Unmatched † Lovely Princess ~Maidenly Romance of Three Kingdoms~
Chapter 000: Three in the Beginning
Disclaimer: I do not own Koihime Musou, Visual Novel or Anime! There are only two OC so far. This chapter is told in Kazuto's point of view.
The song is from the Romance of Three Kingdoms TV Series' opening theme song "The Billowing Yangtze River Flows East" as translated is composed by Gu-Jianfen, with lyrics by Yang Shen.
滾滾長江東逝水~，(As the Long River flows to the east~,)
浪花淘盡英雄。(Heroes burst out like waves~.)
是非成敗轉頭空：(But all desire is like a floating cloud~:)
青山依舊在，(The mountains stay where they are~,)
几度夕陽紅。(And only time passes by~.)
白發漁樵江¬渚上，(The white haired fisher~,)
慣看秋月春風。(Watches the moon of fall on the river bank~.)
一壺濁酒喜相逢：(His friend is a bottle of alcohol~:)
古今多少事，(Talking about the present~,)
都付笑談中。(And past~! )
一壺濁酒喜相逢：(His friend is a bottle of alcohol~:)
古今多少事，(Talking about the present~,)
都付笑談中。(And past~! )
Whack! Whack! Whack! Clang!
My name is Kazuto Hongou. And as of now I had just finished my kendo match against my senpai. Winning might I add!
"Excellent, Kazuto," our Kendo Instructor praises after we respectively bow to each other, "And to think, not eight weeks ago you had just join and now you've already came this far…"
"It's nothing to be impress about, sensei," I bowed bashfully.
"That's not true," my senpai (a girl) spoke as she remove her headgear, "not eight weeks ago, I would never imagine that you'll quickly surpass me. Now look at yourself; I'm no longer the strongest among us now…"
I couldn't help forming a smile; hopefully my head gear hid it. "Perhaps you're right…"
"Well then," sensei spoke up and immediately everyone else, whom was watching, stood up, "that shall be it for today. All of you be sure to practice whenever you can, alright? Enjoy your winter break. Dismiss!"
"Whew…" I sighed. Already the dojo was empty as I began to take off my gears. I'm usually the last person out, not surprising since I always volunteer to put all the equipment away and clean up afterward. It's not like I got anything much to do afterwards anyway. "Even though it's winter, I still get muggy wearing a kendo gear…"
"You're right," a voice spoke up from behind me, "Your head is steaming!"
"Whoa!" I yelped pathetically as I turn to come face to face with one of my best friend Oikawa smiling gleefully at me.
"Yo, Kazuto! Nice to see ya!"
"Where did you come from? Don't just suddenly appear like that!"
Oikawa frown. "What do you mean? I've been for so long!"
"Seriously? Since when?"
"Around the time you began that match against your senpai…"
"I didn't notice at all…"
"I'm not surprise since you were so focus," Oikawa sneered, "but don't let the fact that manage to hit a girl excite you too much, sadistic Hongou-chan~!"
I frown. "Who are you calling sadistic, huh? Anyway, what did you come here for?"
The look on Oikawa face was priceless as he stared at me speechless. Well, almost speechless. "What!? You mean you totally forgot?"
"What do you mean? Did I plan anything with you?"
"Damn straight you did!" he lectured, "Don't you remember the board chairman assigning homework to every student in school before winter break!?"
"Homework?" I repeated and began to think back, "… … … …Oh~!"
Now I remember. Our school just built a history museum on campus, so our school board chairman was having all students visit it over the break and write a report on it.
"Oh yeah, we did start talking about going together, didn't we?"
"You've finally remembered," Oikawa smirked at my slow recapping, "Anyway, I thought maybe we could go together today."
"And you came to pick me up?" I started putting away my gear while I talked to him, "…Well, I don't mind. I'm done cleaning up here. But still, you sure thought this up suddenly. We hadn't decided when we were going to go…"
"Well, I thought, 'While we're at it'…"
"While we're at it?" I repeated, suddenly suspicious, "While doing what?"
Oikawa face suddenly went dreamy. "While I'm on my date, of course~!"
"… …Why am I not surprise?" I sighed in disgust.
Oikawa laughed at my reaction. "So Kazu-pi, hurry up and get change!"
I sighed. "…Alright! But what about the other two?"
"Way ahead of you, man! I already told them. We'll be meeting up on the way…"
"Right…" I felt like I had somehow lost to his smile, full of happiness and dreams. I spat out my reply and turned my back to Oikawa.
