Chapter 17: BloodStar

Chapter 17: BloodStar

Xenia had arrived early to her mother’s training session on Khan Island. She and Victoria often trained within Khan Valley on the Khan family grounds near the castle for the sake of privacy while also having lots of room to spread out.

She entered the valley and walked down to the center and sat in the lotus position to meditate and pass the time. Meditation was essential to mastering ki control, and as a 10th degree black belt, Xenia knew the importance and value of meditation and took the opportunity to do so whenever she could.

She sat in silence for ten minutes, twenty minutes, and then thirty minutes with her eyes closed until suddenly... she felt a massive ki presence directly in front of her. She opened her eyes to see Empress Victoria standing before her.

Victoria wore a traditional black karate gi with her black belt secured around her waist. The belt was solid black save for ten red stripes adorning the right strand hanging down from her tied knot.

Xenia also wore a black belt with ten red stripes; however, instead of a traditional karate gi, she wore black, tight dry-fit leggings and a black athletic sports bra. She looked no different than any other fit, young girl attending the gym save for her remarkable 10th degree black belt and goddess-like physique.

Xenia stood up in her presence and bowed to her respectfully. Victoria asked her, “Now tell me Princess. How did I arrive?”

Xenia smirked and said, “You teleported, of course.”

Victoria replied, “Incorrect. I walked right up to you as I concealed my ki. I could’ve killed you with ease.”

Xenia smiled and said, “No. You teleported. I was thirty minutes into meditating. I could since the latent ki in the insects, the rustling of the dirt in the wind throughout the entire valley, and even your spacetime distortion bringing you here. Nearly indetectable, mother. But only nearly.”

Victoria smiled back at her and declared, “I am happy to see you taking your meditation seriously. Although you have reached the 10th degree black belt at the youngest age of anyone in history, trust me when I say there are thresholds beyond the 10th degree. So few have traveled as far as I have in the realm of martial arts.”

Xenia asked, “Then what do you call these plateaus past the 10th degree?”

Victoria smiled and replied, “Should anyone else ever achieve these levels, maybe I will give them a proper name then. You are far from these levels, but you are far enough along that it is time to endeavor to learn our namesake technique, our trump card.”

Xenia clasped her hands and said, “Really! Mother, you are serious?!”

Victoria sternly said, “You are ready to learn the BloodStar technique. There are many degrees of mastery of the BloodStar technique. Today, I will teach you the first, most basic principle.”

Xenia looked like a child having her favorite book read to her as she eagerly listened to every word that left her mother’s mouth. This technique was reserved for only the strongest in their family’s history, and Empress Victoria was the last to learn the technique.

Victoria began, “This is not a bloodline power but one intrinsic to our family’s ancient ki. You have mastered the art of manipulating blood in others, even being able to inflict strokes, heart attacks, and if my intel is correct... erections.”

Victoria snapped out of it and hurriedly said, “Now do something with the ki in their blood! Harness it for your own use! Yes!”

Victoria was amazed that Xenia had performed the BloodStar technique with such ease, and she urged her to take it further to use the ki within the extracted blood.

Xenia instantly drained the ki from the hovering ball of blood causing the sphere of blood to disappear, and she formed a weak ball of energy in her hand. She threw it into the valley far away causing a small explosion.

She frowned and said, “That wasn’t very impressive. That was so little ki. I thought the BloodStar technique was feared through history causing armies to surrender before the battle even began?”

Victoria laughed, “Did your small ball of blood look like a “star” in the sky? No, it did not. While you have shown to be a true prodigy at every turn, it will still take practice if you want to create a true BloodStar.”

Xenia said, “Fine. If you are so great at it, then show me a true BloodStar.”

Victoria gave her a stern look and said, “No. The last time I made a true BloodStar, the Sage Family’s most gifted curse master in history saddled me with curses forcing me into a corner.”

She then looked off in a gaze at nothing and said, “But I can tell you what I did. The entire United Army of Master Families led by the Sage and Heraklinos families charged forth at me planning to overwhelm my forces by sheer numbers.”

Xenia had never heard this part of the story and listened keenly. Victoria continued, “Then, in a few moments, I did to tens of thousands of soldiers what you have done here with 25 men.”

Xenia nearly choked, “You killed tens of thousands of soldiers in an instant!? But how did you control that much ki? That much blood?”

Victoria looked Xenia in the eye and said, “The rage of war fueled me. I pooled the blood of their army into the sky forming a true BloodStar that blotted out the sun creating a red sky. I had a massive reservoir of ki. I could have fought forever without running out of ki. I would’ve won too.” She paused before saying, “But alas, I had decisions to make. Decisions that have only delayed their demise. The fools.”

Xenia knew she didn’t have all of the information and asked, “What decisions?”

Victoria brushed her question off, “You have finished your training here today rather easily. However, the next level of mastery is anything but easy, even for you. Practice this technique every chance you get. Constance has increased her volume strictly for the purpose of your training.”

Xenia didn’t want to hear her praise in the moment and asked again, “What decisions?”

Victoria said, “Master the next level of the BloodStar. Then I will tell you everything you want and need to know about the last Great War.”

Before Xenia could protest, Victoria vanished into a black portal leaving Xenia alone with 25 carcasses surrounding her. With Victoria’s absence, the dome of shielding ki disappeared and the sky revealed itself once more.

Xenia had a fire burning within her. One she hadn’t had before. She had never fathomed her mother was powerful enough to massacre entire armies in an instant. But what she did know, is that if her mother could do it... she could do it too.