Well my streak continues as I come out with the next chapter. Last one was slow cuz I wanted the basics of the houses to be explained. This one hopefully is much better.
Hope you like it c:
.: Playthrough 5 :.
= Tutorial =
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
- Benjamin Franklin
"Niyishima-san," Lenalee was outside Reiyo's room basically pleading for the older girl to open her door. "Please, open up! You'll be late for your lessons if we don't hurry!" Lenalee sighed and placed her hands on her hips. Today she wore a pretty pink skirt with white stockings and cream-colored heels. She also had on a white long sleeve on with a cream colored jacket on. Her short hair was styled with a side ponytail that made her look a bit younger than she was and cuter if that was even possible.
"Are you sure she hasn't left already?" Allen spoke digging into the pudding that he'd gotten from the kitchen. Unlike yesterday, Allen chose to dress casually for today's training session. Since he wasn't participating he didn't see a point in dressing appropriately but he had to admit that he hated wearing suits all day. They made him seem a bit intimidating to some or simply cute to others. So, for a change, he wore a simple white t-shirt with a black jacket and jeans. As always, his white gloves never left his hands.
"She couldn't have," Lenalee puffed out in anger. "She doesn't even know the house. Niyishima-san! Open up!"
Suddenly they heard life from the other side and waited expectantly for the teen to exit her room. Instead, when the door finally opened, they got greet by a groggy blonde that was rubbing her eyes.
"What's the noise for?" Reiyo yawned covering her mouth.
The duo simply stared at her with her sleepwear on, a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. Allen looked away out of decency and Lenalee sighed frustrated. The blonde hadn't even woken up.
"We need to get you ready for practice," Lenalee chided pushing Reiyo inside and locking the door behind her.
Allen simply stayed behind and heard as the ruckus ensued. He heard Lenalee splashing Reiyo with water and said blonde lashing out angrily at the Chinese. Lenalee knew how to deal with conflict otherwise she wouldn't keep coming back to Kanda's place. After twenty minutes of more arguing the two girls finally exited the room. Lenalee had a sweet smile on her face as she greeted Allen. Reiyo only pouted as she followed suit behind her.
The blonde had changed strangely fast and was now ready for practice. She had on leggings and short above them with ballet shoes. She also sported a different tank top, this one of a red color, over a white spaghetti strap. Her blonde hair was pulled out of her face into a bun that rested just above her nape. Her icy blue eyes looked more awake than when she'd first answered the door.
"Awake?" he asked with a slight scoff at the comical sight.
"Nobody fucking told me this crap was going to be at six in the fucking morning!" Reiyo exclaimed more than a bit outraged by being awakened so early.
"They didn't? How cruel of them," Lenalee sang sweetly. Reiyo noticed the side of sarcasm served alongside her sentence. "But your trainer said that you are to warm up before she arrives. Class actually starts at 7."
"I could have slept another hour, Lenalee," Reiyo grunted massaging her temple at the headache the lack of sleep had given her.
"You have to abide by the rules of this house, Niyishima-san," Lenalee stated glancing back at the blonde. "As long as you're under they're control, that's how it's going to be."
"Yeah, yeah. Can't wait to leave," she retorted a bit pissed.
After walking around the house, they arrived at one of the lower basements. A whole arena made for training that was the size of the huge dinning room she had visited last night was where they were. At different stations were different training ares. One, she noticed was throwing daggers while another was heavy lifting. Shit, if she came here every day she'd be buff in no time. In the center of the whole room was a platform that resembled a boxing ring except that it had no ropes closing it in. Instead mats were placed all around to keep damage at minimum for those that fell off from it. To the far right was another room in which they entered. Lockers, Reiyo thought as she saw the resting area and beyond that the showers and lockers. It seemed like any normal gym a person would go to but empty. And it made sense to Reiyo. Who the fuck would be working out at six in the fucking morning!?
