Chapter Ten – The Rebel Fencer of Dorfa

It has already been more than a week now since Yuu's incident with the Dogoos at the Sol Plains. It was a close call for the young girl and her friend but not so much when Nitroplus gave her quite a spanking after what Yuu just did to her.

"Hnnggh…It's already been a week or so but I can still feel my rear is numb…." Yuu complained as she sits down on her chair at a school directly managed by the orphanage. Some other children are also seated on their designated chairs while others are starting to get in the classroom.

"Well it's kinda your fault why you ended up with a sore bottom, Yuu."

When Yuu looked up to see who spoke, there she saw her friend Kuroe standing beside her desk. He's not carrying any sort of school materials so Yuu assumed that he already got to his chair first before he approached her.

"If you only told the truth, then you wouldn't have a sore bottom."

"But then she wouldn't have allowed me to go there." Yuu reasoned out as she starts doodling on a notebook.

"Well the place is kind of dangerous for us children, after all." Kuroe said. "But hey, you got what you wanted. But is your experiment effective?"

"Sis hasn't tried it yet…." Yuu mumbled, a bit disappointed about it.

"Really? I thought she already tried after you walloped her hand so hard that I swore it got all red and swollen." Kuroe pointed out while kind of also teasing his friend after he snickered a bit after saying.

"Ghh…not funny, you meanie!" Yuu cried out before pouting.

"But she still has the bottle, right?"

"Well…, yeah I guess." Yuu replied with uncertainty. "But I really swear she still has it."

"You sound like you're just trying to convince yourself…." Kuroe said with a sweatdrop before the teacher of their class entered, making him return to his seat, leaving Yuu still wondering if Nitroplus still has the potion that she made for her.

Meanwhile at the Dorfa Main Hall….

Nitroplus was busy looking at a glass bottle filled with clear liquid as she stands waiting at the front door of the Main Hall for the person who will accompany her to her next mission.

"Well, well. So it's you who is coming with me, huh."

When Nitroplus looked to see who talked with a smug tone in the voice, there she saw the person who will accompany her.

There by the door stands a young, fair-skinned man with menacing red eyes and a confident smile on his face. His unkempt, spiked hair is colored blue-grey and has some strands hanging into his face. His attire consists of a zippered, black waistcoat with two diagonal running belts which are colored black with silver buckles. Furthermore, his waistcoat is partly covered by a white colored jacket which has a very wide collar and silver clasps that are attached to black, square surfaces on the jacket. Moreover, the sleeves of the jacket are colored black and the right one has some silver spikes attached to it, making his style somewhat punk-inspired. Additionally, he wears a black necklace with a noticeable, silver ornament which resembles a belt buckle and two black gloves that have some metal surfaces and spikes. On his right arm he also wears a metal bracer which is affixed to his arm with white strings. Apart from that, he wears a noticeable belt which has a long, silver chain attached to one of his buckles.

"So, it's the rookie who will accompany me this time, huh." Nitroplus mentioned as she tucks away the glass bottle into her small medicine bag belted on her waist. "Sherman already gave up on you? How very unlikely of him."

"More like the general wished for this temporary partner swap."

When the two looked inside the door, there stands Paiga, General Hanagata's head staff officer.

"Oh? Why so, sir Paiga?" Asked Nitroplus.

"Heh. That bastard is too weak for me, if you ask me." Said the guy who is going to be partnered with Nitroplus. "That Sherman guy is too full of compassion in his small head. Pathetic and crap."

"Mind your tongue, Zenke!" Paiga can't help but utter loudly.

"You watch your tongue, old man. Or I might not help myself and cut it off from that stupid mouth of yours…!" Said the person named Zenke in a cunning manner, making Paiga fall silent in sudden fear.

But Nitroplus wasn't fazed by this new recruit of theirs and gave him a slap in the face.

"You really have quite the nerve saying such crap to anyone, huh." Nitroplus said calmly but seriously. "Know your place, rookie."

But Zenke looked back at Nitroplus with a menacing expression after the girl slapped him hard in the cheek.

"Oh you are so gonna die, you son of a-…"

"Enough, Zenke…!"

When the three looked, they saw Hanagata walking towards their location, in his usual calm but serious expression.

"I have already warned you not to harass your teammates, Zenke." General Hanagata said.

"Heh. Yeah, whatever." Zenke muttered as he walks away from the Main Hall towards the outside.

