A/N: Ok to all Guren/fem!Yuu shippers, I've tried my utmost to make this chapter as exciting and true to real life circumstances as possible in regards to the sparring scenes and CPR, both of which I know little about. Keep in mind that this fic is AU and there will be differences from canon. Please refer to the footnotes at end. I would like to thank my beta reader and editor, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible as well as my co-writer for my Final Fantasy Tactics fic, Falchion1984, for his advice in helping me write the sword-fighting scene between Guren and fem!Yuu.
Chapter 17: Dancing on Knives
October 20, 2018
"Hey, Guren, not that I'm complaining, but why have you brought me here?"
Fourteen-year-old Yuichiro asked her twenty-two-year-old guardian as she tried to keep up with his slightly faster pace. The lieutenant colonel and his ward were hiking up the slope of a hill leading up to a waterfall, their packs loaded with enough supplies for a three-day trip along with their swords which were tucked away in sheaths under wraps. Both of them were dressed in white kimono shirts with Guren wearing loose-fitting brown trousers and Yuichiro wearing a loose tan skirt just slightly above the knees with a slit on the side to allow freedom of movement. Both wore tall leather boots to protect their feet and legs from the rubble on the stone path as well.
In addition to wearing a female uniform at school, Yuichiro had also gotten used to dressing like a girl outside as well over the last year. Her once bobbed hair now hung half-way down her back and had to be tied into a ponytail to prevent accidents during training exercises, leaving her bangs as well as two loose locks to frame her face, a style she picked up from Mito.
"Why, for training of course," Guren answered as he turned around and gave Yuichiro a look of amusement. "Did you think this was going to be a vacation?"
"Well, no. But why here, of all places?" the girl asked in puzzlement. "It looks more suitable for camping and hiking than combat training."
At the younger girl's implication, Guren grinned and made a gesture for Yuichiro to come closer. The increasing volume of the roar of the waterfall ahead would have made it difficult for her to hear him otherwise.
"You're wrong about that, Yuu," he said as soon as she was within earshot. "It's actually quite the opposite. This is going to be a bit different from training at home. If Shinya and the others have not told you this yet, then you must know that real battlefields are rarely ever smooth, even, and unobstructed like where you've been training up until now. Do you understand?"
The girl released a soft gasp as she looked at her surroundings. Although she knew it was unlikely, Yuichiro was hoping Guren intended to have her do physical conditioning at the waterfall area but spar with her someplace else.
But since when had she ever been that lucky?
When Guren was sure his ward finally understood, he gave her his next order. Pointing to the highest ground where the water was falling off the ledge to the lake below, he said, "Leave our things here, Yuu. We're going up there. With nothing but our swords."
Yuichiro gulped and stood where she was in silence for a moment. Upon seeing his ward hesitate, Guren gave her a teasing smile.
"What's the matter, Yuu? Scared?"
The girl scoffed when she heard her guardian's mocking lilt before dropping her bag right where it was, keeping only her sheathed sword in hand and pulled off the cloth cover. After being under his wing for two years, Guren knew just how to rile Yuichiro into doing what he wanted or needed when she hesitated.
Such as questioning her courage. Or pride. Or ability to fight.
"Not at all. Why don't you do the honors and lead the way, sir," she sneered.
"With pleasure, Yuu," Guren shot back with a smirk as he dropped his own bag, retaining only his sword. Nodding his head towards their destination, the older man gave her his cue to follow as he pulled the cloth off his own weapon as well.
As the pair approached the summit of the waterfall, Yuichiro slowly brought her hand to the hilt of her sword, her eyes never leaving her guardian's back, as she began to count quietly in her mind…
5
4
3
2
1
No sooner did she complete her countdown, Yuichiro saw Guren quickly pull his sword from its sheath and spun around, almost with vampiric speed, before attempting to send the blade crashing down on her head. Had she not been prepared and withdrew her own blade in time to block his attack by holding it up horizontally with both arms above her head, the older man might have easily cleaved it in two like a hot knife through butter. That was, if he didn't have enough control to hold back at the last second.