As we walked along the tree-lined streets towards the museum, we passed by several other students strolling in the same direction.
All the meanwhile we kept our eyes peeled for two people in particular. You see, while the assignment can be done alone, it could also be done in a group, at a minimum of four in each group. And since it was an assignment that everyone in school had to do having partner outside your own class or grade was okay as well.
"Oi~! Kazuto~! Oikawa~!" a voice up ahead caught our attention.
And there they were, standing out like a sore thumb. No surprise there, they really do look out of place. You see, while they did wear their student uniform like every other student was wearing, they didn't exactly either wear them properly or wore them too properly.
One was a male, a senpai one year above me. He was tall and well-built with tan skin. He had his school vest, the Gaku-Ran, tied around his waist and instead wore an open short-sleeves baseball shirt with our school unique tiger head image printed on the front right and on the back. He was also carrying a large pack full of sports equipment which range from golf clubs to hockey sticks, open-finger black and white stripe-patterned gloves, and joint protectors over his knees and elbows. Now normally such a guy would be someone a sensible person would think it will be unsafe to be around but if you get a good look at his face they would probably have think otherwise. The guy's face sat between the line of confidence and cockiness with golden eyes that remain gentle no matter what was his mood and his messy yet strangely tamed soft-cherry hair just loosely pushed back could make him quite a heartthrob for many girls and an envy of many boys.
He was waving over-excitedly while standing next to a female student who seems to oppose the guy's behavior. She was about my height giver take a few centimeters below and wore the standard female uniform, a white-and-navy-blue colored sailor Fu-Ku, except for the ankle-long pleated skirt, the sailor-style collar cover nearly everything from the chest up to the neck, and the white headband on her forehead with the words "Wisdom" written on it. But what really made her stand out were two things. The first was her lengthy silver hair that began braided at the top before falling freely behind her. The second was her eyes. Despite wearing rectangular glasses, they were useless to hide her sharp viper-like crimson eyes that remain calculative and unmoved no matter the situation.
She continue reading her notebook until the very moment Oikawa and I got close enough to hear her say, "You two are late…"
"Sorry about that," Oikawa lightly greeted, "Kazu-pi here was enjoying cleaning up the dojo so much I didn't have the heart to interrupt him…"
"Yeah, right~," I rolled my eyes before turning to the male, "And seriously, Taiki, did you have to bring your sports equipment with you?"
"Aw~ not you too, Kazuto," Taiki Sonoma pouted comically. Despite his appearance, he was such a child at heart which makes him very friendly and fun to be around. "Izumi-chan said the same thing not too long ago…I don't need you to finish me off~!"
"That's 'Shiba-san' to you," Izumi Shiba corrected, before glaring at me and Oikawa, "and that goes double for the two of you!"
"Still not acknowledging us huh? …Izumi-chan~?" Oikawa teased.
Izumi glared at Oikawa before sighing and grumbling to herself. Despite her appearance, she had always been stubborn about her true feelings and gets irritated easily.
"Come on, you two," I sighed, "if she doesn't want us to call her by her first we have to accept it…"
"Dude," Taiki chuckled, "we've been waiting four years already and she still hasn't given any of us permission…"
"We just have to accept that…"
"… … …Sigh~," Shiba-san sighed after giving me a long and confused look, "I still can't figure you out…"
"Huh?"
"…Never mind…"
I still don't understand Shiba-san. She and I had known each other since preschool but her personality hadn't change one bit since then. Or maybe it had but she hid it so well I never notice.
"See," Taiki laughed, "she really doesn't mind! It's written on her face…"
Then again I understood Taiki even less. He could easily make friends with almost anyone around him but instead he would usually stick with me, Shiba-san, or Oikawa. I still don't why he wouldn't befriend anyone else.
"Well, putting that aside, let's go!" Oikawa rushed, "the sooner we're done with this the sooner I can go on my date~!"
…No, scratch that! Oikawa is beyond my understanding.
"That reminds me," I addressed Oikawa, "Who are you going on a date with today?"
"Say what?" Taiki exclaimed as the four of us began walking again, "You've moved on already? Who the unfortunate gal this time?"
Oh yeah; now that I think about it Oikawa said he got dump not too long ago.
Oikawa grinned dreamily. "It's a secret~!"
"Why bother keeping it a secret?" Shiba-san rolled her eyes, "…Oh don't tell me…it's that Serizawa girl…"
"Wrong," Oikawa frowned.
"Then is it that girl who kept sending you those love letters?" Taiki guessed.
"What-? Wrong!" Oikawa frown grew larger.
