What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter of Crimson Edge. At least some of you have the decency to give this story a chance. Got a couple reviews as well that made my day especially from one who decided to bring in their own OC. Not exactly my view of a rival but from what his relationship with a few certain characters are, I suppose I could make him a school rival.
The audition for Kazuya's rival is still up for grabs so any of you out there who wish to bring up their OC can PM it or drop it in the Review Box at any time.
Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OC, the Blazblue series. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!
Blazblue: Crimson Edge
Chapter 3: Torifune Festival: The Wanderer and the Delinquent
NOL Military Academy - Male Dorm
Kazuya released a yawn as he sat up from his bed.
It was an unexpected feeling to rest in a comfortable bed when the only thing he's slept on was the ground and the occasional rock. Still, the young man enjoyed the soft comforts of his sheets and blankets along with the pillows too.
But regardless, he had to get up even if he wanted to stay in bed a little longer. Groggily, the young man slumped out of his bed, falling to the floor in a heap of his sheets and blankets. Standing up, he popped his back but that only made him even more exhausted but he prevailed onward to the showers. Hot water should help him wake up.
He walked through the halls, eyes still blurry from his recent awakening. Kazuya looked at a sign that he thought was the locker room to take a shower then marched inside, removing his boxers and shouldering his towel as he entered inside of the shower room. He bypassed the many blurry figures inside and the steam then found an unoccupied showerhead to use.
The black-haired wanderer turned on the faucets, letting the warm water run across his back. Man, it felt like forever since he last had a hot shower. One of the perks in infiltrating a military academy.
"Hey, can you pass me the soap, please?" A voice asked him.
"Sure," Kazuya replied, searching for said soap then grabbed a hold of something that felt soft which he squeezed on reflex.
"Eep!"
"Oops, sorry about that. Looking for the soap." Kazuya replied.
"Oh, that's okay," A hand placed a bar of soap in Kazuya's hand. Strangely enough, the hand felt soft. "There you go."
"Thanks." The young man handed the soap over to the person next to him. "Here you are."
"Thank you." The person took the bar of soap.
Kazuya hummed in response, washing his long black hair then scrubbing his shoulders with a wet rag. Once he deemed himself clean enough, he turned off the faucets then took his towel to dry off his hair while retracing his steps back into the locker room.
However, once he felt the cold tiles of the locker room floor, he heard a collections of feminine screams and shrills that woke him up.
Are some of the guys homosexuals?
Once he removed the towel covering his face, he looked back...and found himself being stared at by a collection of girls.
And every single one of them were naked…
...and so was he.
"Oh, fuck me…" Kazuya groaned, blushing a cherry red as he instinctively covered his private area with his hands.
Worst of all, among the blushing, nude girls were his new friends. Noel and Mai were blushing uncontrollably, covering their breasts and privates areas from his view. Tsubaki and Cajun were glaring at him indiscriminately while sporting red cheeks of their own. Makoto, on the other hand, stared at him with a rather...lewd grin.
"Um, excuse me. I took a wrong turn…" Collecting whatever bit of dignity he had left, Kazuya slowly stepped out of the girls' locker room while wrapping his towel around his waist and picking up his boxers along the way.
Once he was gone, the girls all had various different thoughts about what happened…
"That pervert!"
"How dare he sneak in here!"
"I'm gonna kill him!"
"That bastard groped me without even thinking!"
"He had a pretty nice butt though…"
"His butt? I wasn't staring at that. I was staring at his package."
Tsubaki, Cajun, Mai, and Noel blushed brightly hearing that. Makoto however licked her lips anxiously. "Kazuya-kun is pretty big." She whispered huskily.
"MAKOTO!" The four girls exclaimed at the squirrel Beastkin.
"What? I calls them like I sees 'em." Makoto shrugged with a teasing grin. "That didn't stop you girls from looking~," Her grin grew when the slightly guilty and embarrassed blushes of her four friends grew brighter.
(Begin 'Unripe Hero' by Minami Kuribayashi)
(Electric Bass Single) The screen opens to a view of the bright blue sky as it overlooks the 13th Hierarchical City "Kagutsuchi"
(Heavy Metal Instrumental) A black and scarlet red figure falls from the sky towards the city until they disappear into the buildings below
(Kizu yori itai basho ga motto oku ni aru tte) Cuts to Kazuya standing upon the edge of a cliff before the camera zooms on his face as an image of the Ars Goetia symbol appears in his pupils
(Kanjite shitta tsumetai yoru) A brief flashback of Kazuya's childhood with his adopted family then changes to his days of training with Rachel and Valkenhayn
(Nani ga shinjitsu nano ka wakaranaku natte iru) Cuts to Ragna walking through the streets of Kagutsuchi as after images of a younger Jin and Saya appear by his side
(Uso de nuri kata merareta sekai de) Cuts to Jin sitting at his office going over files while Noel comes in only to fall to the floor like a clutz in which Jin sighs dejectedly
(Kimi wo mamoritakatta yugami to ai ga) Shifts to a scene where Kazuya is on the ground unmoving; his hair covering his eyes as rain pours onto his body with the many weapons of Ars Goetia embedded all around him in the earth. After images of Mai, Makoto, Tsubaki, Konoe, Kokonoe, and Celica appear in front of the camera
(Kasa natta shunkan ni~) Cuts to Rachel and Terumi staring down each other menacingly
(Oi tsumerarete itta kanashimi) Cuts to Hakumen traveling through a forest before drawing out Ōkami and entering his battle stance
(Kaze ga dakishimeta) A brief showing of Hazama going from his usual calm self to his insane appearance crosses over the camera
(Ano sora ni hibiki tsuzukeru) Cuts to Bullet dashing towards Iron Tager, who brings up a barrier blocking her punch
(Kimi no kodoku na koe wo) Shifts to Arakune unleashing a skeletal arm at Litchi, who cries out to him, stopping the arm just short of hurting her
(Wasurenai yo) Carl looks up with a smirk as Nirvana lunges at the camera
(Inori ga tokete iku ne) Cuts to Valkenhayn and Azrael engaging each other in a fist fight to which Valkenhayn transforms into a werewolf with Azrael grinning like a madman
(Yuki no you nikieru~) Cuts to a brief appearance of Noel until three more figures revealed to be Nu, Lambda, and Mu fade in
(Ikiru imi wo sagashi nagara) Cuts to Ragna, who snarls then brings up his right arm, unleashing the Azure Grimoire as his hand morphs into a glowing hellish black claw then lunges forward
(Kyou mo sokudo wo agete) Kazuya roars as his body is enshrouded in a scarlet red light which dissipates to reveal him in the bio-mechanical armor of his Nox Nyctores's true form: Solomon
(Mada HERO nare naku temo~) Both Ragna and Kazuya engage in a fierce duel to the death as the camera zooms in on their faces; their eyes burning with unbridled rage and hatred
(Kitto) The two fighters threw a punch that collided with the other, engulfing the screen in hellfire
(Closing instrumental) Cuts to a scene with Blood Scythe and Bael crossing over each other while embedded in the earth; Kazuya's scarf flowing on the grip of the sword until it fluttered away in the wind
(End)
Library
Kazuya had his face planted firmly on the flat surface of the oak table. Curse whatever deity that thought it was fun to screw him over today. Now he's been getting the stinkeye from both girls and boys. Girls because of...the 'incident'. Boys because he managed to sneak into the girl's' locker room without even knowing.
