There was then the second skill. The time used make the medicinal powders took me up till late afternoon. On the brighter side it gave me some time to rest. But once I came to the guild, I was the only one in the room. I was given a few letters from the front desk. They were each from my friends. Mr. Williams and Rebecca were getting ready for their own initiation request coming up tomorrow. As for Tyrell he had a few more order of forged kitchenware to be ready until tomorrow. I was left alone for bed.
All I could do was stare at my scribe and read at the various skills I learned because of my reincarnations. Even all the techniques that I learned from my uncle were here along with those of Hijikata. But what struck me most was the gibberish written on my the other pages. It looked as if my scribe formatted on its own in of form of my bio and the bio of my previous reincarnations. They were split from the skills that I know to the later lives descending to the previous past lives. The most recent reincarnation showed his specialty with firearms. Hijikata had Tenen Rishin-Ryu and several medicines discovered. Some were still gibberish. It was the same with Sagittarius with his archery and combat training. Surprisingly he was gifted in weapons mastery and hand to hand combat. But it was there when I read about the ninja's character bio that I found most of my onmyouji spells but there was no name. The only thing I got from the first was the barrier seal charm. There were two identities known and only three to go. It made me restless to not know what is coming in store.
Sad enough the dreams came. All wars at once. All I could do was toss and turn as I felt the blood drop at my cheeks for every person I had slain. It was scary but cathartic. It against ends with the fox mask one. I was thinking that was the ninja but it really wasn't. There we're no clues at all...just lots of unknowns. But the morning came with the shock of a lifetime. I screamed my head out in cold sweat. I was relieved thought that it was my sweat. The blood spilled at those wars was already too much. The shivers down my spine almost made me barely stand.
But surprisingly enough there was an advantage to this. I was able to get a longer shower and a good meal. I was at the first floor enjoying the special. Toast, eggs, and bacon were things that I'd never thought see. As I soon as I finish, Richard walked inside chewing on an apple. I paid my bill and went back to the Rose Line with Richard. Today we were going to head to the hunting guild called the Hunter's Fang guild. However I were kinda surprised on the image of the guild. It looked as if the guild was an inn. "Are you sure we are at the right place?" I asked. "Hunting guilds may have a lot of payout but people barely consider it an option. Some other guilds even do sidelines just to pay for the taxes and mortgages." He told me. But before Richard could take a single step, he just stopped there. "I think I'm forgetting something." He mumbled. But instead of recollecting the thought he instead brushed it off.
We came in the establishment and it wasn't what I expected. It was very much like a hotel but with a restaurant at the bottom. There were many cooks in the kitchen as much as there were waiters and waitresses. But it came with a little twist. A man tried to grope one of the waitresses but in retaliation, the pervert's hand was pinned to the table with a bowie knife. A muscular scruffy man with a crew cut came and started to play with the wound by pouring alcohol on it. The pervert screamed. "Don't you assholes read the signs?! No groping the staff!" He shouted. The man with the crew cut then took out the knife and kicked him down at the floor. The man then takes out a judge revolver and points it at the pervert. "Get outta here or we make a bet whether a twelve gauge or .410 bullet blows up your face!" The man told him. The pervert ran like hell as he was bleeding. "Who's that?" I asked. "Oliver Sage. Hunter's Fangs guildmaster and badass. Careful what you say." Richard told me.
A gulp of air just went down my throat. There was reckless but this is way beyond what I do. "Looks like we need to get his distraction...but how..." He wondered.
But I didn't need to do anything as something else came. My senses then sensed some bloodlust run through some veins. I then drew out my katana and deflect something. It turned out to be two throwing knives. But to my surprise it wasn't actually meant for me at all. It turned out to be for Richard. How do I know this? There turned out to be a third knife and it split Richard's pipe in two. The front half was on the floor and I was rather speechless as I sheathed my katana. "Samson! I thought I told you the last time you came here without the money I'm gonna knife your ass!" The guildmaster shouted. "Didn't I tell you that I was gonna pay that back next week?" He asked.
"Today is next week, you jackass!"