"Or is it that girl on the swim team whom Ogata introduced to you?" I guessed.
"Wrong Damn, Wrong!"
"… …What, are we that off?"
"Damn right! They dumped me a long time ago!"
"For an idiot who got dumped," Shiba-san frowned, "you've moved on pretty quickly…"
"Of course! I only have three years of youth! Love comes first, friendship comes second, and sex comes third, fourth and fifth!"
"Isn't it friendship first then love?" Taiki noted confusingly.
"It's his version," Shiba-san rolled her eyes knowingly.
"Casanova," I mumble in slight disgust.
"I sure am!" Oikawa chimed, "A Casanova! A Romeo!"
"Enemy of women," Shiba-san moaned loud enough to only be heard by me.
"Must be nice," I sighed to myself, "I wish I could be one too!"
Shiba-san and Taiki stared at me.
"…You want to become Oikawa?" Taiki widen his eyes in surprise.
"What-? No!" I frowned, "I didn't say that!"
"Oh, but you can, you can!" Oikawa, who was the only one not to misinterpret the meaning of my sentence, grinned, "If you're not a Romeo while you are young, you're not a man!"
"Hey!" Taiki frowned, "Kazuto and I are men! Don't you dare questioned it!"
"Yeah," I added, "I don't think we need to be Romeos to be men…"
"Hmm-hmm~!" Oikawa sneered, waving his index finger back and forth knowingly, "Well, Taiki-kun, you're not actively looking for anyone so you're good…"
"Oh really?" Taiki relaxed.
"…Imbecile," Shiba-san muttered.
"And Kazu-pi?" Oikawa smirked in my direction, "Well, you are single. Of course you think that…"
"…" Damn it. He gets so full of himself just because he has a girlfriend. "Damn it! I want a girlfriend too…!"
"…" Shiba-san stared at me for a moment before shaking her head in disappointment, "…Imbecile…"
"It's all how you present yourself, Failure-kun," Oikawa "comforted" me and try to cheer me up with a pat on the shoulder.
"Shut up!" I grumbled as I twist my body away, "Don't talk like you know-!"
Unfortunately as I twisted my body away I bumped into another student who was trying to pass by us.
"Oh, sorry!" I apologized instinctively before getting a good look at the guy.
He was a little shorter than me with fade blond hairs that were sharp but lay limped on his head. His eyes were lilac, partially close with his eyebrow drawn close together giving him an irritated expression. But it wasn't the expression that caught my attention. It was something only those who honed their sense, like martial artist, could see. It was his aura, or how he presents himself. His aura sat between calm and destructive, in short a really strong person.
The male student waved me off with irritation and walk on.
"…What's up with him, the creep?" Oikawa glared at the retreating figure.
I didn't respond, hardly even hearing Oikawa's remark. From the corner of my eye, I notice that Taiki and Shiba-san was also staring after the guy with the same questioning expression I was having.
Well, I'm not really surprise. Taiki's looks got him in just as much trouble as he is popular. I heard that at least once every week or so some punks try to mess with Taiki only to end up bruise and beaten, so Taiki had some experience in the field of martial arts. Also since he is so passionate about sports and any other outdoor activity he was nickname "The Tiger of Kyoto" for his almost "ferocious" ability in all outdoor activity and for being an active member of Kyoto, a little league baseball team named after the city the team had originated from. He probably sensed the same thing I did.
And Shiba-san is the smartest person I know. I heard that if she could just improve her attitude a bit she would have skipped to college while I just got into middle school. She is vastly known for her keen eyes which according to rumors "never miss a single detail". Perhaps she literally did see that there was something off with that guy as well.
"Hey, you three, what's wrong?" Oikawa called, snapping us out of our trance.
"Huh?" I backtracked.
"What?" Taiki added.
"You three kept staring at the guy's back… …Hmm!" Oikawa's face suddenly turned pale in a mixture of disgust, shock, and nervousness, "WAIT, are you three-? Whoa, Izumi-chan I have no complaints; I'm happy for you! But Taiki-kun, Kazu-pi, WHOA! WHY?"
"What the-?" Shiba-san glared, "What are YOU hallucinating about!?"
"Huh?" Taiki tilted his head in confusion.
"No way!" I frowned, "We were just…"
"Just what?" Oikawa raised an eyebrow.
"…No," Shiba-san waved it off, "Never mind."
Good call. I was about to say that that guy's body felt too muscular for someone our age…and Shiba-san and Taiki must have pick it up too…But if we said that, who knows what kind of rumors Oikawa would spread for us to face after winter break.
