italics - Thoughts
Bold underlined - Spells/Sword Skills
[Bold] - Ddraig
[Ddraig] - Ddraig mental speech
{Bold} - Albion speech
[Issei] - Issei mental speech with Ddraig
[Issei] - Issei speaking with Ddraig
Underlined - Timeskips/Flashbacks
"Bold" - Rating Game Announcement
Disclaimer: I do not own Highchool Dxd, Sword Art Online, or any of its characters. All rights belong to their creators.
Chapter 29: Kendo Matches Pt.3
Asuna's and Kochiro's duel started soon after Kazuto and Dante's duel ended. Although there was to be a small break between the two matches to allow the two male fighters to recover enough to be able to watch the next duel, Asuna and Kochiro seemed to have either forgotten about it, or completely disregarded this rule. Either way, Julian as not happy. Not happy at all.
Damn it, damn it, damn it… …Damn it alll! Screaming internally, he hid his frustrations behind a small smiling face. A mask he had perfected after months of working with uncooperative customers at the bank, or downright rude ones when they came to do something to their bank account. How the hell are they so skilled?! This should have been an easy sweep! A quick win for me, to allow me to inherit the small fortune and remaining assets that Asuna's family had after the RECT incident! Even if my skill were not up to par to them, I would have been able to win with the enhanced exosuit that I managed to buy from that washed up professor! And yet, here they are, being able to defeat and clear all these veteran expert kendoka I had setup for them to lose against!
Subconsciously, he gripped his left fist tighter. Had he not been wearing the gloves, his nails would have drawn blood. Damn it ALLLLLLL
Back on the field, Asuna was slowly drawing herself back into the zone.
Wow… She mused to herself. It's been so long since either of us had a fight like this. Heavy stakes on the line, up against easy yet impossible odds. ALO and New Aincrad may be similar to SAO, but they don't quite have the stakes or pressure like back in SAO. The only thing that has come close was… Briefly, her mind went straight to a memory of a girl with purple hair and red eyes. …Yuuki….you have helped me, even when you are no longer with us in this world… Once more, her mind thought back to the more recent impossible odds hat she had faced. One that was up against lines of code, unlike how it as back in SAO or the present, where the main competition was against another living person.
True, the two had their differences. Mainly that fact that she had the real-life hack called being a supernatural being known as a devil, with enhanced strength and speed, but it was a moot point since she was making sure to limit her physical 'enhancements' to her old human counterpart, had she not been turned into a devil. An endeavour helped out tremendously by the potions that Kazuto's Sacred Gear had made.
Status Down. As the name suggests, it is a negative debuff potion that had appeared in Kazuto's craftable tab not too long ago. It basically made every physical aspect of a person weaker. Depending on the amount of ingredients used, it could make the target's physical attributes weaker by just a smiddgen, making it seem like there was no difference at all, or it could them into a fractured glass statue that would shatter with but a single nudge. And it was one of the easiest potions to make, surprisingly enough. Just a bit of water, salt, easily obtainable herbs and some demonic energy, and presto, a new debuff potion!
That Status Down potion is a lifesaver! Asuna was thankful that Kazuto had suggested they used the potion to adjust only their strength, speed and endurance. A few times, she had accidently slipped and thrusted or acted a little too fast. Had her physical attributes not been altered, she would have definitely raised the alarm, or worse yet, accidently seriously harmed one of the veteran kendoka. Although, it is a shame that we can't use to it too often. We can only clear it by using a Full Heal Crystal. And that on the other hand, is much, much harder to make.
Seriously, one crystal made one back into their tip-top shape while also removing any sort of negative infliction being wracked on their body(including diseases), but to make it, one need to combine several potions and exotic ingredients, including a Phoenix Tear! It was much more effective to down several Max Potions and a few Stamina Recovery tablets, which could be mass produced. Takes time, but at least the ingredients were easy to find and replicate!
Anyway, Asuna's mindset was slowly being turned back into the one she had back in SAO; Back when she was the vice-commander of the KoB. Slowly, she was starting to anticipate what her opponent's actions were, her mind slowly shifting into the 'high-gear at a moment's notice' mindset she had back in SAO. It was nowhere near her old mindset, which allowed her to plan for raids with the lowest risk to everyone involved, nor was she back at the level where her actions and thoughts were so fast, it looked she was as fast at lightning, but there was no need to rush. After all, compared to her two years of being on a knife's edge from death, these past few months have been nothing more that being face-to-face with a gun. Dangerous, but nothing she could not adjust quickly to.
And even if a gun was fired at me, I'm sure that my new physiology would be enough to allow me to dodge a bullet or two. Her mind snarked to itself. Nothing on Kazuto-kun's 'bullet time', but it is a close second, right?
"Asun-… …ready?" Kochiro's voice sounded like it was coming through water, but it was enough for her to return to the real world with a start. "…-na-san, are you ready?"
When her eyes focused on the man, she could see that he was already in the traditional starting pose, his shoulders relaxed. From behind the mask, she could see that his face was currently set in a concerned look. "Asuna-san, are you alright? It is okay if we begin? Or would you prefer a small break to compose yourself?"
"No…it's fine." Taking a small breath to calm herself, Asuna closed her eyes to organise her thoughts. When she opened them, her mind was cool and serene, focused for the duel that was to come. "Let's begin, Kochiro-san."
..
Kochiro had not felt his heart pounding like this in so long. At least, not for the reasons one might think.
It was not awe, for he had seen more impressive things(although, this fight is a close second).
It was not shock, for he had already known, deep in his heart, that the devil would win. No matter what sort of life the devil had before, be they reincarnated species or be a younger devil, at the end of the day, they were a devil. And a devil, compared to a human, had the superior physical attributes even if they had been holding back.