Which they both knew he did. But that didn't mean Yuichiro could allow herself to be careless. Even the best soldiers still made slip-ups, after all.
"Very good, Yuu," Guren praised with a grin. "It looks like you've been listening to my advice after all."
"I think you give me too little credit, sir." the younger girl said coolly, trying to imitate her guardian's confident demeanor. It looked like fighting wasn't the only thing Yuichiro had picked up from him.
"On the contrary, Yuu. I have more faith in your abilities than you would think," he countered and demonstrated his point by pressing his sword down a bit harder, forcing his ward to resist.
Although he could still overpower Yuichiro if he chose, Guren knew he would have to put a bit more effort into it because he could tell she was considerably stronger than she was when he took her under his wing two years ago. With the luxury of one-on-one training from six members of an elite Demon Army squad as well as her own quick thinking, sharp wits, and determination, Yuichiro had learned multiple skills in less than half the time expected of a standard JIDA cadet.
"You've done well in expecting the unexpected. I can also tell you've been taking Goshi's physical conditioning to heart. Good. Because you'll need to get as strong as you possibly can for one day, you may likely face opponents far stronger than I."
"You sound like you speak from experience, Guren."
"I do. But this isn't about me," the older man said simply as he pulled back his sword and prepared to attack again.
Yuichiro clenched her teeth as she re-positioned her own sword and assumed a more narrow fighting stance than she normally used at home. *1* Unlike Guren's back yard and Shinya's shooting range, the rocky waterfall ground felt uneven beneath her feet, making her nervous, though she tried her hardest not to show it. Yuichiro understood that Guren was taking her training to the next step by bringing her here so that he could teach her how to fight in more difficult and unfavorable conditions. In addition to the uneven ground, there were also many things here she could easily trip over if she wasn't careful like rocks and shrubs.
Not to mention falling into the water below, another reason for Yuichiro to be leery since she had not yet taken swimming in PE at school. But she wasn't going to tell her guardian that lest he took it as a sign of unwillingness to fight on her part. The girl knew from the start that if she wanted to be a soldier, putting herself in the line of danger would be inevitable, even during training.
Without asking if she was ready, Guren swung his sword again, aiming for Yuichiro's flank which she managed to block again by holding her sword vertically with both hands to meet his. This time her attempt was a bit shaky because of the unfamiliar ground. Unlike when he first started training her, the lieutenant colonel no longer asked his ward if she was ready for anything, expecting her to know precisely when to attack and defend because lord knows their enemies would never allow them such a luxury.
Even so, Guren still went easier on Yuichiro than his own instructors did on him at her age, giving her a bit more time to get used to her new surroundings before getting down to business.
Just a bit.
"Impressive, Yuu," he said with a smirk. "I'm glad you're catching on quickly. That's also a must on the battlefield. It looks like we're heading off to a good start, so why don't we get the rest of our stuff and find a place to make camp before we do any more sparring?"
Grinning, Yuichiro was about to request that they spar for just a few more minutes now that Guren had stoked the fire within her when she suddenly felt a droplet of water on her nose. And then another. And another.
Looking up, the pair saw that it was starting to rain, a clear sign that they needed to get their bags someplace dry quick if they didn't want their supplies rendered useless.
Scanning the nearby area, Guren spotted a cave behind the waterfall. Perfect.
"There," he said, pointing in the direction of the hidden niche. "Our things should be safe inside. We can probably make camp in that cave too."
As much as she wanted to continue sparring, Yuichiro had to agree. She knew it wasn't because her Guren was opposed to fighting in the rain; they had done so many times back at his estate. It was because making camp was, at the moment, their first priority.
"Yes, sir. I'll go get our things right away," Yuichiro said as she turned and started walking back down the rocky slope towards their bags and supplies.
"Wait, Yuu, I'm coming too. You aren't going to be able to bring everything up here by yourself in one trip."
Yuichiro silently nodded as she stopped and waited for her guardian. As his ward and student, she was used to walking behind Guren when they went anywhere together, even if only slightly. Once the older man had caught up to her, Yuichiro allowed him to lead the way even though it wasn't really necessary; she still remembered exactly where they left their belongings.