Still, he hated the fact that people caught him with his pants down. Literally and figuratively.
God, it was embarrassing as all hell.
That's when things took a turn for the worse…
"Hey, Mercury!" A voice shouted, drawing Kazuya's attention to the source only to meet a fist that struck him across the face.
"Ow!" The wanderer growled, holding his now swollen cheek.
His assailant turned out to be a young man with neat brown hair, light skin, and blue eyes. He wore the male Military Academy uniform but the jacket was opened and the dress shirt was gone, instead it was a black t-shirt with a burning skull decal sewed on. The guy looked the definition of a delinquent and he had the balls to punch a near century old warrior in the face.
"The hell was that for?" Kazuya narrowed his eyes at the newcomer.
"The names Nathan Phobos." The brunette gestured to himself. "I've been hearing that you not only snuck in the girl's locker room but you've also showed them your freaking nut sack! And right in front of the one girl I consider my little sister!"
"Uh...what?" Crimson red eyes blinked a few times in confusion.
"Noel Vermillion, you dumbass!" Nathan slammed his forehead against the wanderer's own.
"Oh…" Kazuya muttered then shrugged. "My bad, it was an accident."
The brown-haired man's left brow twitched in utter irritation. "You've got a lot of balls to say that to me so casually."
"I don't see why you would be so mad anyways. It's not like she didn't look away from seeing all of me." The ravenette remarked.
"I'm gonna kill you!" Nathan growled at Kazuya.
"Better men than you have tried." The wielder of Ars Goetia smirked.
"Is that a challenge?!" Blue eyes narrowed at the wanderer.
"Maybe it is…" Crimson red narrowed in return.
The two young men glared at each other heatedly while students moved to avoid them along with some of the librarians.
Classroom
"Torifune Festival?" Mai questioned after Cajun brought up the topic.
"Yes." The lavender-haired girl began her explanation. "It is arranged so that the elected Izanagi and Izanami participate as a pair in various school events for one year."
"Martial arts were held last year." Tsubaki interjected. Mai and Cajun looked at the blushing, mesmerized redhead with either surprised or deadpanned expressions. "Izanagi's way of fighting was especially beautiful, and that strength was so...overwhelming!"
"An awfully detailed account of last year." Cajun stated causing Tsubaki to flinch with an 'erk' as the squirrel Beastkin of the party grinned cat-like at the redhead. "Yet, I have not been able to procure such accurate information…"
"Uh huh," Makoto snickered slyly. "And that's 'cause last year's Izanagi was…" Before she finished, a passing blonde teenager with glasses walked by the door.
"Jin!" Tsubaki exclaimed with her blush growing at the sight of the young man while Makoto grinned.
"Ohh! Speak of the devil!" She spoke lowly.
The newcomer, holding a file, smiled at the beautiful redhead as his green eyes practically sparkled like emeralds (at least to Tsubaki). "Hello, Tsubaki."
"My, my, that gentleman is…" Cajun started as the blue-haired girl of the group stared in surprise. "upper classmate Jin Kisaragi."
'That's the Kisaragi's…' Mai thought with both caution and shock.
"Jin! This is my new friend!" Tsubaki dragged a blanching Mai in front of Jin.
"How do you do? Thank you for taking care of Tsubaki." The blonde man smiled at the bow-wearing young woman.
"N...Nice to meet you…" Mai timidly replied. 'Even if it's really not the first time…'
Suddenly, Jin seemed to notice the blonde girl of the group. Noel flinched. "Ah…" She was both too shy and scared to say anything especially with that cold, hateful look on the young man's face. From there, an unspoken silence had been laid between the two blondes while Mai seemed almost confused at the uncomfortable silence.
However, the silence had been broken by a pair of footsteps. Said footsteps belonged to two approaching teenage boys. One with dark hair and tan skin dressed like a delinquent with a shorter boy with messy bright hair and lighter skin.
The tanned boy was Taro Zazagae while the shorter boy was Akane Teruhito. The taller teen snickered. "JinJin!" He began, much to the slight displeasure of the blonde man. "Is this the Tsubaki chick you've mentioned before?" He stepped by said redhead's side along with Akane. "Heeeh… Yeah, yeah! Lookin' fine!" He spoke in a singsong tone.
