BtF - Part V

Nikaho, Akita Prefecture, January 27th 2022

Pair training at Kirei’s Dojo.

The Blue Ronin blocks a downwards strike form a sword, and then manages to stpe on the blade, making it slip from the hand of his opponent, he then places buts his onw direcly to the neck, defeating him

Izumi clashes swords with Shu, but he without effort blocks most of his strikes and forces him back. Izumi makes a fast trike forwards but Shun eludes, and hit’s his leg with his shinai, forcing him to the ground. He still gets up and attacks his friend another time, but after some of his blows, shun makes the blade out of the front, and then places the a hit to the beginning of the neck of Izumi, sending him to the ground for a second time.

He helps him up.

“You are getting better, but charged like a crazed bull, without thinking too much and with fear also. Hold it inside, and if you face a stronger opponent, draw him to you and then counter.”

Izumi nods, and gets ready for another assault, as Shun did the same.

Izumi attacks, this time faster and with less impulsiveness and recklessly, but Shun defends still. Her makes a diagonals slashes which is blocked and then tries the same move the opposite way and then go with his sword vertically,  as both blows were also blocked by Shun, how started his counter attack,  forcing hizumi back with a fast strike diagonally, but the newbie blocks. As he noticed that he left his belly exposed, he attacks there with a powerful thrust, but Izumi blocks still and makes a mirror of the same move shun used against him, a powerful blow to the neck forcing him back.

This catches Kirei’s attention, as even the champion of the Dojo looks at his newbie friend and nods his head to him in a sign of “well done”.

Shun: “much better now.”

Kirei: “Wong, pair up with Susaku. Kazeriya, with me.”

Izumi: “yes, Sensei.”

Izumi goes with Taichi.

“The mighty newbie returns. Ort it is your corpse, to stubborn to fall to grass.”

“A bit of both.”

“I feared you hurt, with all the dust that you have been eating!”

He attacked him, but Izumi manages to parry and he fall to the ground after he delivers other to his back.

“An acquired taste. Come! I shall serve you some more.”

Tai laughs and grabs his friend’s hand helping him up, afterwards the beginning training.

“You worked well with the man Shun.”

Kirei looks at their practice while he gives a glass of water to Shun, while he drinks his own.

“Izumi held fear of battle and is undisciplined, but he is not short of promise if he continues.”

“Reminds me of other wild I schooled.”

“Me…”

“Yes.”

“I yet feel the sting of your lessons when I was younger.”

“If you continue this way, and prove yourself in the upcoming test to decide the true champion of this Dojo, you may face Yamato once again.”

“Do you really believe it so?”

“I do. Your friend is undisciplined, reckless and without honor. I would seek the tittle in someone more suitable for it.”

“Alright Sensei.”

The Blue Ronin eludes a vertical downwards strike, he clashes swords with his opponent forcing him back then tries to make a fast slash to his back, but his opponent bocks, and with the momentum spins 360º. Nerveless, he blocks it, and kicks hard the leg, forcing him to the ground.

He helps him up and looks towards Kirei and Shun.

“Sensei! I require a more worthy opponent, perhaps is Shun is done with his drink…”

Kirei speaks to shun.

“Go and teach him the ways of a true champion.”

He smiles and grabs his Shinai on the ground as he got ready his blade and also smiles.

Shun readies a vertical slash and his friend get ready to block.

They clash their blades.

---

Both friends laugh while they share drink on the room of Shun. Shun is sited on against the wall on his bed as the other in the same position, but on the floor and diagonally to him.

He turns to his right and grabs the jar of sake he had, and offers it to Shun.

“I had my fill.”

The door opens, and Sakura appears.

“Finally someone who can hold the sake!”

Sakura: “I did not realize we were for company…”

Shun: “He leaves…presently.”

“Oh please! After we have finished the jug.” He fills his glass and hands it to Sakura “This is the last of my spoils, to be sheared with dearest of friends.”

Sakura: “replace dearest with only and sentiment becomes true.” She says as she places herself next to Shun

He laughes.

“Settle argument Blondie.” As he points with his finger to himself. “who was the better man as we sparred today?”

“My boyfriend.”

Shun laughes.