Seeing the sunlight slowly start to vanish, Guren said:
"It looks like we'll have to wait till tomorrow morning to continue. I forgot that we spent almost the entire day just coming out here."
"Really?" Yuu asked as she looked around. It turned out her guardian was right when the ravenette noticed the sun setting in the distance. Though they had left Shibuya early that morning after Sayuri packed three days' worth of food for them, Yuichiro easily lost track of the time she and Guren spent coming out to this secluded place. Probably because she was lost in the book she was reading in the car while he was driving.
"You're right," she said as she followed the older man down the slope. The pair knew they had to be quick and picked up the pace when they felt the rain coming down a bit harder.
SSSSSS
October 21, 2018
Splash!
"What the..!" Yuichiro gagged as she shot up from her sleeping bag to see her guardian standing above her, fully dressed for the day. Judging from the shit-eating grin on his face and an empty cup in his hand, it didn't take the girl long to figure out what happened.
"Rise and shine, brat," Guren said in a sing-song tone, his expression becoming one of amusement when he saw Yuichiro glare at him before getting up. Her hair as well as the slip she went to bed in the night before were completely drenched in cold water.
"Was that really necessary, sir?" Yuu snarled as she squeezed the water out of her long hair. "A simple shake or 'wake up' would have done the job just fine, you know!"
"Oh, please, I was actually being nice," Guren snorted. "Do you think your enemies will give you the courtesy of a wake-up call should they stumble on you asleep on the battlefield? Hell no! So unless you wanna get killed in your sleep, you'd best learn to be awake and alert at the slightest sign of danger. Now go get dressed; I made you some breakfast so be sure to get your fill. We've got a long day ahead of us."
"Breakfast?" Yuichiro asked in puzzlement before she saw two plates with a simple meal of bread, cheese, eggs, and smoked ham along with two mugs of water next to a small campfire Guren had set inside the cave where they were staying.
Seeing all that made Yuichiro realize that her guardian had woken up at least an hour earlier to get dressed as well as unpack, set the fire, and warm up the food for them while letting her sleep in a bit longer. This was a bit different from back home where it was normal for Yuichiro herself to wake up earlier to make breakfast for the entire Ichinose household alongside Sayuri. It looked like Guren actually was being nice, at least by his standards, to do that for her even though they weren't exactly here on vacation.
"You actually made breakfast, Guren? Why? That's supposed to be my job."
Instead of answering her question, Guren snorted.
"You're welcome, Yuu. Just don't get used to it."
"Tsk, fine! Anyway, what did you have in mind for today?"
"Well, I'm glad you asked. There's going to be more to your training out here than just sparring."
"Oh? What else are we going to be doing?"
Setting down the cup he used to splash water on Yuichiro only moments earlier, Guren said:
"I plan to test your stamina and endurance. See how well you've been learning from Shinya, Goshi, and the others in addition to myself."
"I see. So what's the first thing we're gonna do?"
"Simple. Hike. And forage."
The girl found herself dumbfounded at her guardian's answer.
"What? What does hiking and foraging have to do with fighting?"
"Well, get some grub in your belly first and you'll see. Don't forget to get dressed in something… more appropriate too."
At Guren's last remark, Yuichiro felt her face growing hot as she looked down and realized that the water from his cup had made her slip stick to her body and that her breasts, particularly her nipples, were quite visible through the wet fabric. Wanting to get out of this embarrassing situation as soon as possible, the girl quickly made a grab for her bag before running outside the cave to get dressed behind a tree.
Once she was dressed in a clean white kimono shirt and loose hip-length tan skirt with her hair tied back in a high ponytail, Yuichiro went back inside to join Guren for breakfast in awkward silence. In addition to cooking her breakfast, the older man had also saved Yuu the trouble of taking a morning shower. Though she had not been appreciative of it when he made her slip wet as well; the girl normally preferred to bathe or shower in private without clothes AND warm water.
