Several hours after my lunch with Shizuka, the final bell for the day rang and I made my way towards the locker rooms with a change of clothes under my arms. After that lunch-time conversation, I'd become a bit more accepting of the fact that yes, I was about to have a dragout fight with a high school student, and yes, I was going to have to go all out on her if I didn't want her to reduce me to a greasy stain on the rug.
And yes, I was still having problems coming to terms with it, because the idea that I was in danger of getting my ass kicked by a Japanese schoolgirl was still a bit hard to believe.
Would someone please remind me of why I went and picked a fight with a self-admitted sadist with world-class kenjutsu training? Because I was still wondering and was in no mood to become her... her... personal pleasure object. At least at 18 she was no longer technically jailbait, whatever hollow, twisted comfort that fact might provide.
Dear God I must be stressed out for my mind to go there.
I tried to remove that little image by reminding myself that, as good as Saeko was, I'd been working myself to the bone for a year, I'd taken the worst nerds and otakus in this damn school and had turned them into warriors able to conquer cities. I had indirectly humbled a score of the worst street gangs in Tokonasu.
Of course I could handle one crazy samurai girl with a 'hurting people' fetish. Right?
A quick change later and I was marching into the dojo. I wore the full gear; helmet, chainmail, arm and leg guards, a wooden practice axe in one hand, and I intended to grab my personal shield being kept in the dojo.
I told her that she had to take this one hundred percent seriously, or she'd lose for sure, but the reality was that I'd have to do the same as well or face the same consequence.
When I reached the door of the dojo, I couldn't help but notice all the shoes at the front door of the building and the sound of voices, seems like I was a bit late to the party.
Sliding open the door, I was hit by a wave of sound as both the Huscarls and the Thegns had come out in full force to watch this fight. All fifty or so of them, they'd also come with their own gear on, including their shields which they were using as impromptu drums as they hammered the axes against their sides, at first a loud cacophony but eventually a rhythm like the heartbeat of the universe itself began to form, and eventually several score of battle-hardened young men were drumming their support for their Cynning.
There was a good reason drums had been used by warhosts since times immemorial, there was something primal about that rhythmic hammering. An ancient heartbeat that reached down to a man's soul, for first time that day I was actually excited for this fight. In response to this sudden exuberance on my part, I raised my axe over my head, and my Werod roared their approval loud enough to make the rafters of the dojo shake.
I happened to glance to the other side of the dojo and saw the kendo club sitting over there. A plain nasty grin spread across my face when I took in how spooked they were at the rhythmic shield drumming as well as the boisterous support I had from my boys.
Then I happened to spot Shizuka sitting in one corner of the Dojo, a first aid kit by her side. When we made eye contact, she gave me one of her million-watt smiles and waved in my direction. Suddenly, all the chanting of my name in the world didn't seem to matter a wit.
Riding that particular buzz, I turned to my opponent and my brows promptly furrowed. There was Saeko herself, kitted out in a full set of kendo armor, save for the large headgear indicative to the sport, nor did I see one either in her arms or near her.
I politely bowed to the young woman, then asked: "I hate to ask, but where's your helmet Ms. Busijima? I can't really start this duel if you don't have one."
"I have decided to forgo the helmet," she replied. "While it offers effective protection, it is ill suited for a 'real fight' as you called it."
I frowned. "Well, lucky for you then that our helmets aren't quite so limited."
I glanced over to the boys. "Alright, who wants to lend Ms. Busijima his cover?"
It was telling to the nature of teenage boys that virtually all of them had raised their hands.
I sighed. Boys will be boys, and Saeko was pretty much a walking fantasy. Of course they'd be stumbling over each other in an attempt to win her attention.
What?
I was in a relationship, I wasn't blind.
"Alright, let's do this fairly." I then proceeded to cover my eyes with my left while with the index finger of my right pointed out I began moving my finger back and forth and up and down before finally coming to a stop at random. Opening my eyes, I smirked and said: "Alright, Touji, you get to lend the helmet, go on ahead."
Touij, one of my huscarls, quickly got up and scampered over to Busijima and plucked his helmet off his head and handed over to her. "Oh... erm... don't worry, I-I disinfected it just this morning… unless you want another one? B-because that's alright…"
Apparently, how to talk to women is not a skill one spontaneously learns. Little late to teach any of them, though… darn… not that I really was one for teaching that particular skill to begin with.
While Touji was beginning to self-destruct, Busijima saved the poor guy's dignity by taking the helm with a smile. "Thank you Touji-san, I'll wear it with honor." And with that she plopped it right on her head. "Perfect fit."
Touji managed to mumble something and with a quick bow scampered back to his spot, the other boys either ribbing him or congratulating him for his lucky break.