It was not of fear, for he knew that the devils would not harm him. If they had wanted to harm them they would have already been killed instead of going along with this farce of a duel. Although…the morbid thought that this was them just playing around with their food did cross his mind, but he had faith in the Yuuki heir that should it ever reach that line, Julain would help him in dispatching of this evil.
The reason why his heart was pounding so was actually because he had been drawn in by the beauty of the duel.
It was mesmerising, to see two individuals fight with such vigour and finesse. Despite the way that some of their actions were filled with desperation, and despite the fact that the fight was filled with the loud sounds of two shinai hitting one another, one could not deny the beauty that was hidden beneath.
Each stroke of the shinai executed with purpose, with few interruptions or breaks between each combo that was executed form both sides. The devil's swordwork, while exuding practicality behind each strike, created an artistic, almost dance like, web of strikes when it all came together. Dante's swordwork, while being a little unrefined in it's beauty, held an air of mystery that showed it could make an unpredictable move at any moment until the last second. Like a flowing stream.
Watching this match had not only made him feel impressed by the swordwork, he had also been drawn into the fight. When the match between the two males finally came to an end, it was with large amounts of blood and adrenaline flowing though his veins that prompted him to stand up and go to the match area after waiting for the two males to make their ways to the stands. In his heart, he had wanted to continue where the last had ended off. If he were to put it into words…yes…
It was to continue off where this 'performance' had ended, and to end this all off with a beautiful finish.
Though, said performance could only be continued if both parties where ready. And, since Asuna was not, he decided to call her name. Again. And again. And again. He had to call her a total of five times before she responded. And when he looked at her...he got shivers.
This match, he decided. Was one that would be decided in the next moves they made.
..
Julian was holding out onto the hope that this would end with Asuna's loss. Just like the match he had agreed to change beforehand, this next match would be the last bought between Kochiro and Asuna, regardless of the outcome. And to ensure that such a change would be allowed, Kochiro had made it such that every stroke he landed on her would be worth three points. And if what Julian had heard was correct, then this match...he would benefit, no matter what happened.
"Hehe…" Softly grinning to himself, Julian made a sadistic grin as he thought about Asuna's face when she realised she lost the bet her parents made for her, his previous frustrations and emotions forgotten. "I can't wait to make you my doll…Asuna…"
Kazuto could tell that this first-hit match would be one where a single move would decide everything.
From having watched Asuna grow into a style suitable for herself, he could tell that she was going to execute a Sword Skill that she like. One that was full of memories for her. Her stance not only allowed her to execute said Sword Skill, it also allowed her to react to almost any attack that would come her way. An overhead strike, a forward lunge, or maybe even an attack from the back. She was well-defended from any regular attack. Which was why he was slightly worried.
Kochiro had taken up not the usual starting stance he had started with, instead choosing to shift his feet apart slightly. It was subtle, and not something someone would be able to see when facing him. But the difference was clear as day for those who were observing him. And it was because of this that Kazuto could tell that Kochiro intended to finish this in the next move he was thinking of.
Taiki brought his hand down, signalling the start of the match. No one moved an inch.
Kazuto saw both parties looking at each other with a critical eye, neither making any sort of hint that they were going to make the first move. So, they waited. Everyone waited, tense, as both parties stood stock still.
And waited.
And waited.
…
…
…
Kazuto nearly missed it.
One moment, the two were so still, you could have mistaken them for statues. The next, their bodies moved in opposite directions, before dashing forwards after a brief second where both parties stood still.
A single thrust from Asuna.
A flash from Kochiro.
Within the span of someone's breath, both parties had crossed each other, shinai and foil lowered. No one said a word. Then-
"It's a tie!"
Kochiro was smiling in joy.
Despite the fact he had not been able to settle this match with the chestnut-haired devil, he was happy. Because in that small moment, when their eyes met after they faced each other, he could see that the devil was in awe of his technique. There was no scorn, no anger. Only hints of frustration, awe and respect.
He was happy to see that his skill was shown to the eyes of the supernatural swordswoman, and she approved.
Because he had honoured his ancestor and managed to recreate the single move he was known for.
The devil's single thrust had been enough for him to see that it was one which could be considered the move of a specialist. Unlike the numerous combos she had pulled off in their earlier match, he could tell that this singular thrust was the best effort that she could show. What was it that they had said? A single kick practised aa thousand times over a thousand kicks practised once. Which person would be better?
A sharp sting on his hand and feet reminded him of the peeled and rubbed raw skin he had gotten in exchange, causing him to supress a hiss of pain. Every step he made was pain as his raw soles came into contact with the wooden ground and his sweat, but to him, it was worth it.
Despite the match being a draw, despite the fact he knew the devil was holding back, even when they both knew she could have dodged it, he was happy. After all…
He had executed Tsubame Gaeshi.(*1*)
Julian could not believe it.
In the beginning, the couple had 19 points left before they automatically lost the bet.
With that single match, Asuna had lost 9 points.
They now had but 10 points remaining.
Slowly, Julian began to chuckle. It was slow, but eventually, it turned into a laugh that could be mistaken for a crazed, dehydrated man that had finally found water. Laughter that had been covered up by the fact he had shuffled into a sound-proofed room to let out.
This! This is my win! Still laughing crazily, Julian sneered at the ceiling, a mad grin on his face as crazed laughter escaped past his lips. Asuna! Kazuto Kirigaya! The both of you will soon despair, and I will be recording every single delicious moment of it!
No one bothered to look for Julian as he laughed for five minutes, alone, in the sound-proof room.