But that was a luxury she was going to have to go the next two days without and when Yuichiro realized that, she found herself gulping nervously as she shot a quick uneasy glance in Guren's direction.
And though the lieutenant colonel maintained a straight face and pretended not to notice as he was eating, his ward could have sworn he was laughing inside.
SSSSSS
Long-distance nature hiking was definitely not Yuichiro Hyakuya's forte. Especially when she was also carrying a pack loaded with supplies for nearly five hours straight. The girl panted as weariness crept up on her and forced her to stop, bending over at the waist with her hands on her lap, trying to catch her breath. Looking ahead, Yuu saw that her guardian maintained a steady pace with the same burden and hardly seemed to break a sweat while doing it.
Sensing that his ward had stopped and needed a break, Guren turned around and eyed her with amusement.
"What, tired already, Yuu?" he asked playfully.
Yuichiro glared at him. "What do you mean 'already'? We've been at this for at least a few hours if you haven't noticed! So why is it you look almost perfectly fine? Don't you ever sweat?"
"Well, yes, of course I do. I just have a bit more stamina than you. I did say this wasn't going to be a picnic or did you forget that already?"
"No, I haven't forgotten," she shot back. "Speaking of picnic, I am a bit hungry. Is it ok if we eat something before continuing?"
Guren briefly checked his watch before answering. Normally, he would expect his ward to go a bit further without food to toughen her up. But he had to acknowledge that they have been hiking for some time and that his own stomach was growling as well. It wouldn't do either of them any good if they passed out from hunger by continuing on an empty stomach.
"Very well, Yuu. We can eat."
Sighing in relief, Yuichiro set down her pack and was about to open it to grab some rations before Guren stilled her hand.
"Those are for dinner. If you want to have lunch, you'll have to catch it."
"Huh? What do you mean 'catch it'?" the girl asked incredulously.
"Here, let me demonstrate," Guren answered before setting down his own pack and heading for a nearby steam. Curious, Yuichiro followed him and looked down into the water where she saw several fish swim by.
"You mean fish? But we didn't bring any fishing gear."
Guren chuckled as if he found his ward's suggestion absurd.
"Who ever said anything about fishing gear?"
"Don't tell me…"
"Correct. I said that if you want to have lunch, you'll have to catch it. Literally. Like this!"
And with that, Yuichiro watched in amazement as Guren shot his hand into the water, demonstrating the same speed he used to attack her with the day before to test her fighting reflexes, and pulled out a small fish, gripping it firmly in his hand to keep it from getting away.
"Wow! How did you do that?"
"Simple," he answered. "I just put my hand in the water and pull the fish out. Now you try it."
Yuichiro scowled. "You always make everything sound so easy, Guren."
"Maybe. But it's the only way you're going to be getting any lunch because our field rations are off limits until dinner. Well, Yuu?"
The girl's breath hitched in her throat when she realized her guardian was serious. She had never even attempted to catch fish with proper fishing gear let alone her bare hands but she was also quite hungry and had no choice. So setting her pack down, Yuichiro followed Guren's lead to make her own attempt at catching a fish with her hands alone.
And failed miserably. Not once, but at least five or six times before she managed to catch a fish that just happened to be a bit more sluggish than the others. That along with the fact that Yuichiro's longer fingernails made it possible for her to get a firm grip on the fish by digging them into its body. Maybe it was sheer luck but the girl was willing to take any break she could get, something Sayuri had taught her a year prior.
"Very good, Yuu. You just caught your lunch. Hopefully, it will tie you over until dinner. That, along with what you can get off that tree over there," Guren said as he made a gesture to a nearby tree which looked like it had some fruit, possibly apples on it.
Knowing that the older man implied that she would have to climb the tree if she wanted the apples, Yuichiro declined. She was already exhausted and hungry and didn't want to exert more effort than she really needed to. Going without the apples wasn't going to be an issue for her.
"Uh, no thanks, I don't feel like climbing for apples. Just the fish will do."
Guren shrugged. "Suit yourself, Yuu. I'll get a fire going to cook these," he said as he made a gesture for his ward to hand her fish over. Now go wash your hands; they stink and so does the rest of you."
