Chapter 9

Okara stands ready against his afterimage clone. Ready to throw down and get stronger. The two standoff as the calm breezing wind around them sets through. The lush green grass awaits their motion, as the light blue sky watches down upon them. Then in a sudden motion, the afterimage unleashes his aura around his body.

Pulling back his right arm and thrusting it forward; Okara realizes the attack and reacts to it; by sidestepping right as the afterimage fires the wave of green Ki; as it zooms past Okara's left side; the afterimage disappears and reappears before him. Okara takes the blow the afterimage delivers, It's right fist against Okara's chest; Okara grunts as he takes a step back; and returns with his attack. His left fist flying inwards as a hook; sending the afterimage stumbling sideways right; Okara quickly stepped forward and flew in with his right fist as it came upwards into the afterimage's diaphragm.

The afterimage, however, shields against it with his wrists; causing both fighters to step back. Okara releases more of his aura, the afterimage's eyes flicker red for only a second. Okara didn't notice it, however. Suddenly the afterimage was faster and instantly appeared in front of Okara delivering a nasty knee to his diaphragm. Okara falls forward; holding his gut with both arms.

"GAAAH!"

His respiratory system does not respond as he tries to breathe. The afterimage raises his right leg upwards; his foot ready to come down like a guillotine. As its face was shadowy and his black eyes turned red. Okara quickly raised his left arm; softening the blow as he's pushed to the ground. As he's on the ground, breathing heavily. The afterimage looks down on him.

"Is that all you've got?" The afterimage spoke so vividly.

"I thought you wanted to be a fighter?! Not some weakling!"

Okara kept his face buried in the dirt for only a few more seconds.

"Okara, the low class runt! You can't even protect, Cassandra, how do you plan on protecting this planet!"

Okara's eyes shot open and his breathing shifted. Quickly he pushed himself up to his knees and looked up at the afterimage. However it was different from before, its hair was white, and its eyes, a grizzly red. His outfit was a black gi, that had only one long sleeve and no undershirt, a red belt, and completely black shoes.

"What the hell... Who are you! How do you know Cassa's name!"

The evil afterimage smirked at him and stepped back.

"Come on, Okara. Let's keep goin!" The afterimage said as he slowly took a few more steps back. Taunting Okara at the same time.

"I don't know what's going on here. But If you're what I have to fight to get stronger... Then I won't back down!" Okara said as he fully stood up and unleashed his aura. The afterimage did the same, however, his was red. In no time at all, they charge towards each other. Feeling the rush of adrenaline as they fought, Okara and the afterimage brawled back and forth as they relentlessly dodge each other, and land mild blows to each other's bodies.

Okara tilted his head as the afterimage keeps attacking the same place twice; as they both threw themselves back, they slowly ascend into the air; and continue their combat. Okara with his right fist pulled back, pursues the afterimage once again, however the afterimage began mirroring Okara with his left pulled back. Both fighters close in and collide their fists against each other. Their bodies are horizontal like spears; their fists the tips and their bodies; the handles. Pushing against each other with the same amount of durability.

"He's strong! But I'm stronger!!" Okara shouts as he slightly pushes the afterimage back.

"Bold words coming from my weaker half!" The afterimage replied as he pushed their clash back to equal. Both fighters staring each other in the eyes as they plan at the same time. Suddenly two different balls of Ki appear between their fists and counter each other out as they fire; causing Okara and the afterimage to push each other back; switching from a fist clash to a beam struggle.

"He's copying everything I do!" Okara said as he grabbed onto his right arm with his left for support. The afterimage did the same.

Okara felt his power draining fast as he's never used Ki for this long.

"What's wrong, Okara?! Feeling tired!" The afterimage smirked almost evilly as it began pushing more Ki into his red beam. The ground below the two blew away causing a hole to appear below them.

"Shit! The only thing I can think to do is... Ah, whatever!"

Okara ripped his right arm from the beam and instantly the afterimage's red wave came barreling at him in mere seconds. Within those seconds Okara prepared himself, his arms up; hands open. Instantly feeling the blast connect with his hands; the pain burning as he tries controlling it.

"Come on! Show me you've got what it takes, Okara!"

However Okara felt his hands and body slipping up, and to his surprise, the blast slips out of his hands and collides with him full on. Catching him in a medium-sized explosion; the moment the explosion ceased; Okara fell to the ground his vision blurred and barely able to stay awake. The last thing he remembers seeing is the shadow of the afterimage walking up to him and speaking to him. However, Okara couldn't make out the words as he fully blacked out. Unaware of the time that's passed, Okara finally awoke.

"W-Where am..."

He laid on the ground and looked up into the morning sky. Slowly leaning up as he felt his bruised and sore body. His clothing ripped, as he was missing a chunk of his right cloth, along with his sleeve, his pants had rips in them to where you could see his whole knee cap, front, and back. Lastly, he was bloodied and bruised his face cut up along with his arm and body.

"I can't believe I lost to my..."

Okara slowly started thinking about it then.

"Nah, it was probably my meditation messing up. I'm not very good at controlling my Ki after all." Okara said laughing as he pushed himself to get up and begin heading home.