, but examining his brown eyes revealed overwhelming excitement, more so than the other soldiers.
Obai quickly finished his scan of his partner, refocusing on his thoughts. Juno hadn't revealed much of the specifics of the Body Trait yet, but the demonstration of his dark, rocky arm had been a first for Obai.
He thought back to the time leading up to the war and about the Karada soldiers he met. He remembered the hostility directed towards him. The times when they treated him like a feral animal. His journey across the Arm had been a long and painful one, fueling his hatred towards Ilka Merric. Yet, despite his encounters with the Karada in that dangerous land, he'd never witnessed a soldier shape their body into something else.
It was strange. Obai assumed that the Body Trait would allow people to change their form, based off the knowledge Nova had taught him. However, Juno was the first person to do so.
'The technique is either extremely advanced, or the soldiers back then had been new. No... that wouldn't make sense considering the task they had.'
He eyed Juno once more, absorbed in his thoughts and ignoring the unimportant details of the orders being given.
'Maybe that was a body blade. He didn't mention the blades yet, although it is the most advanced level of the Self Stage. I've only seen mine and Nova's spirit blades, so I don't have experience against blades of other Traits. It's possible for blades to assume forms different than swords.'
Juno started pacing back and forth in front of the first line. Obai followed him with his gaze, his eyebrows scrunching deeply.
'I should stay close to him.'
"The best way to unlock new levels of proficiency is through desperation. So, what you and your partners will be doing is hitting each other. You'll trade blows. You are not allowed to block the blows, so no matter what, you will feel pain. However, you can decrease the pain. Use your Body Trait. Send the energy through your body and reinforce its strength and durability right before impact. Then, release the strength, and hit your partner without the reinforcement of energy. We won't be having any deaths before battle."
The soldiers hesitantly looked around at each other. Those who'd undergone training before were confused, shocked by the unorthodox method used by the Karada. Those without training were more confused, worried about taking too much damage.
Or perhaps they weren't worried. They'd all signed up for those brutal initiation battles, even if they hadn't known that defeat meant death.
Obai looked up at his own partner's eyes and noticed no sign of shock. Only excitement for the future and the determination to get stronger.
'Are they all so willing to hurt their peers?'
Obai assumed a defensive stance, keeping his feet planted but with his arms open, allowing the coming strikes.
'Everyone has lost their minds.'
Juno smoothly marched through the crowd, eyeing those who were still preparing themselves for the training. Tension rose as everyone waited for the order to begin.
Juno turned and stared at Obai's back, studying him one last time.
"Begin."
Obai threw a punch at his partner, aiming for his side. His partner, on the other hand, didn't play nice and aimed for his face. Both punches landed with a smack and pain shot through both of them.
Except... for Obai, it felt like a light tap. He'd experienced manipulating energy before, and something as simple as protecting the body came easily. Even if it wasn't very efficient yet, with his current state, he'd find no problems during training.
Light waned from his eyes as Obai prepared another punch.