'I certainly did not know that I would win, young one. If I had known this for a fact, then I certainly would have died that day against the Baron. For, you see, there is something worse than panic for a fighter. It is called overconfidence.'

-Shin lecturing his newest pupil, Goutetsu-

1873, Eastern Russia

It was late, and the moon had bathed the arid terrain in silvery white rays, the serenity of the night was accompanied by the sweet and soft symphony of the nocturnal hour. Snow litters down gently form the skies and leave a thin layer of ice upon the ground.

It was extremely cold, the Sub zero temperature unsettling to any person which were from anywhere else but from the plains of the Southeastern Province Nikolavesk in the large empire or Russia.

The infamous Voris Shurock controlled the area. He was a province's ruler renowned for his cruelty. Murder, pillage, rape and torture were everyday things under his terror-built province, so that not a single citizen or denizen would dare speak badly of him, especially since his spies were everywhere.

The Baron was now standing upon the icy plains, clad in lavish clothes that were common within the Russian aristocracy, his long sleeved coat tailored perfectly and lined with gold and other ornaments, whereas his pants were perfectly lined.

He was wearing leather boots, military in origin, a symbol of high status, his middle aged face was handsome, not many wrinkles apparent on the milky bright skin. A dark black Mustache and goatee adorned his chin outlining the quite menacing look he had as his eyes were a piercing blue.

His hard face twisted in a cold facade as he laid eyes upon a troublesome rebel who'd had the nerve to call a challenge upon him.

A Japanese man, not old, yet not young, around his early 40s, his hair dark black and tied in a single waist long ponytail, his brown eyes intense and seeming to vibrate with hidden power, his body by no means undeveloped, but not overly built and muscular, he seemed to be a slightly athletic average man.

He was wearing warm clothes, long pants and a cotton shirt, and above this attire a purple Gi. He was standing in a calm posture as was the Baron, both gazing at each other coldly, their auras and exteriors as frozen as the icy tundra around them.

"You have a lot of nerve, coming here and challenging me little man" The Baron said coldly, his impressive six feet six body looming over the warrior's five feet eight frame. The warrior didn't seem phased by the power behind the man's words.

"I am not a man of words, rather I relish on action, I am here to challenge your power Baron. Do you accept?" He asked, in a calm, unwavering tone, a pair of dark brown eyes gazing impassively into the Baron's.

The Baron smirks at the comment and chuckles, his slightly curved mustache adding to his arrogant look as he ran a hand through the hairs of matching goatee beard. "If you will to die, let it be so, we shall fight to the death...or not at all..." The Baron says.

The warrior nodded once, entering a martial arts stance, right hand rising to guard his face, whereas his left lay before his body, both fists clenched, his stance loose, yet invoking the feel of skill and which was most obviously more dangerous than it seemed.

If the Baron was afraid, he showed no signs of it as his eyes erupted into blue light, his irises being ingulfed in energy and his corneas shifting between lighter and darker shades of the color.

Swirling tendrils of energy crackled around his limbs from time to time, and he suddenly defied gravity lightly as he levitated an inch above the ground, entering a offensive stance, both fists at his sides and his feet spread in order to kick.

"And so our battle begins!" The Baron said as he grinned and stepped forward quickly, practically soaring forward like a bullet, his fist rising from waist level toward the warrior's temple.

Shin's arm lashed out, the back of his hand deflecting the percise blow and sending the swing off course. Shin quickly shifted his weight, turning his body sideways while letting his offensive fist whip out.

His arm uncurled and rammed into the Baron's abdomen with crushing force, sending the powerful individual reeling backwards. The Baron stepped back but was quickly assaulted once more.

The Baron's eyes narrowed as Shin quickly leapt and spined around, extending his back foot and aiming it at the Baron's cheekbone, the Baron quickly shifted side ways and suddenly Shin felt an awesome force throw him off balance as the Baron's eyes turned a little brighter for a second.

Shin was sent into a spiral, blocking his fall with his hands, and tried to rise quickly enough to block of avoid the Baron's next attack. Shin grunted as the Baron seemed to glide above the ground, in a sliding motion.

His boot collided into Shin's ribcage, sending the Japanese man rolling onto the ground, the snow drenching his gi and sending chills all over his body, goosebumps running all over his body as he stood up.

The Baron crossed his arms and electrical surges of Ki surged brightly around his forearms as he slowly moved them, a sphere of power being summoned in between his wrists as he moved to cup it, letting the power amass and swirl more.

