Arthur: "Alright. 12:00 now. We all meet back here by 1:30. Ite you're in charge."
Soba: "What why!"
Arthur: "She's the oldest."
Arthur leans in close to Soba.
Arthur: "Also because I saw you staring at Seiteki. We can't have any little Petals running around this soon."
Soba blushes and starts walking away.
Soba: "Whatever."
10 minutes later. Shopping district.
Soba, Ite and Seiteki walk down a road passing various merchants. Soba then sees a group of people in the distance. A boy with beige hair, a girl with long dark purple hair to his left, and a boy with messy blonde hair on his right. Soba's face lights up and he screams at the group.
Soba: "BASHĪ!!!"
The beige haired boy turns and his face lights up like Soba's.
Bashī: "SOBA!!!"
Soba and Bashī run toward each other. When they reach each other they both punch each other in the side of the face. They get sent flying into fruit stands.
Bashī: "Just as monsterly strong as always."
Soba: "Yeah and you definitely got stronger."
They both get up and run towards each other. Bashī punches Soba again, and Soba knees Bashī. They then hold each other in a headlock.
Ite: "Can you go two days without getting into a fight?"
Soba: "This is different!"
Soba flips his body upwards and wraps his legs around Bashī's neck, causing the both of them to fall to the ground.
Soba: "Bashī and I go way back."
Seiteki notices Bashī's face turning blue.
Seiteki: "I think you might be killing him."
Soba: "He knows how to tap out."
Bashī lifts his leg and slams it down on Soba's face. Soba loosens his grip and Bashī jumps back to his feet just as his friends run over.
Nibui: "Soba?"
Kurai: "It's been a while."
Bashī notices Seiteki and Ite.
Bashī: "Who are these two?"
Soba: "Oh!"
Soba stands and grabs Seiteki and Ite by the shoulder.
Soba: "These two are my guild mates. Seiteki and Ite."
Soba then walked up to the other three, faced Seiteki and Ite, and spread his arms.
Soba: "These are my friends from a while back."
Bashī looked confused.
Bashī: "Where's Ria and Karito? Didn't you three start a guild together?"
Soba: "I mean we all knew Ria wasn't a fighter. And something is up with Karito. Don't worry about it though. I'll beat some sense back into his tiny head."
Soba looks at Bashī more intently. He sees that Bashī's old long scruffy hair had been cut. Bashi also added a lot of accessories to his person. Two hands full of rings, and both ears full of piercings. He notices that Bashī has two tattoos. The symbol "ば" under his right eye, and the symbol "し" under his left.
Soba: "You look different."
Bashī: "You don't. Just as short as always."
Soba glares at Bashī.
Bashī: "So, you made a guild without Karito and Ria, and you already found two new members? There really is no better pick for my rival."
Soba: "Yeah. I really am amazing."
Ite: "As if. He isn't the leader of our guild, and it was Arthur Dragon that recruited us, not him."
Soba: "You couldn't let me lie for a minute."
Bashī: "You three were recruited to the Dragon Fangs? There really is no better pick for my rival."
Soba: "Yeah. I really am amazing."
Seiteki: "Actually Arthur left the Dragon Fangs. We're a part of a new guild, the White Petals."
Soba started to frown.
Soba: "Why won't you two let me sound cool."
Nibui: "I heard someone from Kaiten got recruited to the Dragon Fangs."
Soba: "Yep, that was Karito."
Bashī snickers.
Bashī: "Maybe I need a new rival."
Soba: "I guess I need to remind you of that lesson I taught you years ago."
Bashī: "No reminder needed. I'll remember that my entire life."
Soba reaches for Chikara.
Soba: "So you can finally back up all that shit you're talking?"
Bashī reaches for his sword.
Bashī: "And then some."
Nibui and Kurai lead Seiteki and Ite a few feet back. Kurai yells to Soba and Bashī.
Kurai: "Same rules as always. Loser buys ice-cream."
Soba: "Looks like you're buying ice-cream. Again."
Kurai: "Three!"
Bashī: "I can't wait to wipe that smug look off your face."
Kurai: "Two!
Soba and Bashī both unsheathe their swords.
Kurai: "One!"
