Chapter Four

The Duel! Part One!

What is the 'K-Fight system'?

It is a system suggested because fights between the martial arts clubs of Daimon High couldn't be kept under wraps.

The rules are simple: The participants determined who the victor is based on the fight or fights alone.

And within a few minutes of the official announcement of Daimon High implementing the K-Fight System, there was much rejoicing and dancing in the hallways. And only a few moments after that, the first official K-Fight Tournament was held between the Kung Fu Club and the Street Fighter Cosplay Club.

Two days later after the official announcement of the K-Fight Tournament system implementation found Hitomi walking through the campus of Daimon High, listening in on the various conversations while she had her hands clasped behind her, a cheerful and playful smile on her face along with a faint whistle coming from her lips. She approached a nearby poster which had some students from various martial arts clubs from Daimon High gathered around it. The poster depicted Principal Todo standing with some of the martial arts clubs' finest members and they were striking various slightly over-dramatic poses. Snatches of various conversations could be heard as she looked over the poster.

"Hey! Look at this!"

"You see this? The principal here really did it now!"

"I saw it! Trouble is a-coming to all the schools if this K-Fight situation takes off."

Hitomi then approached a good-sized building that was one of Daimon High's gymnasiums, making a casual beeline for the Kendo Club's practice area. The young bespectacled beauty looked around and saw a pair of familiar shoes had been taken off. She smiled.

Alright! Ryoko is here after all! Now, to a more important question, WHY is she here? There's no practice sessions for the Kendo Club in the morning, but she's here anyway. I wonder why…well, better take a peep!

She took off her own shoes and snuck surprisingly quietly over to the doors to the practice area. Hitomi crouched down by the door slightly and peered in.

"Hello? Anybody there?"

She gasped softly as she saw Ryoko, bathed in the light from the morning sun, practicing very advanced moves with a wooden katana sword with practically flawless skill and speed. As Ryoko finished up her practices with a balletic-like bow, Hitomi couldn't resist applauding.

"Whoa! That was incredible!" She exclaimed.

Ryoko looked at Hitomi with a look of polite surprise.

"Hey, Hitomi! I didn't see you there! Didn't know you were coming over here, actually…" Ryoko commented with a smile.

"That was really impressive! It was almost like you were dancing!" Hitomi exclaimed, totally fan-girling it up, "You seem a little more pumped-up than usual, also! I mean, with the morning swordplay practice sessions, now, you really seem to be pushing your limits!"

Ryoko posed triumphantly.

"Indeed! As my best friend, you have obviously noticed that my swordplay doesn't have a single weakness now! And it's thanks to that little date I had with Tatsuya!" Ryoko whooped, equally triumphantly.

Hitomi, had this been an anime, would have sweatdropped at that statement.

"Uh, I see…was it ever weak?" She asked a little meekly.

Suddenly, very loud swearing and yelling could be heard coming from outside the practice areas of the gymnasium building. Hitomi yelped and jumped a little comically in the process while Ryoko blinked in confusion.

"Ryoko? What's with all the yelling?" Hitomi asked in shock.

Ryoko got out of her triumphant pose and sighed in frustration.

"Great, here we go…yet again. It's been like this for a while, now. The local martial arts clubs are having fights to determine where to practice since there is so little room left at the Campus." She grumbled as she and Hitomi walked outside to confront the two martial arts clubs who were arguing.

Outside the building found the Muay Thai club and the Taekwondo club arguing and glaring at each other, about ready to start an all-out brawl.

"Get lost, Yoshi! This is the Muay Thai club's dojo today!" Exclaimed Hiruma, the captain of the Muay Thai club.

"In your dreams! This is OUR dojo!" Shouted Yoshi, the captain of the Taekwondo club.

Ryoko stepped out as Hiruma raised a fist while Yoshi grabbed Hiruma's collar. Hitomi, on the other hand, kept her distance. Ryoko sighed and rested her hand on the wooden sword.

"You lot are at it again?! Why don't you just grow up! You're acting like little children!"

Hiruma and Yoshi pulled apart from each other and Hiruma spoke coldly.

"Uh-uh, no way, Ryoko!" He stated while gesturing at a couple of small tents, "We camped out all night for a spot and we're the first ones here! See! We have tents and everything! Tell that to the Tae Kwon Dumb-Asses!"

Yoshi spoke up calmly to Hiruma.

"Actually, you just did tell that to us. And, c'mon, let's be honest: Tae-Kwon-Dumb-Ass? Really? You're a poetry major and that's the best you could come up with?" He asked.

Hiruma glared at Yoshi.

"Watch it, dum-dum, Because you're busting up my rhythm!" He exclaimed angrily.

"Like I give a flying crap, you Van Damme wannabe!" Yoshi retorted.

The two of them started throwing punches at each other. Hitomi looked in amazement at Ryoko.

"Yikes, I've heard about the fights breaking out lately, but is it always like this here at the Gym?"

Ryoko sighed and leaned against the wall.

"Unfortunately, yes." She grumbled.

"Yo! Hold it right there!" An oddly familiar voice spoke dramatically.

Ryoko's ears perked up and she saw a schoolboy drive up on a motorcycle, wearing a racing helmet over his head with one of those darkened visors that completely hid his appearance.

Oh, Crap. I know that voice…

The biker schoolboy stepped off his bike dramatically and looked at the two club captains.

"Man, you guys…you guys suck." He laughed.

Hiruma scoffed at that statement.