“You are persuaded by the tile of Girlfriend! One day we shall face each other, and have true decision.”

“What would really happen, if you had to face each other on a tournament or upon a serious battle?”

He becomes serious for a moment as he stares at his best friend.

“I would give your boyfriend, a glorious and honorable defeat.”

Shun bends his head and looks at him in an “I do not believe you” and “seriously?” manner, as he begins to laugh upon seeing his face.

Sakura: “you joke about defeating a person you love when some day you may be asked to…”

“Oh you two are the perfect couple, right? Both of you fearing what tomorrow may bring. Fate does not exist. And if it did, life would have no purpose. Full of rules to follow, things that you cannot escape from and without freedom”

Sakura: “even so…Society has rules. You are never truly free.”

“No. There is but one moment we are free: we are truly free when we fight!” He thinks again what he said. “Or when we fuck, WHAT I SHALL LEAVE TO DO PRESENTLY!” he laughs

As Shun laughed and Sakura was a bit annoyed, he gets up and goes towards the door of the room, but she stops him.

Sakura: “it is you and my boyfriend who are a perfect couple. One hides true thought in silence, the other in boastful jest, meant to hold all at fair distance.”

Shun: “Sakura…”

“I DO NOT HOLD YOU AT DISTNACE. You two are my favorite women in this world!” He laughs again

“And what happens to the brave Blue Ronin, when presented with circumstance you cannot fight or laugh your way clear of it?”

He thinks for a moment, and looks at her then.

“Well I may have to FUCK my way clear of it.”

He smiles and laughs one last time, and goes towards the door getting out of the room, leaving sighing Sakura next her laughing boyfriend to their privacy

“GOOD NIGHT!”

He walks by some doors going to his own bedroom before a voice from the back call him.

“Hey!”

“Miya! I did not expect you to be here so late.”

“We and the others were on Izumi’s room. I wanted to call you.”

“Something bad has happened?”

“No. Far the contrary, come.”

He enters the room of Izumi, next to his. All his friends were there, as Izumi was going to reveal something.

He spoke to his just arrived friend.

Izumi: “I am glad you came.”

Taichi: “where is Shun?”

“With Sakura on his room, I have just leaved and was walking pass here when Miya called me. But my time grows short, I have pressing business.” He smiles, as he bends over the wall with his arms closed.

Izumi: “I have an important announcement to say.”

Miya: “we are all ears. Speak.”

“And be fast!” He smiles for a second time

I will be quick. Remember the Game I talked you about my father is programming?”

Miya: “Yeah, that game, how was it called? Sword…”

Izumi: “Sword Art Online, SAO.”

Daisuke: “Ah, that fuck mothering game, which will come out on November this year.”

Izumi: “Bingo. I have good news! My father can get you copies to play!”

Ikuto: “Amazing! Yeah!”

He raised his hand in joy. Looking to Takeru, who remained silent next to him, but he made sort of a smile to him.

“Brother, you are the coolest of all here Izumi.”

Daisuke: “what of the console?”

Izumi: “that is not its name. It is called NerveGear.”

Daisuke: “whatever!”

Izumi: “Of course we are getting one, if not is non-sense!”

“Well, that was great, but if that is all…”

Izumi: “I am not done.”

Miya: “Continue!”

Izumi: “well, the alpha tests of the game are beginning next month….”

Taichi: “And….”

Izumi: “A bit of suspense makes everything better. The alpha testers are to receive some other things. Among then a free copy of the game and a NerveGear, and besides, they design and get their own weaponry, which is unbreakable, and does not have level dependence.”

Other brief moment of suspense by the silence of Izumi.

Daisuke: “Get to the point!”

Izumi: “The truth is, most of the alpha testers are chosen randomly, and I sent all your names to it. And who won, was no one else, than the Blue Ronin!”

“FUCK YEAH!”

He jumps u and when he gets back to the floor he let his body to his knees on it, and screams in joy.

“God. I. Love. Life.”

Yamato: “you are a lucky son of a bitch.”

“Like hell I am!”

Miya helps him up.

“Well that is amazing. I need to know something else?”

Izumi: “not by the moment. This is all I know. I will have you updated.

“Well, I am leaving, for more good stuff.” He laughs and leaves.