"Anyway, let's go," Taiki voiced, even he could tell telling Oikawa what we thought about that guy wasn't going to end well, "You don't have much time, right Oikawa?"
"Oh, you're right, I don't~!" Oikawa squeaked in delight as he resumes his walk quickening his pace, "Come on, let get going!"
"Right, right," We all call as we rush to keep up.
Sometime later we were walking around together in the museum, looking at the various displays.
"Wow!" I said, "What a nice museum!"
"Only Francesca can build a museum like this," Shiba-san noted.
"Wonder how much money was put into this?" Taiki hummed.
"I'm sure millions," I guess before catching Oikawa's dirty sneer.
"Yeah, I'm sure," he sneered, "But our tuition isn't that high. Maybe they are doing something shady behind the scenes."
"Something shady?" I wondered, "…like what?"
"Well, for example…In the basement they have a dungeon, and night after night Francesca female students are trained as sex slaves to be sold off as pet to wealthy people and corrupt politicians."
"So what eroge is that? That's the reply you're looking for, right?"
"Yeah, it's a big theme!"
"Imbeciles," Shiba-san grumbled clearly disturb by the idea.
"Hah…" Taiki sighed, "You really are missing a very important screw in your head, huh Oikawa?"
"Flattery will get you nowhere!" Oikawa smiled.
"He's not complimenting you," I rolled my eyes, "Anyway, let's be a little more quiet. A guard is glaring at us."
"Okay, Okay. Let's take a look around~…"
We stared at Oikawa, catching his attention.
"…What?"
"Now that was a lame try," Shiba-san huffed.
"Oh, stop. You're embarrassing me…" Oikawa pouted. His faced blushed as we took a look around at the ancient arms and hanging scrolls on display.
It wasn't too long before we end up in a room full of feudal armors, weapons, and other accessory.
"Which era are these from?" I inquired.
"According to the brochure," Oikawa, who had the brochure, began, "it's from the later end of the late Han Dynasty."
"The end of the late Han Dynasty…" I repeated with great interest, "…So the Three Kingdoms Era, huh?"
"Cool," Taiki wowed as he gazed at the feudal objects, "you're saying that all these stuff came from that hundred year era?"
"That seem to be the case," Shiba-san lingered over some of the displays, "These relics are from 1800 years ago…"
Oikawa blinked. "I'm impressed, you three…"
"Huh?" the three of us sounded in unison.
"Even with Izumi-san here I'm surprise that she showed interest. And you two knew the annals of the Three Kingdoms, or how long it manages to last. Where did you learn all that from?"
"What?" we spoke in unison, "That's common knowledge, isn't it?"
"How could that be common knowledge?" Oikawa's face reddens with a frown. "Are you three some kind of history buffs?"
"A history buff?" I repeated before considering it, "…Maybe. My grandpa in the country has tons of history books on this subject at his house. When I used to visit him as a kid, I read those books in between my training."
"Well," Taiki scratched the back of his head, "before whenever my mom banned me from going outside sometimes, I usually play a lot of video games related to the Three Kingdoms. It's the only type of video games I like…"
"A lot of famous and bizarre strategies were use during that time," Shiba-san noted, "so I thought I should study it up. After all, if you know the history you can avoid repeated mistakes…"
"Hmm," Oikawa hummed, "Izumi-chan and Taiki-kun's cases I could kind of understand. But yours Kazu-pi…"
"What?" I inquired.
"Kazu-pi, by country you mean where?"
"Kagoshima. I was born and raised here though."
"I see…"
"What kind of training?" Taiki asked.
"Swordsmanship…"
"…Swordsmanship?" Shiba-san blinked.
"My family's been running a dojo for generations. I was forced into it…"
"…Kazu-pi," Oikawa managed looking sincerely concerned, "…You're really from this era, right? You sound weird, talking about training and swordsmanship…"
"You're calling him weird of all things, idiot?" Shiba-san rolled her eyes at Oikawa's sentence.
"No, no, seriously. It's really strange for a modern day student to talk about that."
"What can I do?" I sighed, "My family is very old fashioned. A son of a dojo owner can't be weak. Both my dad and grandpa believe in that."
"I'm surprise you didn't stray from the right path…" Shiba-san commented.
"Actually, I like sword fighting. It was tough, but I didn't mind."
"And you join the Kendo Club when you entered Francesco right?" Taiki hummed, "… Why do want to be so tough?"
"I guess my goal right now is to defeat Fuyurugi-san. I don't know after that."