"Sexier than I imagined. 80 points." Akane added.
"Taro, Akane. Could you tone it down?" Jin asked with a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
"Oh no, JinJin, didn't make you mad, did I?" Taro teased. "So sorry! Forgive me?"
"..." Jin as still smiling but the dark cloud over his head was starting to grow.
"Not even." Akane smirked. "Just look at that face! You most certainly pissed him off."
The five girls watched the interaction between the three boys either in confusion or disappointment.
"What was it like entering the student council?" Jin asked, trying to get his two (idiot) roommates to stop talking.
"It took some time, but…" Tsubaki's blushed grew a bit. "I finally received approval a few days ago! When the Torifune Festival is over, I'm officially joining."
"Wow, Tsubaki coming to the student council?" Taro looked excited at the prospect. "Woohoo! I'll bring baked cookies!"
"It looks like things are going to get fun." Akane added.
"Tsubaki entering the student council will also put me at ease." Jin agreed.
Taro laughed then looked at his blonde roommate slyly. "What's that supposed to mean, huh, JinJin?"
"At any rate," Jin continued undeterred. "It's because there's only these guys around."
"Yes!" Sparkles for some strange reason appeared around Tsubaki. "I'll show you! I'll definitely be helpful to Jin!" Her smile, blush, and starry eyes was definitely enough to warrant her obvious crush on the Kisaragi boy.
"Yep. That's expected." Cajun spoke dryly.
'E...Easy to read.' Mai blanched in her mind.
"Come back here, you fucking vampire!" A familiar voice shouted; one that caused Jin, Tsubaki, and Makoto to flinch.
"And risk letting you try to sucker punch me again? I don't think so. Besides, you have a little something right HERE!" Another familiar voice spoke, bringing forth a few embarrassed blushes to the cheeks of the five girls in the hallway. A sound of flesh being impacted on something solid was heard then a body crashed against the wall.
Said body being a groaning Nathan, who rubbed his head for a bit until his blue eyes glanced up to see the scowling face of Jin Kisaragi. "Oh great, the Ice Prince…" He grumbled.
"Phobos…" Jin hissed venomously at the brunette young man.
"You still alive, you little shit?" Stepping through the hole was the young man that all of the girls had seen naked: Kazuya Mercury.
Nathan snarled at the crimson-eyed teen then pounced on Kazuya, who retaliated by kicking him over, sending him crashing into a desk with a grunt.
"Yeah, I neglected to say that I'm a martial artist." The wanderer dusted his hands with a smug grin only to gag when the brunette football tackled him right in the stomach; the two young men fell to the floor still struggling to fight each other.
Everyone present watched the display with blank expressions. Jin disinterestedly left altogether with Taro and Akane following after their roommate.
"That bad influence again?" Tsubaki grumbled, folding her arms with a huff as she glared at Nathan while secretly hoping Kazuya would smash the brunette man's face in.
Makoto popped her knuckles. "You think he's back to get his daily dose of a beatdown?"
Mai blinked a few times in confusion. Noel decided to clarify on who he is. "That's Nathan Phobos. He's a bit of a troublemaker who skips classes on a daily basis but he's really smart plus he's a mechanical genius as well." She explained to the bluenette.
"So why is he fighting with Kazuya-kun?" The magenta-eyed girl questioned.
"Oh, I guess Nathan-san found out about the…'incident'." Noel blushed along with Cajun and Mai at the memory.
Tsubaki and Makoto huffed. "He's still a bad influence on you, Noel!" They both growled.
Nathan looked at them while his cheek is being pulled by Kazuya. "Ah, shut up, you annoying broads!" He shouted.
The redhead and squirrel girl narrowed their eyes at the delinquent.
"That's no way to treat a lady." Kazuya grabbed Nathan by the nose then tossed him against the wall. "Next time you speak to a woman like that in front of me, I'll cave your skull in."
"Kiss my ass!" The brunette hissed.
"Sorry, but your mother did that for me." The black-haired warrior smirked.
Mai leaned near Cajun's ear. "How long is this going to go on?" She whispered.
"No idea." The lavender-haired woman replied quietly.
20 Minutes Later
After another verbal spout between Kazuya and Nathan (along with another violent fight), the raven-haired wanderer sat in a chair while Noel applies an ice pack to his swollen cheek. "Who in the freaking hell was that asshole?" He questioned, pressing the cold pack against his cheek.
"The resident mad scientist/delinquent." Tsubaki huffed, obviously displeased with Nathan's presence.
"Huh, sounds like a douche." Kazuya spoke dryly.
Makoto snickered. "You don't know the half of it."
"So what's with all the posters around the academy?" The red-eyed young man asked to divulge the topic.
"Oh, you mean the Torifune Festival?" Cajun spoke, studying the young man in front of her. "It's a yearly event that the Academy tends to bring up for the students. In normal high schools, it would be considered a dance of sorts."
"Huh, sounds interesting," Kazuya grinned at the thought. From his time with Rachel, the vampire heiress had taught him how to dance like those during the Renaissance Era. She busted his ass until he got it right.
"There's another part of the festival as well. A martial arts tournament to determine who would be the honorary knight for Izanami and Izanagi." Tsubaki chipped in. "The Academy's toughest martial artists will all be signed up for the chance to be the knight."
"What's so special about being a knight to some prom queen and king?" Kazuya questioned.
"The chosen knight is allowed to take any girl of their choosing as their date." Makoto added with her chipmunk-like smile. "Plus, it helps blow off steam especially with your name signed on as a competitor!"
…
…
…
"Say what now?" The black-haired young man said with a small twitch of his brow.
