On the other side of the dojo, the original disciples fumed with anger in front of the closed door.
"In those ten years, it was the first time he ever sent us out!" Sada Suketsune, the middle disciple, complained.
Despite his youthful appearance, Sada was slightly older than Nikolas. With short, straight black hair and typical Japanese features, Sada's life had changed dramatically since he began training with Master Yuemura. Coming from a poor family and having struggled throughout his childhood, Sada had found a sense of purpose and belonging in the dojo. His dedication to his training was unwavering, and the sudden exclusion gnawed at him.
"Shit! What are they talking about? What makes those two so special? Why do they get this private audience with the Master while we're left out here?" Noburo complained, pressing his ear against the door in a futile attempt to hear what was going on inside.
Hiraoka Tadamichi, the eldest disciple, sat cross-legged on the ground, maintaining a calm demeanor despite the tension. "It's uneducated to pry…" he sighed, his voice calm yet firm. "But it can't be anything good."
Hiraoka had long black hair tied in a traditional samurai ponytail. The lines around his eyes hinted at his age, well past thirty. His appearance exuded a sense of experience and wisdom, though his calm facade masked his own curiosity and concern.
Sada Suketsune, unable to contain his frustration, paced back and forth. "We've trained for years under Master Yuemura's guidance. We've bled and sweat for this dojo. And now, two newcomers get special treatment?"
Hiraoka glanced at Sada, understanding his frustration but choosing his words carefully. "Master Yuemura always has a reason for his actions. Perhaps there's something unique about them that we don't know yet."
The younger disciples calmed themselves and looked at him with respect. Hiraoka was the closest to achieving their master's level of swordsmanship, and they had high hopes he would surpass Yuemura one day. As a result, Sada and Noboru respected him almost as much as they did their master.
"What exactly do you mean?" Sada asked.
"I'm not sure of what I felt. It was only for a fleeting moment, and it may sound absurd, but… it seemed that Nikolas had a similar aura to Master himself."
"What!?" Noboru exclaimed. "So you're saying that Nikolas might actually be a hidden master!? That's impossible!"
Hiraoka shook his head slightly, his expression thoughtful. "Not necessarily a hidden master, but there's something about him—an air of experience and skill that doesn't match his age. It's as if he's been through countless battles."
Noburo couldn't help but recall all the times he had been "luckily" beaten by Nikolas whenever the latter "stumbled." To soothe his wounded pride, he began to entertain the idea that there might be some truth to Hiraoka's words.
"But if that's true, is he here to kill sensei?" Sada questioned, his worry evident in his voice.
Hiraoka Tadamichi went silent for a minute. He wasn't sure of what he had sensed in that fleeting moment, but his master's unusual behavior afterward only deepened his concern.
"I can't be sure," Hiraoka finally said, "but you know Master has a lot of enemies back in our country…"
His sentence was abruptly cut short by the unmistakable sound of clashing metal. The fierce resonance of swords meeting filled the air, signaling the start of a battle inside.
"Shit! Let's help Master!" Noburo exclaimed, leaping toward the door in a rush of panic.
Unfortunately for him, Hiraoka caught his arm and held him back with surprising strength. "Do you think you'd make any difference!?" the older disciple asked harshly, his tone sharp and commanding.
Noburo froze, torn between his instincts to protect his master and the reality of his own limitations. "But… we can't just stand here and do nothing!"
Noburo looked into his senior's eyes and saw a strange glimmer, a mix of contemplation and something akin to fear. Hiraoka was lost in his own thoughts, grappling with the implications of what they had just heard and felt.
[The man has enough courage to exchange blows with Master Yuemura? Who is he!?]
Hiraoka's mind raced. The idea that Nikolas might be a hidden master sent by one of Yuemura's enemies gnawed at him. He knew their master was formidable, but the possibility of an unknown threat lurking among them was deeply unsettling. Hiraoka's grip tightened on Noburo's arm as he weighed the risks.
"We're not doing nothing," Hiraoka finally spoke, releasing Noburo's arm. "We're respecting Master's orders. If he wanted our help, he would have asked for it. Besides, we'd only get in the way."
Sada looked at Hiraoka, concern still etched on his face. "But what if Nikolas really is dangerous?"
"Then Master will handle it," Hiraoka replied, his voice steady. "And if it comes to it, we'll step in when the time is right. For now, we wait and trust in Master's judgment."
The three disciples stood in tense silence, the echoes of battle from inside the dojo filling their ears. They could only hope that whatever was happening behind those closed doors would resolve without tragedy, and that their faith in Master Yuemura would not be in vain.
*********
Inside the dojo mat, Master Yuemura was looking deeply into Nikolas' eyes. He could feel the young man's sincerity; for some reason the boy looked at him like a son would to his father.
"So, have we reached the limits in swordsmanship?" His first question revealed much about his character. The old man cared not for the future, nor for what Nikolas said about him dying. The first thing he wanted to know was whether his swordsmanship could be improved or not!
Nikolas took a deep breath, steadying himself as he prepared to speak. A small, knowing smile formed on his lips. "No, sensei, we haven't reached our limits. In fact, ever since I… well, died… I've felt the barrier holding me back starting to weaken, like it's on the verge of collapsing."
"Good, good." The old man sighed, for a moment it seemed that he was lost in thoughts, reminiscing of something. Then, his shoulders tensed subtly and he eyed Nikolas with eagerness. "Tell me, what do you think the next step will be?"
Nikolas met his master's gaze, his mind racing. Why did it feel like Yuemura was hiding something? Nevertheless, he answered truthfully. "I'm not entirely sure… we are already masters, the sword is part of our bodies, and we possess a clarity of mind in combat that few can achieve. But I feel the next step will transcend our physical limitations, allowing us to subtly influence the world around us…"
"I see…" Yuemura scratched his chin thoughtfully. "That aligns with what I believe to be the next step. I thought I was too old to reach it, but now, who knows? I believe you, Nikolas. You are—or were—my disciple. In any case, what the hell happened?"