"I see. Good luck."
"Are you kidding me," Oikawa frowned, "by the way you move against your senpai it will take a super human to stop you…"
"There's more than just winning involve, you know…" I stated.
"If you say so," Oikawa gave me a cheering pat on the back before noticing something beyond me, "Hey, isn't that the guy from earlier?"
We all turn to see Oikawa pointing to a male who was looking at the display a short distance away from us.
"Oh, you're right. I guess he was heading here too, huh?" I remarked.
"Obviously," Shiba-san added while rolling her eyes.
"Thanks to the board chairman's authority it's homework for all students," Oikawa noted, "I've never seen him at school though…"
"Hmm?" Taiki hummed, "Come to think about it, you're right…"
St. Francesca Academy was originally an all-girls school, and only recently became co-ed, so there are only a small number of male students. There is typically only one male student per class, so unless he's from a different grade, we should know him.
"I've never seen him either. Maybe he's in the lower grades."
"A younger student with an attitude like that?" Oikawa muttered, "…That's scary…"
"Yeah, I agree," I noted, "but he is…"
"What!? Huh! Wait, Kazu-pi? Whoa! Already!?"
"No, no. He's amazing…"
"Wow, you didn't even blink that time. Anyway, what's so amazing?"
"How do I say it…He doesn't have any openings. I can tell by the way he stands that he's well trained."
"… …When did you become a master swordsman? How can you even say that? Kazu-pi, you're acting weird!"
"No. Anyone in martial arts learns to recognize things like that from the person's air and the way they carry themselves."
"No way…"
"It's true…But there's no way I would've overlooked someone that skilled. Even if I just passed by him in the halls or saw him from a distance, I should have some memory of him."
"A good looking guy like him, I should remember too…So I can put a curse on him."
I smiled at Oikawa's evil laugh and focused on that male student.
"Here… it… begins…" He muttered something to himself as he stared at the display behind the showcase.
"(There is… something about him…)" I thought.
He was looking at the display with murder in his eyes like he had just met his family's rival. He was obviously suspicious. He looked like he was about to kick down the glass and seize what's on display…
"Kazu-pi?" Oikawa called.
"Huh?" I replied waking from my trance to notice everyone was waiting for me.
"What are you spacing out for?" Taiki wondered typically; strange, didn't he find the guy strange? "Do you need something from him?"
"No… of course not."
"Then let's get going," Oikawa rushed, checking the time, "we don't have much time left."
"That's you, not me…"
"Of course~! My girl is waiting all alone, so I have to go meet with her soon~!"
"…Imbecile," Shiba-san shook her head.
"Yeah, yeah, alright." I replied with a sigh. I was a bit annoyed by Oikawa's zeal for romance, but with a shrug of my shoulder I diverted my attention away from the student.
The four of us walked around looking at the rest of the museum.
After Shiba-san, Taiki and I saw Oikawa off and he started skipping towards his date, I headed back to the dorm alone…at least that was the plan.
"Boy, he sure has an imagination!" I sighed to myself. Every time we saw an artifact in the museum, he would come up with something like "This jar was a big pot for Bamboo Shoots" or "This armor was worn by a woman and she had sex in it!" He kept rattling off those fantasies so much that I was amazed.
"What a fool," Shiba-san grumbled with Taiki laughing heartily.
"A fool, yes, but a lovable fool," Taiki chimed.
True, very true. I was happy to have a friend like him. And I mean no less for Shiba-san and Taiki. Taiki, despite being in a sense an idiot who move faster than he can think, is always grinning and trying to help out those around him. Shiba-san, despite being cold to everyone around her, is smart, helps behind the scene (though we always know it was her), and has wisdom beyond her years. As far as I am concerned, I can even entrust my life with them.
"Well, this is where we part," I voiced. We had finally reached where the three of us have to part ways since I lived in a dorm and they lived in their own separate places obviously. "See you all later!"
"Hold on, Hongou-san," Shiba-san suddenly called, "you got a moment?"
"Huh? What's up?"
"It's about that male student," Shiba-san answered, catching my interest, "Look we can all agree that he isn't a normal guy, right?"
"Yeah," Taiki nodded, in the most serious face I had ever seen him use, "he gives me some very bad vibes…"
"So you two did sense something off about him," I said.
"Yes," Shiba-san nodded, "and judging how he was looking at the display…"
"You don't think he-…?"
"I say he would," Taiki hummed, "but we could wrong…"
"Even if there is a chance, we have to-…"
"Hold on, Hongou-san," Shiba-san halted, "this is what I want to talk about…"
"What?"