"So, what am I supposed to do?" Reiyo called once they had situated themselves at the resting area were a long rectangular table was with multiple chairs. Allen took one and sat down while taking out more food from God knows where. Lenalee went away to get a box from one of the lockers and came to place it on the table.
"Take a sit, Niyishima-san," Lenalee told her as she took out a roll of hand wrap and stretched her hand out for Reiyo's.
"You know, it's just Reiyo. I think it's unfair I call you by your name but you don't," she added being compliant and handing her right hand over. Lenalee then began to wrap the material around Reiyo's hand masterfully. Like she had done it hundreds of times before as if nothing.
"Well, Reiyo-san," she continued finishing her right hand and asking for the left. Reiyo gave it to her as she went on and did the same wrapping she had done with her right. Reiyo stared at her right hand and flexed her palm open and closed. It felt awkward to have it wrapped but surely it was for some protection. "This will keep your hands and wrists from taking too much damage when you practice. I'll teach you later how to do it yourself but for now, since we're late, I've gone ahead and done it." She let go of Reiyo's left hand and glanced at her, "How do they feel? Tight or loose?"
"They're okay," she answered stretching her fingers.
"Comfortable?" Lenalee asked again and Reiyo nodded as a response. "Good, come with me and I'll show you what to do for warm up."
Reiyo got up and followed behind Lenalee. Not wanting to stay back and do nothing Allen got his snacks and a chair and pulled it out to the training grounds. He placed it on the sidelines and sat down to observe the girls. Lenalee was showing Reiyo a couple of basic hits and kicks that she should practice. The blonde nodded once she understood and began doing the exercises. The Chinese corrected her here and there and once she saw her doing them correctly, she walked up to were Allen had situated himself.
"How's it looking?" Allen asked with a mitarashi dango in his mouth and ten more in a plate.
"As normal as could be expected, I guess," Lenalee retorted crossing her arms on her chest and watching as Reiyo did the offensive punches and kicks over and over. "Red wasn't kidding when he said that the girl wasn't fit to fight."
"Lavi was the one that researched her when she got here," Allen surmised to her while he continued eating. "Having our sights on Gemma Mason to begin with, we'd studied more on her attributes. Had we known about Reiyo-san's existence to begin with, we would have looked up her background as well. Curious that her name didn't appear on Tiedoll's search on codis. Reiyo Niyishima, a female seventeen years old of half Japanese and half American descent. She dropped out of school her third year of high school and has been working ever since at Gabrielle's of all places. Japanese mother deceased while Hughes Mason has been missing since ten years ago. She and her sister have been in foster care since the mother died a year after Mason left. As far as Lavi's own research went, that's all the relevant information we got."
"Seems to be a hard life she's lived up till now," Lenalee added to the conversation.
"This must be a complete turn about of her life," Allen agreed with her and dropped his hand were another mitarashi was. "Much like us, huh?"
"Yeah," Lenalee agreed with a wry smile. "She reminds me of how I used to be before coming to this world."
"Mm," Allen admitted. Lenalee, seeing as Reiyo had gone twenty minutes with the exercise and hadn't whined about being tired, called out to her to go around the arena for ten laps.
"Are you kidding me?" Reiyo blurted in disbelief wiping the beads of sweat that traveled down her forehead.
"No, now go. Skedaddle," Lenalee commanded sweetly with her hands on her hips with a grin on her face.
Reiyo clicked her tongue and reluctantly did as she was told and started jogging around the arena. Curiously enough this reminded her of her days in school and the outside activities that they did. Truthfully, she wasn't that out of shape. She'd been in softball and other sports during her time and they'd been fun. Stressful but fun nonetheless. But after a year of doing nothing of that except running around serving at Gabrielle's had left her unfit to do so much out of the blue. Her body was already tired from the exercise that Lenalee had put her to do but this would be worse.
She couldn't complain though since she had agreed to being here. She had to look at things positively. Thanks to all this exercises maybe she'll get fitter than before. That'll be something good. Soon she completed the laps and took a water break of five minutes. After that she went back to the exercises when the hour warm up was almost done.
