It was another average day… so long as you didn't know that the Zompocalypse was coming. I was finishing up the last class of the day while thinking about where I could stash a couple of weapons caches for the big day when a feminine voice broke through my thoughts.
"Excuse me, Brody-Sensei?" Glancing towards to the door, I saw, to my mild surprise, Saeko Busijima, captain of the Kendo club and one of the OTL Main characters standing there with a nervous look on her face.
That was a bit surprising for several reasons. For one, Saeko rarely frequented my part of the school and other than coming by the dojo to practice with my own shield and ax on my own time we rarely interacted with each other. For another reason, Saeko was not one to let down her stoic persona to anyone. It took either a lot of trust or extreme duress to break that facade.
Curious about what she wanted, I put down the sheet of papers I'd been stacking and walked over to her. "Yes Busijima-san? Is there something I can do for you?"
She bit her lip for a moment and looked away for a moment, goggling internally. I waited until she seemed to steel herself and turn back to look me in the eye. "Brody-san, my club formally asks if we could have a competition between your club and ours. A series of five duels between the most skilled members, perhaps?"
I raised my eyebrows at that. "Miss Busijima, I should remind you that, and this is with great respect to you and your club, my students are being taught a combat martial art. Kendo is a tournament style. The simple fact is that my students are not taught to hold back while yours have, and for good reason, had the rules of the sport drilled into them as part of their training. Your team would be fighting with a handicap."
Her nervousness seemed to instantly evaporate and a hard glare locked eyes with me. "And if we still won, wouldn't that mean that we're even more skilled than we thought?Besides, it would be good practice to see and compete against other styles, it would be good for both our clubs." And you really, really wanted to have a go at me. See if you're as good as you think you are.
"Maybe it would, but I refuse to fight you at anything other than your best," I replied calmly. "But would you mind if we cut to the chase, Miss Busijima?"
She blinked at that, seemed I'd put her on the backstep with that remark. I pressed forward. "I know for a fact that none of the other members of the Kendo club want anything to do with my boys, especially after those delinquents began joining for saturday practices. But you, you want a challenge; I've seen you practice once or twice, you always seemed bored, or constrained, like you're limiting yourself when you really want to cut loose and give it all you have, is that right?"
She flushed and took half a step back. "I have no idea what you're-"
"Don't lie to yourself and don't lie to me," I interrupted, crossing my arms in slight annoyance. "You've got the heart of a warrior. To be completely frank, you're one of those people who'd have been much happier being born 450 years ago when people didn't just play swords after school. And more than anything, you want to be able to enjoy the thrill of a real fight without having to worry about being judged."
She turned red and clenched her fists. "I have no idea what you are talking about! I only came here to challenge your club to a proper contest of skill!"
"Miss Busijima, you're lying again. But let's make a deal: you'll have your tournament between your club and mine, but you need to repeat after me. 'I Saeko Busijima, challenge you, Thomas Brody, to a duel.' It's what you're really after and if you admit that then you've got your tournament and your personal fight."
Her eyes narrowed as she glared at me. "Fine! If that is what it takes, then! `I Saeko Busijima, challenge you, Thomas Brody, to a duel!' Just name the time and place!"
I nodded and said: "I accept your challenge, we'll have it at your club dojo in three days' time. Be at your best, because if you aren't, I will defeat you without fail. And once we've had our duel, then we can discuss a match between the clubs."
I swore I saw a small smile on her face as she replied: "We shall see about that, Brody-sensei." She then bowed and said; "Good day then, Sensei." And left, though if I didn't know better I'd swear her step was just a little bit lighter than it had been when she'd entered.
I was grinning at a job well done, then it hit me what I'd just done. "Oh God, did I just pull a Shido? I mean, I know I did it for her own good but... Christ, I think I need a drink." That bottle of Sake sitting in my apartment suddenly became much more appealing…
****************
CLACK!
WHACK!
POW!
"Alright, you three out, next three up!" I said, doing my best to keep my feet and my composure, still wondering why I'd gone along with this psychotic idea.
"Alright Sensei!"
"My turn!"
"I'm still having doubts about this…."
You and me both, Touji… I thought to myself but the two of us were part of a very small minority among both the Huscarls and the Thegns. When I'd walked into the field for training that afternoon after speaking with Saeko about a duel three days from then, I'd learned, to my chagrin, that one of the boys had overheard that conversation and thought it'd be an awesome idea….but that I needed some heavy duty practice to have a chance against the daughter of a nationally renowned champion swordsman.
