Listening to bustling murmurs of the crowd in exaltation to the little fame he had Arima Kihei, the young Samurai , seeming in his early twenties with a reverse knot tied hair to boot, proudly puffed out his chest with an arrogant and contemptuous look as he adjusted the helm of his long Kimono robe, then placing his hand on the hilt of his sword as if to sooth the seething rage of his blade.
Sure, the stakes were high, matched against the scoin of a renowned master of jutsu that had been favoured by the Lord, his future path was assured.
Having received the assurement of the boy's family, he had nothing to fear of their retaliation considering the fact that any harm done to him after this would be a stain to their reputation.
A duel to death with a boy who was still wet behind, what a bluff.
Just as he was high on his horse, there was a sudden silence within the crowd as they were once again taken by surprise despite having heard of it, and were here to witness it.
A young boy of 13, confidently walked forward under their amazed stares, appearing not in the least bit fazed, his expression was composed, an act quite inconceivable for someone his age, as the crowd were further left speechless.
Dressed in a long black garment with elongated square sleeves, Flynn or rather the teenage Takezo , adjusted the blade on his waist in a steadfast manner. Here before the crowd and his spectating family from afar, especially his mothers last words as she cleaned her teary eyes, everything all remained vivid, stacked upon his shoulders as an heavy responsibility.
He wasn't nervous though. Faced against an experienced young man who had probably shed real blood, instead he felt the opposite… Thrill, exciting thrill from having his years of versatile training carved into his very bones to his tired breath, going to be unleashed.
Knowing just well that his life was on the line, the thoughts of him on the losing side were casted out.
Just then, the crowd suddenly went silent as they gazed in anticipation, also signifying that the duel was about to begin.
"Ho!" a clear shout was heard, marking the start of the duel as both opponents got into a readied stance… Only that Takezo did something before that.
While Arima Kihei may have fully underestimated Takezo, considering the battle an already won one, his eyes still turned serious as he prepared to fight. After all, despite his opponent being a kid, he still had a blade hung around hid waist and that alone was enough to kill.
Being the least to have expected what happened next…
"Tooey!!" a clear contrast sound sounded through the dead silent atmosphere .left foot as
Adjusting both sides of his robe, Flynn watched with focused intensity from his eyes as Takezo spitted then readied into a stance with utlmost arrogance and contempt for his opponent.
Whilst, as quick as it formed, the serious look in Kiehe's eyes crumbled, turning into that of arrogant fury to end the delinquent's life.
"Haaa!" releasing a low shout, Kihei moved swiftly, filled with rage, he revealed his excellent use of the Kashima Shinto Ryu sword style and aimed to sever Takezo's arm in a bid to pay for his arrogance.
On the other hand… Watching the grown adult rush forward in furry, as the blade cleaved swiftly towards him.
Takezo's arrogant face revealed a smile that then turned to a sneer.
Bending down slightly, his thoughts relaxed, a sharp contrast to thr font he had put on, his eyes glinted with hidden shrewdness.
A child winning an adult in a fight was a far fetched glory of course, talkless of a well trained Samurial in the path of sword against a thirteen years old boy. Having considered this, not being born with a blessed physique but with a honed mind that was quick to adapt and comprehend on a rapid pace, he wasn't foolish enough to block the blade head on.
Instead, putting his years of practice and guts into it, sensing the incoming blade, he performed a frog leap with a roll and dodged. Pulled out his Katana and stuck it to the wooden podium to stop the inertia.
Whilst, his vexed opponent saw it in another manner, not only did the boy not draw out his sword when he attacked, he dodged and instead used it to support his self.
"Omae!" Flynn heard the angered guy call out with his blade pointed murderously, if only looks could kill.
Lifting the blade up, he placed it slightly crossed above his shoulder in a rational manner, squinted eyes as if having realized he had lost his cool, and then took a step forward, not swift, as if calculated, the speed at which he swung his blade was another level.
In contrast, Takezo gave a cold 'Harrumph' as Flynn watched him push himself forward in a way much faster than the incoming blade. Placing the Katana on his arm in a backward manner, its blunt edge resting on him. Takezo used the weight of his body to lunge forward into an attack.
CLANG!
Quaking the suspense the crowd felt, there was a sharp spark and then the crowd witnessed something unbelievable.
Behold, flying off as it reflected the sunlight, the Katana pivoted through the air until it landed outside the platform…
Silence…
It wasn't Takezo's but his angered opponent whose eyes suddenly widened at this moment, depicting both horror and shock at the insidiousness of the boy before him.
Indeed he had been quiet and Takezo tactfully used it against him. In fact anyone would have fallen for the same trick not having expected it from a little boy.
Moving just fast enough, unlike he had previously dodged or avoided the blade, he pushed himself forward to meet it beyond his opponent's expectation even if his fate would have been death if he missed it. About ten inches to the blade's hilt, Takezo had parried the sword with the force of adrenaline coursing through his body, right where it was at it's weakest, his blow landed right there.
While his opponent may have been taken by a momentary shock, Takezo was able to regain his footing after 3 seconds and stabbed forward before he could react. Causing a cascade shower of crimson color as he launched backward without hesitating .
In that moment, the crowd watched with incredulousness as the once gallant guy brimming with arrogant vigor swooped his other hand in an attempt to catch the boy, only to fall down on both knees with his hand tightly grasping the sharp bloodied blade.
BEHOLD THE DEATH OF A MAN THAT MARKED THE START OF A LEGEND AND WAS WRITTEN INTO THE ANNALS OF HISTORY…. <