No one spared a glance at the man when he returned.
And certainly no one saw when his eyes became slits for a split second, before it reverted back into the regular circular pupils of a human.
"Tsubame Gaeshi?" Kazuto asked Kochiro as he recovered at the seating area. "Isn't that a swallow reversal?
"It is." Kochiro winced as he applied the cool healing balm on his peeled skin. "Although Tsubame Gaeshi and Swallow Reversal are two different things."
"…What do you mean?" Kazuto asked.
Now Kazuto was not one to ask a kendoka veteran about something after a match. Not only because he no longer cared for being in the 'spotlight' of the world of kendo, but because he would always feel that kendo, with its honour and strict rules, will never be for him. Sure, the kendo would always form a part of the base of his fighting style, especially in SAO and during Rating Games, but in the end, all of his fighting abilities and skills came from SAO. And as such, while he could improve himself using kendo, it would not get him far, as his style and kendo are really not compatible other than some practises and basic stances.
But here he was, asking Kochiro about that last move he made.
Well, the simplest answer to why he was doing this would be that his interest was piqued. After all, it was not everyday that a devil could barely see the technique that was used in that match. And if his eyes were deceiving him…he had seen three swings within that same breath.
"Well…" Kochiro frowned. "Tsubame Gaeshi is a sword technique that my ancestor, Sasaki Kojiro, was said to have created. This technique has been passed through my family for hundreds of years. The Swallow Reversal that everyone knows about and can do is a inferior, or bastardised version if you will, of the original Tsubame Gaeshi. To put it simple, the Swallow Reversal is a simple, two-step swing that almost anyone can do. If taken far and done fast enough, it can match what my ancestor did, and what most people saw him use in his duel against Miyamoto Musashi."
"…I sense a but coming." Kazuto could not help but let out. He knew it was rude to interrupt but…he just could not help himself.
"Yes, there is a but." Kochiro took the interruption in stride, chuckling a little. "My ancestor was unsatisfied with this technique, as was Miyamoto. So, the two worked on this technique, training my ancestor to help perfect his self-taught technique. The result was Tsubame Gaeshi. A simultaneous three hit sword technique. A technique that, despite having been improved, still lost to Miyamoto's skill with his sword."
"…Miyamoto Mushahi must have been really skilled." Kazuto commented. His mind could not help but think that the swordsmen in feudal Japan were really monsters for being able to execute and see through this technique.
"He had help in the form of helping it's development, but that is a moot point when you consider that Miyamoto had a higher-than-normal dynamic vision and talent with the sword." Kochiro shrugged. "Anyway, after that, my ancestor settled down, had kids, and taught them this technique. His children then taught this technique to their children, and them to their own offspring, and so on and so on. Eventually, one of my ancestors thought about passing down a much easier version of Tsubame Gaeshi. Hence, the Swallow Reversal."
"That explains the reasoning behind you saying Tsubame Gaeshi and Swallow Reversal like they are two different techniques, but that does not explain how you were able to move that fast. "Kazuto eyed the balm covering the peeled and raw skin on Kochiro's palms. "Though, it does have its drawbacks."
"I have yet to perfect it. Usually, the drawback is not that harsh. At most, one would get off with some red skin from utilising this technique." Kochiro coughed. "As for how I managed to move so fast…have you heard of the stories of Japan's demon slayers?(*2*)"
"Demon Slayers?" Kazuto hummed. "Not really. Could you explain?"
"Well then, allow this elder tell you about the stories when Oni once ran rampant across Japan." Kochiro smiled. "It began in the early 1500s-"
Timeskip
After the ten-minute break, it was time for the final match. Julian versus Asuna and Kazuto. This final match was different from the rest in various regards though.
For one, Kochiro should have been already feeling worried about this upcoming match. After all, this was a two on one match. And yet, Julian looked unconcerned about this entire thing. Although, in his heart, he was a little worried about this entire debacle, despite the fact that he was very confident mentally.
..
Why was Julain so confident?
Now, any rational person would have said that Julian was in over his head. Common sense dictated that no single individual would be able to win against a pair of people unless a)the pair were weaker and not coordinated, or b)the individual was more skilled then the pair.
Julian, unfortunately for him, had none of those things going for him. Kazuto and Asuna were more skilled, AND they were very well coordinated. Being able to fight against 4 kendoka at least 8 times each and not being completely exhausted also showed how much stamina they had.
And yet, he had loads of confidence. Why was that?
Well, it all had to do with a chance meeting he had with Asuna 3 years ago. 3 years before the death game.
He was a young man slowly growing his knowledge and skills to one day become the next head of the Yuuki family, like every other child of the other Yuuki members. And during one of the Yuuki family gatherings, a chestnut-haired lady caught his eye. Like him, she was someone who was top of her grade, had an excellent mind, and perfect manners. The perfect Yuuki heiress.
And then, he hears that she got trapped in the death game.
For some time, he thought that it was a shame. The perfect Yuuki was no more, corrupted by the evil that was games. By the time she managed to get out, IF she got out, she would no longer be the perfect Yuuki: Just a girl that was severely traumatised and changed, unable to fit into society.
Well, he was right. On one account anyway. The girl known as 'Yuuki Asuna' had indeed changed. She was more confident, her tone sharper. The air around her was also a little dangerous yet it exuded the warmth of a mother.
And, while other potential suitors were wary and hated this new Asuna, Julian loved it.
In the past, while Asuna was very accomplished, her eyes were not full of life. She walked, talked and showed emotion, but it did not seem real to Julian. It felt like Asuna was simply a doll, with no free will of her own. This Asuna, the one who had escaped the death game, was so different, yet so similar to the one of the past.
