||. Discovery

Hajime Ozaki. The name brought back memories as she stood with her forces on the outskirts of the Kasama City. Her hands atop the hilt of Bakuzan, they tensed as she remembered the way he'd chided her for her ideals back then, the way he'd countered her with all the right questions that made her doubt what she was really trying to accomplish. Castles of stone were nothing without a strong foundation, just as an upstart is nothing without strong ideals. Well, she smirked, now she was the one who was going to chide him. "What's the enemy's strength?" she asked another of her Elite Four, Hōka Inumuta, the one in charge of Honnōji's information and strategy committee. His neck collar opened then closed as he told her it was small, but despite its numbers their skill made up for it. They were going to be deadly opponents. Satsuki smiled. Perfect.

—-—-—

Dr. Matoi handed him the black hilt of Toukan, the katana's silvery-white blade no longer chipped at the top from its previous encounter with its sister, Bakuzan."Here, you're going to need this again, wouldn't you agree?" he told the Council President, who gripped it tightly and who's eyes didn't wander away from it. "I know you've been avoiding it since... that time... but now it needs you as much as you need to wield it again. There's no way out of it, this time..."

"Perhaps you're right," Hajime muttered softly, "and yet I..." his finger ran across its surface and he sheathed it, the look on his face one of disdain, "hope it doesn't turn out like last time." Hands now on its black scabbard, knuckles white, he bit down on the mix of emotions of wielding it once more. Without another word, he shook his head and left the chamber, his eyes only on the misty morning through the cave opening and accompanying stillness.

—-—-—

"Are we going for a direct assault?" Ira Gamagōri, another of Honnōji's Elite Four and her personal enforcer, asked, as he flexed his massive gauntlet-encased fingers, biceps bulging each time he did so. His imposing height overshadowed her form as he stood behind her and waited for an answer.

Satsuki's eyes were on Kasama City the whole time, "No, not yet, I want to savor this moment. The moment when nothing will be left to oppose the Academy once we're finished here and the defeat of one person who's been tacking on doubts into the back of my head since childhood is solidified." She stepped forward to the mouth of the city's entrance, where upon a statue of old sat. It was that of a woman, her features unrecognizable due to the wear of time, and she grimaced. One day she was going to be one of those statues, sacred yet forgotten, and put her hand on its surface. Cold, like she'd tried to make her heart for all these years. Yet, as she then rested the hand atop the other on the hilt of her blade, she knew the warmth still thrived underneath. "How is Sanageyama doing with his preparations for infiltration?" The question was directed at Inumuta, who's collar flapped open as he responded immediately.

"Five minutes."

"Tell him to be ready in three." To the left of Gamagōri, Sanageyama was hastily finishing the final touches to his specially designed Goku Infiltration Uniform — which, for the sake of authenticity, was toned down from his standard flashier Three-Star to something the locals wouldn't raise eyebrows at. The head of the Academy's athletic activities and clubs babbled something about its dullness as he came over.

"Make that ready in one," he said as he smirked and pulled down on the straw hat to conceal his features further. "I'll find out about that place, just you wait. I'll be back in a flash."

"Just get it done as quickly as possible," Satsuki barked, and then, eyes now focused on him, "but don't underestimate anyone you encounter." She watched him nod and disappear into the fog as he went towards the city and smirked herself. Sanageyama was a better candidate for this mission than Inumuta, who specialized in infiltration, simply because he'd survive a bit longer. With what he was most likely to face during the mission, she knew Sanageyama was the better one to test his strength. That is, until she met swords with him once again. When that time came, she wasn't going to hold back this time... and neither... would he.

—-—-—

It was during her late childhood when they'd first met each other. He had come to Kasama City after an incident that he nor his family ever disclosed, but Lien knew it must have been something important for him to defect from REVOCS, the organization's sworn enemy. In each year that he's been the president, this year to be his last, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was something melancholy in nature. She knew this because of the way he always came to the roof and stared at the landscape, hands in his pockets, and when she gave him a report, he'd always reply with "leave it in the council room, I'll see to it later". Almost as if there was a more important matter on his mind, one that he didn't — no, that he couldn't — walk away from or stop wondering about. Something that ate away at him until he found it again, something that once he chanced upon it, he hoped he knew the right words for.

As she cleared away debris from his desk she wondered what he'd gone to Dr. Matoi for. The old man gave her the willies even though she'd never actually seen him in person. The name and what he did was enough all on its own. Well, whatever it was, she thought, it wouldn't be another secret. A paper fell from his desk and she looked down at it for a moment. It had fallen out of the top drawer, a private place. Hesitantly, she picked it up and averted her eyes from the title only a few seconds too late. It was a picture from the years before he'd come to the city. And thus, she now knew that he'd been bigger part of REVOCS than previously thought. Standing in the picture together with him was Satsuki Kiryūin, Student Council President of Honnōji Academy and one of the organization's most notorious obstacles aside from REVOCS.

