Bahamut

Mike continued his training with Hamza for the next week, slowly gaining better control over how he distributed his power. With each sparring session, he could feel the improvement in his movements, his strikes, and his awareness.

"That's enough progress for now," Hamza said, nodding with a small smile. "You'll need to test this in battle. It will keep improving with experience. Let's take a break then we will continue"

Mike sat on the edge of the training platform, sweat still dripping down his brow, his breath steady but heavy from their last exchange. Hamza approached. His usual calm expression, though a flicker of curiosity lingered in his gaze.

"You ever transformed before you met me?" Hamza asked

Mike blinked. "During the battle at the camp after I met you was the first time."

Hamza tilted his head thoughtfully. "Interesting. Most who can transform, shifters, war-forms, elemental hybrids, they tend to awaken in the presence of Djinn."

Mike raised an eyebrow. "Why would that matter?"

"Because," Hamza said, stepping down from the platform and gesturing at the air, "your god Bahamut lives in the astral realm and the higher plane of the gods. Those places are separated from ours. No physical body can cross into them, not entirely. Only fragments."

"And the Djinn?" Mike asked.

"We exist in the space between," Hamza said, tapping the center of his chest. "Not the mortal world. Not the astral. Somewhere in the seam. A crack between the pages of a book. When you're near us, that veil gets thin. Thinner than anywhere else. That's why transformation often happens near a Djinn. The channel between the mortal body and the divine becomes... navigable."

Mike's brow furrowed. "Wait. Are you saying I needed to be near you to transform?"

Hamza smiled. "Not anymore."

He continued "Because it means your transformation, this… channel is now anchored in you. And the stronger your connection to the astral realm, the more stable your bridge becomes. You're not just transforming through instinct anymore. You're reaching into something bigger, and drawing Bahamut's essence through it."

Mike looked down at his hands. "So it's not really me transforming... it's him flowing into me."

Hamza nodded. "Exactly. But—" he raised a hand "—that's also the danger."

Mike looked up, tense.

"That channel between realms," Hamza said slowly, "is like a dam. Every time you open it, you're letting Bahamut's essence into your body. That's not just divine power. It's raw. And if you're not careful, you'll open the floodgates too wide."

"And what happens then?"

Hamza's expression darkened. "Your soul burns out."

Mike stiffened.

"You ever hear of the Second Avatar of Vishnu?" Hamza asked.

Mike shook his head.

"A thousand years ago, Vishnu had a chosen who grew too quickly, too hungry for power. He was given the ability to call on Vishnu's essence, just like you. But he didn't learn control. He opened the gate too wide. Lost himself in the flood." Hamza gestured upward, then outward.

"And then?" Mike asked.

Hamza's voice dropped. "That flood of uncontrolled essence manifested into something else. A new form Kurma. Vishnu's second avatar. A colossal turtle, forged from divine pressure and mortal failure. The moment it appeared, it shattered the ocean shelf. Created a tsunami the size of a mountain. Wiped out the City of Rings. Nearly killed off the Sea People."

Mike stared, stunned. "All that… from losing control?"

"Power without containment is not strength," Hamza said firmly. "It's detonation. And gods don't always clean up after their accidents."

Mike looked at the floor, jaw tight.

Bahamut's voice rumbled in the back of his mind.

"I would not waste my essence creating turtles."

Mike ignored him.

"So what do I do?" he asked Hamza quietly. "How do I stop that from happening?"

"You already started," Hamza said. "Control. Precision. Not just in your fists, but your will. Every time you transform, remember: you're opening a bridge. Don't tear it open. Shape it."

Mike nodded slowly. "And angels? Demons? How do they do it?"

Hamza's lips thinned. "They cheat."

Mike tilted his head.

"Angels," Hamza said, "transform their chosen through submission. Total, blind faith. The chosen surrenders everything—mind, body, will and the astral being slips in through that crack. That's why so many angelic forms look like mockeries of the human. They're puppets lit by holy fire."

"And demons?"

"They dominate," Hamza said darkly. "They hollow out the soul. Replace it with infernal essence. The chosen becomes a husk. A walking body burning from within. They don't even last long. Just weapons on a timer."

Mike's stomach turned.

Hamza stepped closer, voice quiet. "But you… you're neither. Bahamut's presence is too massive to dominate you. And his nature is too primal to allow submission. You're not possessed. You're not protected. You're channeling something that kills anything too weak to contain it."

Mike swallowed. "So I'm the dam."

Hamza gave a solemn nod. "Yes. And if you crack, the world might drown in what comes through." Getting back on the stage he gestured for Mike. "Now transform into the dragon."

"Alright."

Walking back to the center Mike shifted into his now nearly fifteen-foot-tall dragon form.

"Good. Now use the same method. Focus your power in your hand, only now, without the restriction of your human shape."

Hamza transformed as well, smokeless flame erupting across his beast-like body.

Mike concentrated on his energy. His aura seeped from beneath his black scales, curling like mist. He surged forward, claws coated in that aura, and slashed at Hamza's flame shield.

Boom!

The shield collapsed.

Hamza went flying, crashing against the far end of the chamber like a meteor. Smoke trailed from the walls where the impact had rippled outward.

Mike looked down at his claws, a faint smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"That's basic control. Now you're a little more than a wild animal with claws," Bahamut added flatly in his mind.

Mike frowned. This fucking dragon. He could have actually taught me something in the trial. Helped me learn control. I fight like a wild animal because you had me survive like one!

"It gave you instincts. And the ability to fight in dragon form. You ruined the mindset with your human sentiment and emotion. Stop whining," Bahamut growled back.

Mike scowled. I'll form my mindset while achieving the absolute. His eyes burned with determination.

Hamza laughed as he rose to his feet. "Well, do you see the improvement now?"

"Yes," Mike replied with a nod. "Thank you, Hamza."