Progress and training

I returned to work on my screen as I looked at my guard, my children? Coming back into the room I began to think back, it was a hell of a year. I made a few more Gem formulas and the majority of which follow a specialization. I also learned that even though I have perfected the formula the rest of the work is up to the Gem themselves.

The Onyx, of course, is my prime example of this. They have the capacity to do as I have mentioned with the "see-through" world, haki, short range teleportation, and the like I mentioned previously. However, getting the Gem formula for the Onyx gem proved to be easier than the Onyxes training their abilities themselves.

In the early stages they all had what could be considered their "beginner" abilities, mainly motion paradox and high spatial awareness and mobility. Then there was the training period and reality met expectations.

The first few weeks were tough and infuriating for all of us, but they quickly adjusted due to battle tenacity and received marginable improvement. However, this is mostly related to their martial abilities, techniques, and use of their beginner abilities. I know what you're thinking, but Black wouldn't it be considered normal that soldiers need time and training? Yes it is normal, but not by Gem standards.

Most Gems only need a week or so in order to acclimate themselves to their abilities and if the Onyx didn't have battle tenacity they would have spent an entire month to get where they were at two weeks. As time went on I discovered what has led to the difficulty of the Onyx abilities of improvement compared to other Gems.

Growth.

Most Gem abilities work like an on and off switch, they either work and stay on until disabled or they are turned off. Pink's Gem formulas would be an example of this. The Ruby Gems have fire powers, not to the extent of pyrokinesis, but to the point where they can express flames. They don't have the potential to develop them to make them equivalent to the heat to the sun, but they have to train their applications.

My Gem formula revolved around spatial manipulation, however it was due to the onyx template that high spatial awareness/mobility came so easy to them. Powers like battle tenacity and Sapphire's foresight are more passive and can only be affected based on the circumstance.

Oh well I'll just focus on quality over quantity then. The plus side to this whole thing is that there are geniuses like the Onyx in the room and the one training Pearl. They were able to manipulate their gravity a few weeks after forming. I saw the fight on the recording I sent White. The wavy haired one increased the gravity on her weapon and the curly haired one manipulated their centre of gravity.

Others couldn't tell the latter, but the way the latter had turned mid air was too sharp and smooth to have been done by spatial mobility alone.

"*Sigh*"

I let out a sigh as I closed the screen in front of me as an indistinct object behind me shimmered slightly in invisibility before it flew to the top of the room. I then got off my chair and walked a few meters in front of me before I stopped with my back to the Gems and began to issue commands.

"Head."

I heard the sound of a close-by tile shift as I saw the high quartz Pebble come out of the ground and did a diamond salute.

"Yes my Diamond?"

"Get rid of the chair and have the Pebbles go to the ceiling as they were previously before Pink."

"Yes my Diamond." She gave a curtsy before going back down the tile hole and I heard the sound of tiny footsteps gradually become lighter as I turned back and began to address the Gems in the room.

"Attention!" I yelled out

"Yes my Diamond!" The four Schorls and Onyx collectibly yell out after giving me a diamond salute with a foot stomp.

"I trust I gave you enough time to review your previous battle, correct?"

"Yes my Diamond! Thank you!" *4

"Now then let's wrap up for the day, you either succeed in touching/attacking me and leave or you will wake in your quarters after reforming. Regardless, you will use this to design simulation training for your respective Gems."

"Yes my Diamond!" *4

I nodded my head as I brought up my cloaking and began forming constructs of shields, platforms, and walls before I began spreading them around the room. I then started forming indistinct weapons like swords, spears, and arrows. I formed a chain around my body that began fluctuating as it hovered around my body.

I waited a few minutes for them to discuss their plan with one another before they broke up and began to approach me. The curly haired Onyx began making her way to me while the Schorl team began to fade to black in my visual sight. I of course limited myself for this training massively.

I began throwing my weapons at the Onyx at rapid speeds as she began weaving and parkouring around them, using the platforms and walls as stepping stones to plan her next move. While I attacked her an arrow was shot at my face but was blocked by the shield in my first layer of defense.

I was able to see one of the wild haired Gem Schorl holding his bow in a drawn position before he closed the darkness around himself and began to move. Meanwhile, the Onyx who was constantly moving/gliding across the room tripped on an arrow that was near her leg. She skidded and tumbled for a few moments before recovering, however by then my sword was about to stab her in the face.

She was then saved by the female Schorl who grabbed onto her stomach and moved her out of the way with a black, smoke-like substance trailing behind her before dissipating. They looked at each other before nodding and split off into two different directions. The female Schorl pulled out a weapon out of a patch of exposed skin of her right thigh that looked like a cross between a sword and switchblade. (The folding Blade in Dishonored)

She was then enveloped in a black shadow with smoke coming off behind her before she made a straight line towards me. Multiple arrows were shot by the neck Schorl behind her and I moved my Shield to block them.

The shadow managed to escape the line of arrows and just barely dodged past my shield and entered the inner circle of my defenses. Onyx soon followed as she managed to flip around the shield as it blocked her way.

With the accelerated speed of weapons coming her way she did the same with her gravity as she began using parkour to jump and move over them, slowly getting closer to me. The female Schorl in contrast was hiding behind a constructed wall as my weapons slowly began breaking it. Just then a twenty foot cloak of darkness sprouted in front of the wall, it looked around two feet thick.

It lasted for a few moments and I noticed both of the male Schorls were standing together with their arms linked together. The wild hair of the two Schorls on the right and left fluttered to reveal their gems located in their left and right eyes respectively.

Huh, linking their powers must have taken a lot of time and practice, are they twins?

The pillar of darkness broke into tentacles as they attacked me. I moved my limited amount of pre-set chains to block them, however instead of feeling a strong impact from the force of the strike it was soft… It's a trap!

The tentacles began to wrap around the chain and hold them in place as the Onyx and female Schorl made their way to me. One from above on my and the other below on my right respectively. As Schorl began shadow running her way towards me I shot a wall of spears in front of her.

She must've realized this was the end for her as she came out of her shadow cloaking and jumped just over the spear and threw her weapon at me through the mess of shadow tendrils.

During this time, Onyx who was using parkour techniques on the weapons as they passed by almost touched me was hit by the limited amount of chain I had left. Onyx 7 really is the better planner than 6, but she did show improvement over the last 2 months.

Onyx crashed through three constructed platforms before landing on the floor with a loud thud followed by a poof as her form collapsed. The only indication she was there was the crater she created and the onyx gemstone with a streak of white on it lying near the indent of a figure.

The only hope left relied on the female Schorl's sword currently spinning in the air as it got closer towards me. I began to speak as time seemed to slow down and I witnessed the determined look on female Schorl's face with her hand outstretched towards me as she fell to the floor. I also saw the exhausted look on the Schorl twins as they maintained the shadow tentacles.

"I really..."