Torifune Festival - Day 1
Outside in the courtyard, a mess of students gathered around two individuals locked in combat. One so epic that it was going to be spoken beyond…!
"Roooock, Papeeer…" Two hands shot out, one forming the paper sign while the other formed the scissors. "Scissors!"
Yes, this competition was just decided between a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors…
...What? Did you expect some sort of epic battle to the death? Hell no, that shit comes later!
"Victory!" The designated student referee called out, holding up Jin's winning hand. "Jin Kisaragi! This year's Izanagi is decideeeed!"
Jin's opponent sulked in shame, cursing his luck while others (mainly girls) cheered for him.
"Ohhh!"
"Amaziiing!"
"Kisaragi-senpaaai!"
Tsubaki was no exception to the blonde man's fan club. "Just as expected of Jin!" She praised while her friends looked at her with small beads of sweat.
While Jin is being handed a victory trophy from the referee, Noel sweatdropped at the bright smile on her fellow blonde's face. "A-Amazing. Always winning with a smile…" She mumbled.
"Kisaragi-san can read the mind of his opponent, can't he?" Makoto mimicked her shorter human friend's mindset with a bead of sweat running down the back of her head.
"I wonder who will become Izanami…" Tsubaki muttered, thinking on the possibilities of who would be the 'queen'. "...I...I…"
"Eh?" Mai, Noel, Makoto, and Cajun looked at her curiously.
"I wonder if I should participate in the tournament…" Suddenly, the blue-eyed redhead blushed brightly at the thought of participating and possibly winning as well. "You know, because we're fellow student council members, which makes things more convenient and being the head of the student council and working together would make our schedules compatible, I think!" She rambled on her reasonings.
"..." The four girls stared at her dryly. 'Too easy to read…' They thought in unison.
"Hey, who do you think the chosen knight will be?" Noel asked innocently.
"I hope it's Kazuya! Have you seen the way he smashed Phobos through the walls like that? He's definitely got to be strong!" Makoto grinned wide.
Cajun blinked once. "Let's not forget that Nathan-san is also competing in the tournament as well."
At the mention of the Academy's 'mad genius', Tsubaki and her Beastkin friend scowled at the mere thought of him.
"I hope he loses badly." The brunette girl growled lowly.
"I hate that degenerate." The redhead grumbled.
Mai sweatdropped at Tsubaki and Makoto. 'Just what is their problem with that Nathan guy?' She thought in her mind.
Meanwhile, Kazuya and Nathan glared at one another from opposite ends of the crowd. A spark of lightning clashed the moment their eyes met.
The unspoken message between these two rabid wolves had been practically broadcasted to the entire world.
I'm coming for you…!
That Night
As Tsubaki showered in peace near the in Noel and Makoto's dorm, Mai and her friends sat on a couple lounge chairs or footrests to chat about the competition for Izanami.
"Let's get this war council started!" The squirrel girl began. "The tournament's tomorrow. I wanna somehow get Tsubaki out there and have her kick ass, but…" She trailed.
Noel decided to speak up. "There really isn't any method in winning a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors."
Makoto rubbed her two-toned hair in frustration and distress. "We can't build up any sort of counter plan!"
"Oh." Cajun suddenly smiled. "If it's a counter plan, then I can set something up."
"How?" Makoto asked.
"We collect data on the competitors' thought processes, and all I have to do is apply the data." The lavender-haired woman explained. "We will most certainly ascertain what move the enemy will make."
'Girls talking nonstop…' Mai thought in her head, watching her three friends chat amongst themselves.
"WOOOOW!" Noel and Makoto exclaimed in awe.
However, something nagged in the back of the blonde girl's head. "But how will we collect the data on those thought patterns?" She questioned.
"We read the opponent's minds." Cajun spoke it blunt enough that it sounded like it could work.
"Reading minds…" Noel trailed on but that seemed to only confuse her more. "Th-That sort of thing isn't possible."
"It is not something impossible, really." Cajun clarified.
"How do we get is?" Makoto asked as her squirrel ears twitched.
"That is…" Cajun pointed at a surprised blue-haired girl. "A kiss of Mai, of course!"
"Eh!?" Mai exclaimed in surprise.
The lavender-haired girl continued her reasoning. "You kiss the tournament candidates, and with that super taste, you can read the minds of the opponent!"
"Huh?" She started off small before her entire face burned red with an outraged look on her pretty features. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?"
While Noel blushed at the thought of her friend kissing other girls, Makoto seemed rather eager at the prospect (almost too eager). "I see! It falls on your hands!"
"H-H-H-H-H-Hold on a second!" Mai shouted. "A kiss absolutely, no way, cannot be done!"
"Whaaat, you're embarrassed?" The Beastkin teased. "There's no problem with girls kissing!"
"Ehh!? Is that so!?" The magenta-eyed girl blanched.
"C'mere." Without even realizing it, Mai was lip-locked with Makoto as their breasts pressed against each other. Said bluenette was blushing madly at the generously soft lips latched onto her own. Once they broke apart, Mai seemed to have passed on; a huge blush on her face and a small ghost exiting her body.
"...H…...Huh….?" Makoto sweatdrops, seeing Mai's expression.
"C-Could it be…" Noel stuttered with a heavy blush.
"Mai." Cajun started. "Could that have been…" She paused then continued. "...your first kiss?"
Makoto flinched. 'Crap.'
Mai looked lost in her thoughts; the heavy blush on her cheeks enough to symbolize her own innocence. She ran a finger across her mouth. '...A girl's lips are so soft…' She thought slightly embarrassed but secretly liked the taste of the Beastkin's mouth against hers.
With Kazuya
While Mai was contemplating on her first kiss, the wandering warrior known as Kazuya Mercury was in his dorm room playing around with Purson, a Japanese tanto with a crimson blade and a black grip. The seal of the demon emblazoned at the base of the blade.