"Good morning, people!" The three turned to Lavi's morning chant as he entered the terrains. A nice white buttoned shirt was under a v-neck polo sweater of a black color with the sleeves pulled back just below his elbows. Her wore dark brown jeans and black combat boots that were half way tightened.
"Morning," Allen replied with half an eaten cheesecake in his mouth.
"Chew, Allen-kun," Lenalee reproached shutting the Brit up. "Good morning, Red. Up early?"
"I had to bring Rei-chan's sensei up and about to be here," Lavi chuckled pointed behind him with his thumb.
Reiyo didn't notice that a new pair had joined them in the arena and was busy trying to continue her exercises. So busy that she didn't notice when someone swept her feet from under her and dropped her to the floor. Reiyo had no time to react when suddenly a knife was placed to her jugular that made her freeze in place. She blinked twice as the news of her attack and just who attacked her came to process into her head.
Suddenly the only thing that came out of her was the name. "K-Keiko!?"
"Rule number one," Keiko declared pulling her knife away from its threatening position and coming to stand back up. "Always expect the unexpected." She stretched out her hand to Reiyo to help her up. Grimacing, she took it only to be grabbed by the wrist and pulled by Keiko's small form. Keiko grabbed Reiyo's left inner thigh and threw Reiyo's body over her shoulders and onto the floor.
Reiyo croaked out the air that was knocked out of her lungs by the contact her back made with the floor. Keiko let go of Reiyo's wrist and grinned as the blonde stared shocked at what the older woman had just done. "Rule number two: in this world there's no kindness, only favors. Now get up and onto the arena. We're about to start."
Keiko walked over the platform and stood with her hands on her hips. The twenty-six year old woman was petite for her age at only five foot eight. But, as Reiyo had just witnessed firsthand, looks were deceiving. The petite brunette had her short curls held back by a hairband into a tight pony tail and was dressed as if ready for a simple yoga class. Yet the lady was as deadly as she was short.
"C'mon, Niyishima, I don't have your time!" she shouted making Reiyo react and made her roll over on all fours, getting up. She ran up to where Keiko was and climbed the platform.
Panting, Reiyo stood before whom used to be her boss and was still at awe that the same cook that made excellent steaks was the same deadly viper that just attack her. "Keiko-san?"
"Yes, we've established it's me, Niyishima," she replied coldly, which was odd. The senpai that owned Gabrielle's was the preppiest woman on the face of Japan. How was she such a...bitch now! "Now come at me."
"E-Excuse me?" Reiyo still couldn't believe it and was having trouble getting the nerve to hurt the person that had helped her so much all these years.
"Attack. Me. Now," Keiko stipulated getting in a weird stance that Reiyo couldn't recognize.
Well, if this was part of the whole thing then she had nothing to lose for listening. She stood with her feet apart and arms held before her, like Lenalee had told her, and went at Keiko. The older woman simply deviated the trajectory of Reiyo's fist with her right and punch at Reiyo's throat with her left. The blonde went forth a few feet away from Keiko while holding her trachea and coughing loudly.
"The moves Lee showed you can be used for real combat but only if used properly. You, clearly, can't use them," Keiko called forth at the teen.
"Sorry, Reiyo-san! I should have told you that!" Lenalee shouted from across the room to her. Reiyo simply raised her hand in dismissal while she regained her composure.
"Was that necessary?" Reiyo countered with a hoarse voice with a glare on her face.
"Is killing necessary in war?" Keiko's one question shut Reiyo up but her glare remained at the older brunette. Keiko sighed and took her stance, "You must learn this quickly and efficiently. The reason they called me to train you was because they know I can accomplish that. And I will. Now come at me again and this time don't hesitate."
The three that weren't part of the training sessions watched from a distance as Keiko avoided Reiyo's attempts at attacking her and instead received several punches herself.
"Ooh, that's gonna leave a bruise," Lavi cringed at seeing how Keiko punched Reiyo right on her unguarded left side. "Kei-chan's deadly."