—-—-—

The skill in which the intruder deflected her kunai was impressive as his eyes followed her every movement. Yet, he was too reckless to be considered anything of a threat to her more concentrated techniques and before long she had disarmed him, the metal tip of her kunai poised under his chin. The look in his eyes still held hostility.

"You caught me off guard, kid," he said with prideful spite. His eyes went down to her kunai's tip, "Could you maybe move this? I don't want sustain any life threatening in case these next few seconds get even crazier."

She didn't say anything in response as she obliged. With a backwards grip, she held the weapon at her side and removed the mask from her mouth and spoke, "What is your reason for coming here?" His straw hat was oddly misplaced in this the region of the city, where potters and other craftsman pursued their trades. It was more likely to be seen up at the Academy, of which only one individual she knew of wore one. Straw hats, as they are, were terribly out of fashion these days. Anyone wearing them in this city, especially, was either an interloper, old man, or a person just too into their roots. Of the three, this boy looked to be the first. Which, given his mastery of the sword and the way he carried himself, he most certainly was.

"I'm not telling, so—" he jumped back and picked up his fallen weapon in the same instance. He grinned and motioned for her to come at him. "This time you won't have the advantage of surprise!"

Without another word between them, she threw her kunai and maneuvered to his flank in the split-seconds it took him to knock the weapon aside. As he started to twist his body and say something about dirty tricks, she slammed the flat of her hand into his side and waited for him to succumb, instead taken aback when he brought the tip of his wooden kendo sword into her gut. She staggered back into an unused potter's stand as she clutched her stomach. He laughed and spun his shinai skillfully.

"Try again, kid!"

His laugh was full of confidence from the way it rang out and she grimaced. She'd underestimated this boy, he was certainly no stranger to the ways of combat. Well, it was no matter, she'd just have to draw this confrontation out a bit longer and then... a beep on the com-link attach to her belt. Two beeps, three. The signal to back off and melt back into the shadows.

"I wouldn't zone out like that!" The boy exclaimed gleefully as he brought his shinai down on her still form, only to smash some pots on the stand. He cursed and peered over the stand. She wasn't there. His eyes went to the left and right. She wasn't there. He looked up. Still nothing. Sanageyama scratched his cheek and turned around. He must look like a real idiot to anyone watching.

"Are you one of her new supports?" A boy was standing there, wearing a militaristic uniform not unlike Satsuki's, only black with red trappings, his facial expression blank. In one of his hands was a silvery-white blade.

"Who the—!" Sanageyama wasn't able to get all of his words out as the boy now had the hilt of the blade centimeters from his chest, shoulder to shoulder. Arrogant as he was, Sanageyama knew this new opponent would mope the floor with him before a duel between them had even begun and gulped. "Y-you're a little... close..." he chattered through clenched teeth, biting them together so hard he tasted blood; it was all he could do to prevent any of his fear from leaking out. "I don't swing that way, so could you maybe—"

"No supports, only the pedestal. What's the use of having the supports if the pedestal is too weak to be held?"

The boy was speaking directly into his com-link, and Sanageyama knew he had directed the challenge at Satsuki, but he didn't have any time to wonder as to why as the boy smacked him on the back of his neck.

Hajime hefted the intruder over his shoulder and took out the com-link from his clothing, then flattened the device under his shoe as a shadow crept from the corner of his eye. "Tamiko, you were right to keep watch here. Good work."

Tamiko bowed her head. "I am sorry I could not defeat him, Council President Ozaki. He was more formidable than I had anticipated and gave him credit for."

"Don't be, this is one of Honnōji's Elite Four. All four of them are tough opponents. You handled yourself well. Now I want you to go check on Lien and see if she's done tidying up the student council room. If she needs any help, I want you to assist her, and if she has any questions, I want you to answer them for her."

"Yes, Council President Ozaki. I'll see to it immediately." Tamiko disappeared as silently as she had come and Hajime frowned.

None of the others at Kahira were ready for the coming battle for Kasama and he knew the city's takeover would be swift. Though, if he knew Satsuki as well as he thought he did, then she was sure to accept his challenge no questions asked. And, when she did, he hoped this confrontation would be their last as enemies. Even if the whole of Kasama City and Kahira Academy burned. As he made his way to the gates of Kasama with Sanageyama in tow, he hoped that she would finally understand his way of going about change.