RENJI AIHARA
Takashi Reed....., I hadn't watched any matches besides Tokita's and Kasumi's but just being in that same viewing room as him I could tell, he was strong. Much stronger than most kids in class one. We walked down the hall towards the starting area "Master I can assume we'll be fighting together this time around correct?" Saika walked down along side me her white hair in a downward ponytail. "Of course you'll help me won't you Saika." my smile beaming at her "Do you even have to ask Master i'm with you until the end of time." we both looked at each other and laughed together until we finally reached the point in which the match would start.
Upon arrival things were a bit different than the other rounds. We were to stand face to face with our opponent and bow, in my case Takashi Reed. Shortly Before the whistle sounded and the A.I system changed the location Takashi had pointed the sheath of his sword at me and yelled. "WAIT! I Takashi Reed challenge Renji Aihara to a sword duel in a Colosseum type arena the only rule being no magical based attacks. Renji Aihara do you accept?" I had heard Takashi Reed was from a family that was heavily based on honor, pride, and hard work and that he was a sword prodigy with a pretty goofy careless attitude. In short he was a muscle head with the only thing on his mind being swords who's father trained with my very own mother. Ms. Rockheart had spoken on the speakerher voice resonating through the white starting area before I could respond to his challenge "Renji Aihara this duel is yours to accept or deny but we need your conformation before we can give the ok." "Master we have no reason to deny I say accept it." of course I agreed with her "I Accept but I have a question for you Takashi Reed." "A question?" "That's right, Am I to assume we can use magical based augmentation like applying it into our movements and such?" "Yup that's perfectly fine with me" Ms. Rockheart had spoken again "Now that Mr. Aihara has confirmed the contents of the duel the match will commence in an Colosseum area"
It was a pretty simple request frankly speaking and I personally wanted to see how another swordsman would fight. After I accepted the duel our surroundings shifted and changed to a circular open roof Colosseum. Takashi had walked slowly to the center of the arena his hair was black and he wore a red hairband around his head with the schools basic black and gold uniform with a chain connecting from his back pocket to his waist. For a moment I had forgotten how sword duels worked but watching him walk up excitedly it was coming back to me slowly. I was to walk up to the middle and we would touch the sheathes of our sword together so I too walked to the middle slowly matching his pacing. We were now face to face he seemed to be searching for my sword. Saika huffed and turned into a long silvery white sword that I put into a blossom sheath. Takashi had looked startled but once he regained his composure his eyes glimmered "that's so cool...I want a sword like that" it truly became tiring to keep explaining this so many times so I just ignored him "Once we return I really do have to show you to the entire class Saika because this whole cliche is getting played out." she laughed "Indeed master maybe we should do that" Takashi's sheath was all black I could only assume his sword was the same.
we both raised the sheath to our sword's until they touched, the pendant of my mothers dangling from my sheath. Just from that touch alone I could tell how hard he practices. When we touched the sleeves of his shirt were push back slightly enough to see several scars running along his arms some fairly recent days at most. He still seemed to smile it didn't bother him that I seen so I doubt his wearing the uniform is to cover his scars. "Thanks for agreeing to this duel please treat me well." he displayed a huge excited smile that went from ear to ear. "No problem, same to you." we both walked back to our original sides of the arena he drew his sword it was a finely made dark blue metallic color. He took a forward stance his sword in his right hand pointed backwards with his left hand faced in my direction. After taking a long look at his stance I had concluded his stance was weird almost lacking "Master, there's something.....off, about his mana flow. It's almost like it's disrupted. Watch out there is definitely something weird about that." Saika had noticed it as well. There was nothing I could do but ready myself for anything. I took my stance my body leaning forward my right leg firmly following suit my left sliding pointed diagonally backwards with my hand planted firmly on the handle of my sword. "Saika you ready" I joked to her "Come on master enough jokes when am I not." her words were serious but she was laughing
And then the whistle was blown. The match had begun
He started at me probing, waiting. He was watching me looking for any mistakes or openings. He wouldn't find any openings like that though so I decided I would take the offensive this time around. I channeled electricity into my feet and used it to send me through the air so I would be behind him. This move in particular was one my sister taught me after she mastered it called flash step. It was really meant for quick instantaneous travel in a fight and quick surprise movements on opponents although mine wasn't really instantaneous as hers was. Takashi had not dodged but blocked my attack instead. Takashi was hailed as a prodigy of the sword so I had pretty much figured he would be able to dodge on instinct but to block it. "It seems you really are as amazing as they say Takashi Reed." "Aww you're making me blush just call me Takashi, Renji." I struck sideways at his spine but once again he blocked. He then swung at me I went to parry but he was quicker than I imagined and had pulled his sword back and struck again this time quicker at my cheek before I could react leaving a deep gash on my cheek.
