Chains Of Pride

"…The metaphorical stick up whose ass?" That last remark left Gin and a select few others a bit stunned. Namely, Yang Min and Zutto Shu, though the latter only threw an eyebrow up at the comment and left it at that. Little Min, on the other hand, took it with less calm, fidgeting as she was.

"The metaphorical stick up the association's possibly metaphorical a.s.s. Now there are many ways to go about this, but I think the best approach is power, and I mean lots of it!" Rikona was letting them know of the way she planned to go about it.

"Wait, is the a.s.s metaphorical or not? I think we need to establish that before we go any further." Makoto was faring much better than the earlier two being familiar with Rikona's tendency to use the most out of the way euphemism to get her point across.

"I've been thinking about it, and I agree with big sis's approach, I think we need to focus all of our efforts on breaking through." This time is was Kura who chimed in, her head finally up from the doc.u.ments she was skimming through.

"Good idea Kura, no better way than to breakthrough, but please don't talk about it as if it's something easy." Rikona reminded.

Makoto, who had a confused expression on his face couldn't help but ask. "Wait, what's breaking through? Did I miss something?"

"Oh, sorry Makoto, it's something you're able to do once you've awakened as a Talium. I think it's easier to let Kura explain since she's slightly farther along than I am." Rikona stated, a bit excited about their potential, and how endless it seemed, something the association would never grasp.

Kura stood up at this point to gather everyone's attention, she began explaining all that she knew as she began to discover on her journey as a Talium.

"So, guys, apparently there are levels among us, and each time we move to a new level, it's referred to as breaking through."

"I knew it, I've always felt like there were more to us, but it was always a vague feeling. When I was with the association they made it seem as if you were either born a high-class Talium or not, that limitation went against our very nature, the device they used to control us would have broken us eventually."

It was Yang Min, who spoke, her voice tinged with sadness when she recalled her days with the association. Zutto Shu's head was down as he listened, no one knew what expression he was making, but they couldn't imagine it being very far from Yang Min's.

"Don't worry Little Min you won't have to go through anything like that again, and we'll be sure to free all the Taliums they've got under their control too." Rikona took this chance to reassure, this was one of the primary goals they had after all.

"So, how do you go about breaking through in the end?" Gin asked, he was never apart of the association, he was one of the very rare few, they had yet to get their hands on.

Makoto joined in on Gin's question for a bit more clarity. "And what are these levels? Do we refer to them like level 1, 2, 3, and so on?"

"I was just getting to that." Kura's soft voice sounded as she continued. "For one to breakthrough, Rikona and I went through a lot of trial and error for this. However, we are more or less confident that traumatic experiences can trigger a breakthrough from one level to the next, well, provided that you're relatively close to it, I guess …"

She paused at this point with a look of melancholy in her eyes, as if she was looking back on the reason for her sudden growth back then. She slightly shook her head to break free of the reverie, before looking at her older sister. A gentle smile found its way to her face as her gaze softened.

"Huh?" Rikona seemed to have felt the gaze her sister had and back looked in her direction before offering a smile in return.

Kura turned back to everyone else to further elaborate on the topic of breakthroughs with the same deadpan expression, "The aspect of trauma must be accompanied by powerful emotions, so if it's half-assed it won't work, so don't try forcing anything."

Everyone was listening intently, hanging on to every word. "You can also try training the powers you already have, like what Rikona and I did in the beginning, though, it's easier in the earlier stages, but gets harder the farther along you get. Another method, oddly enough …is meditation."

At this, Makoto couldn't help himself, "Wait for meditation? Like what those monks do in the mountains when they go oohhmm …" He struck a silly pose when he said this, trying to make his point a bit clearer.

"Makoto, as an outsider, what's your perspective on intelligence?" Yang Min couldn't help firing a shot when she saw his pose as an invitation for anything but.

"I don't know, but unlike you whose best part ran down her mother's leg-"

"Pfft, okay g-guys let's reel it back, and Makoto, behave." Interrupting their inevitable back and forth was Kura who was trying to her best to keep back her laughter.