Shin seemed unphased as he pulled his hands to his waist and lets his own Chi be summoned forth. The Baron sent his power forward, sure of dominating over Shin's.

Bright blue pulsed from the Martial Artist's palms "Shinkuu..." he muttered as the sphere approached him, biding his time, When it was around three feet away he threw both hands forward and a huge beam of white power ripped through the very air, leaving a sonic boom in its wake, swallowing the Baron's projectile.

The Baron blinks and hurriedly teleported, appearing behind Shin and throwing a kick at his back. Shin sidestepped quickly and kicked back, hitting the Baron's abdomen with his foot before groaning as a pulse of power shocked him as his foot connected.

He was thrown forward as the Baron was sent stumbling back, panting lightly at the pain his diaphram being hit and his breathing disrupted subtly. Shin rolled back to his feet and quickly ducked under a roundhouse kick that would've crushed his windpipe.

Shin then fell to his knees but losing his footing as the Baron resumed his stance, or so the Baron thought as suddenly the Japanese warrior leapt upward while swinging his fist.

His fist rammed into the Baron's chin, backed up by a white trail of Chi. The Baron was shocked before pain exploded in his mouth as he was literally catapulted into the air, landing heavily on his back a few feet away.

The Baron looked shocked and confused "Who is this man? how can he succeed in this feats? he is a mere mortal?! This power is supposed to be beyond him?!" he thought and pushed his power against the air, lifting himself to his feet and resuming his stance, now more serious about the battle.

Shin's stance shifted to a more offensive one, his legs more spread and his fist falling from his head's side and remaining at the side of his body. He gazed into the Baron's eyes coldly.

The Baron's eyes glowed darkly, the shade of blue becoming almost midnight and much more intense as it swirled violently. "Insolent insect!" he shouted and threw both hands forward, causing his psychic powers to create an invisible ripple, pushing the air itself, colliding against Shin forcefully.

Shin was surprised and thrown backwards, sliding on the ground from the force behind the psychic lashing. Shin placed his hands on the arid, ice cold ground and pushed upward, throwing himself off the ground and flipping to his feet.

Before he could think twice the Baron's fist rammed into his gut and sent him stumbling back again. Shin grunted and exhaled sharply, turning toward the Baron but feeling he was already gone.

Shin's eyes widened and he cried in pain, the Baron's hands clasping onto his temples, psychic pain being thrusted into his mind, causing his body to convulse violently and his eyes to shut tightly.

The Baron laughed in his mind "Did you really think you could conquer my power? You pathetic mortal! I CANNOT be beaten!" he sent and the pain intensified greatly and Shin's legs almost buckled under the strain.

Shin gritted his teeth and his muscles suddenly tensed, his teeth ground hard and his eyes snapped open. bright purple erupting from within them as he growled angrily.

The Baron blinked, unable to comprehend the power he was sensing within the soul of the man, now burning like wildfire and expanding rapidly through his Ki lines, his body being augmented to inhuman degrees.

"Get...Out...of...my....MIND!?!" Shin bellowed and spun around while extending his fist, his mind rejecting the Baron's power and blocking him out in an act of impossibility from a human.

The Baron was sent flying backwards quite violently, crashing to the ground heavily as Shin slowly resumed his stance. The Baron climbed to his feet and shook his head, but before he could think Shin's body seemed to solidify from thin air as purple energy swirled around his limbs.

The Baron backstepped and quickly swatted a punch aside, trying to retaliate by pushing his fist toward the wanderer's abdomen. Shin shifted his body sideways while ramming his own fist into the Baron's ribcage.

The Baron crumpled forward and exhaled sharply, feeling his ribs quake under the force behind the blow. The Baron then fell victim to a hammer blow to his back, forcing him to the ground with a thud.

His face brushed against the ground and the Baron moaned loudly, quite in pain. Shin's leg rose, ready to stomp his spine before the Baron acted, but he avoided the blow and quickly scurried to his feet.

Shin's hands cupped a sphere of fire as he leapt into the air. The Baron's eyes narrowed as he stepped back. Shin tossed forth a fireball of intense scarlet, the recoil sending him back.

The Baron smirked and did a cutting motion across his body, the fireball was stopped in midair against an invisible barrier, then sent flying back toward Shin.

Shin was hit and sent back, engulfed in flames, grunting only, not seeming in major pain despite the searing heat. The Baron threw a psyshic sphere at Shin, the projectile sailing toward him like a comet, a trail of purple fire left in its wake.

