Chapter 16: Session
"DISTANCE SLASH!"
In time less than a split second, the apple was sliced into half. Hibiki and Elde watched in amazement, as Robo Ky slowly retreated the wooden katana into its kamae position. The robot, then, stared at the target for a while before he grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"IT STILL ISN'T PERFECT," said Robo Ky and went into the Distance Slash position for the second time. Again, he executed Distance Slash yet the attack missed the apple. He mumbled under his robotic voice and plunged the wooden katana into the ground. Learning the Mueru Maden Ryuu iaijitsu wasn't as easy as he had thought, and the learning software installed inside him did not giving him much of its help.
"Patience is the key, Robo Ky," Elde shouted at him. "Don't rush yourself to master the sword technique. Even I took time to perfect it."
"SHUT UP! I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING," Robo Ky shouted back at him. He looked back at the sliced apple and cursed silently. Again, he entered the Distance Slash position and positioned himself in a firm stance.
Then suddenly…
"AIIIIII!" Out of nowhere, Sumomo jumped toward Robo Ky and landed on his head. "Good morning, Robo Ky! Today is a special day, isn't it? AIIIIII!" the mini Persocon shrieked and danced. "AIIIIII! Let's start our day with our morning exercise! And 1, 2, 3, 4!"
Robo Ky cackled and picked up Sumomo and put her on his shoulder. "SUMOMO, I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF MY TRAINING. CAN YOU SPARE ME SOME TIME, PLEASE?" he pleaded and patted her head.
"Aww, I was hoping to cheer you," Sumomo whined. "But then it can't be helped! Robo Ky is going to train himself iaijitsu! AIIIIII! Robo Ky is going to be an iaijitsu master! AIIIIII!" Hibiki and Elde couldn't help but to giggle at Sumomo's hyper-cuteness.
"It seems your student is the most unique I've ever met," Elde stated.
"You're right, Elde-san," Hibiki remarked between her giggles, as the two of them watched at Robo Ky who later danced with Sumomo.
"I don't know whether I can ask or not," Elde spoke later on, "but what is really the relationship between you and Mister Lone Wolf? You two are very close to each other, like you've known each other for a long time."
Hibiki merely smiled and put both hands on her chest. "It's a really interesting story, Elde-san. giggle Maybe I shouldn't share my secret to somebody else, but since you're my student, I guess it's okay to let you know."
"Well, sensei, I don't mind if you don't want to let me know," Elde uttered. "Though I'm still concerned at Miss Cassandra…"
Hibiki suddenly murmured when she heard the name. "She always brags this and that about her being Lone Wolf-san's girlfriend. And she always teases me this and that of being jealous at her," she complained with her unhappy facial expression. "I don't like her at all. If only Lone Wolf-san…"
"Speaking of Lone Wolf," Elde interfered, "I saw him at the weapon shop earlier this morning. What is he doing there?"
Hibiki breathed out and looked at her student. "He told me that he'd be having weapon training there."
Elde's eyebrows arched upward. "Weapon training? Or weapon bargaining?"
.
Lone Wolf SIX could just nod in admiration. The WW2-model STG44 was still working properly despite its rusty body. He aimed the father of modern assault rifles at a target and feinted a shot. "Still as lethal as before," he uttered and put the automatic rifle aside. He reached a rare 19th century-model Colt .38 revolver and aimed it at the same target, feinting a shot.
"How are the weapons, boss?" the shopkeeper asked as he entered the shooting range.
"Very nice, though not all of them match my taste," Lone Wolf SIX answered and put down the revolver.
"Ah, don't worry about that, boss," the shopkeeper told him. "I have more at the warehouse. Care if I show all of them to you?"
"Certainly."
Lone Wolf SIX followed the shopkeeper to a storage room outside the weapon shop. He was caught in amazement as he entered the warehouse. "Guns and lots of guns. Wow, this is like the paradise for gun lovers," he uttered and looked at weapon racks arranged before him.
"Boss, when you thought this is all can you see, there are more at the end of this room," the shopkeeper informed. "We have everything. There's Steyr, MP5N, Colt Commando, AK47, Desert Eagle, Beretta 93R, PSG-1, AWP. You name it, they're all here."
Lone Wolf SIX cooed in excitement. He never realized that a weapon shop in such peaceful village would have lots of arsenal in collection. He looked around and could only wowed. "Amazing. It's so amazing to see a weapon shop with all of these," he uttered in admiration. "Are you weapon dealer or something? Man, with all these, an armed revolution could be held at any moment."
The shopkeeper grinned and patted the author's shoulder. "Boss, there's more than you can imagine. We also sell futuristic weapons; rail gun, plasma rifle, light sabre, dematerialize amplifier, everything."
"Really?" Lone Wolf SIX asked.