"Keiko-san's the Black Lotus's defense specialist, right?" Allen asked Lenalee who stood beside him. At last, after an hour an a half, he'd finish the snacks that he'd brought with along with him. And yet his stomach was still slightly growling.
Lenalee nodded, "I've had run ins with her from time to time and nothing beats her style of fighting. She's an MMA specialist but can do quite other fighting styles as well. She's very dedicated to her job."
"Much like you Lena," Lavi told her and nudged her shoulder.
Lenalee gave a wry smile to Lavi, "I like my job. Protecting my friends is something I do gladly."
"We're here too, Lenalee," Allen reminded her with a soft and tender voice. She nodded in acceptance of that comment. He glanced away towards the two females fighting and the ruckus reminded him of something. "By the way, where's Bakanda?"
"You know, same as every damn morning," Lavi answered with a heavy and renounced sigh. "At his studio practice." Lavi took a quick peek to his phone for the time, "Actually, it's eight thirty-two, so he's probably at the pool already."
"I can't believe how mechanic that guy is," Allen sneered hating the Japanese even more. The three knew that Kanda had this routine of waking up every damn morning at the crack of dawn to go and exercise. The routine was simple and it was done every morning no exceptions. First, at his dojo and practicing kendo and then going for laps in the inside pool of the house. It amazed Allen and Lavi that the guy could keep such a rigid schedule even with all the crap that was going on.
"Don't be so hard on him, you two," Lenalee reprimanded them. "We all should be preparing in case any accidents happen."
"Accidents my ass," Lavi pouted taking a sit on the floor and sitting cross-legged like a little preschooler. "If anybody needs to be cautious, it's you Brit. Since Briar started attacking more and more of your lower defenses have been attacked. Once they recruit enough people they'll go after the Black Rose."
"I know," Allen sighed with a heavy heart. He hated how the innocent lives of the people he was suppose to take care of were being cut short by the Briar-Rose's players. Exailion was turning out to be more of a problem to them than they first thought it to be. "Cross doesn't like it that I'm out and about even now."
"Is he trying to coop you inside the mansion again?" Lavi inquired form his place.
Allen only averted his eyes towards the the two females. Keiko was now trying to teach Reiyo the proper way to take a stance for a general fist-to-fist fight. Lenalee took his silence as a sign that he didn't want to talk anymore and instead answered herself, "The Head is just worried about Allen-kun's safety. If any more of our troops get depleted, we'd be in serious trouble. He just doesn't want a repeat of what happened before."
"Yeah, I get it," Lavi murmured lowly regretting asking. Sometimes he didn't know when to be tactful. Another couple hours went by that the two women practice. The trio noted how awful Reiyo was doing for her first time. "Shit, I knew she was bad but damn," he snorted while trying to hide it.
"I heard that Bookman!" Reiyo bellowed more than pissed about the situation at hand than his outburst and clear insult.
"Up, Niyishima!" Keiko shouted at her. Once again the woman had brought her down to the floor. Reiyo moved her jaw where the last hit had landed and felt something in her mouth. She spat out and saw her saliva mixed with blood. Great, just fan-fucking-tastic. Regardless of that, she got back up and took a stance again. Waiting for her blow, she side stepped when Keiko threw a punch and grabbed her arm before reaching for her back with her fist. Somehow avoiding it, Keiko came to sweep her again from below and dropping her to her back.
Reiyo lost no time and rolled over before Keiko could land a blow directed at her chest. She got back up and moved away from Keiko taking back her stance. She should have taken her chance but instead she went back. Keiko scowled and faked a blow making Reiyo avoid it and giving one of her own. Expecting this, Keiko took the blow and grabbed it with her hand and quickly locked her into an arm bar. By using her weight, Keiko dropped Reiyo onto the floor as she struggled to get free. Once Keiko heard her pleading for her to stop, she let go and got up.
Reiyo held her right arm not believing the pain it was in. That last move hurt like a bitch PMSing.