"And who the hell are you, buster?" He demanded.

"I…am the guy that flattened you punks at the school festival a week or two back." The biker schoolboy said as he took off his helmet, "You guys are wasting your time trying to train out here. I'm already going to make good use training here, so get lost!"

Yoshi and Hiruma looked the black-haired boy over and blinked in confusion.

"Who…are you?" They chorused, totally clueless.

Shizuma put his bandanna around his head.

"Recognize me now?" He stated.

Hiruma and Yoshi backed a little away, but struck fighting poses.

"Crap! It's Shizuma!"

"Yeah, but he ain't in a club, so he can't claim a practice area!"

Shizuma jumped on Yoshi's head and landed in the middle of the group of boys.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch! I belong to a club! In fact, I even run it!" He boasted.

Hiruma gasped in shock.

"You're kidding!? Which one!?" He demanded.

Shziuma pulled out an official-looking poster and unveiled it.

"The Shizuma Kusanagi Club, yo!" He said with a cheerful grin.

Silence reigned audibly as everyone stared at Shizuma in bewilderment. Shizuma then grinned.

"Yeah. You're all screwed, now!" He said smugly.

He then gave an extremely rude gesture to the two clubs that were assembled there.

"In other words, people, I got all the right in the world to be here! And if you have a problem with that THEN BRING IT ON!" He roared the last part.

Yoshi and Hiruma struck fighting poses with the rest of their club members assembling behind them.

"Well, I don't know what is going on, but we ain't gonna be backing down after being challenged!" Yoshi exclaimed.

Hiruma pointed at Shizuma.

"You want to take us ALL on, then you got it!" He roared.

As this unfolded, Hitomi stared while Ryoko put her fingers in her ears, closed her eyes, and thought of the ocean.

"Ahhhhh, The noise is starting to fade…a-la-la-la-la…a-la-la-la-la..." Ryoko mumbled.

Hitomi tugged Ryoko's arm.

"Uh, Ryoko? Shouldn't you stop this madness?" She asked.

Shizuma, meanwhile, flashed a grin.

"Alrighty then! K-FIGHT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED!" He roared excitedly.

Ryoko blinked and pulled her fingers out of her ears.

"Wait, what?" She asked honestly.

Abruptly, and within five seconds, the area outside the gymnasium was transformed into a fighting ring, complete with packed audience and commentator, who was Natsumi Fujishima and who was speaking into her microphone:

"Ladies and gentlemen! It's Shizuma Kusanagi versus the entire roster of the Muay Thai Club and the Taekwondo Club! One man against an army! Let's see what happens, shall we, because it is about to begin!" Natsumi spoke with her microphone professionally.

Ryoko sighed to herself as she plopped down in a chair next to Principal Todo, who was calmly puffing on a pipe.

"You know, I can't believe how lame this school has become. Our reputation just crashed into the gutter as a result of this K-Fight madness." Ryoko commented to the Principal, who laughed heartily.

"Well, I believe you are sorely mistaken in this situation, Ms. Mitsurugi. The K-Fight method has become a great way to handle disputes between students!" He commented.

Meanwhile, Shizuma dropped into a fighting stance along with Hiruma and the Muay Thai Club members, while Natsumi continued her play-by-play.

"As per the school administration's new protocol in regards to the K-Fight System: All disputes will be settled through physical fights. Round One features our much-talked-about transfer student, Shizuma Kusanagi! Let's start…Ready, Go!"

Hiruma barely had a chance to move before Shizuma laid him flat with a single blow of his fist. He rushed then through, with rapid speed, both of the clubs assembled, taking all the members out with either one or two rapid blows. Within seconds, Shizuma stood victorious, cracking his knuckles, hungry for more fighting. Natsumi struck a pose and shouted.

"It's…It's an overwhelming victory!" She shouted then spoke a bit more quieter as she was yelling straight into her microphone and deafening people in the vicinity, "Shizuma wins big-time! The Muay Thai and Taekwondo clubs were just a bunch of paper dolls who were ready to be turned into pulp!"

Principal Todo sighed, actually sounding a little depressed.

"Well, this is boring! It didn't raise any excitement at all, let alone generate any massive interest in the student body in regards to martial arts." He grumbled out loud to no one really in particular.

Ryoko leaned back in the chair next to Todo.

"Well, the opponent's not your average idiot." She muttered to herself.

Todo then looked at Ryoko.

"I believe, Ms. Mitsurugi, that you were using the practice area a few moments ago. Perhaps you shou-" He was cut off by Ryoko's next comment.

"I did plenty of practicing already. I'm fine." She growled dangerously yet also dismissively.

Suddenly a female figure appeared to loom over the Principal and Ryoko. Hitomi groaned as she realized as who it was. She spoke with a more mature voice, indicating she was a Senior student.

"Mister Todo, may I enter this K-Fight?" She asked, her voice sounding both innocent and mature.

Todo sighed, not really looking up.

"That's up to Shizuma-"

He then saw who the Senior Classwoman was and smiled.

"Aso, you are-"

Shizuma spoke up from nearby.

"A new challenger? Bring it on!"

A seventeen-year-old girl with a small and disarming smile on her face walked into the ring. Sheathed on her back was an impressive wooden Naginata, a type of spear weapon, and she was dressed traditionally in a kimono and gauntlets on her arms, plus a little black choker around her neck. She spoke to Shizuma.

"I'm Azumi Kiribayashi. How do you do?"

TO BE CONTINUED!