Shin's eyes narrowed and he shifted his body diagonally downward, the power missing narrowly before Shin broke into a sprint. The Baron was surprised by his sudden rise of power and stamina and suddenly felt his confidence crumbling.

Shin attacked, rapidly and in a frighteningly efficient manner. Shin punched, blocked by the Baron's forearm, but as he does, Shin kicked at his lower abdomen quickly. The Baron was slightly winded and bringing both hands forward, narrowly grabbed Shin's kick.

Shin didn't give him time to utilize the mistake as he leapt off his other foot and brought it crashing into the Baron's cheek. The Baron's grip was broken and his head whipped sideways, spitting blood and saliva as he did.

Shin landed on his feet and quickly leapt forward, the Baron quickly lifted his forearm and blocked a kick, relieved he had a opening but shocked completely as the attack was far from done and Shin's other foot came crashing into his face.

Kick after kick after kick rammed into the Baron, crushing his bones as Ki began to empower the blows and the attack became a blurr. The Baron was sent crashing to the ground heavily, shuddering and coughing blood and spitting, barely able to breathe.

Baron fueled his last specks of his Chi and formed a pure sphere of Chi, cupping it and causing very intense energy to illuminate the dark plains, a pillar of light surrounding him as he thrust his hands forward "DIIEEEEEEEEEE!" He shouts and incredible amounts of Chi pulsed forth.

Shin's body melted into the air as he ran, the Chi passing through him as if it were nothing, reforming behind the Baron and grabbing his clothing, turning him toward him, glaring up into his eyes "Sosh..." he said coldly.

The Baron then found himself pummeled violently, Shin's fist bursting into crimson fire, hitting the fourteen Ki centers, each blow causing a reddish hue to spread across hIS body, and slowly melded into the others.

Then Shin pulled his fist back "Shun...Goku...Satsu..." he mutters in Japanese and rammed his fist into the Baron's heart. So powerful was the blow his hand passed through the Baron's torso, tearing through flesh and bone alike.

The Baron was dead, Shin pulls his fist out and looked at it, as his eyes turned normal. "The power, is forbidden, inhuman, demonic, dangerous, I hope nobody tries to control it as I, for such an action might trigger murder, and that is not my way..." he thought sadly and looks at the blood on his fist again, sighing and then leaving. He still had much to learn, he felt.

And he had done what he had come here to do.

-1874, somewhere in Europe-

"This is not," stated a voice which carried power and strength as easily as one breathes "What we had ever expected."

"I disagree, my Lord." retorted another, full of respect and even reverence "Although it IS true that we were...unprepared for this, it wasn't totally unexpected "Mortals, I must tell before the entire Council of Ancients, are on the verge of being on par with us."

This discussion was taking place in a great room which was shaped as like a great sphere of obsidian, with a source of light made and maintaining itself for over twenty-seven centuries came forth from the unfathomable ceiling. The floor of the room was also unseen, only a dark chasm, for the floor on which these conversing people walked and had such a grave discussion was a solid as steel yet as invisible as air. Carved out of alabaster and furnished with the richest leathers that the British Colony of India had ever produced, were eleven chairs, with one, larger and worked with gold and silver, seeming no less than a throne - and for good reason. From the bottomless chasm of the room, a spiral of purplish fire erupted from the center of it all, stopping high enough to seem nothing but a strong blaze to those encircling it.

This room would have rendered more than one man insane, but did not phase the eleven a bit. This was Kel-Drashi, this was the first Bastion of Psychics. This was the forteress of the Ancients, standing taller than any tower and yet hidden from mortal eyes, it had stood for centuries and would stand until the world was null again. However, these people, these eleven, had a more pressant problem, a problem reflected for their eyes in the flames.

All of them - ten seated and one standing - were staring at the images of a fight which, in the Mortal World, was already becoming its own small legend. Shin, the great Martial Arts Warrior, facing against Baron Voris Shurock, a tyrant of the Region of Nikolavesk, challenging the supposedly invincible man to a fight, demonstrating a prowess of chi channeling that was nothing short of amazing, better than his opponent, and walking away triumphant, his opponent dead. A tyrant dead. A wanderer a hero. Nothing of consequence to these people, if it wasn't for two things.

Shin the Wanderer was a mere Mortal. And Voris Shurock one of the most powerful Psychics in the world except for the Council of Ancients.