That bit of drama out of the way, I turned to Busijima, who looked a little incongruous wearing a northern Germanic helm with the VERY Japanese Kendo gear she wore as well. Raising my shield which I had grabbed while Touji had been up, I then pointed my axe at her and bellowed my challenge. "I, Thomas Brody, Cynning of this Werod comes in response to the challenge of Saeko Busijima. In accordance to the old ways this fight will be until submission or one combatant is either no longer able to carry on or struck with a blow that would be lethal had we chosen to use live steel. I accept these conditions, do you?"
Saeko blinked at that for a moment, then grinned. "I, Saeko of Clan Busijima, Swordswoman and Captain of this club accepts your conditions. Let us see who is the greater fighter."
"Let's…" I growled. "Good luck."
She smirked. "You as well."
I then all but roared as I crashed my shield, Busijima was silent but she twirled her sword several times that I knew for a fact were completely unnecessary.
Then Shizuka, who was the only neutral in the building, stood up and raised her arm, then shouted: "Begin!"
I quickly approached her, shield raised and my axe hand positioned to strike at the first possible-
Shit!
The room resounded with the crack of wooden sword against wooden shield, as Saeko went on the attack. It was only reflexes made from countless hours of practice managed to keep Saeko from cracking my skull within the first two seconds of the fight.
She'd started with an all-out assault. She'd probably been hoping that she'd take me out with an all-offensive strategy. And I had to give her credit, it almost worked. Unfortunately for her, it didn't - which meant she was open.
So I attacked. Deflecting her blow with one hand I brought my axe down towards her shoulder.
The girl was fast, I'll tell you that. It was a testament to both her speed and her skill that she was able to roll away. And probably lucky for us both, because had it connected I'd have given the strike even odds of breaking her collarbone.
A couple bodylengths away, she rolled to her feet with a level of grace that could probably humble even an olympic gymnast. And in her eyes I saw respect along with a flash of excitement. It was the look of someone who'd finally found a proper fight.
My body now flooding with adrenaline, I did my best to prepare for her next attack.
Saeko's smile wasn't entirely wholesome as she fell back into her fighting stance and we once again began the dance of death.
As she went on the attack again, I realized that Saeko had one very clear and very exploitable weakness that, if properly leveraged, would lead to absolute victory: she was a sadist. She was a skilled fighter without a doubt, but her driving force was her literal lust for blood and violence.
This lent her an air of predictability. If she could attack, she'd attack, and given the choice between between defense and offense, she'd always choose offence. It was probably a somewhat useful trait in the Japanese martial mindset. Their weapons, armor, and strategy all lent themselves to favor the offense.
But unfortunately for her, I was fighting using very different methods and a very different mindset.
If Japanese methods favored skill and speed with the intent of ending it with a perfect killing blow, then the traditional european methods were designed to force the enemy into a grinding contest of strength and will.
As long as I kept it on my terms, I'd win this, if only because I'd be able to exhaust her.
Saeko moved in for another attack, I deflected it. And then another, and then another.
I could see the frustration and fury growing in her eyes, but I could also see restraint.
Shit. I didn't want to humiliate her. It wouldn't do for her to doubt her abilities this close to Z-Day. If anything she needed to be less restrained when the day came, not more so.
And because of that I had to take a risk.
"I told you, Saeko!" I exclaimed as I blocked yet another strike, this time taking an opportunistic attack with my axe. "If you want to win, you have to give it you all! So how about you cut it out with this Yamato Nadeshiko shit and show me your A-game!"
Her eyes flashed with fury as she understood my words. "H-how dare you!"
��You're holding back," I said with a growl. "I can see it in your eyes. They way you're fighting now, I'll grind you to dust. So either let the tiger out of its cage, or get off the mat."
She stepped back and for a moment I saw conflict in her eyes. So I rolled mine.
The little shock of disrespect seemed to do its job, because she simply took a deep breath and fell back into her stance.
The change in her demeanor was subtle but definitive, and I'll freely admit, really fucking creepy. The look on her face was... well... the last time I'd seen a look even remotely like that on a woman's face was the last time Shizuka and I, well, a gentleman doesn't tell.
I'd never really understood the phrase 'bloodlust' until now. The look in her eyes was a rather twisted mixture of longing that almost defied explanation. It was one half burning sexual desire, one half impassioned rage, one half giddy expectation, and 150% really fucking disturbing.
I need an adult….
Oh crap.
I am the adult!
If she was fast before, now she almost seemed to teleport into her blows as I blocked three bonebreaking strikes in as many seconds.