Though she was annoyed at Guren's barb, Yuichiro handed him the fish she caught without another word before going back to the stream to clean her hands and wetted a cloth from her pack to wipe the sweat from around her temples and neck. By now, the girl knew her guardian well enough to know that he wasn't deliberately trying to degrade her by making such comments; it was just his way. Yuichiro could still tell from the way Guren offered to light a fire and cook the fish they caught instead of telling her to do it that he was indulging her a bit, just as he had when he allowed her to sleep in a little that morning.
Twenty minutes later when the fish was cooked and ready to eat, Guren excused himself to wash his own hands while telling Yuichiro to go ahead and eat without him until he returned. As she chewed on the soft meat, the girl noticed that it was actually flavored with spices. Which she wasn't expecting. Yuichiro knew her guardian probably wouldn't have thought to bring them himself; Sayuri must have packed the seasoning spices and reminded Guren to use them.
I'll have to remember to thank Sayuri… she thought.
SSSSSS
After their small lunch of cooked fish, Guren and Yuichiro made their way back to the other side of the waterfall grounds which took at least another three to four hours. By the time they got there, the lieutenant colonel ordered his ward to set their things beneath another tree except for their swords.
"Leave our things here. We're going to spar up there," he said as he made a gesture towards a ledge where another waterfall was pouring over, making for a liquid tunnel.
Yuichiro was startled. "Now? But we just hiked for the last few hours!" she protested. "Aren't you tired? I am."
"Not really" Guren answered coolly. "Like I've told you before, your enemies aren't going to wait until you're in tip-top shape before they attack you. To be a competent soldier, you'll need to be able to fight and defend yourself efficiently even when you're in pain or running on fumes. Or have you already forgotten that, Yuu?"
"Of course I haven't, sir," the girl quipped as she dropped her bag. "Thank you ever so much for reminding me. Now that you put that way, bring it on!"
Guren laughed as he cleared the way for her and made a mock bow.
"With pleasure, Yuu. Ladies first!"
"Hmph!" Yuichiro snorted as she marched past her guardian with her eyes closed and head held high, sticking her pert little nose up into the air. "I'm no lady! Do I look like a damsel in distress to you, baka Guren?"
Instead of being insulted by the younger girl's remark, Guren actually found it cute.
"Well, there's only one way to find out, is there?" he asked smoothly before unsheathing his sword and bringing it down on Yuichiro's head to see how she would handle being attacked from behind.
Too easy! Yuu thought as she quickly withdrew her own blade and held it high above her head, this time with one arm, effectively blocking Guren's attack.
"It's rather dirty of you to try and attack me from behind, isn't it, sir?"Yuichiro quipped without turning around. Even though she couldn't see it, Yuu was sure her guardian was smiling in amusement.
"Is that what you're going to tell your enemies, Yuu?" he chuckled. "This isn't the Middle Ages and we aren't knights or samurais. Neither are the vampires. Bushido and Chivalry no longer have any place on the battlefield. Only survival and victory matters."
"I'm perfectly aware of what century we live in, sir," Yuichiro said as she shot her sword arm up with her weapon in hand, forcing Guren to move his own sword away before she turned to face him. "Didn't you say you wanted to spar on that waterfall ledge?"
"Of course, I did. That attack just now was merely a warm-up. You can lead the way now. I promise no more surprise attacks until we get up there."
Yuichiro narrowed her eyes at Guren in suspicion but decided to take him for his word and said nothing as she turned around and made her way up the slope with him following close behind. Even if her guardian were to go back on his word, Yuichiro would know how to defend herself anyway and they both knew it.
SSSSSS
"Anytime you're ready, Yuu," Guren said as he bent one of his legs at the knee and tapped a foot on the ground just slightly behind him, gripping his sword in one hand and letting the flat bounce lightly on his right shoulder in a display of arrogant confidence. Unlike his ward, the older man did not look the slightest bit nervous at the idea of sparring someplace uneven, wet, and slippery. If he was, he was certainly doing an excellent job of hiding it.
