The training room felt bigger, colder, as Takuya picked himself up. His ribs ached. Garia's strike had been precise, a hard tap that still stung.
Stupid.
He landed with a grunt, the metal floor cold against his cheek. Garia stood over him, silver hair flowing, his eyes still that piercing blue.
"Your mind is a sieve, Takuya," Garia stated. His voice, usually echoing, now held a flat, tired note. "The warnings are there, but you cannot grasp them."
A deep sigh escaped Garia, a sound like dry leaves rustling.
"Take a break. Your focus is gone."
Takuya pushed himself up, every muscle protesting. Shame burned his cheeks, mixing with the sharp pain in his side. He had seen it coming. The tingling threads in his mind had screamed danger. Yet he still failed.
Useless.
He moved to the edge of the training area, slumping against a cool metal wall. Garia had called it the Spider-Sense, a gift from Planet Spider. It was supposed to show him the future, tiny threads of events before they happened.
It felt more like a constant hum in his brain, a confusing static.
He knew the blow was coming, but he could not translate that raw feeling into a quick dodge. It was a jumble, too fast, too much. The power was there, a constant warning system, but he just could not use it right. He just kept messing it up.
Takuya gulped water from a cool bottle. The metallic taste did little to soothe the sting of Garia's words. A sieve. The old man was not wrong.
His eyes drifted from the blank training area, taking in the huge, high-tech cavern of the Marveller. It hummed with power, a soft, low thrum against his skin. This place was a mystery, a distraction from his own failures.
He wandered deeper into the ship's belly, past consoles glowing with alien symbols. He passed strange, silent machines, each one more complex than the last. Takuya wanted a corner, any corner, where Garia wouldn't find him. He just needed a moment to breathe.
He found a command console with a large, dark screen. Glowing, unfamiliar symbols lined its edges. What did this thing do? Curiosity tugged at him, stronger than caution. He reached out.
His fingers brushed a smooth, cool button.
The screen flared to life with a soft [HUM]. It showed a complex schematic of the Marveller. Blue lines traced its circuits.
Then the image shifted.
The schematic cycled through a series of elaborate transformation sequences. The sleek ship reconfigured itself. Panels slid. Limbs extended. The Marveller folded, twisted, and then stood as a massive, humanoid form.
Takuya stared, mesmerized. The sheer scale hinted at incredible power.
This thing can change. Takuya's mind raced, connecting the dots.
It's not just a ship.
The lines on the screen twisted, pulling apart, rejoining. The spaceship became something else. Something huge.
A cold voice sliced through the hum of the console.
"You should not be touching those controls."
Takuya jumped, startled. He pulled his hands back as if the console had burned him. Garia stood right behind him, silent as a ghost. Takuya's face felt hot.
"Sorry, Garia," he mumbled. "I just… I saw it."
Garia's silver-blue eyes fixed on the complex schematics still displayed. They flickered from the screen to Takuya.
"Your impulsiveness is a thread that weaves both strength and weakness." Garia's voice was stern but held no anger. "This is immense power. It is not to be trifled with, Takuya."
Immense power.
Takuya glanced back at the screen. The diagram of the giant, transformed Marveller still glowed. What kind of power was he talking about?
Garia's words hung in the air, a familiar weight. Takuya lowered his gaze from the massive schematic of the transformed Marveller. He was always messing something up.
He thought about the motocross track, the blur of speed, the feeling of control. He used to know exactly what he was doing. Now, everything felt out of reach.
Garia turned, "Come."
He led Takuya away from the console, deeper into the cavernous space. The air grew cooler here, smelling faintly of ozone and something clean, metallic. They moved through a sterile corridor. It looked like something out of a science fiction movie.
The passage opened into a smaller bay. White light, soft and even, filled the room.
There it was.
A car.
No way.