"Just give me a bit more time and I'll pay you back in interest."
"Don't kid with me! I know you sold off those supplies and those giga tortoise!"
"Give a guy some space, will ya!"
The both of them went on each others last nerve. But it was only there that I came between the two. "He's just here to help me. Just settle down and we might work something out." I we told the guildmaster. The man's sight then directs straight to me. The tension was so dense that you can cut it with a knife. I was at the other end, rather speechless of his gaze. It looked like the guildmaster was an angry wolf. He cleared his throat and directed his gaze to me. "Got a name, boy?" He asked me. "Rin Kamiyama." I replied. He circles around me and takes a good look. The man looked indifferent and didn't see me as much. "Who would have thought a plain kid like you would be able to block my knives like that. You got business here?" He asked in a rough voice. "I was hoping for to learn a new skill for my initiation request as a freelancer." I replied. That made him raise an eyebrow. He turned to Richard. "This class still exist? Kinda old school, don't you think?" He asked Richard. "Don't look at me, Sage. The decision was made by our guildmaster, not me." Richard replied. The guildmaster then looks back and goes for a seat. "Look. We don't take in scrubs." The guildmaster tells me, "Even if we did, the freelancer is too unpredictable to the point we don't know which skill to even give you. Best to scurry on your way and find another guild."
I was cast aside and went on my way. But as I was on my way to the door, somebody bumped into me. It turned out to be a drunk with a bottle at him. I accidentally knocked his drink out with the hilt of my sword's handle. The alcohol spilled over his shirt. He got mad instantly and broke a bottle in half. "You know who I am, runt?! I'm part of Thunderbolt guild!" He shouted at me. "Sorry, man." I apologized. He then grabbed me by the collar and points the glass bottle shiv at me. "You'll be sorry once I cut up your pretty little face!" The drunk shouted more. But as he was about to stab me, I unsheathed my sword partially and hit the drunk at the stomach with the hilt. The force pushed him away and knocked him to a pillar. "You're dead, little bitch!" The drunk shouted. The man charged at me with the broken bottle. My body started to move on its own as the bloodrush came. I felt an intent to kill as it flows within me. But just by a millisecond I unsheathed my katana by a full diagonal swing. It scared the man but as soon as he moved, the drunk's hand dropped down with a loud thud to the floor as it was sliced clean. He screamed. Everybody's jaws dropped. He then ran to the door with his arm. Judging by the whole room, what they saw was quite out of the ordinary. But then again...maybe I might have done it out of a reflex.
The guildmaster then stood up and walked close to me. His eyes were rather surprised to see me. The man's eyes directed towards Richard. "I'll tell you what. I duel with him, then I'll see if the boy has what it takes." He told Richard.
And just like that I was given the chance to prove myself. Everybody moved back and gave way at the center. It was only the chairs and tables at the middle. The guild was closed to customers and the rest of the guild members were watching at the second floor. It was agreed that we would only have two weapons. I had my katana and wakizashi, and Oliver Sage had a short sword with some throwing knives. "The rules are simple, first one to cut wins. You got two minutes. Once the coin drops at the floor the battle starts." Oliver told me.
"Don't you have more than two?" I asked.
"I did say sets, didn't I?"
"Okay…"
Casting that thought aside, I needed to focus on the task on hand. If this guy was a guildmaster then he might as well be the strongest one here. The guildmaster then flipped the coin up in the air as it was almost about to touch the ceiling. My eyes were locked at the man. I got to my ready stance as my katana was still on its sheath. We were opposite sides of each other on a long table. As soon as the coin clings to the ground, I dashed towards the man. We both ran to the center and I quickdraw my sword. The man was barely able to block it as my blade swing was fast by a second. We were on gridlock as the both of us waited to see who was the first to back away. We jumped backwards and charged on with swinging our swords. Oliver had unique speed. I tried to read his movements but he was too unpredictable. His skill was high tier and hard to anticipate. But I soon parried and went for a vertical slash. Oliver dodges it with a backflip and pounces once more. Again a barrage of sword swings and stabs went for me. I was able to block but what every move I made, the more he managed to follow-up every counter move I had. Another opening formed as I parried with a diagonal slash. But my blade didn't reach him as he rolled sideways and jumped to another table.
