rebelwithoutaface | SUPER COMBAT ARTS; A brief introduction

Super Combat Arts is the generic name for any martial art that allows the user to achieve effects beyond the basic physical structure of their body. The forefather of all Super Combat Arts is 'Awakening Art', the original martial art created by the Four Heroes who came together from across the universe to defeat the cosmic horrors the Four Terrors. Following this, the Four Heroes each left behind hints of the skills across the universe, which were imitated and modified to produce the countless Super Combat Arts known today.

S.C.A are all based around the principles of Body, Spirit, Life and Soul. These four energies are present in all living beings and once they are refined can be used for endless special effects.

Body is the simplest and almost always the first learned and the first mastered, due to its simple but crucial applications. It is the energy of muscles, bone and cells. Once properly harnessed, it is possible to compact this energy in such a way that it defies the standard energy limitations of the metabolism. Depending on the S.C.A in question, this may be used constantly to provide a permanent state of super strength, speed, durability or other such functions or it can be used on demand when required. All functions of Body are physical and techniques using them include all more mundane martial art moves, e.g. punches, kicks, throws. It is replenished through rest and food.

Spirit is usually learned after Body and is the energy of the mind and its thoughts. Spirit is easy to learn but difficult to master, having near infinite possibilities of use. Techniques of Spirit can vary from the simplest of energy blasts to sophisticated skills such as transmutation, teleportation, flight, illusions, sealing and so on. Spirit is the easiest energy to replenish, although the methods of doing so vary from S.C.A to S.C.A, some using emotions and others clear and precise thoughts. Spirit is the most widely used of the energies and often the final one learned.

Life is, essentially, the user's finite existence distilled in a physical force. Its true form remains a mystery after hundreds of thousands of years of research, but its composition is similar to both Body and Spirit but immensely more potent. To compare, using the same Body or Spirit technique with an equal amount of Life in its place would increase its effectiveness a hundredfold at minimum. The cost of using Life however, is exactly that. It damages the user and for all but the most talented practitioners, using Life is a death sentence, saved only for situations where victory is more important than survival. Life is the most difficult to replenish. The user must first survive the technique(s) used and, barring the use of extremely unconventional items or abilities, await the the return to normal levels, becoming drastically weakened during this time. It is only commonly used by the very best in the universe, those that possess enough Life to make the damage negligible.

Soul is the rarest of the four by far and only handful have learned it in all of history, with even less mastering it. Soul is unique in that it is never used up. It does not need to be replenished because it will always be at the same level. One could compare it to a cup that is always full of water. The moment a drop is spilled, it is replaced without any time wasted. Soul cannot be used in the same way as the others. It is the manifestation of ones very being, and has only one form and only one use that is different for everyone. Until it is mastered, using Soul puts a heavy burden on Body, Spirit and Life levels. Whilst it grants unique and fantastic powers that can defy the fundamental laws of reality, it is therefore incredibly dangerous to the user. Many of those who do achieve Soul manifestation have it go completely out of control, killing them and those around them.

Most schools of S.C.A have techniques for the three main energies (formulating techniques for Soul would be pointless, as each individual operates on their own powers) that vary wildly in their scope and ability, although in the most basic of generalisations the make up is 50% Body, 40% Spirit and 10% Life.

The maximum potential of S.C.A outstrips conventional weaponry, but the majority of people never achieve superior performance to technological means. Because of this, that is still the most common form of military composition.

Each of the three S.C.A energies can be measured and quantified, and analysis machinery is common military equipment, which is generally a superior and more accurate method than using organic senses. Body Power (BP), Spirit Power (SP) and Life Power (LP) can all rise and fall depending on circumstance and technique. Although a good guide, S.C.A readings are not a perfect indicator of who will win a fight, as they cannot take into account tactics and skills, nor how well combatants abilities oppose one another.

Some readings for comparison:

Average S.C.A Imperial Soldier
Body 30BP
Spirit 30SP
Life 10LP

Elite S.C.A Imperial Soldier
Body 75BP
Spirit 75BP
Life 12BP

Lawbreaker at ease
Body 50BP
Spirit 130SP
Life 20LP

Lawbreaker at full
Body 300BP
Spirit 1000SP
Life 22LP

A Seven Supreme Sage
Body 2203000BP
Spirit 2203000SP
Life 440700LP