Yuichiro gritting her teeth as she gripped her sword firmly in both hands while maintaining her fighting stance. She and her guardian had been facing each other for a whole minute and try as she might, the girl could not bring herself to attack just yet. Normally, Yuichiro did not have an issue making the first move when she and Guren trained at home but her new surroundings made her hesitate a bit. Not only was the ground uneven, but also quite slick from the moisture of the waterfall. Even so, she knew she could not avoid moving forever and took a deep breath before charging and closing the gap between herself and Guren.
"Finally, you've decided to move your ass, girl!" the older man exclaimed as he snapped out of his smug, laid back posture fast, his blade easily meeting Yuichiro's when she came within striking distance of him.
Show off! This is just a game to him!, Yuu thought in frustration as she shoved her weapon against his in an attempt to push him back while trying to keep her footing on the slippery ledge beneath the waterfall tunnel.
Normally, Yuichiro liked to be light on her feet and strike her hardest while sparring but the uneven rocky ground forced the girl to focus more on control than power or speed to maintain her balance. *2* And while she knew Guren had the same handicap, he still had a slight advantage over her, being considerably heavier, which made it easier to keep his footing.
As if he were merely humoring Yuu, Guren gave way and allowed himself to be pushed back even though they both knew he could hold his ground without budging if he so chose. Especially against someone who was only five feet, two inches and barely weighed a hundred pounds.
"That was adorable, Yuu! I thought I taught you better than that!" he teased.
Normally, she might have kicked Guren for such a barb but Yuichiro knew it would be risky for her to keep one foot off the ground for too long on this ledge; not only was it uneven and slippery, but also quite narrow as well. Controlling her emotions was also a must when fighting in an environment such as this, even more so than on dry and solid ground.
I can do this, the girl thought as she remembered Mito's words during their last training session together before she came out here with Guren.
Remember, Yuu. As women, we are often slightly at a disadvantage to men when it comes to size and strength. But even so, there is no handicap anyone cannot overcome without wits and determination…
Now that she thought about it, Yuichiro realized Mito was right. She may not be able to take Guren down with brute strength alone here or anywhere. But that didn't mean she couldn't find an edge over him if she looked hard enough. And since he was much taller and had longer legs than herself, Guren had to take wider stances which left him in a position more difficult to get out of in a hurry should the situation call for it.
That was when Yuichiro finally noticed that on a ledge this narrow, it would also be quite difficult for her guardian to turn around quickly without slipping if she could manage to get behind him.
Once she realized that, the ravenette grinned at him wickedly and felt a smug sense of satisfaction when Guren's expression changed from confidence to alarm as he tried to figure out what she was planning.
Not giving him time to find out, the younger girl quickly took a narrow stance, making sure to keep her weight on the top of her legs like Mito had taught her for fighting on grass or other slippery surfaces, and charged again. This time, Yuichiro shifted her weight to one leg as she pivoted while holding her sword in both hands to strike at Guren's flank, carefully gauging how much force to put behind her attack so she could stay upright through the recoil.
As soon as he lifted his sword to block her attack, Yuichiro released one of her hands from the hilt of her own sword and grabbed Guren by the shoulder to secure her footing when he deflected her blade and pivoted again until she was right behind him.
As she predicted, the older man had to take great caution in turning around to confront her and before he could successfully do so, Yuichiro stepped back slightly and smacked him hard on the rear with the flat of her blade.
As soon as he felt his ward's blade make contact with a rather intimate part of his body, Guren gasped, and felt the heat rush to his cheeks (the ones on his face) as he finally turned around to meet and glare at Yuichiro for her audacious move.
"Why you little brat!" he yelled, his cool demeanor completely undone and replaced with embarrassment and anger. "You're just asking for an ass-whooping, are you?!"
"Ha, try it, baka Guren! I dare you!" Yuichiro laughed. *3*
"With pleasure," the older man growled as he threw down his sword and attempted to grab his ward. He normally didn't believe in spanking but was willing to make an exception in Yuichiro's case for her insolent act.