But Yuemura was perplexed, as he had promised himself not to teach his secret art to anyone, given the troubles it had already caused him. What happened in the future to change his mind?
"If you think time travel is crazy enough, what about the apocalypse?" Nikolas said slowly, his voice heavy with the weight of impending doom.
Yuemura's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of shock quickly masked by his usual stoicism. As he opened his mouth to speak, however, Erick interrupted
"Brother... you can't be serious, right?" Erick exclaimed, still bewildered by the fight he had just witnessed. He was struggling to process the information that his brother had gone back in time, and now this?
Nikolas only nodded solemnly.
Nikolas only nodded solemnly. "Unfortunately, it's true. In about three weeks, zombies will infest the Earth, and millions of people will die! Society will fall apart, but this will only be the beginning…" Nikolas clenched his fists as he spoke, but for some reason, it felt good to talk about that with others. "I survived for ten years, and that was exactly the same amount of time it took for humanity to be wiped out!"
Now that he had already revealed his secret ability, there was no point in hiding some information. There were few people he trusted completely and if he couldn't trust the two in front of him, there would be no meaning in being alive at all.
He paused, looking at Erick and Yuemura, their expressions a mix of disbelief and dawning horror. "The initial outbreak will be sudden and brutal. Cities will become war zones overnight. The dead will rise and hunt the living, driven by an insatiable hunger. Governments will collapse, infrastructures will crumble, and chaos will reign."
Master Yuemura sighed, how could time travel be simple, right?
Yuemura's eyes widened slightly, his normally unshakeable demeanor faltering for a moment as he absorbed the gravity of Nikolas' words. The apocalypse, zombies, the end of humanity—all of it sounded like something out of a nightmare. Yet the conviction in Nikolas' voice left little room for doubt.
"But how did you come back, then?" Yuemura asked, his voice steady once more.
"This question has plagued me since the day I returned," Nikolas sighed. In fact, no one had been able to unfold the system's motives. Things just happened, and people had to find a way to deal with them. "But in reality, I have no clue about it."
Yuemura shook his head slightly. "If the apocalypse is really going to happen, I'm glad that you are back," the old man said, shrugging his shoulders. "What are your plans, then? To save the whole world?" His tone was skeptical, reflecting his belief that as an exile, he wasn't fit for this kind of work.
Nikolas smiled lightly. "I'm not fit to be the savior of humanity either," he admitted. He never saw himself as a hero; quite the opposite, he had been alone for most of that time. "But there is no way to prevent the apocalypse, so all I want is to save and protect the ones I love! Because of that, I need you by my side!"
Yuemura remained silent for a while, his face serene and unreadable.
"It seems I made a fool of myself trying to teach a master how to breathe and walk," he laughed lightly. "Even so, I'll stay by your side. At least I'll be able to see how far you can go in the way of the sword."
"Thank you, Master," Nikolas said, smiling and clasping his hands in gratitude. While he believed his swordsmanship had surpassed Yuemura's, he knew it wasn't by a large margin. But then, he paused, thinking carefully about his next words
"But Sensei, there is still a small problem I would like to address. It may seem strange for me to ask, but I think it would be better if you sent your other disciples back to Japan. In the future, I'm not sure, but I think one of them…" Nikolas began, but Yuemura quickly cut him off.
"Say no more! You've told me enough about the future for today. Let it unfold in its own time," the sensei said, raising his hand to silence his disciple.
Nikolas nodded, respecting Yuemura's decision. Despite the uncertainty, he felt a sense of relief and hope for the future to come. With his master by his side, he believed they could face the spaws with a mastery never seen in his past life.
Just as Nikolas stopped, Erick, who had been silent and processing everything, suddenly chimed in. "Are we really talking about a zombie apocalypse!?" he asked, looking at both men as if they were crazy.
"Yes…" Nikolas answered, shrugging.
Unexpectedly, Erick clenched his fists, but not in anger. Contrary to expectations, he was smiling happily! In fact, apocalyptic games and movies were his favorites!
Nikolas couldn't help but smile. That's exactly how his brother's personality was: playful and unruly. Still, he tried to put some sense into the younger's head. "You know a lot of people will die, right? It is not a game, and it's terrifying! Well, even though we'll be able to level up and get skills…"
"Woah! It can't get any better!" The shot backfired!
His warnings ended up having the opposite effect than expected. Now Erick was really hyped up!
His warnings ended up having the opposite effect than expected. Now Erick was really hyped up! Nikolas sighed, knowing his brother was not fully grasping the gravity of the situation. He turned to Yuemura, who had been silently observing the brothers.
Yuemura smiled faintly, his eyes reflecting both amusement and concern. "It seems your brother has a unique way of looking at things," he remarked, his tone gentle yet firm. "We must prepare him, as well as ourselves, for what's to come. Playfulness has its place, but survival requires seriousness and skill."
Nikolas nodded in agreement. "You're right, Sensei. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Three weeks is barely enough to train and gather supplies. Erick, you need to understand this is serious. We can't afford to make mistakes."
Yuemura nodded thoughtfully. "I will help you prepare, Nikolas. We will train harder than ever before. But remember, strength alone won't save you. You must also be wise and cautious."
Erick's excitement was undeterred, but Nikolas hoped the rigorous training ahead would help his brother understand the severity of the impending apocalypse.
"Alright then," Erick said, grinning. "I'll be ready, bro! Just wait and see!"
Nikolas shook his head with a smile. Despite Erick's enthusiasm, he knew the path ahead would be anything but easy. The real challenge was about to begin.