"I won't blame you for thinking bad about me for saying this, but…don't do anything about it…"
I blinked. "What!? Why!?"
"Even you said that he was strong, right?"
"Yeah?"
"So what are you going to do? You're planning to face him?"
"But I can't just…"
"I've already alerted some the guards. Let them take care of it, okay Hongou-san?"
"… …Alright…"
"That goes double for you, Sonoma-senpai!"
"Okay, okay!" Taiki held up his hand in defeat.
"You only need to say it once!"
"Okay~!"
"Good, now both you go home and forget about it, understand?"
The two of us nodded. Satisfy, Shiba-san walked off and before long Taiki was off too.
But despite everything Shiba-san said, I couldn't get the guy out of my mind.
"Brr…it is cold…" I spoke to myself. The inconsistency of that guy had continued to ring warning bells in my head the entire afternoon. Finally, my conscience got the better of me. Here I was; it was so cold my ears hurt, but I stepped out of the dorm and took a swing with my wooden sword.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Sweep! Sweep!
I swung the wooden sword two, three times to test it out while I griped to myself.
"I hope I'm just thinking too much…"
I'm not trying to be some defender of justice, but I couldn't get the thought out of my mind.
"What am I going to do with personality of mine?"
Sometimes I get tired of the way I think, but this is just how I am. I can't easily change that.
"I hope it's nothing… Okay, let's go…"
After I finished my warm-up, I headed towards the museum.
"Brr~~! I must be crazy to follow some nagging feeling out into this cold weather. Especially after Shiba-san told me not to!"
It wasn't long before I found myself on the same path that I took today to get to the museum. The pleasantry of the tree lined road had diminished, of which it now cast a shadow setting just perfect for a horror movie. My only comfort amidst the darken path was the moon as it shines brightly above me. Of course it was still not much comfort should my hunch prove correct.
"(I just hope there's nothing here,)" I thought to myself before speaking bitterly to myself, "But if it there isn't anything, then that means I'm just stupid…"
…Brattle! Brattle! Brattle! Brattle! Brattle!
"…Hmm?" I think I heard something…
…Brattle! Brattle! Brattle! Brattle! Brattle!
"Someone is coming…" What do I do? If it's someone from the academy, that's fine. But what if my guess is right…? Shit my knees are shaking…! I better hide quickly!
After a mild panic at the situation, I ducked behind a nearby tree.
…Brattle! Brattle! Brattle! Brattle! Brattle!
I gulped. The sound seems so loud to my ears. "(What do I do…? What…? What should I do…?)"
My mind was blank. "(Damn… this is pathetic…)"
All the training in the past was a waste if I can't use it at a time like this!
…Brattle! Brattle! Brattle! Brattle! Brattle!
"Ah, shit…!" The approaching footsteps rushed me on. I have to take a chance!
"Wait!" I jump out from behind the tree and in front of the figure running towards me.
Lo and behold, it was just as I thought; it's male student from before. The guy stopped and glared at me. He was holding an object that looked like the mirror from the display at the museum.
Ah, shit! My worst fears became reality. The strange male student did exactly as I fear he would.
"Who the hell are you?" the male student spoke in a mixture of bored and irritated tone, "What do you want from me?"
"I didn't want anything from you. What's that thing you've got in your hand?"
The male student tensed as I indicate the mirror.
"Where did you get it? You don't even go to this academy, do you?"
"So what?" the male student quoted unconcerned. It was unnerving, but I press on; maybe it's not too late to fix the damage.
"Look… Didn't your mother ever tell you that taking something which doesn't belong to you is stealing-? Wah!"
It was almost too fast for me to dodge; he suddenly tried to kick me.
"Whoa, what are you doing?"
"You are in my way," he replied before trying to again kick.
I narrowly dodge it. "Hey! Aren't you listening to me?"
"I do not intend to. Die…" He then effortlessly launched a series of kicks at me. Every single one was as sharp as a sickle slicing through grass and aimed directly at my vitals. Each one carried enough strength to break a bone if it connected. I somehow managed to avoid them and jump back, putting distance between us.
I took many breaths. I managed to defend against the fierce blows for a moment, but my breath was ragged and my throat hurt like I had just ran a mile.
The male student spat in disgust and annoyance. "…You pest…"
"I'm no pest!" I exclaimed in defiant, "Who the hell are you? Why are you stealing?"
"Stealing?" the male student repeated, as if he didn't know what I was talking about, before holding up the mirror, "…Oh, you mean this. You do not need this. What is wrong with taking something people do not need?"