"Ah, Lady Kura, you look so cute when you're trying to hold back your laughter." Gin interjected, trying to play in on Kura's good mood. The answer he got though was a bit lackl.u.s.tre than what he expected.

"Oh ah, you too." Kura quickly glanced over him when she said this, expression impassive. The only sound after was Makoto's stifled laughter off to the side, something that brought an ugly expression to Gin's face. He really was trying, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't manage to have her give him the time of day. What was a man to do?

"Oh man, I gotta give this guy some advice. As funny as it is watching him fail, I kinda feel sorry for him." Makoto was thinking to himself that when he had some time, he would give the poor guy a talking to. Typical methods will not work on either of these two, so he might as well save his energy.

Clap!

Kura seized everyone's attention once more. "Okay guys, back to the topic. So those are the ways we've seen so far that can trigger a breakthrough within a Talium. Now about the different levels. Take note that these are not the names I've assigned to the levels, but the domain we can step into as ascribed by our blood origin."

"Uhm before you begin, would we learn of this when we finally awake for the first time? I believe when you first described it, you called it returning to the origin? That's the Blood Origin, right?" Gin decided to ask Kura for a bit of clarity on the subject.

Surprisingly, Kura didn't brush him off like she usually did and prepared to answer his question, and though he was overjoyed, he didn't make it show on his face too much. Afraid he would scare her off if he did. Nonetheless, he decided to listen intently, satiating his own curiosity never hurt after all.

"Yes, when you awaken as a Talium, you go through a process called returning to the origin. It's a state that allows you to partly comprehend your Blood Origin, the knowledge of you as a Talium is kept there. It's a bit ethereal in nature, and even I have yet to fully grasp it, you can think of it as existing on both the physical and incorporeal plane."

Everyone there, apart from Rikona whose eyes were closed, was listening to Kura, seemingly drunk on her words, especially the Taliums there.

"Every time you ascend, every time you breakthrough, you return to the origin once more to drink in the knowledge it provides. This, in turn, allows you to draw even more from your Blood Origin, increasing your power, and so on." She paused up to here, her expression shifted slightly at this point, Rikona noticed but still said nothing, continuing to watch.

Her voice got a little heavier as she spoke up to here, and she began to unconsciously release her pressure and aura as a Talium. "You ask me how I know this, it is because this is the knowledge that I have earned after returning to the origin for the third time. Count yourself lucky that I deem it fit to bles-"

"Kura!" Rikona's eyes snapped open at this point, her voice was sharp, severe and unrelenting. "Control yourself, little sister!"

Not just Kura, everyone jumped in slight shock when they heard Rikona's voice. Gin, Yang Min even the usually impassive Zutto Shu felt like they were coming out of a trance.

After retracting her aura and pressure, Kura came under a mysterious exhaustion and slumped back in her chair, "Alright guys, I'm cutting the meeting short we'll continue in the morning, Makoto I'll need your shoulder. Everyone else, goodnight. Rikona's stern voice left no room for argument, even Gin who wanted to help could only withdraw silently.

"M-Master, I hope young master recovers." Yang Min left after offering her good wishes, Zutto Shu left after doing the same, though in fewer words.

"I can never get a read on that guy." Stated Makoto as he watched Zutto Shu walk away.

"Makoto get over here and help me bring Kura to her room." Makoto hurried over to where Kura was to lend a shoulder.

'Exhales.'

"Sorry guys, it caught me unaware during the explanation." Kura leaned on both Makoto and Rikona's shoulder as she spoke. "Don't worry about it bunny, you're strong you won't lose yourself. Plus I'm here for you." Rikona comforted her as they started walking Kura out.

"Can you guys tell me what just happened back there?" Makoto posed the question to Rikona, seeing as how it didn't look like she was about to keel over like the one they were walking to her room.

Rikona looked at him for a while before she turned her gaze forward and asked, "Do you think this power comes with no price? What do you think losing yourself in pride means?"