As soon as she felt Guren's hands close around her upper arms, the girl released her own sword and struggled to free herself. Though her guardian had an iron-clad grip, Yuichiro refused to give up and struggled harder as he dragged her to a nearby rock and attempted to pull her over his lap.
"Oh hell, no! Not today, you bastard!" the feisty girl shrieked as she stomped on Guren's foot, the sudden pain finally forcing him to release her.
Which was a big mistake since they were not completely off the ledge yet.
Before Yuichiro could put a safe distance between herself and Guren, she slipped on a wet weed that grew out from between the cracks of the rocky ledge and found herself screaming as she plummeted at least fifty feet to the water below.
Forgetting the pain in his foot, Guren smirked when he looked down from the waterfall ledge and saw Yuichiro flailing around in the lake below, figuring she'd learn her lesson that way just as much as a spanking.
"Hey, Yuu, how's the water down there?" he called as bent over to take a better look.
Unfortunately, Guren's smug satisfaction was short lived when he saw Yuichiro sink without resurfacing for a good twenty seconds and his expression changed to horror when he realized that the younger girl couldn't swim.
"Oh, shit!" he cursed as he quickly pulled off his shirt before diving into the water himself after her.
As she felt her body sink and the cold water close over her head with the surface growing further and further away, Yuichiro's vision blurred as lack of oxygen started to make her lose consciousness. By now, the girl was too exhausted to make any more attempts to swim and was about to resign herself to her fate when she saw a dark-haired man swimming towards her. Before she blacked out, Yuichiro felt a strong arm wrap around her back and under her arms as she was being pulled towards the surface.
SSSSSS
"Yuu, can you hear me? Wake up!" Guren very nearly pleaded as he shook the younger girl in an attempt to wake her as soon as they were back on the surface where he dragged her to the shore of the lake. He had lost track of how much time Yuichiro had spent underwater and feared she may have been deprived of oxygen long enough to cause permanent brain damage if not death.
It was quite rare that someone like Guren Ichinose made mistakes but when he did, they usually had dire consequences. Too late did he realize that it was a mistake to bring Yuichiro here to train without being sure she could swim efficiently in case something like this were to happen. Either way, the only thing he could do now was to try and save her.
Thinking quickly, Guren laid Yuichiro flat on her back and made sure her body, including her neck, was stabilized before checking for a pulse. Which, thankfully, was present even though the girl wasn't breathing. Trying his best to recall what he learned in the first aid course he took in high school to revive a drowning victim, Guren pinched Yuichiro's nose shut and tilted her head slightly back before covering her mouth with his own. *4*
Hoping that he was doing the procedure correctly since this was the first time he actually attempted to save a drowning victim, Guren inhaled through his nose and exhaled slowly through his mouth in an effort to secure Yuichiro's airway. Once, twice, up to three times, hoping that it would be enough but fearing that it wouldn't.
Still, he refused to give up. As Yuichiro's guardian, it was his responsibility to look out for her safety and well-being. And Guren wasn't about to let her die without doing everything he could to save her.
After what felt like an eternity, Yuichiro's eyes fluttered open as she felt the uncontrollable urge to cough, which Guren was expecting and turned her to the side away from himself so she could clear her lungs of the excess water and anything else she might have swallowed from the lake.
After two or three minutes, the girl's coughing finally subsided and she felt a pair of strong arms taking her into a warm embrace reminiscent of the one Guren gave her after she ran into his arms when they met for the first time after she escaped the vampire city.
At first, Yuichiro thought she was dreaming until her hazy mind and clearing vision found her in a rather compromising position with the man who had just saved her.
Yuichiro gasped as she placed her hands on Guren's chest, which she just noticed was bare, and pushed him away before staring at him in wide-eyed wonder. For a moment, Yuu could not say a word as her eyes took in Guren's half-naked appearance. His raven hair was slicked back with water, the droplets falling onto his well-muscled chest which was now on full display.
"Wh..what happened?" Yuichiro squeaked. Like Guren, she herself was drenched with her long hair dripping water into a puddle behind her but the girl took no notice of it.