Many chose to belittle her, thinking she was inferior. But for the few who knew otherwise, they were right to fear the young Yuuki. Her eyes, once empty, now had a drive; a wish she wanted to fulfil and follow. And as for whatever she experienced in the Death Game...it made her stronger. Much, much stronger than any of them who had focused solely on prestige and academic prowess.
In fact, this strength was part of the reason why there were rumours about her flying about. To see how the young woman would the waters, so to speak.
And much to their fear and surprise, Asuna had reacted in various ways. Some where not too dissimilar to how she would react before the Death Game: Indifferent, but always polite. Others were revealed more of her emotions, but most of the time, it was shock, disgust, surprise or happiness, both feigned and real. If there were any negative emotions directed to the other party, it was not enough to warrant the fear that the observant Yuukis had in their hearts. That is, until a certain incident.
A younger Yuuki Heir, one who was nearly a decade younger then Julian(So about 17 to his 28) scorned Asuna and belittled her, saying that she was a brain damaged, uncivilised and idiotic woman who cowered in fear while the game was being cleared, probably whoring herself out in the game just to survive. That anyone who got out of SAO alive were nobodies and insane for even thinking about wasting time on fruitless endeavours in what basically amounted to several thousand lines of inanimate code.
Said Yuuki heir nearly wet his pants when a whiz of silver impaled itself next to his ear. And said silver object was actually a blunted butter knife she had been using to spread some butter on various sweets and treats she had on her plate while the Yuuki heir was insulting her.
Julian shivered as he recalled the mock face of indifference Asuna had made when she threw the blunted knife, her half-lidded wyes conveying the unspoken words of pain, and a promise if someone tried to slander her, or any SAO survivor again, she would not miss.
Though, he would be lying if he said that the actions Asuna took made him desire her more then ever.
And thus, he began his research.
He utilised his relation as a Yuuki to gain access to the old player database that RECT had before Asuna's father had to step down and close the branch, RECT Progress Inc.(*3*). He bought the latest addition of the SAO Survivor book that listed down the exploits and deaths of the players' time trapped in SAO. He poured hours of time into reading said book, noting down the actions and players Asuna, the 'Lightning Flash', had done and interacted with.
And from there, he compiled a list of the people that Asuna interacted with, based on frequency of meeting, the rumours that he could find in the book, and finally, the achievements and reputation of these players as well. He wanted to see how he could manipulate these players that Asuna knew, all so that he could get his desired outcome. Sadly for him, he could jot do much, even with all the information he gathered.
The first player that caught his interest was someone named Kirito. Further investigations revealed his real name to be Kirigaya Kazuto, an orphan who was taken in by his aunt at a young age. He had some history with kendo, with his younger cousin making a name for herself in that stage as well. In-game, he was called a cheater for monopolising the best 'Exp-grinding spots', whatever that was, all for himself. Multiple nicknames, both flattering and derogatory, came up. Most notably were these two: 'Solo Black Swordsman', and 'Beater'.
The next one was someone named Heathcliff. It took him a good chunk of time, but in the end, all Julian managed to get was that Heathcliff was the leader of the guild that Asuna was in, the Knights of Blood, and his true identify was the creator of the game, Kayaba Akihiko.
There were a few others, but they were not as of high an importance to Julian. He cared only for those that Asuna had close ties with and was also male. Kirigaya Kazuto fit that bill to a T.
And so, he began his preparations to make Asuna his.
First things first, he trained himself in kendo. Now, someone might ask him, why kendo specifically? Why not other things, like kyudo or fencing?
The answer was fairly simple. Asuna, and by extension Kirigaya Kazuto, had the skills of a swordsman, picked up from the death game. It may have been a game in the beginning, but if one looked past all the fancy names and things that made it a game(Levelling, equipment, stats etc.), SAO was a game that was based off of real-life swordsmanship. Its mechanics were all basically different weapon attacks that were taken to the very extremes and limits of human ability. And both Asuna and Kazuto would have had some of the swordsmanship they learned ingrained in their minds. There was a reason why there was this saying: 'Who would be stronger? The man who practised ten thousand different kicks, or the man who practises a single kick ten thousand times?'.
Following along this line of thought, Julian decided to look at the pros and cons of each sword fighting style. Though, the outcome was fairly obvious from the get-go.
Out of the four conventional styles medieval sword fighting, kendo, theatrical sword fighting, and fencing, both fencing and theatrical sword fighting were out of the list almost immediately. Theatrical sword fighting had little to no use when used in real matches. On the other side, fencing's boons were more on fast recovery time, but it not only required someone to have swift movements, but also to be very precise with their actions, as there was little room for error when it came down to fencing. Fencing with a training dummy, training with a competitor who only moved back or forth, and training with someone who was actively avoiding being hit were three very, very different ball games.
That left medieval sword fighting and kendo for Julian. Both would have been fine, but Julian chose Kendo simply because it was easier. There were already a number of kendo practitioners that Julian could call upon, as well as knew from his family connections, so in his mind, this was the easier and more fruitful option between the two. This was where he spent most of his free time in. Much to his surprise, he picked it up very fast, getting the forms and rules down quickly.
With his skills in fighting down(or soon to be down), he now turned towards the finer details of his plan. The very first thing he thought of was how to broach the subject of marriage towards Kyouko.
After the incident with Sugou, the mother had been more cautious when it came to marrying her daughter off. At one point, she had wanted Asuna to marry Julian, but she backed out of the agreement not but a scant few days after it was arranged. Julian's mother was furious with this, but both males were not that bothered by this turn of events. They knew that a mother was bound to make rash decisions, especially after that incident with Sugou. There was no harm done after all, so there was no need to be emotional or angered.