He had contemplated on whether or not to actually take the time to enter this fighting tournament. While it would be a good workout, his already freakish strength could potentially kill someone if he wasn't careful. That would also draw attention to himself and that is not something he wants for the remainder of his time posing as a student.
On the other hand…
It would feel satisfying to punch that bastard Nathan Phobos right in the nose for sucker punching him. Kazuya didn't even know what that guy's problem is. What did he have out on him for?
Well, maybe he could take the time to participate in the martial arts tournament the day after tomorrow, if only to get some well-earned training in.
Who knows? It could be entertaining…
"Ahhhhh! What the hell am I saying!? I'm not a goddamn high school student!" Kazuya exclaimed, grabbing a hold of his head as he rubbed it feverishly then stood up from his bed, sending his weapon back to the hammer space the rest of the Demonic Arsenal laid in wait. "Maybe a stroll through the halls will clear my head…" He muttered.
He grabbed a hold of his magically-woven scarf and wrapped it around his neck then left his dorm room.
Kazuya strolled through the halls for about half an hour; occasionally gazing out at the night sky while humming a little tune that Rachel taught him when he was younger. His foster mother/sister once told him that it was something her mother would sing to her to sleep. A lullaby, she said. It was spoken in Latin but the translation for it was called "Sleep, my Lovely Moon". It always started out slow and sad but there was an underlying hint of serenity in the tune.
That song was one of the most beautiful he had ever heard… It reminded him of his adopted family…
Not one day passed where he did not miss his father, mother, aunt, and little sister. Rachel informed him that his family had separated after a few years since his disappearance. All that he knew was that his father was now wandering the world while Kokonoe grew up to be a successful scientist that delved into both the arcane and the mechanical arts. His aunt had opened a church and was said to be taking care of a couple kids at one point. There was nothing on his mother though which upset Kazuya greatly.
Still, he longed for the day to hold his baby sister close to his chest like he did when they were kids. Hopefully, that day would come.
Sighing, the black-haired teen focused ahead only to raise his right brow in surprise when he found a figure cloaked in black with long blue hair...pressing their lips against one of the female students that was wandering in the halls just like him.
Kazuya watched as the figure broke the kiss then ran their tongue almost sensually across the girl's lips.
...He was thankful to be wearing sweatpants that were a bit baggy around his waist.
The figure and the girl stared at each other then the pupils of the female student's eyes turned into hearts as she gazed practically lovingly at the black-clad figure then hugged them profusely. "Beautiful!" She squealed in joy much to the figure's shock, who pushed her off and ran away, much to the student's disappointment. "Ah, please wait!" She pleaded.
Kazuya furrowed his brow. 'Something fishy is going on around here…' He snickered. 'Glad dad didn't hear that joke from me outloud otherwise I'd never live it down.'
And thus, the Scarlet Swordsman decided to stalk the masked black-clad figure, who seemed to be finding every girl amongst the student body and kissing them for no apparent reason. On occasion, he would spot Noel or Makoto near an unconscious girl, that the figure kissed. This furthered his suspicions on to who the identity of the masked kisser truly is.
But Kazuya didn't know the full reasoning behind these events.
Thus, Mai and friends obtained data from favorable candidates, and thanks to Cajun, they were successfully able to write up data on the pattern of thoughts.
Torifune Festival - Day 2
"You're a Rock, Paper, Scissors expert, Mai?" Tsubaki asked with slight surprise.
"Y-Yeah." Mai timidly replied.
"Mai was referred to by the nickname "The impossibly Invincible Mai" from an early age." Cajun explained with a small grin. "The neighborhood children indeed harbored fear of her existence."
'Even though that's a total lie…' The blue-haired girl thought dryly. "I want you to win no matter what." Mai stated enthusiastically. "So let me pass onto you my advice."
"Mai…" Tsubaki uttered in shock; her heart warmed at her friend's insistence to assist her. "Thank you." She took Mai's hands into her own graciously. "Please help me with your advice."
Meanwhile, Kazuya was watching the chatter from a window overlooking the conversation with a calculating gaze.
Later on, at the courtyard, the girls began the competition for Izanami. Kazuya watched as all the girls that the figure had kissed lost against Tsubaki. This further proved his theory that the five girls he considered his friends had somehow found a way to win.
...Did they cheat?
Oh, the referee for the girls just announced the… "Winner! Tsubaki Yayoi!"
"That's… I-I'm so happy!" Said redhead squealed with both relief and excitement.
"You did it, Tsubaki!" Makoto cheered along with Noel and Mai.
Kazuya sighed. Well, he couldn't very well shatter Tsubaki's dreams by admitting that she cheated. For one, he had no proof. A second reason was because the redhead had the hots for Jin Kisaragi. She definitely had a crush for the blonde glasses-wearing teenager and even if he didn't show it, Jin liked her as well.
Suddenly, the black-haired warrior's ears picked up on the chatter from the other girls.
"Eh? You met them, too?"
"This beautiful person appeared from nowhere and kissed me…"
"You, too!? Me, too!"
"Me, three…"
"So that means all of the tournament candidates were attacked by that mysterious man?"
Mai suddenly started to shake in terror. If the girls deduced that it was her so soon then it was over…
"What does it mean?"
"That guy could be ruining the tournament behind closed curtains, pulling the strings…"
"If that's true, then Yayoi-san's smooth win is pretty suspicious…" A black haired girl theorized. "Maybe that masked man is a girl?"
All of the girls looked at Tsubaki suspiciously, much to the redhead's shock.
"I swear upon Izanagi and Izanami that I am innocent!" Tsubaki swore honestly.