It was vibrant red, sleek and low, with sharp blue lines that cut across its body. The headlights were thin, predatory slits, like a spider's eyes. It looked like it could hit 300 kilometers an hour just sitting there.
It made his motocross bike look like a child's toy.
Takuya walked around it, unable to tear his eyes away. His fingers traced the smooth, cool chassis. The metal felt alien, yet perfectly formed. Every curve, every angle, screamed speed.
This thing is… perfect.
He could almost feel the engine thrumming beneath his hands. This was a machine that understood him. It was fast. It was powerful. It was exactly what he needed.
"This is the Spider Machine GP-7. Your personal transport. A product of Planet Spider's finest engineers. Faster than any Earth vehicle you know."
Faster than my motocross bike? No way.
"It travels at extreme speeds, on land, underwater, and even through the air for short distances," Garia continued, a faint shimmer on his skin. "It carries missile launchers and machine guns. And, like Marveller, it answers your call through the Spider Bracelet."
Underwater? Flying? Missiles? Takuya's eyes widened. This wasn't just a car; it was a weapon. It was everything he ever dreamed of as a kid. He could almost feel the acceleration.
Takuya looked up, a desperate, boyish hope in his voice.
"Can I ride it?"
Garia looked at him, those silver-blue eyes seeing right through Takuya's excitement. A faint, almost invisible smile touched Garia's lips. It was quick, like a trick of the light.
"You may ride it," Garia said, his voice softer now. "When you have earned it."
Earned it? What did that even mean?
"True control of your powers, Takuya," Garia explained, the smile fading. "A deeper understanding of the Way of the Spider. The Spider-Sense is a tool. It demands discipline, not just raw ability."
Takuya felt a familiar frustration bubble up. Discipline. He had heard that word a thousand times since Garia started training him. It felt like a brick wall.
Garia's voice hardened, pulling Takuya from his thoughts. "Your break is over."
He turned, his movements fluid. Takuya sighed, the aches in his body a fresh reminder of his failure in the training room. But then he looked back at the GP-7. The red gleamed under the white lights.
That car. I want to drive that car.
A new kind of determination sparked inside him. The GP-7 was not just a vehicle; it was a promise. A tangible reward. He would master the Spider-Sense. He would control this frustrating power. He would earn the right to sit behind that wheel.
He followed Garia back to the training room, his steps lighter than before.
* * *
Days blurred into a cycle of pain and effort. Takuya threw another punch, aiming for a phantom enemy. His arm felt heavy. His legs shook. He barely kept his balance. He was getting better. He was sure of it. But every movement still felt clumsy compared to Garia.
He watched Garia. The alien warrior moved with a quiet, deadly grace. Garia floated across the floor, blocking invisible attacks. His form was perfect and easily overpowered Takuya. Garia was a whole other level.
If he's so strong, why didn't he just deal with Professor Monster himself?
He paused, wiping sweat from his forehead. The question felt heavy in his throat.
"Hey, Garia," Takuya said. His voice was a mix of exhaustion and frustration. "If you're this powerful, why didn't you just beat the Iron Cross Army alone? Why do you need me?"
Garia stopped his movements. He turned slowly. His silver-blue eyes met Takuya's. There was a deep sadness in them. It was a look Takuya hadn't seen before. Not behind the stern mentor.
"I could not," Garia said. His voice was soft. It had a hollow sound. "Not anymore."
He moved to a holographic projector. A blue light shimmered. It showed a world. It was green. It had blue oceans. It looked peaceful. It looked like Earth.
That must be Planet Spider.
"My home was Planet Spider," Garia began. His gaze was distant. "A world of harmony. Of peace. Much like your Earth."
Takuya watched the hologram. He imagined Garia's people living there. Happy. Peaceful.
"Then Professor Monster came," Garia continued. His voice grew colder. "He brought his Iron Cross Army. His Machine BEMs. They were machines of war. They destroyed everything."
***
Advance Chapters on patreon.com/Najicablitz.
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