"Uh...well...." Leo scratched behind his hair thinking of an excuse to give it Kenji and Vincent, who were both staring keenly at him. Although they said nothing, Leo felt himself being pressured to give an answer. He got heated, and in a moment of desperation he sputtered, "I need to get stronger!!"
Kenji's expression became blank. "Why do you feel the need to get stronger?" "It dawned on me, a while back....You and Pierson are very strong...and you well...if what we are planning really goes well, we will be faced with a myriad of enemies who won't hesitate to kill us....I can't stand by and let you guys protect me at all times....I'll have to learn to fight for myself." Kenji sighed and shook his head. He took out a band from his pocket and reached his fingers to his hair as he deftly gathered his strands and tied them behind his head. He grinned confidently before saying,"Well join in then!" Leo stepped back, he spoke nervously,"What? I don't think-" "It's a great idea.",Vincent chimed in. "You'll get stronger in no time, and we'll have an avenue to master our techniques." He expressed as he smoked his piped.
Leo turned to Rae who nodded at him, urging him to give them the greenlight. "We'll just have to keep it from them...for now at least." Leo pondered. "Alright...Let's do it!",he declared proudly."It won't be easy Leo. You have a lot to learn." "I'm ready..."
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Back at Howling's base, Kazumi sat in his cabin. He couldn't sleep. The thought of the final Showdown was gnawing behind his mind. "How....Will this all go?" It was at that moment that a raucous knocking sound emanated from behind his door. He put on a light cloth and hurried to the door, opening it. Asahi stood at the entrance, his hair was pulled back and tied, with a few strands straying and crossing over his face. "What are you doing here at this time,Noriosuke?" "I need to ask you an urgent question, Captain..." "Alright....come in." Kazumi ushered him inside and offered him a seat, which he accepted. Kazumi leaned against a wall with his arms folded. His voice was husky when he asked,"What's the matter?" Asahi slouched slightly in his seat,"It has to do with your fighting style.."
Kazumi eyes shot out as he mentioned this. He grabbed a stool and sat across him, staring at him,unwavering. He was clearly interested in this topic, and he was intrigued by what he had to say. "Go on, Noriosuke." "Well...I see you are a swordsman...I am too. And your sword style...it's...where did you learn it from? Because it looks like-" "The Death Stance.", They both said simultaneously. Kazumi gasped,"You know about it?" "That's right. How did you find it out and learn it?" "Believe it or not...I wasn't really interested in sword fighting. My father was an archeologists, and on one of his excavations discovered a piece of a manuscript believed to be from the Kamakura Period. It had descriptions of a very potent and difficult sword style, and before my dad sold this piece, he transferred all of the recognizable data into a notebook, and hid it. I admired my father greatly, and so I went through his things and found that book, and practiced it for 2 years, trying to perfect it. I was 7 when I started it....and at 9...I had perfected the 25 strikes documented in my father's book. The manuscript said the death stance was filled with 100 strikes, but those manuscripts must have perished..." "Incredible! That's how you learnt them?" "Correct...How about you? How do you know about it?" "I can't remember it.....I recall I was very young when this style was introduced to me, but I can't remember who did, and how all of them went..." "I see...Let's train together then, that way we can both learn from each other." Kazumi stretched out his hand, and Asahi took it.
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The next day was a day of expectancy. The sun blazed and the air was thick with anticipation. People pranced about restlessly waiting for their friends and loved ones to return. The afternoon wore on as their shadows stretched on the ground. Every one in the Howling base was anxious. It was in that moment that a bright light flashed in the midst of them, and they had returned, those who had gone for Kazumi's test inside of Shiro's Dreamscape world. They were battered and bruised, some of them had their clothes torn apart. Everyone rushed to their aid, with the Horsemen scurrying to Pierson's side. Pierson's injuries were severe, and he looked like he'd pass out anytime soon. Kazumi ordered for silence and everyone quieted down. "I'm glad everyone has return safely, but now...We'll let Shiro decide the 3 who will represent Howling in the final Showdown..." The tension was up when Shiro requested for a writing tablet. On it he wrote the three names. Kazumi took it from him and began to mention the names to everyone's hearing.
◇◇◇◇"JETHRO BEEROTH"◇◇◇◇
♤♤♤♤" RYUJI KAGARU"♤♤♤♤
□□□□"PIERSON RODGERS"□□□□