Watching the flames, a fat man dressed more sumptuously than many a prince, dark-haired and porcine, stopped sipping his wine and belched - to the irritation of everyone else. "Well, I'd say it was impossible if I hadn't seen it just now!" he exclaimed.

Another of the seated ones, a raven-haired, athletic and beautiful - if severe and dark - woman seemed to take this as an affront. "I still say it is impossible! No mere mortal could have managed to defeat a psychic so thoroughly!"

"The Darasha cannot lie." stated the only standing member, his face hawkish and more sharp-featured, yet possessing far more warmth than the previous female. His distintive feature was his short hair, the color of lavender "And I do not find this surprising - mortals are advancing at an incredible rate - their arts, science, litterature and plain culture are reaching our level rapidly - "

"Ridiculous!" said another, a white-haired man of undefinable age. "No mortal beings, who barely live to the age of seventy, will ever equal us, Darius."

The Ancient called Darius started to space back and forth on the invisible floor, exposing as much as explaining his point of view.

"You are wrong Belsar. Yes they age fast and they have little time to do anything and for countless centuries it has greatly hindered them. No more. For the past two centuries, Mortals have embraced technology, knowing that this was something they could improve rapidly. Just look at them. Books, libraties, railroad, museums, weapons - they now have set themselves another goal - to cram as much as they can into their short life as is possible."

"This makes them delusional." snapped the severe woman.

"No, Nyra, it makes them extremely CREATIVE. One day - soon by our standards - they WILL reach our level. What then?"

"Then we must force the mortals into a path of regression!" said another Ancient, a blond-haired female.

"Or one of mutual destruction." added another.

"Or simply," said the one who sat in the throne-like chair, a man who looked no more than forty, yet had the eyes as old as time itself. "we should create stronger strains of psychics to cope with the problem, as least until we have a more problem-proof solution."

Darius raised his eyebrows. "New strains? But my Lord Fares, how.."

"We will breed with high-level psychics, thus bringing in higher-level psychics who could withstand this...Shin... or anyone else save US. By breeding stronger strains we ensure the future. By ensuring the future, we ensure eventual victory."

"But my Lord...to breed with lesser beings..." scoffed Nyra distastefully. Many seemed to agree with that statement.

"It might work...give us time to come up with something good." mused the fat Ancient, sipping wine again.

"But who would do this deed?" Darius wondered aloud.

"Six of you." intoned Fares firmly "I have already chosen whom. It shall be Darius, Belsar, Fergen, Hillia, Caldon and Nyra."

"WHAT!!!" exploded the raven-haired lady in a rage, her eyes glowing, the darkness of her soul flaring for a moment, her immense power showing itself. "I will not do such a despicable thing!"

"Yes you shall." stated Fares quietly.

Many of the other psychics were showing distaste over their appointed task, but preffered to deal with it in silence. Darius himself seemed distraught. But Nyra wouldn't relent. All of her long life, she had never bent down easily.

"How DARE you choose what we should do!" she raged, her fist clanched, coming to stand right next to the oldest being in the world. "I will not let you..."

"ENOUGH!" Fares stood up, faced her, his eyes not only glowing, but like pure light, his power so great it seemed not to be contained even in that mystical room. His aura grew, outstripping hers, mocking her power with his far greater one "I have rendered my decision. You will do as I please for this mission, Nyra, or I will be extremely unhappy with you." a pause, a deadly one "And you know what THAT entails."

There were few things which could shatter Nyra's resolve, but Fares's strength of will and uncalculable power was one of them. She let her aura drop back to normal, her eyes regained their normal, pale blue tint. However, her bitterness and her disgust stayed just as high, just as poignant.

"Very well, then...my Lord." she all but spat "I will do so...it is not like I have any choice, now, do I?" She let her head drop.

"No...you do not. Darius, Nyra, your are the most powerful after I. Do not disappoint me." and Fares teleported away.

Nyra stayed there, her head bowed, even after Belsar had come beside her and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Come now, Nyra." said Darius hesitantly "It certainly will not be as bad as we think."

"SILENCE!" she shouted, her head snapping towards, him, flashing him a look of hatred. "You and your DAMN ideas! To damnation with them! I won't forgive this." and she teleported as well. Belsar and Darius fixed each other with a knowing, understanding gaze, and both vanished. Soon the rest followed, slowly, until only the fat Ancient with his wine remained.

The older than old man looked around a bit, then chuckled. "This is the beginning of an Era. I cannot wait to see it!"

And he raised his glass in toast to the future, before the purplish flames that were ever - and ever would be - called the Darasha.