Max was released from the infirmary the next day. The nurse had checked him over for any residual damage, but he was fully healed at this point. "Don't train too hard," She'd said. "And if you feel anything out of place, come back right away." Max wandered the halls of the Association building, unsure of what to do. Ren was out on patrol, Devon was out of town on "Important business", or so he was told, and Max was technically still on recovery. After Max had given the report on the Elias Vane assignment, he was officially taken off of the project. Devon had convinced the Director of the severity of the situation, and the mission was reassigned to some other senior members who'd be more capable going forward. Max had tried to argue, but Devon had put his foot down, insisting that Max needed a break.
Max approached the training hall, staff in hand. It was almost empty, save for a few agents scattered across the room, practicing their staff form. Max did the same, swinging his own staff in clean, graceful arcs. His muscles still felt tight from the burn scars, but he was getting back into the groove of things again. The real problem was that Max needed to improve his reinforcement. Even with all of his concentration going into reinforcing his body, Elias's flames had still broken through Max's defenses. Max continued practicing, swinging away at a training dummy. He forced his Flux to flow through his staff, and the runes crackled with energy. The staff began to shudder in his hands, creaking under the stress. He was so wrapped up in his training that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching him. "Your feet are all over the place," someone said behind him. Max spun around, staff raised, still caught up in his rhythm. There was an older man standing a few feet away, unarmed. He wore long, flowing clothes, and had dark hair with streaks of grey tied in a knot. His face was old, wrinkled, but he held himself with the pride of a young man. He didn't flinch at the staff pointed at him, instead crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at Max. "Sorry, who are you?" Max said, breathing hard. "Keiji Morimoto" The man said, and Max's eyes widened in surprise. Morimoto was one of the Association's oldest members, and well known for being one of the strongest as well. Keiji nodded at Max's staff, which still had a faint glow to it. "You're overcharging your staff. It's going to break if you keep that up."
Max's grip tightened on the staff. "I didn't ask for your advice." Keiji snorted. "Maybe not, but you clearly need it." "Do you need something from me?" Max said, annoyed. "No. I just thought that you might appreciate some pointers, considering your combat skills seem to be lacking." Keiji gestured at Max's scarred hand. Max felt the heat rise in his chest, but he cut himself off before he could snap back. He could use any advice he could get, and couldn't afford to disrespect the only person offering to help. "Sorry, I'm in a bit of a crappy mood, that's all. What've you got for me?" Keiji stepped forward, and a hint of recognition flashed behind his eyes. "First, show me what you know." Max took a deep breath. "You want to spar? Do you have a weapon?" A thin smile spread across Keiji's face. "No, I think I'll be alright with just my hands." "Your funeral, old man." Max moved first, coming in with a diagonal strike, his staff humming with power. Morimoto shifted just a half-step backwards, and the blow missed by an inch. In the same motion, Max pivoted into a sweep, and Keiji stepped over it with ease. Max attacked faster and faster, his staff becoming a blur, but none of his strikes landed. Keiji barely moved, slightly turning his shoulders or ducking to dodge Max's attacks. Max's frustration rose, and he pushed his flux into his legs, giving himself a short burst of speed. The tip of his staff was already in the air, positioned to strike the side of Morimoto's head. Then Keiji's hand shot up, and he tapped the side of the staff with two fingers. The staff stopped dead in the air, and the glow faded away instantly. Max stared at it, stunned. "What the-" Keiji moved his hand, and the runes lit up again. "Your reinforcement is inefficient. And you force Flux through your tool, not paying attention to where that energy actually goes." Max lowered his staff, breathing hard. "How am I supposed to control it once it leaves my body?" "That's just it. You need to treat the tool as part of your body, not just as a stick you picked up." Keiji said, arms crossed. "Visualize the inside of the staff, and know its weak points. Once you can do that, you can properly channel your Flux through it without leaking."