"Wh… What should we do?" Noel asked quietly to her friends. If this keeps up, Tsubaki could be disqualified from being Izanami. "Because of us, Tsubaki's being suspected…"
"In that case…" Cajun started. "There's no choice."
She raised her hand and smiled challengingly. "Cajun Faycott! Entering on an impulse!"
"Cajun!?" The rest of the female student body exclaimed.
"Shouldn't that be against the rules?" The female referee questioned.
"Eh-Ehh…" One of the male students watching uttered.
"No way… She's gonna prove Tsubaki's innocent by losing?" Makoto whispered to Mai and Noel.
"Of course!" The blonde girl replied with her own joyous smile.
"So Cajun intends to let Tsubaki win…"
Something told Kazuya that couldn't be further from the truth…
"Here goes." The lavender-haired girl smirked slyly.
Tsubaki and Cajun looked at each other with fiery determination. "Rooock, Papeeeer…"
(A chibi version of Kazuya produces a sign written in Japanese. "And then…!" He said with a cat-like grin)
"I thought there was something weird about the situation…" Tsubaki spoke as Mai, Noel, and Makoto looked down in shame. "And it turns out that you were both at the bottom of it."
"Yes." The girls replied pathetically.
Mai took this chance to say something. "We're sorry! We wanted to do anything to make you Izanami, and…"
"I understand." Tsubaki cut her off.
"Eh?"
The redhead smiled softly at the girls. "Thank you. That makes me so happy." Suddenly her expression turned comically serious. "But don't do this again!"
"..." Mai smiled as well. "Okay!"
Suddenly, Tsubaki started to shout in embarrassment. "Besides, I don't like Jin like that! Aspiration! It's just aspiration!" She tried to fool herself but not the others.
"Hai, hai…" Makoto, Noel, and Mai deadpanned.
"At any rate, Cajun." Mai glanced at the lavender-haired girl beside her. "Why did you…" She sweatdropped, staring at the trophy in Cajun's hands. "Why did you go and win?"
Said girl suddenly brought out a booklet. "I investigated the work of Izanagi and Izanami from the entirety of last year, but when Kisaragi-san was Izanagi, he was always "busy" and turned everything down, having never spent any time with Izanami." Cajun closed the booklet. "It's of course expected to be the same this year. If Tsubaki followed through and became Izanami, then wouldn't her student council duties be neglected?"
A look of surprise crossed Mai's graceful features. "Cajun… Did you think this through….!?"
"If that's the case, won't it be more trouble for you?" Tsubaki looked at her friend, concerned.
"Is that okay, Cajun?" Noel asked.
The lavender-haired girl smiled. "Not a problem."
Torifune Festival - Day 3
Today was the day of the martial arts tournament to decide who would be crowned this year's knight. Various male students were dressed in either a karate gi, a kung fu uniform, or their own fighting clothes.
Kazuya sat on a bench decked out in his trousers, boots, a simple white t-shirt and his scarf. He wrapped several bandages over his knuckles to stem any bruising in case he punched a man's skull in. He grabbed a pair of mixed martial arts gloves and slipped them on, flexing his fingers to make sure they fit. Satisfied, he marched off to the entrance just as an official for the tournament came in.
"Hey, Mercury, you're up!"
Nodding, Kazuya followed the student outside into a makeshift arena where several students both male and female cheered loudly on bleachers.
The designated referee appeared in the center of the ring just as Kazuya and his opponent entered inside. "Alright everyone! Here are our next competitors!" He gestured to the other male student dressed in a black Chinese uniform with braided green hair, teal eyes, and tan skin. "In this corner! One of the strongest upperclassmen in Class 3-D: Carlos Cherub!" Said fighter smiled and winked at the crowd, earning a few cheers from the other students. "And in this corner! The one who snuck into the girl's locker room without even realizing it! The crimson-eyed pretty boy himself: Kazuya Mercury!" Some of the guys and…practically all of the girls cheered for Kazuya immensely, even ignoring the comment about the locker room. "Fighters! I want a good clean fight! Now, let's get it on!"
With that said, the bell rung as both Kazuya and Carlos entered their battle stance. The green-haired man moving in the style of Shaolin Monks while the black-haired wanderer entered a Taekwondo posture.
"Get him, Kazuya!" Makoto cheered loudly beside her friends.
"Honestly, what purpose does this competition serve?" Tsubaki folded her arms.
Noel simply smiled. "I think I understand the meaning behind this. Most boys seem to want to pick the prettiest girl they know and date them."
Cajun rolled her eyes. "That's just another reason for a pervert to lay their hands on a lady."
Mai nodded in agreement even if she didn't secretly wish she were a guy again, competing in such a tournament to be with a girl but now she could be at risk of being someone's...date.
Carlos smirked at Kazuya. "Come on, pretty boy. Show me what you got so I can humiliate you here in front of everybody!"
Before he could even blink, Carlos was met with a fierce palm right in his torso, cracking his ribs and sending him spiraling against the ropes, unconscious.
Standing over him was Kazuya with his palm outstretched and a hardened look on his face.
All of the students' eyes were practically bugging out of their sockets at the sight. No one even saw him move so how did he get from one place to the other in a matter of seconds?
"Wow…" Mai, Makoto, Noel, Tsubaki, and Cajun mumbled in awe.
"Uh…" Even the referee was surprised but shook it off and focused on his job. "Victor: Kazuya Mercury!" The crowd broke out into cheers.
Kazuya waved at the crowd, looking a bit sheepish as well. 'Crap! I overdid it again!' He thought panicky.
After leaving the arena, he bypassed Nathan. An unspoken challenge between the two the moment their eyes met had been issued.
Nathan entered the arena dressed in a pair of black pants, dark blue boots, a red shirt with a skull decal, and masking tape wrapped around his hands.