Shit. At his rate she'd pressure me hard enough to find a chink in my armor before she ran out of steam. I couldn't just defend anymore. I had to break up her momentum. Now it was my turn to step it up a notch.
A moment after she struck for a fourth time I struck out at her with a shield bash, which forced her backwards and threw her off balance for a brief moment. She almost immediately recovered, but that was enough time for me to step into the attack.
She grinned like a maniac as she brought up her sword to block and probed out with a side kick.
I smiled. Alright, so we're using hands and feet now, eh? Good to know.
You know, she kicks like a mule for a 120lb girl. It wasn't enough to do any harm, but it was enough to buy her just enough time to disengage and start circling me like a shark.
I smiled. Good. Now she was using her head. Now was when it would get real.
I could already see that the fight was taking its toll on her. She was flushed and she was breathing hard, through a treasonous part of me noted just as much seemed to be an erotic flush as much as exhaustion.
Would have been almost sexy if it wasn't completely terrifying. Shit, this girl had a bad case of the cray-cray. I almost felt bad that I'd goaded her into letting it out of the cage. Almost.
It was exactly the kind of crazy we were all going to need if we were going to stay alive.
On and on the fight continued, neither one of us able to land a hit, I was too slow to hit her, and my defense was too strong for her to penetrate. I was getting tired, but she was starting to draw back more and more.
The look in her eyes was changing. Still creepy, but changing. Now it was more primal hunger cut with desperation. Christ, I'd never actually been in a fight that actually felt dirty before, but something about this girl made a duel downright lewd.
Then I saw her bunch up, as if preparing for one last attack, she broke into a run, then surprised everyone when she lept into the air and did one of the last last things anyone would have ever expected to see in a weapons duel: a two-legged flying drop kick.
It was damned impressive, I'll tell you that, but there was one problem. It was powerful, it was unexpected, but it was also one of those tricks you used only once in front of a particular opponent. It was a shock and awe attack designed to stall and stagger the enemy, leaving them open for the kill. Extremely risky. A gamble, and one that she lost, for several reasons.
First was that I had the advantage of having seen the High School of the Dead anime before I'd arrived. Which meant I'd seen this move before. I hadn't been really expecting it, but on the same note, I knew she was able to do it. So I never had to face the same degree of 'what the fuck' that another enemy might face.
Second, she was fast, strong, powerful and fit, but in the end, inertia equals mass times velocity, and I outmassed her twice over.
What all this meant was when she went for the kick, I immediately charged into her taking the blow to my shield, then launched off with as much strength as I could muster. My greater mass times my own velocity canceled out hers, and sent her sprawling.
Again, it was a testament to her speed and skill that she was able to recover as quickly as she did, but unlike that first big attack, this time I was the one with the momentum.
I will freely admit that I body slammed a 18 year old girl, pinning her sword with one knee as I dropped the other onto her chest before slamming my shield down next to her head, just inches away from her throat.
"You are dead."
Her eyes went wide with realization and shock as they locked on mine. For a long moment we stayed in place, holding each other's size, before she smiled and laughed before releasing a suspiciously moan-like sigh.
"Your win, Brody-sensei," she said in a husky voice.
Quickly. Very quickly. And actually somewhat desperately I drew away from her. It was actually with a moment's hesitation that I offered her a hand up. Normally I wouldn't have hesitated, but seriously, sparring with this girl when she let it out was one of those things that could throw any man for a whirl.
Now that she was no longer hanging on, I was able to see exactly how fatigued she was. She was barely able to stand. No wonder she'd gone for an all or nothing.
She slowly bowed to me. "You are a most skillful opponent, Brody-sensei," she said holding onto as much poise as possible all things considered.
"You almost had me a couple of times," I replied with a smile. "You are a skilled warrior."
While it was hard to see, considering how flushed she already was, the praise seemed to have an effect and she went just a hair redder.
Christ...
"Thank you, sensei."
"You are welcome, Saeko."
"I look forward to our next match."
Christ....
I smiled. "As do I. Once we've rested we should start planning the match between the clubs."
At this, my boys started to smile while she began to look a hair intimidated.
"As do I, sensei."
She turned around and walked back to her side, but as she did, I heard her mutter something under her breath. It was so low I shouldn't have heard it. Wouldn't have, if I hadn't heard it before.
A chill went up my spine as I flashed back to the anime and one particular scene and one particular quote.
"I'm wet."
Oh, sweet merciful Christ...
I returned to my side of the Dojo to cheers, and as I removed my helmet, Shizuka rushed over and planted a kiss on my lips.
Normally I'd have enjoyed it for all it was worth, but right now I'd been dealing with such mixed fucking signals that all I wanted was nice, long, cold shower.
In liquid nitrogen.