Max continued practicing his Flux control with Keiji for hours, until the sunlight stopped shining through the windows, and the moon rose in the horizon. As they were wrapping it up, Max walked over to Morimoto, and bowed his head. "Will you train me? I want- No, I need to get stronger." Keiji didn't answer right away, watching Max as he undid his training handwraps. "Why?" He finally responded. "Why do you seek power?" The garage flashed through Max's mind. The boy he couldn't save in time. Ren almost sharing the same fate. "There's people I want to protect. I can't do that as I am right now." Keiji nodded in approval. "That's a respectable goal." Max held his breath. Finally, Keiji sighed. "Two weeks." Max blinked. "What?" "You'll train with me for two weeks," Keiji said. "Every day, from noon to six." Max nodded instantly. "Sounds good to me." Keiji pushed his graying hair back with his hand, and started to walk away. "Don't be late, Calder."
The first week was like hell. Keiji's training methods were harsh, nothing like Devon's calm, casual sessions. Practicing reinforcement was a brutal endeavor, involving taking powerful hits head-on, and toughing it out through the pain. Keiji was incredibly strong too, despite his age. But while it was brutal and unforgiving, it was also incredibly efficient. That was Keiji's specialty after all. Efficiency. Slowly, Max learned to reinforce more efficiently, using less Flux, and increasing defensive capabilities. Keiji had explained it perfectly. "When you reinforce, you tend to spread your Flux out in a thick plate, like a shield. That works, but it's inefficient, and it burns through your Flux quickly." He'd said, in between sparring matches. "What I want you to do, is to reinforce your body with more precision. Imagine a grid of rebar in cement, strengthening the whole structure. Try to focus your flux like that, just beneath your skin, and you can minimize your Flux output, while making your body more durable." Over the course of that week, Max's reinforcement got more refined and he began to successfully take hits from Keiji without getting injured. He couldn't exactly keep up with him, but he started to make it out of sparring matches feeling energized rather than exhausted.
On the last day of the week, Max was prepared to practice sparring again, but Keiji had other plans. Max walked into the courtyard, where Keiji stood, alongside a woman Max hadn't seen before. Max approached the two. "Ah, Calder, this is one of my other trainees. I think you'll find her skillset… Useful." Keiji said, and he leaned against a pillar. "Hey, I'm Kayla Bennet." The girl said, sticking her hand out for a handshake. She was short, with long blonde hair in a ponytail, and hazel eyes. Max shook her hand. "Max Calder. Nice to meet you." She didn't have any visible weapons, but she didn't give off the energy of a hand-to-hand combatant either. Then Max noticed her hands. Dark scars, carved demonic symbols on her palms, which were eerily familiar. Is she… Max thought, and as if she'd read his mind, Kayla said, "Yep! I can shoot fire out of my hands. Cool, right?" Keiji cleared his throat. "Bennet is contracted with the Demon of Flame, and can materialize her Flux in the form of fire." He looked up at the overcast sky. "I figured you might be interested in learning how to defend against fire based attacks, considering your recent encounter." Kayla looked over at Keiji, then her eyes flicked back to Max, actually looking at him for the first time. She finally noticed the burn scars covering his arm, and up to his neck and cheek. "Oh shit, you've faced another fire user? That looks painful." Max's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, it was."
Keiji clapped his hands once. "So, Calder, I want you to channel your flux into your staff, and block a flame blast from Ms Bennet here." Kayla's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait what? You didn't say anything about burning him!" "Fine." Max said, clenching his jaw. "Fine? You're on board with this?" She said, hands shaking. "Not a full-power blast, Bennet. But he needs to learn how to defend against it somehow." "But- I can't- Are you sure?" Kayla said, worried. Max nodded, and set the tip of his staff down on the ground. "Now, Calder, you can't really use basic reinforcement with fire. It will always break through, and literally burn through your Flux reserves." Keiji said, walking over to him. "Plant your staff down, and reinforce it. It should feel immovable, like part of the environment." Max slammed the staff down, lighting up the runes, and a loud striking noise rang out across the courtyard. "What next?" Max asked, his brow furrowed in concentration. "You may not be able to absorb it, but you can divert it. Solidify your Flux along the side of the staff, like a wedge. The goal is to split the flames, carving out a safe space behind your staff." Max nodded, and the edge of the staff lit up, the air getting hazy around him. "Now, Bennet, aim for the staff. Ensure that you use very little Flux, I'd rather not have to drag Max back to the infirmary today." Kayla took a deep breath, and raised her hands. The symbols on her hands lit up, and a bright fire came to life in her palms. "Sorry about this," She closed her eyes, and Max was engulfed in flame.