That was why Julian was planning on getting Asuna to marry him on the table. If it was available, no one would be able to accuse him of trying to force a marriage.
This line of thought ultimately led to Julian deciding for the marriage to be settled via a duel. Not only would it fit with the criteria of Asuna having a say in the marriage, but also make it such that it was theoretically slated against him. A deal which favoured Asuna.
Now, he had to think of a way to actually defeat Asuna.
He held no reservations in the fact that he knew both Asuna and Kazuto were stronger then him. That was an undeniable fact that Julian knew. He, who had only learned kendo for half a year, was not skilled enough to fight against two individuals who had basically fought for their lives for nearly two years straight.
Their skills and stamina far outstripped him, never mind the fact that they were bedridden for two years.
That was why he decided to exploit the loophole he purposefully made with the agreement he had prepared. The agreement stated that the two of them would fight for the outcome of the marriage. Never did the agreement say that outside help was not allowed.
Large sums of money was spent to prepare the stage to be in his favour. A false recording crew to instil mental strain on Asuna and Kazuto. Four veteran kendo practitioners to ensure that their stamina and skill would deteriorate as much as possible before he had to face them, two on one. And slightly weighted protective gear to help with the reduction of their stamina and skill. Not enough to arouse suspicion, but just enough weight to ensure that they would expend more energy than usual to move, fight or block an attack.
Once again, common sense would dictate that a two on one would result in the loss of the lone fighter. But thanks to the preparation that Julian had made, he had not only managed to even the odds, but actually tilt them in his favour.
In essence, he had rigged the match to end in his win as much as possible without breaking the verbal agreement.
He had prepared himself physically to be able to match against Asuna and Kazuto. Just enough that he could barely last against them.
He has prepared himself mentally by reading the SAO Survivor guide. Learning of the possible skills they could use in real life.
He had prepared physical and mental limitations on the duo via a live recording and making them face veteran kendoka before fighting him.
And all he could hope for, as much as he was loathe to say it, was him being able to come out on top aft this.
After all…it would not be wrong to say that deep in his heart, Julian feared the duo.
..
Present time
Shaking his head, Julian chased away the small doubts that clouded his mind. I will defeat them. He vowed. There is no chance for them to be able to fight properly against me after this. And no way for them to be able to win the agreement. And even if they did…
Subconsciously, his hand went towards his inner pocket, where a small amulet laid hidden. They would fall to me.
After that short time he spent reminiscing, Julain explained the rules of their final match to Asuna and Kazuto. The more he explained the rules, the more their faces soured, as if they had swallowed something bitter. But of course, there was nothing they could do. They had all but brought this upon themselves without making any stricter rules after all, so they could not complain if things were blatantly unfair for them, regardless of the slight advantages they would have given Julain already.
First, Julian would be facing Asuna and Kazuto without a time limit, unlike the previous matches they had. A moot point though, since all their matches did not exceed the 10 minute mark.
Second, Julain would have three times the 'health' compared to Asuna and Kazuto combined. So, while the duo would have 100 health each, Julain would have 600 health total. This kind of annoyed Asuna and Kazuto, as Julain's health, which they had expected to be larger, was much, much larger than they initially thought it to be.
Third, they would only be able to attack his torso and his head. Meaning attacks on his arms and legs would be invalid. This one actually made Asuna's face start to twitch from anger, as this would essentially allow Julain to have a free pass whenever he used whatever martial arts he had learned in the past to use his bare limbs to prevent attacks from connecting on his body.
Fourth, the rule that they had to reach 15 percent of their total health, as well as the point system, was no longer in effect. It was now a first until one lost all their health. So while Julain had the advantage in health, he had two individuals to finish off before he could be declared the winner.
And the final rule they had was that Julian's attacks, while being set to only dealing 10 percent of their remaining health, was something that would be a constant, no matter where he aimed at. So aiming at the arms, which would usually deal only 5 percent of health, as well as blocking, which would only shave off their health by 1 percent or so every second, had now turned to 10 percent of their remaining health. Meaning that now, they had even more reason to dodge.
And the final rule they had was that Julian's attacks, while being set to only dealing 10 percent of their remaining health, was something that would be a constant, no matter where he aimed at. So aiming at the arms, which would usually deal only 5 percent of health, as well as blocking, which would only shave off their health by 1 percent or so every second, had now turned to 10 percent of their remaining health. Meaning that now, they had even more reason to dodge.
All in all, this farce of a match was blatantly in Julian's favour. Sure, Kazuto and Asuna could possibly win against Julian, since they had the advantage in terms of health reduction when hit as well as the no time limit, but this would be a very small chance of happening.
Not only where the duo forced to stay within human limitations(which now that they thought about it, their stamina was not too dissimilar to their human stamina had they upped their training regime ever so slightly), Julian also had a smaller chance of losing thanks to his ridiculously large health pool, his complete damage mitigation on his arms and legs, AND the fact that they had a smaller are to work with.
A match that heavily favoured Julian, but in the end, they could not do much about it.
Well, not that it matters much to us. Asuna thought to herself as she glanced at Kazuto out of the corner of her eye. Kirito-kun and I are pretty accurate with our strikes, and we have the advantage of Switching. Julian would lose this match.
Just as she thought that, Taichi stepped onto the moderately-sized stage they were having this on.
"Is everyone ready?" Seeing the affirmative nods and grunts from both sides, the elderly man grunted as he swung the flag in his hand down. "Then, begin!"