"You go with him now, Sachika. And make sure he does his job well." General Hanagata told Nitroplus.

"Understood, General. We will hunt down the ASIC remnants and make sure that they are eliminated." Nitroplus replied with dedication. "I shall take my leave now."

And with that, Nitroplus followed suit to wherever Zenke is going, making sure he goes to the target place and complete their objective. And as she walks, she can't help but think about this person accompanying her.

"This guy is going to get himself killed if he keeps up this crazy antics of his." Nitroplus thought as she walks on. "I bet Sherman also had a rough time dealing with Zenke."

But unbeknownst to the two, Sherman was watching from a window inside the building. And he doesn't seem comfortable with Zenke going with Nitroplus on her mission.

"That guy also gets on my nerves as well."

It was Marianna who talked as she is sitting on a chair, sipping some tea from a small teacup in her hand with a small saucer underneath held by her other hand.

"I don't really understand why the general took him in." Marianna muttered as she drinks tea more but with a scorn on her face.

"The general will recruit anyone who can be beneficial to Dorfa's cause, Marianna." Sherman replied. "And I can't help but say that he's a fool for just looking at people only for their worth."

"So you're saying Zenke is here with us because the general recruited him only for what he's really worth?" Marianna wondered.

"That can be the case." Sherman said calmly. "Admittedly, Zenke has the potential that can equally match one of us. But his attitude towards others is a deplorable thing for me. But I will apply maximum tolerance towards him. Although I don't know how long I can endure such person."

"Hmhm~. It's rare for you to be like this, Sherman." Marianna said with a giggle. "You may look calm now, but I can tell your boiling inside. Careful, though. Boil too much and you might just explode."

"Hmhm. No worries. I can control myself just fine, Marianna." Sherman assured his fellow Fencer. "The last thing I want is bringing down a comrade, after all. I wouldn't want to compromise the plans of Dorfa to expand to the outer regions of the Eastern continent by making such scandalous things."

"But if you ask me, having Zenke within our ranks is scandalous enough."

But instead of replying back to Marianna's retort, Sherman resumes looking at the window in silence.

"Where are they headed again?" Sherman asked, breaking the silence.

"Who? Nitroplus and Zenke? Their mission I believe is to eliminate the ASIC remnants spotted at the abandoned factory east of Dorfa." Marianna answered.

"I see. Thank you, Marianna." Sherman muttered as he heads straight out of the room.

"Gonna follow them?"

Sherman only took a glance at Marianna before answering with a smile.

"Just going to make sure that he doesn't do anything bad to our young Sachika Kibagahara."

And as more than two hours has passed, a few miles away from Dorfa, an abandoned factory can be seen on the outskirts of the neighboring Zelwinds city. However today, it's more than just abandoned now. Half of this factory is now under ruins after the duo of Nitroplus and Zenke infiltrated the place and eliminated the terrorists perched inside the abandoned factory. It seems that the ASIC remnants put up a difficult fight for the Fencers for half of the factory to turn into ruins.

However, after the battle was over, Nitroplus can't help but be bothered at how Zenke mercilessly killed the terrorists to the point that they were mutilated brutally by the male Fencer. Although Nitroplus do understand that such terrorists do deserve the faith of death but even she wouldn't toy with the enemy to the point of torturing them.

"So that's how you do battle, huh Zenke." Nitroplus said to him calmly. "You take pleasure in hearing the pained screams of your enemy before killing them, huh."

Zenke then gave Nitroplus a smug look before replying in a cocky manner.

"Heh. What about you? Ain't burning them alive with your…noble flames not torturing enough?" Zenke said while putting a sarcastic emphasis on the words noble flames.

"Well at least I don't take pleasure in killing people even if they are the enemy." Nitroplus replied, a bit irritated now. "I am unlike you who is laughing like a crazed psychopath while slashing the enemy to death with your Fury."

"Then where's the fun in just immediately killing off lives then, huh?" Zenke said in a crazed manner, making Nitroplus back away a bit in disgust. "They are the enemy anyway so at least enjoy dealing with them, right? Right?!"

"So mutilating their limbs off before slowly killing them is fun for you, huh. Disgusting." Nitroplus can't help but say it in disgust. "You're cruelty knows no bounds from the looks of it all."

But after saying that to him, Zenke fell silent while looking at Nitroplus with a scorned look.

"Anyway, our mission is done. The threat of ASIC remnants roaming about near Zelwinds city and Dorfa has been dealt with. Let's head back and report, Zenke."