Soba runs towards Bashī and tries to hit him with his sword. As Soba is swinging downward his sword stops and begins to be pushed back.
Soba: "What the hell?"
Soba pushes himself off the ground and toward Bashī with a force bubble. Before he can make contact he feels himself being pushed back again. Bashī hasn't moved once.
Soba: "What are you doing!"
Soba then feels his body being pulled to the left and he gets sent flying into a food stand next to him. He then feels himself being pulled to the right. Then the left. This cycle continues before he feels himself being pulled into the air.
Seiteki: "What kind of magic is this? He isn't even moving."
Nibui: "Soba never stood a chance. Bashī has been training to fight him for seven years."
Soba is then slammed into the ground. Soba struggles to his feet.
Soba: "How are you doing this?"
Bashī: "Come on Soba. Pay more attention to your surroundings."
Soba looks around and sees a lot of letters on different surfaces including himself. Two letters. N and S.
Bashī: "North and South. Push and Pull. That's my Magic. I control Magnetism."
Bashī lifts his left hand and a blue N appears on it. A pink S appears on Soba's chest and he starts being pulled towards Bashī. As Soba approaches, Bashī sheaths his sword and slams it against Soba's face.
Bashī: "I win."
Nibui cheers while Kurai waves her hand in the air.
Soba rolls on his back.
Soba: "Damn it. When'd you get that strong."
Bashī smiles and reaches his hand out to Soba.
Bashī: "It's been seven years. Did you think I'd always be weaker than you."
Bashī helps Soba to his feet.
Bashī: "Now, I think you owe us a round of ice-cream."
Soba looks defeated.
20 minutes later. Hyōhaku Parlor.
Waitress: "Six vanilla sundays right here!"
Bashī: "Thanks."
He looks at Soba.
Bashī: "Vanilla?"
Soba: "It was the cheapest."
Bashī: "Peon pincher."
Soba: "I didn't know that it was this expensive. You never beat me before."
Seiteki: "How did you two become friends in the first place?"
Ite: "Yeah, you'd think it'd be hard to make friends considering Soba's…..condition."
Bashī: "Oh, I don't care about that. I didn't even know about it until after Soba kicked my ass."
They sat silent.
Ite: "He what?"
Bashī: "Kurai, tell the story."
11 years earlier. Kaiten Village.
Bashī walks down the street eating an apple, with Kurai and Nibui behind him. He turns a corner and sees Ria and Karito standing and Soba sitting on a box.
Karito: "Are you the guy who keeps saying he'll be Sword God?"
Bashī: "Yeah, because I will be."
Soba: "Well give up on that dream, because I'm gonna be the one to be the Sword God."
Bashī: "It's fine for you to think that. It's not like you're getting in my way."
Ria: "Oh no."
Soba jumps down and walks towards Bashī. He punches Bashī across the face, knocking him to the ground. Bashī starts to cry.
Bashī: "Why'd you do that!"
Soba: "You wanna be Sword God right!? Then you better be ready to fight anyone with the same dream, because that means that they ARE getting in your way!"
Soba calms down and reaches his hand out towards Bashī.
Soba: "Now let's go get some ice-cream!"
Kurai: "What!? You can't just hit someone and then offer them ice-cream!"
Soba: "I wasn't offering. He's buying it. He lost after all."
Nibui: "That's even worse!"
Bashī starts laughing.
Bashī: "OK, I'll buy."
Nibui and Kurai: "You'll what!?"
Bashī: "I mean I did lose."
Bashī grabs Soba's hand.
Present.
Bashī: "We've been friends ever since."
Ite: "Becoming friends after a fight. Sounds like Soba."
Soba: "You've only known me for two days."
Ite: "And yet, I have you completely figured out."
Seiteki checks the clock and sees that it's 1:00.
Seiteki: "What time were we supposed to meet back at the guild hall?"
Soba and Ite stand up shocked.
Ite: "Dammit, we wasted way too much time!"
Soba: "Sorry guys, we'll meet up with you later!"
The three of them run out of the building towards Luke's shop.
Nibui: "You think he'll be ok?"
Bashī: "No doubt in my mind. Soba Yōsei is the most idiotic, mentally insane person I've ever met. He'll be fine."