"HMPH!" The moment the signal was given, Julian rushed forth, swinging his much longer shinai at the two in a left-to-right swipe with his left hand, his right ready to catch any attacks. It was a solid first move on Julian's part, Asuna had to admit. The left to right cleave would not only act as an offensive attack, it would also serve to protect his torso from being attacked, lest they themselves get hit in return. Said attack was also not heavy, but it was fast, which was all that counted at the moment. The system sensed and deducted health via touch, not by strength and touch. This meant that it placed a greater emphasis on speed.
Unfortunately for Julian…
"Hmph." With a small grunt, Kazuto parried the attack, stepping in close to strike out with his other, free hand. Unable to react in time to this unexpected manoeuvre, Julian could only raise his hand in time for it to be batted away by the swift strike against his torso, taking away 10 hitpoints from his bar. At the same time, Asuna circled around and struck Julian's unprotected back, taking off yet another 10 hitpoints from him.
"Grah!" Shouting in anger, Julian kicked outwards, managing to catch Kazuto on the hip as he retreated. Asuna could only watch as Kazuto's hitpoints dropped sharply, leaving him with 90 hitpoints left.
Less than 115 seconds into the match, and Julian was down to 580 hitpoints, Kazuto 90, and Asuna still at full health.
To be completely honest, Asuna was surprised by the speed at which her cousin had managed to lash out at Kazuto. I thought Julian spent most of his time behind a desk or computer! Well, I guess I was wrong. A person can't react that fast or accurately without at least training for some time.
Now, more wary than before, Asuna cautiously approached Julian. Getting hit or blocking attacks dealt by Julian was out of the question, since they both dealt the same amount of hitpoint damage. So, she was going to have to go to her roots, back in SAO; Where she mainly avoided damage, instead of striking so fast that an enemy could not counter.
Planting her foot firmly onto the ground, she did a few probing thrusts at Julian to see if his earlier reaction against Kazuto could be kept up consistently, and if there were any holes that both she and Kazuto could exploit.
Seemingly acting on reflex, Julian used his shinai to parry each attack to the side, ensuring that none of the attacks came even close to hitting his torso or head. At the same time, he pressed forwards, forcing Asuna to step back, lest she overextend and leave herself open to a counter from Julian. She intensified her thrusting speed, this time aiming for various parts of Julian's body. Said person mostly ignored the attacks, only moving his shinai and arms to defend against the thrusts aimed at, or near, his torso and head. All in all, no damage was dealt towards Julian's healthbar, regardless the number of times Julian had been struck soundly by Asuna's thrusts.
But from this quick exchange, Asuna was able to grasp several things.
Firstly, although Julian was able to fend off Asuna's onslaught, he could not do so perfectly, as evidenced when he purposefully moved to allow his arms to take the hits instead of using his shinai to parry them away. That either meant that he was rusty in the art of swordsmanship, was not using his preferred style, or had not trained as long as his confidence suggested. She was leaning towards the last option being true.
Secondly, Julian was unable to differentiate between feints and actual attacks. The male Yuuki had fallen for her feints several times, leaving him open for her second, true attack to connect with him.
This led to the third thing that Asuna had managed to find out about Julian; He was rather rigid in his fighting style.
Every slash, every parry, every movement he made was a nearly textbook example of what one might learn from kendo practioners. Each cleaving action was aimed at their heads or shoulders, each swipe aimed at their shinai, thrusts all aimed at the upper torso.
Cleaving actions could be aimed at the upper arms or the hands which hold the shinai; Swiping could be used on the sides to force a person to defend and leave their opposite flank and torso exposed instead of just to forcefully open up a opening for one to exploit; Thrusts could be used to break past a person's defence, forcing them to lose their balance, or as a way to probe a person. None of these possible applications were used.
Julian had ample opportunity to do so with Asuna. Her weapon of choice was a modified foil, which was weak to blocking heavy attacks or overhead ones, due to the possibility of it snapping. Yet, instead of choosing to cleave her, or swipe at her sides, he had been consistently swiping at the weapon and the hands that held it, trying to forcefully create an opening for him to exploit.
From these three things, Asuna could already confirm what both she and Kazuto had suspected Julian to be. A complete novice.
Hidden by the headguard she was wearing, Asuna let out a small smile. It looks like this would be as easy as Kirito-kun and I thought.
Timeskip
Asuna and Kazuto showed impeccable teamwork together. Using their numerical advantage, they surrounded Julian in a pincer attack. Every attack that Julian made, Kazuto would quickly step in to attack Julian's unprotected body or limbs. It did not matter if Julian's healthpoints were lost from that exchange, for when Julian reacted to the attack Kazuto made, Asuna would draw his attention away by thrusting at his torso with her lightning quick thrusts. Thrusts that Julian was unable to completely defend. Sometimes, he lost no healthpoints, having been able to defend against the onslaught Kazuto and Asuna launched at him by taking most of the hits on his arms. Other times, he lost some hitpoints, between 10 to 40 hitpoints per each cycle.
In essence, the Julian was being attack by either Asuna or Kazuto, both alternating between each other to ensure that the male Yuuki could not do much other than defend himself to the best of his abilities. And judging from how frantic Julian was in trying to defend himself, Kazuto was betting that their opponent would fall much faster compared to them. Even if both of them increased the pacing of their attacks, they would still outlast Julian. No only as devils, but as humans.
..
Why did Kazuto think that?
Well, that was rather simple to be honest.
When a person reincarnated into a devil, they would have an increase in almost all their abilities. Strength, speed, fortitude against viruses and diseases, and their endurance.
What they did not know was that all of these increases were based on their own abilities. If person A could lift 10 kilograms, while person B could lift 100 kilograms, Person B would have a greater increase in strength should they reincarnate. However, said increase was not that simple.