I had pulled back to reset my posture. Saika internally was beginning to heat which meant it was time we acted seriously. "Your sword style...., it's unique your sword is never outside its sheath long you always put it back and draw it again when you wanna swing. Most people couldn't do something like that without sacrificing something like strength or speed in return, you're special I like it." I was struck with actual surprise. Nobody had mentioned my sword style before besides my mom she told me something similar to that herself although she was the one that directed me to use a sword this way. "Thanks" I didn't let his compliment get to my head though so if it was a distraction it worked but momentarily at best. He rushed at me I tried to counter but even when It looked like it would be a free unavoidable counter strike he blocked it again and slashed at my side slicing through the black shirt I had on and once again drawing blood. For a while we just went back and fourth trading blows but every time I would strike fatally it would be blocked. The thing throwing me off wasn't the fact that he was blocking the attacks it was that even though I was clearly faster than him he was reacting at impossible speeds. "Master his defense its like its automatic. speed up a bit but don't hit him Master."
I listened to Saika and kept charging at him using flash step each time only barley being blocked by a hair. I had to wait and be sure before I did anything, I could feel Saika internally boiling but she had to be patient one mistake could cause us to lose. We had a brief idea of what was happening but not enough information to form a winning plan with, his speed and instinct was insane he was truly a prodigy of the sword no doubt. However, his muscle movements, the movement of his eyes felt behind like he was doing it unconsciously as Saika said. If I figure out how it works and how to get past it, it's an easy win. "Master could it be his mana his mana is constantly leaking out his body and hes using that as a barrier to detect you."
I decided to speed up a bit more not to attack him still just to get close to him and watch his reactions to the sudden increase in speed. I put more mana into flash step and jittered around the arena sometimes getting close enough to strike but never going through with it. She was right. I slowed down and stopped a few feet away from him. He smiled "You done running and thinking." it wasn't really so much a taunt more so he genuinely wanted to know if I figured out what was happening or not. "Yea something like that pretty much figured out that defense system you got, its pretty neat you truly are more of a monster." his wide smile dampened a little and his tone got a bit more serious "I figured you would find out how it works out. Ever since I was born my body couldn't contain mana it was like it rejected it. I wouldn't let that be the end of me though so I practiced every day I could. Eventually I forced the mana in me weather I could use it or not to act as a detection system of sorts." He was truly a monster to be able to force his mana that he couldn't even use to act as detection. "I see no wonder you were reacting without looking you simply felt me there. Im guessing though that since you can't control mana the farthest that barrier goes is a about 3 inches from you." "To be able to make those deductions.... AMAZING. Im gonna really like you....But the real question at hand still stands. Have you found a solution." I ignored him but he was right I was thinking but I couldn't come up with a way to bypass the counter without using something like magic attacks and I knew I just didn't have the speed someone like Raiko had to be able to out speed his reaction. Plus, I knew it was a sword duel so that wasn't an option right now i'd like to avoid magic all together anyways.
"Hmmm..., I can't say I found a solution quite yet but-" he cut my sentence short and was visibly disappointed after hearing what I was saying. "You ARE special Renji Aihara ill give you that but if zooming around and a unique sword style is all you've got i'm gonna be well.... Disappointed." Those words were all it took for him to piss Saika completely off her urge to cut into him was flooding into my mind "I wasn't finished yet, As I was saying you're right I haven't found a way to get past your defense.... BUT, I don't need to get past your defense when I can just overpower you." "Huh? he was confused What do do you-" Saika had snapped her voice low but demonic "Renji.....get him..." I flashed stepped again this time not behind or to his side but directly in front of him and made a large downward slash. This time with much more strength "You should already know that this wont-"Saika's Blade had collided with his blade and he buckled under the pressure causing even the ground we were standing on to crack and create a crater underneath. I reset my posture
By Takashi's reaction I gotta assume I had a pretty mischievous grin on my face because we both knew this fight wouldn't be one sided any longer. I dashed again this time close enough to hit but didn't, I knew I was faster so I just used flash step constantly to the point he couldn't keep up and even though his defense would detect me I would simply overpower him. I kept chipping away at his skin Saika's blade hissing through the air at tremendous speeds. Saika's blade's ferocity is what makes blade so much more dangerous than any other blade. When Saika is serious her blade goes beyond the boiling point so touching a normal blade would melt it completely not to mention the skin. Saika's blade is purely destructive I can't even spar while using Saika's blade. This time in particular she was furious because I got cut multiple times.
