The organization had started a new class for swordfighting, the hybrid class. All the better for Naria, who could now be as many times as deadly as there were swords. But her opponent was the second best fighter on the best swordfighting team in Japan.
She was now in the finals, and her opponent was a bishonen named Iori Shoji.
He may be pretty, but his looks won't save him from my blade. Allen Schezar didn't faze me and neither will Iori. Allen didn't. He was just a prettyboy who just knew how to fight, that's all. Really. Allen didn't faze me.
Iori smiled a smile that normally would have made anyone swoon, but Naria did not respond. She pointed her blade at him.
The fight started, and Iori played it safe. Naria came in aggressively, and attacked at every possible moment, who was countered by Iori's defensive moves. Finally Naria made a mistake and Iori tagged her with his blade. And he scored points.
Naria was more careful this time, but was tagged again.
Naria was getting angry, and when she got angry her swordfighting did one of two things, suffer or get better. Now it was suffering. She needed something to fight for. Then she saw someone in the crowd holding up a sign that said KARI WE WILL MISS YOU. She knew then whom she fought for.
She began attacking again, and this time she began scoring points. But Iori was keeping up with her, and they were tied. Finally the judges came in and stopped the match, saying that Iori wasn't using a regulation sword. As a result, she won. But she was angry that she won this way. Still, it laid the pavement for the Hybrid Obstacle Championship, where she and someone else would fight over a specialized battleground. Little did they know they were playing into the swordswoman's hands…
