A year had passed since the war ended. Luckily, my family didn't bother me that much anymore. Daitan and Tomoko were an exception. Tomoko saw me and the family differently, after I came back from the war. The family didn't care about the black sheep. Just because I defied the control of old traditions...
"Looks like your strength is back! Even your body looks sexier than before." Daitan stated, pressuring me into picking up a bamboo sword.
"I don't want to fight a cripple." I said.
'I am better than her, just as I was before. Why would she want to fight me? An arm and an eye less than me, yet, she is still challenging me.
"Come on, come on... Are you suffering from PTSD, or what? Can't you fight your dear sister again? The others won't fight me, but knowing you, you don't care about my condition." Daitan tried to convince me. "You didn't even pick up a sword in the last 4 years. It's time to show the family how the black sheep has more talent than an ordinary descendant."
"Daitan, please... Don't bother me. You know that I followed along to avoid dying. As a kid, I realized that I would probably die if didn't follow some rules."
"I don't care. Here." Daitan threw a bamboo sword at me.
"Fuuu..." I sighed.
I followed Daitan to our family's training room. Bad memories accompanied each step. My father disciplined me over and over in that room. Bamboo swords and ropes. There was nothing he didn't use to discipline me.
"Yeah, yeah. I know you are ready. I will just begin... NOW!" Daitan dashed towards me.
I wasn't prepared, yet, I was fast enough to react to her sudden attack. I moved to her left side - the side were she didn't have an arm anymore - and dodged her blow. She had gained some experience in fighting with just one arm, and just like that, she turned around so fast, I wasn't able to clearly block her strike. My bamboo sword was struck back against my shoulder, the pain wasn't anything concerning though.
I had underestimated her. Daitan was a maniac when it came to fighting. She was able to render our family's technique useless against herself. We couldn't put enough pressure on her, if we tried to, an unexpected blow would always reach us. That was her talent - being unpredictable.
I thought about it long and hard. 'Should I just lose on purpose?' I didn't want to fight from the very beginning, but something in me, told me not to lose to her. Perhaps, it was pride.
"Daitan, look. I don't want to be your training dummy, or whatever it is you see me as, I just don't want to be bothered. Is that so hard to make clear?"
My words didn't seem to reach the dark-haired and black-eyed maniac. She was already out of breath, and still forced herself to fight. 'What is she trying to prove?'
Her strikes got sloppier and more predictable by the second, and soon, I was able to counter her attacks perfectly. I never targeted her already frail body, instead, I slashed at her bamboo sword. I hoped it would tire our her arms.
"Just stop! I am about to run of patience." I threatened.
"Don't spare me then. I know you're holding back, otherwise, I wouldn't be standing now." She smirked.
"I lost interest in the reason for this spar. I guess the only thing you wanted to achieve was pissing me off."
Before I could strike Daitan's head, my father barged into the training room.
"Hangaku, there is an Arab man standing outside. He says that he knows you and wants to talk with you." He informed.
He didn't seem to care about the crippled daughter fighting her sister.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Hey! This is not over!" Daitan readied herself to strike.
"Daitan! You will stop now." My father ordered.
Even the maniac, Daitan, couldn't defy father's words. She had been under his control her entire life. She was just like a slave, unable to defy, fearing for her life if she did. This was just an example that showed how much she cared about the family name though.
Daitan left the training room.
"I don't know any Arab men."
"He claims that he knows you."
'What is going on?'
When I walked towards the manor's front door, a few of my younger siblings had gathered to talk with the man. They blocked my sight, I couldn't make out the man's features.
"Scram!" I ordered.
My siblings left out of fear. My reputation as the rebellious child, and the fact that I was a war veteran, brought fear into their young minds.
"Sorry, sis."
"Yes, sorry."
"These kids... So, who are you?" I asked the man.
The green-eyes and short brown-haired man smiled at me. He wore a white shirt with a pair of blue jeans and pearly, black shoes.
"Hello, Hangaku. I hope you're doing well. My name is Nahdi Noor..." He paused. "I thought that it was time to finally introduce myself. It would've been unfair of me, after everything I had you go through."
I recognized his damn voice. He was the one behind the bars, he was the one who kept me inside a damn cell with nothing but water.
I felt my blood boil and the world lose its usual colors. The pink cherry blossom trees behind Nahdi turned grey in a fit of my rage. I closed my fists and punched Nahdi's right eye.
I thought that I would've reacted more on impulse, beating him to death, yet, I punched him only once. My punch left a small cut above his eyebrow, and Nahdi's pride seemed to. He looked like he wanted to punch me back, he was smart enough not to do so.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"I was deported from my Land. 'We will pretend your crimes never happened, but you must leave this Land.' They said.
His words sounded stupid. He didn't even answer my question. 'Does he want to make me mad? He should just reveal his true intentions.'
"I have told you once before. I don't like to repeat myself. Why. Are. You. Here?" I spat.
"I must say, I enjoyed our talks. And even now, I think of them. You told me, you wanted to leave your family. We can help each other just like in the camp. What do you say?"
"What kind of help?" I asked, curios.
"Let's go to Central Superio, the city where everyone is welcome." He said.
I considered his idea for a second. He must've noticed and spoke again, before I could decline.
"You told me a lot about you, and about your family. And one of the things you told me was, 'when a man wants to marry a woman of my clan, he must challenge the woman to a duel.' That's why I am here. It's literally perfect. I know how you tick, I even now how you look after having gained weight again. And I must say, you look beautiful."
I didn't know if should be shocked or confused. He wasn't a stranger, but it felt so random. Even I knew a lot about Nahdi. He was descendant of a swords family too. 'He is also handsome...'
"Look. I don't want to find another woman whom I don't know. You might just be the only woman that fits my taste, and shares my experience." He added.
"Sounds wonderful!" My mother appeared from behind me.
"Young man, you can duel for Hangaku's hand in marriage immediately. Come on in!" My mother announced.
Things moved a bit too fast for me. My head spun and I found myself battling Nahdi. It seemed as though he wasn't accustomed to straight bamboo swords. But when we fought, I was quickly overpowered by his unique technique.
'He is letting me decide now! Creating such obvious openings... He is just begging to be hit... Should I lose? Or should I win? Would he be someone I can spend my life with?' I asked myself, over and over.
When our swords were about to clash again, I let go of its handle and tanked a hit to my stomach. The pain was overwhelmed by a feeling of gratitude and curiousness. I couldn't wait to see how my life would turn out to be.