Every time Saika's blade collided with his blade it cracked the floor this kept going non-stop until eventually burn marks began to appear on Takashi's sword from the quick boiling slashes being made on his blade, he wouldn't be able to block using his sword for much longer. From Takashi's point of view i'm sure he can't even tell whats happening his body is making him turn towards my direction but even when he does when he blocks his sword touches Saika's blade which is melting and damaging his sword. After a while of me constantly playing with him this match will be done. Unless he pulls out some miracle to counter Saika's blade and my strength. As if aligning with my thoughts when I got too cocky he changed the flow of the fight. He stuck his sword in the already cracked ground and a massive amount of mana began to gather there. "Renji I take back what I said you are strong enough to be my rival. You see back before I realized sword was the way to go I was too stubborn to give up magic and ended up being able to draw massive amounts of it at the cost of my consciousness for a few days" He took sword out the ground the burn marks Saika had made were now gone purified by mana. "It might be only a temporary boost that I can't use long but with this I can keep up with your speed and power. i'll make you pay for making light of me you'll never forget the name Takashi Reed as long as you live." "Master this is bad. His mana, its massive we need to dodge any attacks or it could result in serious injury." I flashed stepped away and there he was this kept happening I couldn't shake him our swords colliding after every flash step he truly was keeping up with me with his sudden boost.
I flashed stepped but he got there before even I could meaning he was becoming faster than me and hit me downward hurdling I rag dolled towards the wall unable to balance myself for a safer landing. Upon impact something was clearly broke, he made sure the force of the attack was focused on the lower part of my body so I couldn't increase in speed or properly balance myself. "Master are you ok? You need to get up! How can I help. MASTER!!!" whatever was hit made it hurt too much to talk outwardly so I spoke internally "Saika calm down i'll be fine we haven't lost it was might fault for getting full of myself." I spat up blood my body was in pain I had to end the fight now or I would lose 100%. I channeled mana into my body and flashed stepped as fast as I could with my injuries it wasn't very fast but it surprised him. I was behind him I drew Saika and sliced at his body as many times as I could at most four before my injury caused me to slow down again. He swung one last time I blocked it but the force of the mana infused blade hitting into Saika pressing into me was enough to send us both flying backwards in different directions I landed creating a large crater I had enough strength to fight albeit barley but I would risk my ability to fight in the finals even if i was healed if I took any more major hits like that. I wasn't gonna sit there and give up the win though. I couldn't, so I forced myself up to my feet. I walked extremely slow to the center of what was left of the arena I was reduced to such a sorry state for underestimating that last power up of his. Saika sensing that I was gonna fight still came out from sword form and held me up by the arm channeling her mana into my stomach helping the only way she could. I knew she couldn't heal me at best stop internal bleeding.
"Master, don't you need to take a minute to let me at least sustain your wounds if you don't it could takes weeks before you could fight again." But there he was walking up to the stage using his sword as a cane cuts sprinkled all over his body some from me and some scars there from before. He was clearly in a much worse state than even I was I was surprised he could even move after being hit with Saika's blade and losing all that mana at once. I could continue to fight like this through these injuries. Obviously my injuries were gonna hinder me if I fought with them but my point is I still can. Only outward injuries being cuts along my body showing through the rips in my clothes and the long cut on my face my injuries were mostly inward like a broke rib and arm. We both made it to the middle of the patch left of the arena he smiled blood flowing down his chin. "You really are fun Renji Aihara." He began to fall going unconscious but I caught him and slowly let him along with myself down onto the rough floor until medics arrived. "It was a good fight..., Takashi Reed you too are something special yourself I definitely won't forget again."