Thusly, they'd come up with the brilliant idea of forcing me to fight with my all by making me fight every single member of the club, both Huscarls and Thegns. In one sitting. At three to one odds. Every afternoon until the match.
The next matchup I had to face was the one I was dreading most. It seems that the boys had decided that I'd needed proper motivation, so somehow Onikumo and Oga had momentarily put aside their differences for the moment in favor of a more entertaining pastime. And to make matters even worse, they'd somehow convinced Hayato to join in on the fun. The fun, of course, being kicking my ass.
It would take everything I had to just defend myself, let alone go on the offensive. When I took my revenge it would be as cold and merciless as northern winter's gale…. And feel as warm and satisfying as a balmy tropical summer's breeze. This I swore… by the name of Christ, Thor, Zeus, and any and every deity known to man.
Shit, I'd swear it by the Flying Spaghetti Monster at this point.
As I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the pain to come, I glanced something out of the corner of my eye. It was Takashi Komuro, Mr. Protagonist himself.
He was sitting on the bleachers staring off into space with the most lost and dejected expression on his face I'd seen in some time. I didn't see much of him outside of class, but considering that finals were almost up, I had a strong feeling what was eating him: Rei Miyamoto, the latest victim of the Shido clan. She was his friend, his love interest, and she'd been failed because Shido's father was a scumbag. And now the poor sap was stuck wearing the cement shoes in a pool of teenage angst.
Of course, none of this came to mind when I first saw him. The only thing I could think was: an excuse!
"Hold up, guys." I walked over to the bleachers and called out. "Hey, Komura! Come here."
The kid didn't seem to hear me at first, but when I called him again he raised his head and glanced in my direction. When he saw it was a teacher calling for him, he sighed and stood up, then dejectedly stomped his way down the bleachers towards me. When we both reached the bottom staircase he looked me over for a moment before asking:"Alright, Sensei, what is it you wanted?"
I glanced him up and down, to get the measure of the boy. I cupped one hand over my chin as if in deep contemplation, making learned noises. "Hmmm… uh-huh... Yeah. I can work with this."
"What the..."
"Kohta. Get us a set of spares. The rest of you, give us space. This is private."
"What the hell are you talking about?" He repeated, this time able to complete his statement.
"Listen kid, I know exactly what's eating you," I said with a knowing smirk on my face.
"And I also know the solution."
"Yeah, and what's that?"
"Right now you're moping. But here's the issue: you have one of two choices. First, you can go back up to your bleacher and go angst yourself into a hole. Second, you can pick up a shield, pick up an axe, and turn your sorrow, your rage, and your frustration into something useful. What will it be?"
"You have no idea what's-"
"Rei's your friend and because of political bullshit, she's being fucked over by that sociopathic cunt, Shido."
His eyes widened when I said that. "But... how…"
"Because I've dealt with his bullshit in the past and I don't think there's a single person on the staff that he hasn't blackmailed, intimidated, or manipulated into putting up with his special breed of evil."
I could see the wheels turning in his head as the pieces fell into place. His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched, he then spun around and began marching towards the school with murder one his face. Reacting quickly, I grabbed his shoulder and turned him back around to face me.
"Hold on! You can't just go charging in like that. As much as I hate to admit it, the bastard's as slippery as an eel, has a vindictive streak a mile wide, and his old man is so well connected that the son of a bitch is basically untouchable. Trust me, I know. What you need right now is an outlet to vent your rage. Then you can figure out how to make up with your friend. She really needs you right now, kid. And if you don't show her you still care then you're both going to regret it."
He stood in place glaring at me, stewing with impotent rage for a moment, but then, almost serendipitously, Kohta arrived with the equipment I'd ordered him to fetch.
"Ah, right on cue." I grabbed the helmet and offered it to him. "First things first, you need to vent some frustration and I could use the practice. So, what do you say?"
Takashi stared at the helmet for a long moment before sighing, said; "What the hell…" and took it from my hand.
"Right then, Kohta, help him get the rest of that on, I'll be waiting in the ring."
A few minutes later Takashi came out with a helmet, an axe, a shield and some shin and arm guards. He was making a few mock swings with the axe, testing out the weight and how it felt to swing it.
"Keep a tighter grip, that axe is an extension of your arm and you need to think of it as such. And another, more important, rule, always keep your shield up!" I bellowed that last part, and to my amusement I'd made the kid jump a bit.
Now that he was focused on me I said: "Right, let's see what you can do. I'll give you corrections and some pointers as we go."
