Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 27
Regroup
Mariko Kunahita wasn't the sort of individual who would slip a note into a door, or hide a challenge in a locker. She would rather do things like that face to face in an open environment. It tended to offset her adversaries.
So it was that she was standing by the barn door when Anshii and Ayomi came riding up on horseback, coming back from the trail ride. Mariko waited just long enough to allow Anshii to dismount before approaching the Dueling Champion with a note in her hand. "Anshii Himemiya, I hope that you will do me the honor of accepting a challenge." Sharp green eyes met questioning ones, and Mariko arched a brow at Anshii.
Anshii reached out and took the note, nodding to Mariko. "This evening, I am presuming?"
Mariko took a step back in surprise. Himemiya wasn't at all as she had expected. Where was the flimsy airhead that was listed in the earlier student files? "I. yes. This evening." She was beginning to become aware that she had badly underestimated Anshii Himemiya.
Anshii smiled and put the note in her pocket. "Thank you," she offered to Mariko, dismissing the girl. She then turned to assist Ayomi off of Urajime and handed the reins for the horses to the stablehands that stood nearby. "Who was my brother riding this afternoon?"
The young man who took Okinojo's reins paused and looked to her. "The Chairman stables his horses off-campus. I'm sorry, but I don't know."
Anshii nodded absently and allowed the young man to lead off Okinojo. After a moment, she turned and looked to Ayomi. "Shall we go on back to the dorm and wash up? I have enough twigs in my hair to last me a while."
Ayomi smiled and nodded, turning to walk off towards the main part of the school campus. Anshii, for her part, gave Mariko a little wave, and then turned to follow Ayomi off towards the school.
"She dismissed me! Just like that!" The redhead was in a rare fit of fury. The other Council members simply looked at her as she stood at the railing and glared at the world in general.
"It's a mind game, Mariko. You know that. If she off-settles you now, it will be harder for you to keep your focus during the duel," Keuske replied, watering one of the many violets on the table.
Izumi picked a dead leaf off of a different violet and looked over to Rika, who was busy repotting a violet. "So what do you think, Rika? Is that pot big enough?"
"It should be. Mariko, calm down. You can't afford to lose your focus. Not now." She held up a letter. "If you don't win this duel, End of the World says that I'll have to. So do us both a favor and win?"
Mariko turned and glared at Rika. "I intend to win. And what is with all these damned flowers?" There seemed to be even more of them now, scattered about the floor, cluttered at her feet.
Keuske gave her a funny little smile. "Nothing like random violents, you know."
Rika dropped the empty flowerpot that she was holding, the painted ceramic shattering into a thousand pieces.
Miki rang the bell to Anshii and Ayomi's room worriedly. When Anshii answered, he was fairly beside himself. "Anshii. I heard that you're going to duel Mariko. She's Juri's best student. I'm worried."
Anshii let Miki into the dorm room and shook her head at him. "Miki, all I can do is my best. I certainly don't intend to lose to Mariko." She opened her closet and pulled out her dueling uniform jacket. She hung it on the outside of her closet, and Miki noticed that she was already mostly dressed for the duel.
Ayomi walked into the room, a glass of water in her hand. "Miss Anshii. Miki is right. Mariko is not going to be an easy fight."
Anshii brushed some lint off of the wool jacket. "I'm not exactly a pushover myself, Ayomi. I should be fine. Remember," she turned to look at Ayomi and Miki. "I have Dios on my side."
Mariko Kunahita wasn't the sort of individual who would slip a note into a door, or hide a challenge in a locker. She would rather do things like that face to face in an open environment. It tended to offset her adversaries.
So it was that she was standing by the barn door when Anshii and Ayomi came riding up on horseback, coming back from the trail ride. Mariko waited just long enough to allow Anshii to dismount before approaching the Dueling Champion with a note in her hand. "Anshii Himemiya, I hope that you will do me the honor of accepting a challenge." Sharp green eyes met questioning ones, and Mariko arched a brow at Anshii.
Anshii reached out and took the note, nodding to Mariko. "This evening, I am presuming?"
Mariko took a step back in surprise. Himemiya wasn't at all as she had expected. Where was the flimsy airhead that was listed in the earlier student files? "I. yes. This evening." She was beginning to become aware that she had badly underestimated Anshii Himemiya.
Anshii smiled and put the note in her pocket. "Thank you," she offered to Mariko, dismissing the girl. She then turned to assist Ayomi off of Urajime and handed the reins for the horses to the stablehands that stood nearby. "Who was my brother riding this afternoon?"
The young man who took Okinojo's reins paused and looked to her. "The Chairman stables his horses off-campus. I'm sorry, but I don't know."
Anshii nodded absently and allowed the young man to lead off Okinojo. After a moment, she turned and looked to Ayomi. "Shall we go on back to the dorm and wash up? I have enough twigs in my hair to last me a while."
Ayomi smiled and nodded, turning to walk off towards the main part of the school campus. Anshii, for her part, gave Mariko a little wave, and then turned to follow Ayomi off towards the school.
"She dismissed me! Just like that!" The redhead was in a rare fit of fury. The other Council members simply looked at her as she stood at the railing and glared at the world in general.
"It's a mind game, Mariko. You know that. If she off-settles you now, it will be harder for you to keep your focus during the duel," Keuske replied, watering one of the many violets on the table.
Izumi picked a dead leaf off of a different violet and looked over to Rika, who was busy repotting a violet. "So what do you think, Rika? Is that pot big enough?"
"It should be. Mariko, calm down. You can't afford to lose your focus. Not now." She held up a letter. "If you don't win this duel, End of the World says that I'll have to. So do us both a favor and win?"
Mariko turned and glared at Rika. "I intend to win. And what is with all these damned flowers?" There seemed to be even more of them now, scattered about the floor, cluttered at her feet.
Keuske gave her a funny little smile. "Nothing like random violents, you know."
Rika dropped the empty flowerpot that she was holding, the painted ceramic shattering into a thousand pieces.
Miki rang the bell to Anshii and Ayomi's room worriedly. When Anshii answered, he was fairly beside himself. "Anshii. I heard that you're going to duel Mariko. She's Juri's best student. I'm worried."
Anshii let Miki into the dorm room and shook her head at him. "Miki, all I can do is my best. I certainly don't intend to lose to Mariko." She opened her closet and pulled out her dueling uniform jacket. She hung it on the outside of her closet, and Miki noticed that she was already mostly dressed for the duel.
Ayomi walked into the room, a glass of water in her hand. "Miss Anshii. Miki is right. Mariko is not going to be an easy fight."
Anshii brushed some lint off of the wool jacket. "I'm not exactly a pushover myself, Ayomi. I should be fine. Remember," she turned to look at Ayomi and Miki. "I have Dios on my side."