"We're done for today," Keiko declared wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. The sweet smile that Reiyo recognized came to her features after those words were said. What in the... "C'mon, it's almost going to be time for lunch. We should get you cleaned up before that."
"Are you Keiko now?" Reiyo joked around sarcastically as she stood up by herself still holding her right arm. "Because whoever the fuck I just fought wasn't the woman that cooks steaks like a pro."
At this, Keiko chuckled and jumped down the platform, "Let's get you patched up, Reiyo-chan."
Once back at the lockers, Reiyo took a quick shower and currently sat as Lenalee tried patch up her wounds and help her bruises. Tried at least.
"Would you stay still?" Lenalee reproached with a pout to her lips and her hands on her hips.
"It hurts," Reiyo spat out the words already tired of this shit after one day of it. "I just got my ass kicked out there woman. Have some compassion, I'm hungry."
"Let me finish with you and you can go eat. Just stay put," Lenalee said bring a gauze with alcohol up to her lips were Keiko had slightly busted her upper lip.
Reiyo flinched the moment it touched and yelled, "Damn it!"
Lenalee sighed frustrated and simply put the gauze down to go and work on relieving her hands from the hand wraps. "You know, this'll happen again tomorrow so I suggest you get used to it."
"Yeah, well, I'll just patch myself up then," Reiyo pouted already hating this.
"You're just a crybaby, Rei-chan," Lavi snide at her with a laugh.
"I'll go after you if you continue, Bookman," she threatened at the redhead.
"Where's Walker?" Reiyo asked noticing the absence of the white haired Brit.
"Went to let the maids know that we'll be having lunch now," Lenalee answered her as she wrapped Reiyo's right shoulder with a gauze to keep it from hurting. "There. All done. Now go change and we'll have lunch. Red, would you take her to her room?"
"Sure thing, Lena," Lavi agreed as he got up from his seat and winked, or blinked, at Reiyo. "C'mon, Rei-chan. You're starving right?"
"What are you doing here?" Allen inquired with a certain disdain in his voice at the person that now stood before him. He had gone before the others to tell the maids about lunch and had just gotten out of the dinning room when he'd toppled with said person.
"Don't give me that look, idiot brat," the older, redhead argued back with not a bit of remorse as to his presence in the Black Lotus House. The man had long hair down past his shoulder blade. A pair of rectangular spectacles came to be on his face and over his red orbs. A cigarette sat between his lips. He pulled it back after taking a breath,"Shouldn't you be at home?"
"I have a life you know," the boy answered with a snarl in his voice. He massaged his temple and reminded himself to keep his temper with the man. Although the man was a major pain in the ass, he was the pain in the ass that had taken care of him after the incident with Mana. He had to be respectful and grateful. The latter he was while the other, well, let's just say that he had lost that for him the moment he opened his mouth. "But in all seriousness, shishou, what in the world are you here for? The Houses aren't suppose to have private talks. If Bookman or Kamelot-san find out that you're meeting with Tiedoll in private, rumors will start going around. Trust around the House are already bad as it is. You should go back."
"Don't lecture me, boy," Cross scolded at him and blew a cloud of smoke away from the boy's direction. "Besides, I'm here on official business that I've already discussed with both of those people."
"Business?" Allen inquired a bit confused then. He hadn't been informed of any of this. "What kind?" he asked just as Cross passed him and continued down the hallway. "No, wait. Shishou, answer me!" Allen shouted grabbing onto Cross' hair and pulling him back. A deadly aura came across the older man and soon Allen noticed the mistake he'd done. He quickly let go and stepped back a few just in case. But instead of hitting him like per usual, a large hand landed atop Allen's head. Still shocked, he simply glanced up at the man who only looked bleak as he expelled another cloud of smoke.
"Just...stay close to little Lee. And keep your eyes open," he cryptically told him and walked away towards Tiedoll's office. Allen was dumbfounded at his caretaker's actions. He was never affectionate with him. Ever.