Although she knew it was rude to stare, Yuichiro could not look away from the man whose eyes captivated her even more than his body. In their violet depths, the girl could see a fierce protectiveness that rivaled even Mikaela's before he pulled a kamikaze attack on Ferid Bathory to protect her. *5*
"What happened, Yuu? I just saved you from drowning after you slipped and fell off the waterfall ledge or don't you remember?" Guren replied in annoyance.
"I fell?" the girl asked in puzzlement as she struggled to remember what happened less than five minutes ago. When Yuu finally managed to collect her scattered memories, she blushed again. "Oh…"
Guren rolled his eyes. "'Oh' is right. Do you have any idea how much trouble you just put me through, you little brat?"
Though he tried to sound angry, Yuichiro could still tell that her guardian was relieved she was alive and unharmed.
"I'm sorry…" Yuu apologized sheepishly as she tried to keep her eyes from wandering to his chest again. "And thank you."
Instead of saying "You're welcome", Guren pulled his lips back in a wolfish grin. His dazzling violet eyes twinkled with mischief, highlighting his handsome face.
"Are you really?" he snickered. "Do you think I'll let you off the hook that easily for the stunt you pulled by pouting your cute little lips and batting those big pretty eyes at me and saying you're sorry? That might work on Shinya or Goshi or those puppy boys at your school but I think you ought to know me a little better than that by now, Yuu."
Yuichiro gulped when she realized her guardian was still quite displeased at her earlier transgression even though she felt he deserved it for his barbs on her ability to fight.
Still, he did save her life so she supposed she owed him one.
"You're right, Guren" she said in the sweetest tone she could muster while slyly moving her eyes to the side. "I suppose I do deserve to be spanked since I've been so naughty."
"I'm glad you understand, Yuichiro" the older man said as he took her by the shoulders and was about to turn her around before she suddenly placed her hands on his chest and used all her strength to push him back and jumped to her feet.
"But not today!" the girl cried gleefully and tried to make a run for it, assuming that Guren was too spent to pursue her after all the energy he exerted to save her from drowning.
Oh, how wrong she was.
Yuichiro barely made it more than a few feet before she felt herself being grabbed from behind and flung over a broad shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Hey, let go of me, baka!" she screamed as she pounded on Guren's bare back with her fists.
Guren snorted. "Not a chance, brat. And quit your struggling, it won't do you any good. I haven't survived this long by being slow and dimwitted" he said in a crass tone as he carried his defiant young ward kicking and screaming to a nearby tree stump where he forced her to lay across his lap on her belly like the wayward child she was.
Before she could protest further, Yuichiro felt the heat rush to her cheeks and yelped when she finally felt Guren's large hand crack against her soft rear through her wet skirt as payback for dragging them both into this fine mess.
Somehow, Yuichiro got the feeling she won't be able to sit down for a couple of days after Guren was through with her punishment.
That was, if she didn't die of embarrassment first.
Footnotes:
1. In reality, using deep or wide stances to fight on an uneven or slippery surface actually works against you. The further apart you place your feet, the more you have to work to keep your balance. It can be done, as in the case of taller people who have no choice (like Guren), who's around six feet tall, but it takes a lot of strength and usually leaves you in a very static position you can hardly get out of in a hurry. Personally, I like a narrow stance that keeps my weight on top of my legs and have my knees bent slightly more than I normally would.
2. When fighting on a slippery surface, it is more important to focus on control than power or speed since it does no good to strike an opponent hard and then lose your balance from the recoil.
3. Baka means 'idiot' in Japanese.
4. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation(CPR), is the manual application of chest compression and ventilation to patients in cardiac arrest done in an effort to maintain viability until advanced help arrives. This procedure is an essential component of basic life support (BLS), basic cardiac life support (BCLS), and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS).
5. During WWII, a kamikaze was a member of a special corps in the Japanese air force charged with the suicidal mission of crashing an aircraft laden with explosives into an enemy target, especially a warship. In modern times, the word "kamikazi" could also be used to define any suicidal attack, such as Mikaela's attack on Ferid to give Yuichiro and the other Hyakuya orphans time to get away.