"Huh?" What the hell is he saying? It certainly didn't make sense to me.
"You do not have anything to do with this. If you do not want to die, just go away. Forget about what happened today…"
What an absurd thing to say. "Don't get full of yourself, thief! How dare you!"
"So you insist on getting in my way? Fine, then I shall kill you.… Without the key to open the door, then history will never be rewritten and all shall end here…"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"I have nothing else to say. Die…" As soon as he placed the mirror into his pocket, he came at me. His attack came from all directions, slicing through the air.
I screamed in panic. My eyes, my middle forehead, my temples, my throat… He was clearly aiming at just my vitals. He doesn't have a weapon, but his every attack is as sharp as a real sword. I desperately tried to dodge or parry his blows, and struggled to take a stance. But there were too much.
"Except your fate for crossing me! You are never a match for me!"
The swiftness of the attacks quickened. There was no way I could dodge or parry them all in time. Suddenly…
"Maybe he could if he had a little help!" A voiced roared from behind me as two figures pass me and parry the attacks I couldn't get to. The male student in shock leapt back to gain some distance.
Finally with room for breather, I looked up to see the backs of two very familiar people.
"Taiki! Shiba-san!" I cried out in joy.
"Yo, Kazuto," Taiki greeted without removing his gaze from the male student.
"Honestly," Shiba-san huffed in irritation, "And after I told you not to do this!"
"Yeah," I moaned apologetically, "but this is how I am. Sorry…and thanks!"
"… … …Imbecile," Shiba-san sighed as she raised her hands, and it was then did I realized that she was now wearing white gloves with long razors coming out of each finger tips, "we'll talk appropriately after we deal with this thief…"
"Right~," Taiki smirked as he pointed a metal bat at the male student, "And you! Prepare yourself; nobody mess with my friends…"
The male student glared at us.
"I do not have time for this," he spoke, with not even a hint of being afraid of the three-on-one situation, "you can all die together…"
Without a single warning, he dash forward and sent a series of sharp, no doubt dangerous, kicks at the three of us. I manage to parry the kicks with my wooden sword; Taiki went on the defense as he used his metal bat to shield him against the kicks; Shiba-san, using her speed dodged her share of volley attacks.
"Whoa!" Taiki frowned nervously, "He's f**king whole lot different from the punks I fought with up until now!"
"He's aiming for our vitals," Shiba-san spoke through clenched teeth, "and so fast too…"
"And it's three against one too," I muttered, "and he's still doing fine…"
Despite what we said, we manage to last out the onslaught.
"Damn," the male student frown after seeing that we were all mostly alright, "You are all quite persistent, are you not?"
"Shut up!" I managed and finally went offensive, "Don't think you can take me down!"
Using the skills I have gain over the years, I swung my wooden swords expertly and swiftly. Caught off guard, the male student narrowly dodged my assault.
"Very good," Taiki grinned at my skill and rushed forward as I leapt back, "Now it's my turn!"
Taiki swung wildly at the male student, each swing had enough force break the concrete on the ground. Seeing this, the male student put his effort in dodging the brutal blows.
"Not bad," Shiba-san commented and sprang forward once Taiki fell back, "but let me show you how it's done!"
Shiba-san elegantly swung her hands around, her movement eerily compared to that of a deadly dance. The male student surprise by this sudden change in atmosphere was ill-prepared when her razor finger tips grazed his arms, leaving small but painful injures.
"Shit!" the male student spat as held his wound.
"You sure like to talk a lot of nonsense!" I declared as the three of us prepared to charge forward, "But it's over now; we're going to catch you and toss you over to the police!"
"Unless you end up in the hospital first," Taiki grinned.
"Indeed," Shiba-san hissed, "you really only have these two options…"
To our surprise, the male student grinned confidently and stood tall as if the wounds he receive no longer hurt.
"Go ahead," he sneered, "Try…"
Not wanting to show him our unnerving, we charge forward to attack at once. But, to our astonishment, he repelled our attempts.
"Hey, are you serious? Stopping my wooden sword with your fist!" I exclaimed.
"You knock aside my bat with a single bad**s kick!" Taiki noted in shock.
"You avoid my attacks while you fend the other two off!" Shiba-san voiced, clearly baffled.
"Humph," the male student huffed arrogantly, "That is nothing. However, this is getting me nowhere, and I have grown bored with you all. Disappear…"
The guy lowered his body and raised his fists. Suddenly the atmosphere around him changed. It felt like his entire body had become an unsheathed sword, and I could sense his desire to kill. It felt like the temperature around me had suddenly dropped. Sweat dripped down my necks. The icy cold chill filled my heart with fear.
