Chapter 18 - Growing Up IX

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It had been six months since Ikiru had told Levi and Mikasa about his new ability. After Levi had learnt about Ikiru's new ability, he observed him for a week. Thus, they were able to create a training programme for this ability together. They named this ability 'Zone'. The Zone was a circular psychic force field with Ikiru at the centre. It enabled Ikiru to understand and analyse everything within the area it covered. Levi was fascinated when he discovered the properties of this ability. If Ikiru improved in the use of this ability, he would be invincible in close combat, even if the ability did not improve further.

Of course, Levi wouldn't stop there. After studying Ikiru for a week, he discovered the increased data processing capacity of his brain. The influx of information Ikiru was experiencing while using the Zone was causing his brain to develop rapidly. This meant that as long as Ikiru pushed himself, the Zone's footprint could expand. Over the next few weeks, Levi began to participate in Ikiru's Quirk training. Levi observed Ikiru every time he used the Zone. He observed the effects the ability had on Ikiru during its use and the effects after its use. A few weeks of observation and study allowed Levi to fully understand the ability.

Ikiru began to train Zone with the programme Levi had created. Ikiru would focus on the training Zone once a week. The rest of the days were spent adapting to the Zone's expanding space. In preparation for his brain to adapt to the process, the amount of food he consumed increased. This increased Ikiru's need for food. Every Sunday, Ikiru would increase the boundary of the Zone by one metre. This caused him to bleed from his nose and ears. But the results were showing. Although Ikiru could not keep the Zone open all the time yet, the time he could use it had increased and the area covered by the ability had expanded.

When Ikiru activated the Zone, he knew everything in the area covered by the Zone. Objects, people, animals, and any movement or change in the area would not escape Ikiru's sight. However, the cost of this ability was high. The energy consumption of the ability was incredible. The limited energy Ikiru could access also limited the use of the Zone. For this reason, he was not yet able to use the ability continuously. In addition, the constant development and use of the ability were increasing the pressure on his brain day by day. Levi's solution to this problem caused Ikiru to grit his teeth. Levi's solution was nothing more than more training.

Specifically, the new training focused on his body. Ikiru was already physically very strong, having awakened his bloodline as a baby. At the age of five, he could lift a tonne of weight. He could run at seventy kilometres per hour. Given the immaturity of his body, these numbers were already frightening. However, if he wanted to further develop his Zone ability, he had to train his body. His muscles needed to be put under more stress for his bloodline power to be more active.

Ikiru was already doing bodybuilding workouts. Now these workouts would have more intensity. Ikiru spent all his time between training and exercise, except when he slept or ate. Even his baths counted as training because Mikasa was always watching over him. Whenever she had the chance, she would try to mould Ikiru into the man he should be. Ikiru would have gone mad if he didn't have heightened awareness and consciousness. He would have been crushed under the burden of his training and exercises. However, because he was still a child, his body and mind were able to adapt to whatever he was put under.

Levi was well aware of this. And he was pushing Ikiru to his limits. Levi was an AI, and although he developed emotions, mercy was not among them. Levi had not only increased the intensity of Ikiru's physical training programme, but he had also started to create a new training programme. In the last two years, Ikiru had been taking classes in many different subjects. Physics, chemistry, biology and the like were taught and regularly tested by Levi. After the age of three, he began receiving hands-on lessons in assassination from Mikasa. However, Levi was not satisfied with the intensity of this training. Although Mikasa never treated Ikiru lightly, her sole focus was on physical training. Levi wanted Ikiru to be mentally trained in assassination as well. It was five months after Ikiru discovered the Zone that Levi shared his new training plan with Ikiru and Mikasa.

"Physically, you learnt to fight and to be deadly. With the battle consciousness your awakened bloodline gave you, it was easy to specialise. The only thing you need to defeat Mikasa is the development of your body. Therefore I would like to suggest some modifications to your current programme," Levi said as Ikiru ate his fifth meal. Mikasa was sitting next to Ikiru drinking her coffee. When neither of them reacted, Levi continued. "Now that you've reached your physical limit, you should start your mental training. While fighting Mikasa regularly will make you one of the best fighters known, you need to get used to killing. The adjustments I'll be making will also train you to fight with different Quirks. To start changing the way you look at killing, you'll start by killing the animals we eat. Then, we'll change the way you fight Mikasa. You will spend this time fighting and trying to kill the criminals I capture/kidnap. Mikasa will supervise this training. This will bring you one step closer to the man you will become in the future," Levi said.

Mikasa had already realised this during her training with Ikiru. However, she did not want the change she had to make in this regard to take place. Because this change would reduce the time she had contact with Ikiru and the chance to taste his blood. Mikasa started killing at the age of five. Although she did not have as much attack power as Ikiru, she was very good at assassination thanks to the functionality of her Quirk. Ikiru, however, was more of a warrior type. Although he trained in assassination, his general direction was to get used to fighting and to be able to use his potential. Mikasa had not brought up this subject due to these reasons. When Levi brought it up, she could do nothing but sigh. Her pleasure was not more important than Ikiru's future. She had already decided to stop tasting Ikiru's blood a short time ago. She didn't want to taste Ikiru's blood, but something else. For that, she had to wait for Ikiru to grow up.

"It doesn't matter. I can handle any training you throw at me. But Levi, living like this is going to take its toll on me. I enjoy living programmed like a machine, but it's not healthy. Even though Mika relieves my stress, I think I need to develop a hobby to relax mentally," Ikiru said as he finished his meal and drank the support mixture Levi had prepared for him. "Don't worry, I'm working on that too. I've been keeping a list of subjects that interest you, and I'm organising different activities for you to choose from, but it's too early for that, you need to train your basics to the limit I want you to," Levi said, Ikiru's awareness and consciousness impressing him more and more each time. Knowing that Ikiru had no contact with anyone but him and Mikasa made his success all the more impressive.

So a month later, Ikiru began butchering. He killed every living thing Mikasa and he consumed. He killed cows, sheep, chickens and more. The first time he killed, he didn't even flinch. Normally, humans vomit after the first kill. The act of ending a life caused people to react this way. Ikiru, on the other hand, didn't even flinch. He had been taught where the meat he ate came from when he was one year old. He was going to start killing humans with the Quirkless. But Levi gave Ikiru three months to begin this training.

It was Levi's responsibility to bring these people to the mansion. Since the family never left the manor, Levi took care of all business with the world. The Ackermen company was involved in trade and insurance. In this way, Levi was able to accumulate some influence in the country. Although the family's influence was low now, it could increase rapidly with Ikiru's growth. Levi had not yet discussed Ikiru's career plan with him. Ikiru had to complete his university-level education first. This, Levi planned, would happen when Ikiru reached the age of ten. Levi was very selective about who Ikiru would kill. His criteria were extensive. He paid particular attention to martial arts proficiency and links to any organisation. Since their first target would be Quirksless, they were hard to find. However, he was able to find them because he searched throughout Japan. Levi was especially careful that these people had a criminal past. No one would look too hard for a missing criminal. There were tunnels leading from the mansion's cave to different parts of the city. Levi dug these tunnels shortly before Mikasa moved into the mansion. With the robot army he commanded, this feat was easy. Through these tunnels, he brought the people he captured/snatched to the mansion. Thus, Ikiru's serial killing began.