If person A was reincarnated, they would now be able to lift 60 kilograms. However, Person B would only be able to life 140 kilograms instead of the assumed 600 kilograms. Similarly, if Person A had a stronger constitution compared to Person B, Person A would have a greater resistance against common diseases and viruses, but the drastic increase from being reincarnated would not be as great as compared to Person B.
Why is this?
Well, the main reason behind this was to prevent the reincarnated devil from overpowering their Master within a month of being reincarnated. Though the cases were rare, in the past, there was once a recently reincarnated devil that managed to overpower and kill his master by accident during a friendly spar. All because of the increase in strength being too much for the recently reincarnated devil to handle. There was a lot more behind the incident, but Kazuto summarized it as such:
When a person got reincarnated, their overall ability increase would be dependent on how strong they were at the time of reincarnation, how strong the devil reincarnating them was, and a gradual increase spanning between a week to a month for the recently reincarnated devil to get the hang and control of his abilities. The stronger a person was before they were reincarnated, the less gains they get from the reincarnation to prevent their master from being killed, accidentally or otherwise. Conversely, a weaker person would gain a larger increase in their overall abilities upon being reincarnated.
The typical reincarnation process would heal the new reincarnated devil of all ailments. Their strength would be diminished slightly before in gradually increases until it reaches the gains they should have reached.
But what about stamina? Would stamina also increase upon reincarnation, just like endurance?
Well, the answer was no.
Stamina and endurance are two different things. Although they were both related, they were separate things.
Stamina was a by-product to an individual's endurance. While endurance was a more physical thing, measuring how long one is able to sustain doing a specific action before their muscles get tired, stamina is a mental thing, measuring how long you could do something without feeling tired. So if you were of high endurance but low stamina, it means that you could run fast for a long period of time in theory, but in reality, you could only run fast as long as your stamina allowed you to.
This means that before and after reincarnating, while an individual's stamina and endurance would improve, the stamina improvement would be lower compared to the endurance improvement as ultimately, the reincarnation affected the physical aspects more then the mental.
Going back to how Kazuto and Asuna would be able to beat Julian, even if they were still human.
Both Kazuto and Asuna were reincarnated in a rather unusual way. Instead of the usual reincarnation via a physical Evil Piece, they were already partial devils due to Kayaba inserting his virtual Evil Pieces into their souls. They did not have any increase in their physical abilities or traits, nor did they suffer much in terms of weaknesses other than the sight discomfort under sunlight. And no one would have known that the duo were just a step away from turning into devils until they were on their deathbeds, or were nearly killed. Once the condition of 'sustaining heavy life-threatening injuries' was fulfilled, the two would have been reincarnated into devils, their physical condition and abilities gradually increasing by the second. At the same time, any injuries they sustained would be healed, but up to a certain point.
This was why Asuna had been able to survive her large blood loss, and why Kazuto had been able to fight off Freed, an individual who was much faster and stronger than a regular human.
So, what about their stamina upon reincarnating? Did it get any improvements?
The simple, yet complex answer was no.
Stamina is mostly mental. Usually, upon being reincarnated, newly reincarnated devils would have gotten better endurance and stamina, as per the norm with all newly reincarnated devils. However in their case, there was no such improvement. Or if there were, the duo could not feel any improvement. The main reason for this is because of their past experiences. More specifically, their experiences with Sword Art Online. Any one of the 6000 individuals who had survived the Death Game had better stamina than those who did not have to go through the death game, solely because of the fact that they needed as much focus as possible to not die for various reasons.
PKers, or Player Killers. Mobs that had differing phases whenever their health dropped below a certain point, which would have most likely resulted in faster deaths for those who were unprepared. Paralysis/Stun effects which caused one to be vulnerable to attacking mobs if one was not of aa high level. Backstabbing players who would throw another under the bus of death just to survive. Even special events that may or may not kill someone, depending on how cruel the developers were. Almost everything could kill them in SAO, so heightened senses, which led to high mental stamina, was needed up until they knew they were safe within the confines of whatever home or lodge they had rented out or bought. The number of people with this sort of greater mental stamina was even more prevalent in the Clearer group.
For Asuna and Kazuto, who led the group of Clearers as the highest levelled and most experienced players in these boss battles, their stamina had to be high. Else, it would have resulted in the deaths of everyone. And as such, this also meant that their stamina levels were high. Inhumanly so.
And thus, when they got reincarnated as devils, they did not feel any increase in their stamina, but felt an increase in their endurance, as their mental stamina was so high, that any improvement would have been determinantal to their bodies. The endurance boost they gained from becoming a devil was both infinitely closer, yet sill so far from matching their stamina levels. It was only when their endurance levels had reached a certain level that their stamina would once more start to grow.
..
So, when comparing Julain, who had only dealt with studying behind a desk with regular breaks, and Kazuto and Asuna, who had stayed in a Death Game for two years and were high levelled players, it was obvious who would win in terms of stamina. Add on to the fact that the couple exercised regularly and had spars with Suguha, both in real life and in VR, whereas Julain spent most of his time studying to get more pointless degrees he would barely use, as well the fact he had only picked up kendo a few months prior, it was safe to say that Kazuto and Asuna beat him in terms of endurance as well.
Through their strategy of chipping away at Julian's healthbar with constant attacks, as well as tiring him out by consistently using feints in their attacks, they managed to wear Juliaan down quite a bit. His hitpoints, which had been a humongous 600, was now down to a mere 80. His breaths also came out rather harsh, audible even to the spectators that were sitting nearly ten metres away. His arms, which had taken quite the beating from their combined attacks, was also barely holding onto his own shinai.