The duel soon went to another. I jumped to the next table, only to be greeted with a vertical slash. At mid air I managed to parry with my katana and managed to still go on fighting. But no matter what I did, none of my hits weren't able to reach him. We resumed to fight even further but while at the middle, Oliver did a backflip and kicked the katana out of my hand. The sword lands behind him. He then does another backflip and launches a handful of throwing knives. I then draw out my wakizashi and try to block all of them. But as I block one, another volley comes at me. It was too late to deflect. But out of nowhere a memory started to synchronize. Something unexpected happened. I actually did a backflip and caught a few of the knives in midair. It was another past life taking over. My wakizashi grip went backhanded and I charged again. My fighting style changed and it turned from reverse sword grip slices to punches and kicks. At the next swing though I countered Oliver's attack and flipped over him to get back my katana. The next thing I know a new technique surfaced from my memory of Hijikata and I started to dual wield both swords. A barrage of attacks came from my arms with Oliver barely holding up. But once the opening came, I did a dual slash and gave a small X cut at Oliver's cheek but at the same time I was stabbed at my forearm. The duel was over as the grandfather clock rang. The whole hall was silent as they couldn't believe their eyes. Oliver kneeled to the floor, tired. "I shouldn't have held back. Especially with that smell." He says, "But I guess since we cut each other at the same time that makes it a tie."
But after syncing two memories at the same time I wasn't able to stand straight. My heart was beating rapidly as I couldn't relax. My legs felt like jello and my body became numb. I was seeing two memories at the same time. But it looked as if I was able to make out the memory of one of my past lives. It looked as if it was a ninja. However I had the feeling I was wrong. It looked like something else. But my state of mind was soon dispelled as amongst the silence there was somebody laughing. Me and Oliver moved our heads and it was Richard getting shillings from everybody. "Richard...what are you doing?" I asked in Japanese. "You have to ask that in Japanese? I'm getting my winnings." He replied. Just by that phase I managed to connect the dots. It looks like during the battle Richard was placing bets on who would win the battle. My guess was that most of the bets went to the Oliver and a few were betting on me. He on the other hand betted on a tie that actually happened. If I know the guy well, he was the kinda person who never let a perfect opportunity go to waste. Apparently this was one of his shameless moments. Richard then tosses a bag full of coin. "That's my debt. Now do your part of the bargain." He told Oliver.
As much as he was pissed as was, it didn't matter. He instead sighed. "So you just need a skill? What kind you need?" He asked me. "How about for hunting a bear?" I asked. He scratched his head and asked for me to hand over my equipment. The man looked unimpressed. "You're going to need more than a bow if you wanna take down a bear." He says, "You might even need more than one skill." Just like that I was to gain several skills. It was there that Guildmaster Oliver Sage agreed to teach me. But as excited as I was, I couldn't help feel couscous of the after effects of triggering those memories. The more they happen, the more it creates a strain on my body. Even with all the memories and information I had in my mind, my body was still incapable of dealing these skills. It's like having the skill but not the stats that is required. In other words there were more negative effects when my memories sync in over benefits. If I need to survive in this world then I have become stronger than my past lives. If this keeps up then I have to do the best that I can to get stronger. If I don't… I'm gonna be the next corpse to burn.
But as I was lost in thought, Richard then taps me at the shoulder. He had a confused look at his face. I didn't know what it was that made him have an expression. He then points at my arm and asks, "Aren't you gonna take that out? Doesn't that hurt?" I looked at my arm and Oliver's knife was still lodged in my forearm as the point was sticking out at the other side. My mind started to panic as I gave a loud scream. The whole guild was swallowed in laughter. I knew it was a tie but it was really clear now who was the real victor here. Blood was still gushing out. Pulling it out does make it heal but it was hard to not to not to notice it. This actually might be the worst injury I had but why do I feel as if something else is coming?