"… … …" The guy watched our every move like a predator ready to pounce.
My heart was pounding beneath his gaze, and the fear was making me dizzy from the lack of air. I took a quick glance over at fellow companions and found that they must be feeling the same pressure I was feeling. They too must be sensing this impending doom.
Shit! They only got involve because of me! I can't let them die like this! I had to do something but my body is in too much panic to do anything. So I decided to try something; I tried to focus on the feeling of the wooden sword in my hands… … …The handle was hard and rough. The firm weight was helping me break away from the fear a little.
"Whew…" I took a deep breath to regain control of my breathing. With that, I regained my composure.
"It looks like one of you has prepared himself," the male student noted, causing Taiki and Shiba-san to take a quick surprise glance at me, "I shall kill you without making you suffer…"
"Go ahead, if you can!" I declared as bravely as I could manage. I wrenched up the courage to repulse the wave of malice threatening to crush my heart. "Don't underestimate the Satsuma warrior's strong spirit, damn it!"
"How brave of you. Now die!"
With the strong sound of his foot kicking the ground, he closed in and unleashed a flowing combo of kicks.
"Kazuto!" Taiki yelled, warning me.
"Hongou-san!" Shiba-san called in agony.
"I'm not going down!" I cried out against the fear and death that threaten to swallow me. With my wooden sword held in a shadow stance, I let my emotions burst free and swung it down with all my might!
WHOOSH!
I stepped forward hard, my foot digging into the ground. My wooden sword flashed like a bolt of lightning. The wooden sword was about to sink into his shoulder one step faster than his kick…
"I did it!" But the next moment…
"…! Kazuto! Look out!" Shiba-san cried out to warn me. But it was too late…
WHACK!
"Ah-!" I cried out. His kick swung from my blind spot and slammed into my shoulder swinging the wooden sword. The dull pain shook my body, and the impact of his kick caused my wooden sword to change course. The unexpected course of the wooden sword caused the guy to recoil. I seized my chance and threw my body at him as it fell.
As we both fell down, the bronze mirror fell out of his pocket.
"Shit," the boy spat, "the mirror…!"
"…! Oh no, you don't!" I managed.
The bronze mirror flew through the air in slow motion, and both of us reached our hands out for it. But… we both failed to grasp it, and the bronze mirror fell through the air hitting the ground.
CRASH! SHATTER!
"Damn it!" As soon as he heard the sound of crunching bronze, his face twisted in panic. "Move!"
"Eh…?" with one mighty shove he threw me off of him. Taiki and Shiba-san, now recovered from their penalization, rush over to help me up.
"Shit! How dare you all, doing this to me…!"
"What the hell do you mean? You shouldn't have stolen it in the first place!" I ignored the pain in my stomach and, with the help of my friends and my wooden sword, lift myself up.
"You do not know anything, so quit talking!"
"We know enough to know you're a thief!" Taiki roared back.
"…! Hongou-san! Sonoma-senpai! Look!" Shiba-san cried out in, catching our attention.
VROOM~!
"W-What-?" I shuttered in confusion, "The broken mirror is-!"
"Damn," the male student growled, "it has already starting…"
The glowing light from the mirror swallowed him as he spat his detestable remarks. As we stood immobile from either the pain or the shock, the light spread further, enveloping us as well.
"What is this-?" Shiba-san cried out before disappearing into the light.
"What's the going on-?" Taiki managed before he too was swallowed by the light.
"Shiba-san! Taiki!" I cried out.
Everything was becoming white. As the glaring white light began to burn my eyes, I shut my eyelids. The indescribable fear made me want to scream, but I couldn't make a sound. I tried to move my body to escape from the light, but my legs were frozen like statues. An instinctive fear rushed through me as I tried to scream, struggle, and desperately seek to escape from the light.
"It is no use…" I heard the male student's voice coming from inside the light, ridiculing my pathetic shape.
"Why is it?" I managed.
"… …You all cannot go back. The curtain has been drawn…"
"What are you talking about?"
"Be swallowed up by the light. That is the punishment that has befallen you all!"
"What do you mean by that-? Whoa!" VROOM~!
"Now view the truth of this world with your own eyes!"
My consciousness was fading… Yet his meaningful words remained in my head… They were the last things I remembered…
With this, this version of the story begins. Please review and give me your honest opinion please~!