What followed was a good fifteen minute spar that grew more intense as Takashi took in what I told him and became more and more confident with how the axe and shield style worked. To my pleased surprise, Takashi was a natural, he had no hesitation, had good reflexes, and he seemed to soak in what I was telling him at a rapid pace. He was still very rough but he largely made up for it with raw potential. Damn. If I'd just taken him in a few months ago I'd have had another terror like Oga or Hayato on my hands.
Though there still was about a month to go. I smiled. There's something to be said about working under the wire...
For about a minute, Takashi was letting loose a flurry of blows on me, which I deftly blocked or parried. Finally he was bent over, gasping for air and a hint of a smile on his face. I was smiling as well, though not as winded.
"You have potential, kid, how about joining the club this April? I know you don't have any other obligations."
"I'm not sure, Sensei, I mean the other guys have had months on me."
"Ah, don't worry about it. I know you live nearby, so do I and I can give you a crash course over the break, by the time April comes around I assure you you'll be just as good as any of the others! So what do say?"
Takashi looked me in the eyes, then at the others who'd been watching, all seemed impressed with the guy… then he grinned and said: "Ya' know what, I think I'll take you up on your offer… But for now I've got someone I need to talk to."
And with that, he began removing the sparring gear and with a final wave he headed up towards the school, where I knew the Soujutsu club held its practices. I felt pretty good with myself; I'd just nipped a whole bunch of angst and teenage drama in the bud before- wait… did I just pull a Therapy-no-Jutsu...
Holy shit. I really just did.
Jesus... if I hadn't already known I was in a manga series, I'd have been convinced of it after that little spat… that sake bottle I kept in my closet was becoming even more appealing….
"Hey Sensei!" Oga exclaimed with a smile and threw an arm over my shoulder. "That was a pretty cool thing you just did. Fer an old guy."
"Watch it Oga, I'm not even thirty yet."
"Like I said, old guy. And ya' know ya still haven't finished the circuit, right?"
I paled slightly as his smile grew. "Oh… right…" Fuck do I need a drink…
**********
The next morning I was a hair stiff, and more than a little sore, but about as ready as I could be for this duel. Over and over again in my head I questioned whether I'd make a mistake insisting on this fight. On the bright side, getting her to accept her more violent nature as a part of her would be a boon in the early days of the apocalypse. Having Saeko going all out from moment one would literally save lives. On the other hand, fucking Christ, what if one of us went too far? What if I hurt her? What if she she hurt me? Or worse yet, both. We'd never be able to recover quickly enough for Z-Day and then we'd be completely, wholly, and rightly fucked.
"Lord in heaven. Please don't let me fuck this up. Amen," I prayed under my breath as I walked to my first class, making the sign of the cross for good measure.
For the rest of the day I was in a fog, going through the motions as Kurokawa and I continued trying to cram in some last minute tidbits of information into these kids' heads for the finals.
When the lunch bell finally rang, with more muscle memory than any real thought I made my way towards Shizuka's office. When we'd started dating I'd learned that they kept a mini-fridge in her office. Technically it was for various medical items, such as cold compresses and the like, but it doubled for personal lunch storage. I'd jumped at the opportunity to store something other than canned food or sandwiches and not risk getting my lunch stolen out of the faculty fridge...
If he wasn't blackmailing people or ruining their lives, he was stealing their lunches. Seriously, Shido's wickedness had no limits.
Plus, there was something special to be said about having your girlfriend make you a bento every day for work. Cliche as hell, yes, but let's be honest: I was living in an anime after all. And it was also really cute. Especially the way she made sure to give it cute decorations and would light up whenever I opened it.
When I opened the door I was on autopilot and was only vaguely aware of my surroundings. Meaning that I was completely unaware when a hundred and thirty pounds of gorgeous woman glomped me from behind the door, nearly knocking me to the floor in my inattentiveness.
Some people had coffee, others used energy drinks, I used to use a whole lotta soft drinks, now? Now all I needed was my daily glomp from an overly enthusiastic blonde with the body of a goddess. Shizuka was like a shot of adrenaline straight to the brain with those embraces of hers.
Shizuka was resting her chin on my shoulder, still hugging tight I might add, when she asked; "What's wrong, Tom-kun?"
For a supposed air-head, she was amazingly perceptive.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I said.
"Try me." She said with a giggle.
Turning my head and making enough space so I could kiss her cheek I said: "Alright. But be warned... it's a bit nutty."
She smiled and moved away, towards the mini fridge. "It's you, Tom. Of course it's a bit nutty."
She bent over to open the fridge, causing me to unconsciously suck in a deep breath through my nose. Hot damn! Now there was a sight I'd never grow tired of seeing.
