As I start to run down the hallway a figure steps out from the doorway and gives chase down the hall. The figure is short and agile and was catching up fast. My mind was racing but I couldn't think about anything but the dojo there was swords inside I could defend myself... I hoped, I had never even swung a sword yet alone trying to fight with one for my life. It was worth a shot though at least I can go down with a fight. Maybe even get lucky and wound the attacker and leave before they can kill me. As I reach the door to the outside I hear the footsteps getting close then just as I duck through the door and start to close it I hear two thuds as the tips of two throwing knives appear in the door as it closes. the dojo is to the left and I bolt for the doors and don't bother closing them as I hear the knives the attacker threw into the door being retreved. The door opens just as I get into the dojo and before I know what's happening I am drawn to a katana that is wrapped up and hanging on the wall with tags of words I wasn't familiar with. Just as I grabbed it I hear a voice saying "I hoped that would be your choice." I looked around the room and didn't see anyone. I quickly started to figure out how to unwrap the sword, but as soon as I broke the first paper holding the two ends of fabric together an enormous amount of energy felt like it was released from the sword. The energy forced me to my knees before lessening I knew I only had moments left before I would be fighting for my life and I could hardly see straight something was wrong with this sword I thought. Just as that thought passed through my head, I heard the voice again this time laughing at me. I looked around the room again and just after seeing no one in the room my eyes where drawn to the doorway as the figure of my attacker appeared. The attacker entered the dojo slowly seeing the sword in my hand. They seemed more afraid of the sword than me. I broke the second paper seal and felt another rush and this time noticed the energy flowing around me and the handle of the sword was now free. I could hardly stand but it seems the energy was enough to halt the attacker so I thought if I was going to have any chance to survive I need to attack while they are still stunned I put the sword waist level with the tip pointed slightly up and lunged towards the attacker and before I realized it I was standing on the other side of the room and had blood on the sword and it seemed to glow on the shiney dark metal. I turned around to see the attacker still standing there looking at a small cut on their side the attacker then does the unthinkable and reaches up. she grabbed her mask and pulled it off revealing the face of Veronica. She stairs at me and smiles. "Good if that old man is write killing you will give me your strength and power." Veronica says before lunging at me. I go to close my eyes and wait for her to kill me, but my body reacted on its own and blocked the strike aimed at my chest. I counter swinging the sword in a back slash catching her off guard forcing her to retreat back to avoid the swing. I don't know where that came from but it saved my life... "You're welcome for that." a little voice giggles and I realize it's just in my head. "It's just in your head" the voice repeats as Veronica starts swinging faster and nearly causes me to miss blocking Veronica's dagger. Why does this keep happening? Does it have something to do with the sword? "You don't remember speaking to me before you woke up in this world." That statement stopped me in my tracks. Veronica noticed me freeze and waisted no time planting the sole of her shoe across my my face sending me sprawling backwards onto the floor. my face felt like it was just hit by a steel beam and I knew I had to get back to my feet quickly or it would be all over so I started to roll out and just as I did Veronica landed on the spot I was just laying with her dagger stuck in the floor I jumped to my feet and retreated a few steps before she managed to get her dagger freed from the floor. "Why are you attacking me?" I yell to her as we face off just a few steps from each other. She doesn't respond and quickly jumps at me and my body reacts on its own again deflecting the blade away and swing a strike that catches Veronica by surprise along her arm causing her to drop the dagger. She steps to it and picks it up again and the voice comes again, "be prepared she's going to come at you for real now". I just get in stance and trust the voice and just as I do Veronica lunges again but this stopping just shy of reaching me and jumped up throwing one of her knives before landing behind me swinging from the opposite side I jump out of the way of her swing and get hit with the small throwing knife the back of my arm strangely it doesn't seem to hurt much and it doesn't feel as if it did any real damage so I quickly pull it out and hold it along with the sword to better defend myself. she is just watching me now and I realize that the knife I'm holding has no blood on it. There is also a strange aura surrounding me the sword is now glowing but seems blacker than before darker than staring into an empty sky at night. "You want power? how about to survive? I can make you a god all I need is your blood?" a deep voice is heard from inside my head. before I can think anything more about it the female voice is back asking if she can get time to tamper with the sword to steal the power for me. I agree and a timer pops up in front of my face with a 5 minute count down. How am I supposed to survive for 5 minutes without help! Veronica is back on the attack so I forget about the voices and just focus on blocking the dagger but it seems as each passing second goes by it becomes easier to read the attacks and predict what her next move was. By time I thought I had it down I realize that my back is almost to the wall and she's been pushing me back to the corner so I have to find a way to push her back or I will die here before the timer runs up. I was able to be on the defensive for a little over a minute and a half. I have just 3 minutes and 15 seconds left, so I take the knife and swing it in between her strokes to throw off her timing before countering with the sword pushing her back just a little. It was just enough that I fainted another swing of the sword and dove into a roll just to the side of her quickly coming back up to my feet to meet another perry of blows from her dagger. As she is pushing me back again I notice the timer down to 30 seconds. Veronica jumps at me the last time just missing me and I start running to the other side of the room to by me a few more seconds till the timer ran out since I didn't know what would happen when it did. 10 seconds.. 6 seconds... veronica is running at me full speed with her dagger infront of her. 3 seconds... power successful stolen.