The next morning, Johnny began his new routine.
He helped his father at the Sector 7 workshop. However, Johnny didn't touch the complex machines filled with wires and chips—he was still completely technologically illiterate when it came to those things. Instead, he became the primary muscle. He moved motorcycle engine blocks, organized piles of scrap metal, and delivered heavy orders to neighboring shops with just one hand, leaving his father shaking his head in awe.
By afternoon, after the work was done, Johnny asked for permission to leave.
"I need a quiet place to practice," he said.
He went to a secluded Junkyard on the outskirts of Sector 7, where piles of metal waste formed a silent, labyrinthine maze.
WHOOSH. WHOOSH.
The sound of wind being cleaved apart echoed every time the Scrap Greatsword was swung. Sweat soaked Johnny's body, but his mind drifted back to yesterday's events. There were things that simply didn't make sense according to the logic of his old wars.
Johnny paused, stabbing his sword into the ground. His breathing was steady.
"Puck," Johnny called out while wiping away sweat. "Can I ask you something?"
Puck popped out from behind a stack of old tires, chewing on a leftover apple he had found. "Of course, Boss! Consultation is open. The fee is one fresh apple later."
"About yesterday..." Johnny stared at his own calloused hands. "That 'Berserk' power... how did it appear? In my world, that power could only come out if I wore the Berserker Armor that eats away at my life force. But yesterday, there was no armor, yet it felt the same. That rage... that darkness..."
Puck swallowed his apple, then flew atop a wrecked car. Suddenly, he was wearing tiny glasses—sourced from who knows where—and holding a twig like a teacher's pointer.
"Ahem! Sit down, Foolish Student. Let Puck the Great explain his cosmological theory!"
Johnny obeyed, sitting on an old tire with a flat but serious expression.
"Listen, Boss, the logic is different. Before, your power used Od—spiritual energy from nature. Here, it uses Lifestream or Mako energy," Puck explained, pointing with his twig.
"Now, about that 'Berserker State' yesterday. That was NOT your Limit Break/Ultimate Move. That was a Combat Mode."
Johnny frowned. "Mode?"
"Yes! The Lifestream gave you adaptability. Think of it like..." Puck thought for a moment, looking for an analogy. "Imagine a vessel. Every time you block an attack (like against Reno yesterday), or every time you get hit and feel pain, that vessel fills up with rage energy."
"When that vessel is full," Puck continued, "You can activate that mode. Black smoke comes out, eyes turn red, speed increases, pain disappears. It's similar to 'Punisher Mode' or 'Vengeance Mode' in local terms. So it's not a spell, it's a State where you burn rage energy for brutal counterattacks."
Johnny nodded slowly, starting to understand. "So... the more I withstand parries or get hurt, the faster that mode can activate?"
"Exactly! You combat masochist!" Puck chirped happily. "The more battered you get, the deadlier you become. Fits perfectly with your 'hit first, think later' fighting style."
Johnny grunted. "That's useful. I can use it to turn the tables when I'm cornered."
"But remember, Boss, you have to learn to control it. Don't let the mode eat your consciousness, or Aerith will get a headache or feel pain too."
"Understood," Johnny said briefly.
"Now, lesson number two!" Puck flew in circles. "Did you notice yesterday that Spiky Redhead shouted the names of his attacks? 'EM Shot!' 'Beatdown!'?"
Johnny frowned, his expression one of disgust. "Yeah. That was ridiculous. Why tell the enemy what you're going to do? It's a stupid strategy. On the battlefield, you shut up and kill."
Puck slapped his forehead. "Ah, you old-fashioned boomer! Listen, Boss. In this world, Names have Power."
"Meaning?"
"Here, fighters name their moves to focus their spiritual energy!" Puck explained passionately. "By shouting or intending the move's name, the damage hits harder! It's a law of nature here! If you just swing your sword silently, it hurts normally. But if you shout the move's name... BOOM! The pain doubles!"
Johnny stared at Puck with a blank look. "You... are joking, right? That's illogical."
"With the logic of this world, the answer is YES," Puck replied with a deadpan face (-_-). "There are people who name their moves 'Braver', 'Dolphin Blow', 'Blade Beam'. Everyone does it!"
"Dolphin...?" Johnny imagined a sea mammal shooting out of someone's hand. "Puck, are you drunk?"
Puck pulled Johnny's ear. "Of course not, my dear Boss! The point is, you have to start naming your moves! If you just swing your sword around hoping to hit something, the damage is only 100%. But if you name the skill, the damage can go up to 150% or 200%! Understand?!"
Johnny massaged his temples. This logic gave him a headache. But if that was how this world worked, he had to adapt.
"So..." Johnny stood up, lifting his sword hesitantly. "If I spin like a top to slash multiple enemies... I have to name it to make it stronger?"
"Correct! Name it what?" Puck urged.
Johnny thought hard, feeling incredibly silly. "Uh... Whirlwind Strike?"
Puck nodded. "Very standard RPG, but okay! And if you swing the sword from overhead downwards with full force?"
"Overhead Strike?"
"Too simple, but acceptable for a beginner," Puck commented critically. "By naming it, you unconsciously condense your energy at that point. That is what's called a Skill. You can use it as long as you have stamina."
Johnny stared at his sword with a new perspective. "It really makes no sense. But if it kills enemies faster... I'll do it."
"That's the spirit!" Puck cheered.
"Then what's the difference with a Limit Break?" Johnny asked again. "You said Berserker wasn't a Limit Break."
"Aha! Limit Break is different!" Puck's eyes sparkled. "That is the Ultimate Move. That is your 'Ace in the Hole'. A Limit Break can only come out when your emotions and mental pressure peak in battle. When your life is on the line, that's when this massive energy explodes."
Puck hovered in front of Johnny's face. "Boss, you have to give a cool name to your main Limit Break. Something that describes you. Something that makes even gods tremble."
Johnny fell silent. He closed his eyes.
He remembered the Red Eclipse. Remembered his friends being devoured. Remembered his oath to hunt them all down. He wanted to be the sword that cleaved through that eternal night.
"How about... Eclipse Slayer?" Johnny muttered softly. The aura around him darkened slightly just by speaking the name.
Puck was silent for a moment, then whistled in admiration. "Wow... That's heavy, Boss. Very edgy, very dark. I like it! The Lifestream would approve."
"Okay. My combat mode is Berserker. My ultimate move is Eclipse Slayer," Johnny concluded, feeling a bit strange saying the terms out loud.
"One more thing, Puck. That guy yesterday... Reno. And his group, the Turks. Who are they?"
Puck took off his glasses. "The Turks... are Shinra's Elite Secret Unit. They do the company's dirty work. Kidnapping, assassination, spying. They aren't street thugs, Boss. They are professionals."
Johnny nodded, his eyes sharpening. "Professionals. No wonder he was strong. Then what about Aerith? Is she safe? I will keep beating them down if that group keeps bothering Aerith."
"Relax, Boss," Puck added quickly. "Ivalera says they are only ordered to monitor Aerith. As long as Aerith doesn't endanger Shinra, they won't attack."
Johnny settled back into his combat stance.
"Alright. Starting now, I'll practice naming these silly moves," Johnny muttered resignedly. "And I'll gather monsters in this Junkyard. I'm going to round up twenty of them at once to test how fast my Berserker Mode can activate. And to test these Skills and Limit Breaks I made up."
Puck laughed loudly. "That's my Boss! Don't forget to shout loud, okay? Make it cool!"
"Shut up, Flea. If I can, I'll just whisper when I use the skills."