"Boss, this storage room is yours. Take your time, and choose whichever weapon suit your taste," the shopkeeper spoke and walked out of the wooden structure. "Enjoy yourself."
Lone Wolf SIX looked around the storage room. Like an infant treated with toys, he was very delighted to see all kinds of weapons in a single place. "Well, no time to lose. I better go and look for weapon of my choice," he uttered.
x-x-x-x-x
"Shippu Ken!"
Misaki evaded the projectile fired by his father and counterattacked with a Double Reppuken. Geese easily blocked the projectile and GCD-ed toward Misaki and landed his Predictable throw on the girl. However, the girl air-recovered and tossed her own version of Shippu Ken at her father. The Most Powerful Man In The World would not easily give any of his opponents a chance, so again he Guard Cancel Dashed toward Misaki and executed a Raising Storm. Misaki was hit by the violent overdrive and crashed on the floor.
Geese approached Misaki and knelt beside her. "Are you alright, little girl?" he asked and offered a hand. Misaki nodded and reached the hand.
"Predictable."
Geese had fallen into Misaki's deceive and was tossed to the air. Misaki immediately linked the throw to a Jaei Ken. "RAISING STORM!" Her impersonation of Geese's Raising Storm hit the badass villain, almost tearing his outfit.
Geese managed to land a Psych Burst Counter before Misaki followed on with a Hishou Nichirin Zan. "Very cunning of you, little girl," he remarked and landed safely on his foot.
Misaki merely giggled and corrected her hair. "But not as strong as you are, father," she remarked.
"Aw, our little girl is down to earth right now," Geese spoke, much to Misaki's childish response. The man sighed and approached Misaki before reached her chin and lifted her face. "What's wrong with you, Misaki? Don't you like to be-"
"Father, I'm alright," she answered and took a hold on his hand. "Maybe you're too old to worry at your children."
Geese laughed when he heard the comment. "Little girl, in fighting world, old men never dies. They just keep getting stronger," he spoke and softly patted her scalp. "Misaki."
"Yes, father?" Misaki responded to her much beloved father.
"Get yourself prepared. We're going to visit someone," the martial artist spoke.
Misaki's eyes blinked several times, and for a moment she stared at him in wonder. "Who are we going to visit, father?"
Geese merely grinned. "A friend of mine. I think you already know him."
X-x-x-x-x
"Oniisan, ohayou!" Lazily, Iori opened his eyes and saw a pair of hazelnut eyes staring cutely at him. "Oniisan, you remember what today is, don't you?" sweetly May asked.
"Uhh… what on earth are you talking, May?" Iori asked and pulled back the rug as to cover his body.
"Oniisan, your promised me yesterday to take me to the park," May told him and roughly pulled the blanket. "Wake up, lazy tapir. Oversleeping is bad for your health."
Abruptly Iori stood up and glowered at May. "What did you call me, May?" he demanded.
May giggled and placed a light kiss upon his cheek. "I said, you lazy tapir must wake up," she whispered. Driven by anger, Iori seized May's body and hissed threateningly, much to her fear.
"I had reminded you not to annoy me, didn't you remember?" he spoke and immediately tickled her waist.
"IYAA! Oniisan, don't tickle me!" May begged between her struggle to escape Iori's arms. She managed to flee and opened her defensive stance. "Oniisan is mean! I don't like mean people!" she remarked and stuck out her tongue.
Iori broke in laughter and approached May. "Tell me, May. Do I look mean to you?" he asked and, again, seized her in his arms. Only this time, he didn't tickle or harass her; he merely embraced the Japanese girl.
"You're so warm, oniisan," she whispered and hugged Iori in return. Then under her breath, she spoke a verse. A verse that would strike fear to all who listen to it. "Asobi wa owarida. Nake, sakebe. Soshite… shine." She looked at her brother in wonder. "Oniisan, why would you curse people to death when you know they don't do anything bad at you?" curiously she asked, still not letting him off her arms.
"At least, I'm not summoning sea creatures," Iori slyly replied and grinned at May. "I mean, look at you. Iruka-san here, Iruka-san there. Yamada-san frontal attack, Yamada-san behind charge. Aren't you bored calling their names over and over again?"
"Oniisan, don't tease me," May demanded, her face blushing furiously. Then she buried her face beneath his shirt and clung onto him. "Ne, oniisan."
"What is it, May?" Iori asked and looked down at her.
"I was wondering," she spoke and clenched his shirt, "could you teach me the Yagami-ryuu martial art? I thought that I might want to try something… new."