Meanwhile, Kazuto and Asuna were...well, not fine, but definitely better then Julian. Their shoulders were rising and falling heavily, but their breaths were steady. Their healthbars to were also not that bad. A quick glance at the HUD on their kendo masks revealed that Asuna was with around 65 hitpoints, while Kazuto was left with around 48 hitpoints.
"Damn…you…" Julian panted out harshly, one of his arms shaking from the abuse he had fored it through. In his exhausted state, he half-heartedly swung his shinai, barely landing a hit on either Asuna or Kazuto by at least inches. "Stay…still…and let me…hit, you!"
"Sorry, but we are done playing with this farce of a fight." Kazuto responded to Julian's irritated snarl. With a few experts swings of his unorthodox style he adapted on SAO, he quickly dropped Julian's hitpoint bar down to 40. Asuna wordlessly followed up her boyfriend/husband's attack with a few thrusts aimed at his chest. If there was any SAO or ALO players in the stands, they would have recognised the sword strokes as Vertical Square and Quadruple Pain, even without the light effects.
But whether by luck or sheer will, Julian managed to use his numb arm to block the final thrust attack that Asuna had made, leaving him with only 10 hitpoints left. Just one more hit...then we can go help Issei and the rest!
"Curse…you…" Unable to bear the pain anymore, Julian dropped his shinai to the ground with a clatter. An attempt to cradle his bruised arms caused him to let out a hiss of pain from his bruised and battered appendages touching the rather rough material of his protective gear. Even with the gear helping to reduce much of the force behind their strikes, Kazuto had no qualms that the injuries Julian had sustained were light. After all, the two of them had aimed for the same area for the explicit purpose of making Julain conceded on the grounds of being unable to hold a shinai properly. This may have been a rather ruthless method for us, but you won't get any sympathy or restraint from us. Especially since you were so smug before, and were definitely one of the culprits of the rumours about Asuna that spread.
"Give up, Julian." Asuna declared, her foil coming up to prod Julian's chest. An action that immediately caused him to lose the last of his hitpoints. "You have lost. There is no way you can win this."
"… … …heh." Julian let out a small grunt of laughter, causing the couple to frown.
"What's so funny?" Kazuto asked. If it weren't for a bad feeling in his gut, Kazuto would have already dragged Asuna away for some privacy, before stripping their protective gear off and going to where Issei and the rest were via flight. But because he had a bad feeling, his grip on his shinai tightened. Unconsciously, his arm drew back slightly, rather to deliver the unarmed Martial Art Skill he had learned: Embracer. It's lethality may have been reduced, but it would be a good defensive move that would buy them time to ready themselves, or to force Julian to black out from pain.
"Don't…think…that you…have won yet…" Shakily, Julian reached into his protective gear, and let his hand clasp around the small amulet he had obtained, unbeknownst to everyone. "Didn't you know? There is…always a phase two…to bosses."
Every danger sense that Kazuto had flared out in that moment.
Shit! Cursing, Kazuto leapt away from the kneeling Julian, shortly followed by Asuna. At the same time, the four veteran kendoka reached for their respective weapons, having not only sensed the danger, but seen it to.
Where Julian once was, there was now a visible maelstrom of wind surrounding him. As everyone watched, muscles grew and bulged beneath the protective gear before it got destroyed completely, unable to contain the sudden muscle growth that Julian was undergoing. Blood splattered and bones could be heard cracking as Julian's height and skeletal structure changed, turning him into a hulking mass of flesh.
"Time for round two, wouldn't you say?" The transformed Julian cracked his knuckles as he spoke, veins and muscles bulging with every movement.
Oh shit. Kazuto could only sigh in disbelief at what was happening. Welp, looks like Julian is at the very minimum connected to using some supernatural magic. No way he could have transformed without some sort of magic skill, spell or object.
(*1*) - Tsubame Gaeshi is a real-life technique in which one first does a straightforward down slash as a feint, before reversing the attack and cutting the opponent from groin to chin. However, in this AU, this technique is called Swallow Reversal. Tsubame Gaeshi is basically three cuts executed in a single breath, not that different from Nasuverse's Tsubame Gaeshi. The reason for this differentiation, despite the two having the same meaning, is because I feel that Fate's Tsubame Gaeshi is much cooler then real life's Swallow Reversal. And as stated, Tsubame Gaeshi is a hidden art that not many will be able to reach.
(*2*) – Yep. This man, Kochiro, has the good ol' Kimetsu no Yaiba techniques. Though there would not be any form of special Breaths or Styles, I am going to be borrowing the Breathing Technique of the series. I am also unsure if any info I am writing is correct, since I have only scraped the surface of the series. So, apologies in advance if I get anything wrong.
(*3*) – In canon, RECT Progress Inc. was shut down, while the main company, RECT Inc. was badly affected. For my AU, I am making it such that all information pertaining to RECT Progress was compiled and kept in a hard drive, instead of being destroyed. I am not too sure on how it works in real life, but the main reason why I did this for my AU is because Asuna's father wanted to keep it in case there was ever a need for it, like a history exhibit.
AN
Apologies for the late update. I have been prepping for my exams the past couple weeks, and my schedule has been jampacked, leaving me little time to write. Even if I was in the mood to write, I could only spare a sentence or two, only for said sentence, or consolidated paragraph to be deleted because it just did not flow right. Then, there was the news that our beloved AI Idol's seiyuu died.
I hope that this chapter would help to lift some people's spirits. Merry Christmas, and best wishes to those affected by this death.
Anime is Life, and Please Review!