---

Nikaho, Akita Prefecture, January 30th, 2022

Shun gest out of Kirei’s dojo, as Sakura accompanies him after the days training. No one of his friends attended to class that day.

She grabs his had places her body close to him, bedding her head over his shoulder.

“How are you doing now?”

“Better. It seems that Kirei wants me to be the champion of the Dojo again. He does not favor much him.”

“If he continues going to the arena, he will not be capable of fighting you on the competiton.”

“He still has plenty of time. And besides, he loves that. The roar of the crowd, you herd him. It is the only place he is ever truly free, from everything.”

“Indeed. What of you, how was your day helping Sakura and the other girls in the Dojo?”

“Fine luckily. We are preparing everything for the next weeks festival. The winter festival.”

“Ah yes I heard much about it. Where will it be?”

“On the mount Sakurasou, some blocks from here. It is a beautiful place.”

“Yes, those pink blossoms always flying across the sky and filling the air with that aroma. It is a great place to go next weekend.”

“I guess…that is a date?”

“Yes it is.”

“Amazing!” She hugs him stronger. “I will have to go and buy a new yukata, I have seen one purple that looks beautiful. What of you?”

“I will have to search for my own yukata. Or maybe I will wear my Hakama.”

“Alright. Hey.” She stops him as they arrived to the beginning of the block where the Dojo of Kirei was. “Shun, I lo…”

“LOOK WHAT WE HAVE HERE!”

The look to hteir front, noticing Shinji Kato holding his shinai on his right arm.

Shu steps in front of Sakura and removes his shinai from his shoulder

“Kato, what do you want?”

“Uh nothing special.” He looks round as other five of his friends appear surrounding the couple, with either a bokken or a shinai on their hands. Sakura got around placing herself back to back, afraid and ready. “I but wanted to send a massage to your best friend. Can you do it for me?”

“Coward as I thought Kato.”

“Sieze them!”

The five of them attack the couple Shun faces the fest and kick him back, after eluding his sword, as Sakura managed to elude a sword for her own and deliver a hard and fast slap to one of them, slashing his eyes with her hands. Shinji faces Shun, after he removes his sword from the sheath if a fast move, as the clash sword Shun manages to hold him back in two fast moves di his face, but other appears and kick Shun in the side, forcing him back, but he quickly recovers, and attacks his opponent, managing to deliver a powerful and direct thrust to his belly, but in the meantime, Shinji attacks him, and they face each other again. Sakura removes the sword from his opponent, and as other came, she nearly manages to parry the bokken, but with her other hand slash her opponents eyes, and then delivers a hard kick to his groin, as he lowered his body and screamed in pain. In the meantime, she is grabbed by the hair boy other of Shihi’s friends, and screams by the pain but she manages to elbow him in the face and the punch him in the face. Still she is kicked to the ground and then forced up by grabbing her hair again. Shun gains the upper hand against Shinji and manages to deliver a blown to the side his neck and then kicks him to the ground, as another of his friends attacks him, and still he was able to Parry his blade, and then a second strike to his neck he spins and directly hits the back of his head. He then looks and Shinji and get ready to finish him.

“STOP! OF YOUR GIRLFRIEND DIES!”

Sakura was being held by the hair, with a short knife to her neck.

“Shun do not!”

Shun begins to doubt, but he resigns and throws his sword to the ground.

Shinji smiles.

“Sieze him.”

They place a hard kick to his stomach letting the air out of his longs and looking consciousness.

---

Shun wakes up. He looks around, he was on an abandoned factory. He wall knew the place. It was named “Shiba Heavy Armory” factory. It was abandoned but the company existed, as they left to work on the center of Tokyo. It was several blocks from the school and Kirei’s Dojo.

“Ah, he is up!”

“Shinj you son of a bitch!”

He tries to get up and face him but he falls to the ground immediately. He could not get up.

“Do not try. Your ankle is sprained. I did it myself.”

“Fuck.” He looks at him. “WHERE IS SAKURA?!?!?!”

He laughs.

“Bring her.”

Sakura appears with ties on her legs and arms, which were placed on her back.

“Shun!”

“Sakura! What did you do to her?!??!”

“Nothing…still.”