"You know what…, Della mentioned something to me just now." Zenke mentioned as he looked at Nitroplus with an expression of utter cruelty.

"Della? Who is De-…"

But Nitroplus wasn't able to complete her question when she quickly dodged a sudden slash attack from Zenke's sword after she turned around to look at the guy.

"Wh-why would you attack me, Zenke?!" Shouted Nitroplus at him.

"Heh. Nice dodge. But not fast enough in my opinion." Zenke said as he licked off something fro the blade of his sword.

"B-blood…?" Nitroplus mentioned as she noticed. And at that point is where she suddenly felt her left arm got numb all of a sudden. And when she looked, she was so surprised to see a deep slash wound on her left arm, her blood heavily oozing out from the laceration.

"Wh-what the…?"

"Heh. That's for slapping me earlier, you whore." Zenke said while wearing a grin that looks like he's not yet done in dealing with Nitroplus.

Nitroplus then tries to raise her wounded arm but to no avail. It was so numb that her left hand relaxed and unwillingly lets go of her silver handgun. Because of that, Nitroplus can't help but be frustrated at her companion. But she also can't help but fear him as well. For as far as her memory goes, she has never encountered someone as crazy and psychopathic as the Fencer that is in front of him.

"Hahahahahaha! I can see the fear in your eyes, my great upperclassman." Zenke said with sarcasm and zest. "No worries. I'll make sure to report our success here. But as for you…."

Zenke then seems to emanate an ominous aura in him as he prepares to attack Nitroplus more.

"…, after that cute slap of yours plus your petty lectures, I can't help but desire to put the hurt on you even more! Don't blame me if you get killed!"

And after saying his piece, Zenke then swiftly charges at Nitroplus with an obvious intent of dealing fatal damage on the girl Fencer.

Only using her right hand to defend herself using her Fury, Nitroplus parried Zenke's swift slashes. Although Nitroplus is used with just using only her right hand to swing and slash her sword, she still finds it difficult to fend off Zenke due to her numb left arm swinging lazily on her left side, making her balance offset.

"Hahahaha! Where's your luster now, huh?!" Zenke taunted as he maniacally slashes his sword on the girl. However, the further the exchange of blows from both their weapons, the more Nitroplus receives injuries. Fortunately for her, the cuts she's receiving were only quite shallow, but she can slowly feel the effects of Zenke's attacks like what happened to her left arm.

"Ghh…I can't shake him off in this state…!" Nitroplus thought in her mind as she continues to struggle in defending against the tirade of attacks from Zenke. "My body is wearing out from whatever effect his sword has everytime he deals damage on me….! Doesn't he get tired from all this? He looks like he's using up all the energy he has on these swift attacks…! I have to push him away…!"

"Come on! Just die already!" Zenke yelled in a frenzy as he continues to attack Nitroplus. "No worries. I will make sure that they will consider you a hero once they learn that you got killed in action!"

"Not gonna happen, jackass!" Nitroplus shouted as she poured in all of her energy on her sword, igniting it with her usual flames. "Haaaaaa!"

And with one swing full of force, Nitroplus was able to push away Zenke, catching the crazed Fencer by surprise as he staggered back.

"Take this!" Nitroplus shouted as she swings her sword sideways to fire several projectiles made of fire towards Zenke.

"Hah! Too easy!" Zenke taunted as he slashes down the projectiles, making them explode quite violently. Zenke was prepared for this effect, however, as he managed to maintain a distance while destroying Nitroplus' projectiles.

As the smoke cleared, Zenke found out that Nitroplus was no longer in his sight. He looked around to see if she hadn't gotten far but, unfortunately for him, Nitroplus was no longer in his sights.

"Well now. She escaped." Snickered Zenke in a comical manner.

"Hmhm~. I can just trace her for you. I can smell her blood for even a mile from here."

"Heh. You always know what to do, huh Della." Zenke said as he talked to his Fury named Della who is still in weapon form.

"Just make sure I'm fully entertained like earlier….~" Della told Zenke in a cunning way. "I can sense her running towards the forest just before Sol Plains."

"Heh…." Zenke snickered once more before looking at the direction where his Fury pointed out. "I see that you wanna have some fun more, huh."

"Oh, you know me….~"

"Very well, then." Zenke muttered cynically as if he's about to hunt down the biggest game of his entire life. "Let's go hunt down some upperclassman and have fun along with it…."

To be continued….