His opponent was a tall, burly young man with spiky blonde hair, grey eyes, and light skin. He was outfitted in a white karate gi with hand and feet protectors.
The brunette delinquent tuned out whatever the hell the referee was about to say. Focusing mainly on his goal to reach the finals and to beat Kazuya.
The moment the ref said 'Fight', the burly man took the initiative, lashing out with an axe kick that would've crushed the skull of any unfortunate opponent but Nathan was different from the other contestants. This fact had been proven when the blue-eyed teen vanished from view, confusing the meathead martial artist.
"Over here, Jumbo!" Nathan's voice called out behind the man, surprising him and leaving himself open to receive a fierce knee to his face that sent him to the realm of Morpheus.
Once the big man dropped on his back, Nathan landed on his feet. The referee called the match. "And the winner is…Nathan Phobos!" He declared.
Makoto and Tsubaki scowled while Noel clapped joyously at her surrogate brother's victory. Mai and Cajun offered their own praise by clapping as well.
"Wow, I didn't think Nathan would be this good!" The blonde girl cheered innocently.
"I hate that guy…" The redhead and Beastkin growled lowly, completely irritated that the bad influence on Noel's life was in the tournament.
Cajun glanced at Mai. "Mai-chan, can I ask you something?"
"Yes?" The blue-haired girl blinked intently.
"With you honest opinion, could you tell me who you think would make it to the finals?" Cajun asked.
"Um…" Magenta eyes glanced from Nathan to the entrance where Kazuya had just left from. "I honestly don't really know but I hope Kazuya-kun makes it. He seemed really intent on winning for some reason."
Meanwhile, a few seats away, Jin Kisaragi had been watching the matches of Nathan and Kazuya… Well, more Kazuya than Nathan since he hated the brunette's guts with a passion. The movements and the hard expression on the red-eyed man's face warranted that he'd seen battle many times before. An almost cold, unnatural look in his eyes would send shivers down any normal man's spine.
Interesting…
Two Hours Later
After various matches and beatdowns between the competitors (and the occasional student being marched off to the infirmary), only two fighters were left: Kazuya Mercury and Nathan Phobos.
This was a match for the ages! A clash between two titans in the making! A war between light and dark!
…
What the fuck am I saying? This is just a goddamn fight!
Mai looked worriedly between the two young men about to face off in what could be the most brutal fight in the history of the Academy.
"Come on, Kazuya! Kick his ass!" Makoto cheered.
"Nathan! Do your best!" Noel called out.
As the referee rambled on, both fighters continued to glare at one another.
"I'm surprised you made it this far." Nathan commented.
"I should be saying that to you." Kazuya countered. "I expected you to get taken down in the second round."
"Heh, don't think I'm like the rest of those other pushovers." The brunette scoffed. "I'm the real deal when it comes to fighting."
'We'll see about that.' The wanderer thought, narrowing his eyes at his opponent/rival.
"Get ready!" The referee called out, the two fighters entering their battle stances. "FIGHT!"
Both young men ran forward then threw out a high kick that collided with the other. The two ignored the jolt of pain from their shins, focusing their attention on glaring at each other with an almost murderous intent.
Nathan broke the hold and used his momentum to land a blow to Kazuya's ribs with his heel. However, the black-haired wanderer caught his foot and pushed him back, sending the brunette stumbling to regain his balance. Kazuya dashed forward, slamming his elbow directly into his opponent's sternum.
The brunette reeled back with a flinch of pain as he regained his balance then leapt up to slam his knee right into the ravenette's cheek.
Kazuya was thankful that his decades of training managed to harden his jaw to the point it was practically steel but that attack still hurt. His opponent was indeed a strong fighter but he lacked experience.
Both young men continued glaring at the other even as a small trickle of blood flowed down the corner of Kazuya's lips.
"You're strong." Nathan complimented with...respect?
At first, the wielder of the thirteenth Nox Nyctores was surprised but nodded back at him. "So are you."
"But you're holding back." The brunette narrowed his eyes. "Don't hold your strength back on my account. Give me all you've got!" His hand grasped the collar of his shirt then he tore it away effortlessly, revealing his toned chest for all to see, eliciting squeals of joy from some of the girls and a few blushing faces from them as well.
Kazuya smirked. "Very well, but you asked for it." His hands grasped his own shirt which he tore apart to reveal his own rock hard abs and chiseled pecs along with the blood red demonic tattoo that made up the seal for Ars Goetia. He changed his fighting stance from Taekwondo to Wu Tai.
"Oh my…" Tsubaki tried her best to stem her blush but couldn't as her eyes traced every curve on the two young men's abs.
Makoto was panting heavily at the sight; cartoon hearts in place of her pupils. What? She could marvel at the fine figure of a young man once in a while.
Noel, her innocent mind, was burning with so many lewd images due to reading some of the more explicit romance novels she read in her free time.
Cajun covered her nose with a handkerchief to keep a bloody nose from staining her school uniform.
Mai felt the blood in her cheeks burn along with the rest of her body. Damn these female hormones! That still didn't stop her from unbuttoning her top… To let out the excess heat to cool off! That's all there is to it! Yep! Not because she was getting aroused at the sight of bare naked abs.
(Play Tekken 7 OST: Heat Haze Shadow)
The two fighters glared at one another.
Silence filled the arena as if Death itself had taken sound from the very air itself.
Not a creature moved…
A single leaf floated down from a branch of a tree.
The fighters tense up…
The leaf lands on the ground.
Kazuya and Nathan lunged at each other, throwing their fists at each other. The blows impact each other, evoking a shockwave that blew a few students back.
The two broke their lock then went for fast punches that the human eye would barely be able to track. Each second, Kazuya and Nathan would receive a new bruise or a scrape on their skin. The two broke apart then narrowed their eyes at each other.