"Al-chan~!" Allen turned to see the group he'd left behind coming his way after Lavi's cry. Allen fake a smile and waited for them to get to him.
"Lunch's ready to be served," Allen told them as Lavi opened the door for Reiyo who went in and went in himself afterwards. Allen held the door for Lenalee who stopped midway in.
"Are you alright, Allen-kun?"
"Huh?" he gasped at her sudden question.
"You seem out of it a bit," she muttered confused and worried.
He simply shook his head and gave her a knowing smile, "I'm fine. Just hungry." She didn't believe him but her worry soon went away from she heard a ruckus from the inside. "We better go in before they destroy the dinning room."
"Yeah, we better do," she said with a small smile and they entered for lunch.
"What do you mean, exactly?" Tiedoll asked Keiko.
She'd left the group of youths to go report to the Head of the House about the situation on her side of the battle. Kanda was in there as well having already had breakfast. He had avoided the loud group all morning long and was grateful that the only thing he had to do today was this.
"The West Wranglers have been taken down as well as the Snake Eye's. We haven't much time before they deplete our forces enough to go for an all out frontal attack," Keiko informed them both. "Exailion has proven to be a weapon hard to beat. Because it's the weapons that fight, we're instantly outnumbered. We need a back up plan unless we want an ambush to happen."
"How was your assessing of Reiyo-chan," Tiedoll inquired after hearing this. Is Exailion was involved then his son's participation was needed more than anything, no matter how much he hated that.
"It's been a day but I can assure you that I can work fine with her. Give me a month and I'll put her on equal level as Lee-san. She had potential, I just need to push her past her limit point. Once broken she'll fight with all she's got."
"You might not have that luxury."
The three turned to see who had entered announced to their meeting. Kanda clicked his tongue at the Head of the Black Rose ever since the incident that involved the past Head. After that, this man had barged into the Four Houses as its leader and was a major thorn to everybody's side. He was a good leader but, unfortunately, had a nasty personality that make everybody hate him.
"This is a fucking private meeting," Kanda snarled at Cross who came to stand behind him, who sat down before Tiedoll's desk, and Keiko who stood nonchalantly beside him.
"Behave, Yu-kun," Tiedoll scolded him. Kanda simply turned away trying to control his temper. "To what do I owe the honor?"
"I've come to talk to you old man. Seems our problems have just gotten bigger," Cross explained to him as he blew the smoke of his cigarette away. "My last defenses were eliminated last week. I tried to get knew recruits but things have stirred up too much. Word has already run around about the Four Houses becoming weak and being targeted by the new self-proclaimed faction. If Black Rose is destroyed, the system will fall."
"If the Heir dies, you mean," Keiko corrected. "As long as Allen-kun isn't killed, the House of the Black Rose can be restored."
"That's the thing," Cross interjected. "We found some idiot who attempted to kill off the brat this morning." Keiko gasped at the news. Briar-Rose was moving faster than they had predicted. If they were already going after the Heir of the House then that meant they had the forces to accompany their side of the battle. "Which brings me to why I'm here. I want to place a pact with you, Tiedoll."
"A pact?" Tiedoll repeated knowing full well what that meant. A pact was a bargain that had to be repaid one way or another. It was what normal people did, mostly for money for debts, when dealing with the yakuza. That Cross Marian, the worst person to bargain with when it came to debts, was asking for a pact to be made meant that he was dealing to pay back. Because if he didn't, the House of the Black Lotus had the right as per the rules to kill him were he to back down on it. "What makes you think that I'll accept knowing your reputation."
"Don't worry, I'll pay you back," Cross answered his clear thought. "After all, what I'm asking for is worth it."
"What would that be?"
"For you and your House to protect the brat."
Hoped you liked it. It's really late here and i'm sleep -w-
So what would the price of the pact be now that Cross has laid his terms? Funny thing that Kanda had no appearance on this chapter but for that one line. Maybe he'll get some next time c: Fine out next time!