Iori slowly pushed May away from his body and stared at her eyes. "May, I don't like to be selfish, but it's allowed to the members of Yagami clan only." He put a hand on her cheek and softly rubbed it. "I don't know why you have interest in the martial art, but…"
May took his hand and nuzzled it close. "Why can't I?" she asked. "Shingo-san learnt Kusanagi-ryuu from his mentor and perfected it to his own taste, so why can't I, oniisan?"
Iori didn't want to tell her. For him, the Yagami-ryuu martial art he owned was exclusively to rival the Kusanagi-ryuu fighting style his mortal enemy Kyo practiced. Despite the fact that Yabuki Shingo did learn it, his variation of the fighting style was no match against the authentic Kusanagi-ryuu or even Yagami-ryuu.
And then, the name Sol Badguy emerged in his mind. The Guilty Gear, the Corrupted Flame, ex-Professor Frederick Mercury, the American Badass, the greatest fan of Queen, the one who owns the ultra-cheap non-stop original Gun Flame attacks. He is also a fire-yielder and owns the first component of the Outrage: the Fireseal Blade. He may be tough, yet to Iori he possessed no possible threat. At least, since both him and Sol were companions, he sensed no intention of challenging him from the badass figure.
Iori looked back at May. "Onegai, oniisan… please teach me the Yagami-ryuu," she begged. He sighed. It couldn't be helped when it comes to May.
"Alright, I'll teach you." May's eyes shone brightly when she heard the response.
"You will, oniisan?" delightedly she asked.
Iori smiled and patted her head. "Of course, I will. But I can't guarantee you to master any of its flame techniques," he added. "So, May, are you ready to become the part of the Yagami fighters?"
"Haii!"
x-x-x-x-x
Onboard the Black Noah.
Omega Rugal stepped out of the research laboratory. His meditation at Kaiser Hall had ended, and he had prepared himself for the 'requested' duel with his unlikely opponent. He was now heading toward the control room, where several military personnel were waiting for him.
"Kaiser Rugal, the helicopter is ready to pick him," one of the personnel reported as Rugal was entering the room.
"No need to pick him up." Rugal spoke. "I'll invite him by myself."
"But Kaiser Rugal, what about analyse on the blood sample? The result doesn't come out yet, and you wanted to see the result so badly," the personnel insisted.
"I've read it a while ago," Rugal informed. "Prepare me a heli. I'm going to visit him at Magnolia Village."
"Yes, Kaiser Rugal."
Immediately after the personnel departed to the flight deck, Omega Rugal took out the cylindrical encasing and examined the energy orb, which at the moment was bouncing wildly inside it, demanding to be freed. "Heh, as bold as its master," he remarked and clenched the tube. "Now let's see whether this force can accept its new owner."
In an act only the strongest dared enough to attempt, Omega Rugal forced the energy orb to assimilate with his Omega power. The energy orb grew violent, unleashing as much power as it could to counteract with the invading force. Yet it was already weakened by its previous unleash, and Omega Rugal easily overpowered it.
Rugal stared at the ebergy orb and grinned. "Now, obey and acknowledge me as your master."
x-x-x-x-x
Lone Wolf SIX looked outside the window. He grumbled and clenched the .45 ammunition clip tightly. "He's started it, I know it."
"Boss, how's your bargain?" the shopkeeper asked. Lone Wolf SIX didn't answer; instead, he approached the payment counter with several guns he had chosen at the warehouse. "Boss, I'm quit surprised to see the choice you had made. There are better weapons at the warehouse, and these are your picks?"
"Not all suit my taste," Lone Wolf SIX remarked and gave the shopkeeper a Mastercard. "Make it quick. I've got someone to mess with after this."
"Sure. All transactions will be done in no time," the shopkeeper guaranteed and made the payment, which ended before the author could say thanks. The shopkeeper grinned at him and returned the card to him. "All done. Thank you for shopping, boss. Please come again."
Lone Wolf SIX stepped outside with the purchased weapons and quietly headed out of the Magnolia Village,as not to alarm the villagers of his absence. However, Zero already stood before his way. "I know you're going to face him," the Hunter uttered.
"Step aside, Zero," Lone Wolf SIX ordered. "This is between him and I. You have nothing to do with this duel."
Zero stepped forward and stared at the lone wolf. "But I won't allow you go go alone. And besides, your payload is too heavy. I think you need help."
Lone Wolf SIX just tsked. "Look, Zero. I don't want to involve anyone in this matter, not even you. So-"
"So that you can fight him and not worry of Hibiki being hurt of disturbed, isn't that what you mean?" The response Zero gave was disturbing. Lone Wolf SIX almost had his USP withdrawn and fired it at Zero when he decided not to pull out the weapon.
"You're right. She's been helping me a lot since… a long time ago," Lone Wolf SIX spoke and sighed. "But I've had it enough. This time, I want to settle it myself." Then he frowned and silently cursed under his breath. "Damn it… why at time like this…?"