They stepped forward to begin their assault…
An elbow to Nathan's cheek.
A high kick to Kazuya's chin.
A punch to the solar plexus.
A fierce knee to the nose.
A roundhouse kick across the head.
An uppercut to the gut.
Another vicious punch between the two sent the fighters away from each other. Kazuya and Nathan skid across the surface on their feet, excited grins plastered on their faces.
"They're evenly matched!" Tsubaki commented.
"No, look closer." Makoto said, her expression serious for once instead of her usual chipper self. "Kazuya-kun is still holding back."
Noel blinked. "How do you know, Makoto-chan?" The blonde girl asked.
"I'm a martial artist as well. You just never bothered to ask what I do in my afternoon activities." The squirrel Beastkin replied. "Kazuya-kun is matching his strength with Nathan's but in a skilled fighter's eyes, they can detect even the slightest hint of muscle movement from their opponent."
"So how strong is Kazuya?" Tsubaki questioned.
"No idea but this is definitely not his full power." Makoto answered.
Mai gazed intently at the wandering warrior with curiously. 'So why is he holding back?'
"You've got a lot of balls. I will give you that but this match needs to end." Nathan remarked, his muscles tensing up.
"My thoughts exactly." Kazuya stated, slightly edging his foot forward.
The two fighters lunged at one another for the last time; both of them raising a fist and throwing it forward. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. The crowd leaned on the edge of their seats. Mai, Makoto, Noel, Tsubaki, and Cajun clenching the hem of their skirts nervously. Crimson red and bright blue eyes glaring at the other just as their punches…
POW! BLAM!
...connected.
Nathan reeled back, his cheek impacted against his opponent's knuckles as a tooth flew out.
Kazuya stumbled back, his own cheek swollen as the black-haired young man struggled to stay on his feet.
The two glared at one another before finally...one fell.
(End of song)
"And the winner is…" The referee started.
…
…
…
"Kazuya Mercury!"
The crowd of students cheered loudly.
"He won!" Makoto exclaimed with a bright smile.
"Good show!" Cajun smiled.
"Serves the delinquent right." Tsubaki smirked with folded arms.
Noel deflated, seeing her surrogate brother lose the tournament even though she should be happy for Kazuya for winning.
Mai, however, noticed the ravenette's shaky movements. "Girls, I think something is wrong with him."
"Huh?"
Before anybody realized it, the wandering warrior collapsed on his back unconscious.
"Uh… Nevermind, it seems we have a draw!" The referee called out.
"Man, that sucks…" One girl frowned.
"I was hoping for the knight to be chosen…" Another groaned.
Infirmary - Later On
Here we find Kazuya and Nathan, covered in bandages and medical casts as they rested on the cots.
"This...is humiliating." The brunette growled lowly.
"I seriously thought I won." The red-eyed young man said dryly.
"You two should be lucky that you're still alive." The nurse informed the two boys. "With the amount of broken bones, torn muscles, internal bleeding, and concussions that you both have, you should be dead a hundred times over."
"Guess we're just that tough." Nathan remarked.
"Whatever, I don't get payed enough to deal with macho-headed teenage boys." The nurse left the infirmary to deliver her report.
There was an uncomfortable silence between Kazuya and Nathan. Neither of them spoke or moved (which is impossible since they have…y'know, broken bones).
"You're strong." Nathan admitted.
"You too." Kazuya admitted.
"A lot better than I thought you would be."
"I admit, you're a pretty good fighter."
The blue-eyed brunette glanced at his rival. "So you're sure it was an accident?"
"You mean the 'incident'?" The demon hunter questioned.
"The very same."
"Completely by accident. I didn't even realize I was in there."
Nathan narrowed his eyes at Kazuya for a few seconds then shrugged. "Alright, I believe you."
"Wait, just like that?" He blinked a few times in confusion.
"Yep, Noel and her friends seem to trust you so I suppose I could do the same." The brunette replied. "So...what's with the tattoo?"
"Oh, it's, uh…" Kazuya hesitated. How the hell is he supposed to tell someone that his 'tattoo' is actually the catalyst for his Nox Nyctores, Ars Goetia. "It was a phase I was going through."
"Ah, you're a rebel just like me." Nathan smirked. "Guess we've got something else in common."
The wanderer chuckled softly. "I suppose we do."
"So...pals?"
"Pals."
The two chuckled then sat in silence.
"Hey, did you write my name down for the tournament?" Kazuya asked.
"What? No, I thought you did that yourself." Nathan replied.
The ravenette furrowed his brow. "Then who the heck did it?"
Meanwhile…
Miles away, or rather, above the city, a certain vampiress was grinning slyly.
"Miss Rachel, are you sure that it was okay to play a prank on young master Kazuya?" The blonde's cat/umbrella known as Nago questioned.
Gii, the red bat creature floating beside her was also concerned. "I agree with Nago, Miss Rachel. Haven't you gotten past pranking the boy?"
Rachel's answer came in the form of smacking Gii with Nago, earning her a few groans of pain from the two pet familiars.
"What I do is none of your business. If I wish to play a prank then I shall play a prank." She replied in her usual aristocratic tone of voice.
Military Academy
Kazuya sneezed.
"You okay?" Nathan asked.
"Yeah, just had a feeling." The young man replied.
A feeling that he dreaded for quite a long time…
A/N: That's it for the third chapter. Tell me your thoughts on this in the review box.
Also, Nathan Phobos belongs to KnightSpark. Special thanks to him for posting this delinquent in the review box.
Please review and comment on this chapter but no flames or rude criticisms, I will not tolerate them at all.
If you ignore the warning then I'll write you up.
Thank you to all who have been my loyal followers since Day One. You are all what keeps me going.
Peace out, everyone!