"So," she asked, retrieving our lunches and closing the door with a slight kick from one perfectly shaped leg. "Why don't you tell me about it?"
She did a playful little twirl and placed the bentos on her desk before taking a seat. She didn't like to sit behind it when I was around, instead favoring the far side so we could sit together.
"You want the short version or the long version?" I asked with a sigh.
She paused for a moment. "Hm. Start with the short. I don't like suspense."
I loosed another sigh. "I have a duel with Saeko Busijima, the captain of the Kendo club after school."
She blinked. "And I'm sure there's quite the story behind this duel, right?"
"That would be the long version," I replied.
She smiled. "So, did you tell me because you didn't want me to worry or because you didn't want me to nag you about getting yourself hurt?"
I raised an eyebrow. "I'm fighting an eighteen year old girl and you're worried about my health? Talk about being supportive of your man, honey?"
"She's a nationally recognized kendo champion, dear."
"And I taught a bunch of otaku how to conquer Norway… have a little faith in me, could ya?"
"Don't be silly. I'm your girlfriend. Of course I have faith in you." She raised a finger. "But I'm also the one who cleans you and your boys up when you get too enthusiastic! And fretting over you is part of both my jobs!"
That set me chuckling, the tension flowing out of me like a river. The woman was a balm to the soul, how the hell was I so lucky?
"Too true, honey, too true, but I'm getting off topic."
She nodded. "That you are. You came here for lunch, right?"
"But of course." I lifted the lid of the bento to see that she'd made the hotdog octopi again, with the rice balls decorated with bean jam smiley faces. "Ah, a work of art, as always."
That prompted another one of those golden smiles as I make a quick sign of the cross and muttered a prayer of thanksgiving before digging in, Shizuka giving her usual cheerful cry of "Itadakimasu". We then quickly dug into our lunches. As I ate, some of those concerns I'd been worrying over began to crawl back in but at a much more muted level that I could keep a lid on.
"So about that story, well, what happened was that about two days ago," I began. "Saeko paid me a visit. Seems she had the idea of pitting the best of her kendo club against the best of my boys."
"Sounds alright so far," she replied, gently picking up a piece of sushi and eating it with graceful relish and a smack of her lips.
Shit, what was it about that women that made even eating semi-erotic?
"The problem is I pushed her," I replied.
"If you say you propositioned one of your students I'm going to be very cross."
"W-what?!" I exclaimed, turning a brilliant shade of read. "What would even make you say that?"
"I wanted to get a rise out of you," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "I know you'd never do that. Not with how shy you were the first time we-"
I coughed. "Can I tell the story? Please?"
She giggled. "Carry on!"
I sighed. "It was obvious that she really just wanted to go one on one..."
Her eyes sparkled. "Are you sure you didn't-"
"No!" I exclaimed as she laughed.
I love the woman, but god damn her dirty mind!
"Shizuka, she's a fighter! I've been dealing with aggressive people for months. Maybe she wanted the match, maybe she didn't, but I could tell that what she really wanted was to fight someone she didn't have to hold back on. But she was too afraid of herself to admit it! So I pushed her and made her challenge me properly. And now I kind of feel like an ass about it because that's the kind of shit Shido pulls all the fucking time."
"Not really," she replied. "Sounds like you did it because you that she, your student, was somehow feeling..." She pressed her chopsticks against her chin for a moment, looking for the right words. "Out of touch with herself. Right?"
"Yeah, that's a good way of putting it."
"Then you weren't acting anything like Shido," she clarified. "Maybe I've just watched too many martial arts movies, but I think you were just acting like a good teacher. Your job as a teacher is to help these kids even if they don't want to be helped. To teach them how to become stronger and better people. Sometimes you can talk to them and they'll listen, sometimes they don't and you have to trick them into learning. Right?"
I smiled. "I guess you're right on that part. Still I hope we don't accidentally hurt each other, there's only…" I stopped right there, quashing a desire to clap my hand over my mouth. Jesus, I'd almost admitted to the Zompocalypse with only a month left. Don't trip at the finish line, man.
Shizuka didn't seem to notice my trip up. "Don't worry, Tom-chan," she replied with a smile. "If you���re so worried, how about I come by and supervise to make sure everyone comes out okay. Okay?" I smiled. "Thank you, Shizuka. I don't know what I did to deserve a girl as great as you."In fact, I thought as I plastered a slightly plastic smile on my face, I really didn't deserve her. I'd been lying to her since the moment we met.
Oh god, did I need a drink.