“Why are you doing this just because I am the best friend of the one that defeated you?”

“Yes! That is why! That overconfident shit need to learn one thing or two. And I will start to take two things he cares a lot about: his oldest friends.”

“Cowards! Just wait until I get up.” he tries to get up, an manages, but his weight was too much for his other leg, and as he briefly stepped on his other leg, he falls to the ground. “FUCK!”

He could not move.

“We will make him shit. And in the meantime, we should have fun guys, right?” He looks directly to Sakura.

“No do not dare to!”

“And what if we did? We are all underage, and there are none of your parent here.”

“Wait no! leave her!”

One of the five other brakes Sakura’s t-shirt, and then cuts off the ropes while holding her close to the ground.

“SAKURA! NO!”

She looks directly to him, as a tear of hidden sadness fell down her cheek.

“I will be alright Shun. This will not hurt me. Whatever it happens.”

Shinji laughs.

“I had the hope to hear that! How much time you will held that pride of your last tell me? 10 minutes, 20? 30? Hold it as long as you can!” She removes her shirt in a by pulling it off, braking it and also destroying the purple ribbon on her neck, leaving her in just her upper under were.

“SHINHI YOU BASTARD! SON OF A BITCH!”

He continues to laugh as they removed her bra, and then proceeded to go downwards taking out her black long stockings.

“Now for the most important part!”

“I WILL KILL YOU!”

“Now tell me what does it fell Shun eh? What?? The next one to suffer more than you is your friend! I WILL…”

Clap, clap, clap, clap…

Applause the distance is heard, cutting out the speech of Shinji, as it came from the entrance of the factory. Steps were herd from a single person, as he appeared there, the Blue Ronin holding his Shinai to his back, while still clapping.

He stops doing it

“Brilliant speech, Shinji. But you surprise me; you have a smaller dick that I expected. If you so much wished to face me, you should just do it, not go cowardly.”

Shinj parts from him as he advanced closer to his enemy.

“What are you doing here?”

He makes that same confident smile

“Is not that obvious. I am going to defeat every single one of you six, and free my two friends. Shun! Sakura! Be still”

Shun nods at his friend, as he crawls to get nearer to her.

“You alone?” Speaks one of them.

“Of course, I am the only one needed to defeat six guys. Especially coward shits” He removes the sword from his back, as he smiles.

All six attackers, including Shinji looked directly on the one that just came; ready to face him as he kept his is confident smile.

“You are outnumbered and outmatched. Not even the great Blue Ronin can pass through this. Surrender!”

“Get on your knees!”

“I AM NOT YOUR MOTHER LAST NIGHT!”

Upon hearing this, he attacked the Blue Ronin but he was capable of eluding the move rapidly and casts a direct hit to the player face, sending him to the ground. The other appeared and he briefly exchanged blows with him. He parried a horizontal slash and then countered with one of his own, which slashed the arm of the guy. As they set distance other attacker hits his back delivering a hard blow to the back of his neck, partially leaving him numb, but he quickly recovers and turns around and thrust the wooden sword direct to the stomach. But in that time other appears and hits him on his right hand, making the sword slip for his hand. Never less he does not stop and deliver a right uppercut to the chin of the attacker sending him to the ground as the other three join attacking him as the other to get up. He eludes the first attack and then get near the and elbows him directly on the face, but he the receives a hit to the back, he gets around to receive other to the chest and falls back ending to his knees as the attackers approach again. He gets up and blocks the firs sword strike with his forearms and gets near kicking his attacker with a circular kick, as other appeared as he eluded the first sword strike, but was hit hard by another’s and then Shinji appears and thrust powerfully the sword thought his stomach, returning him the attack with which he had defeated him.

He is left to the ground trying to catch his breath again.

Shinji: “Is that all the great Blue Ronin can do? Really? And what all that about defeating all us six?”

He begins to laugh.

“Words fall from your mouth as shit from ass.”

Enraged, Shinji slashes downwards an powerfully, leaving almost no time for him to block the move with his forearm. Still the power of the strike leaves him laying on the ground.

“BE GONE!”

He raises his sword and prepares to make a downwards strike direct to his face, when something stops him and he is kicked back.

“You are late brother.”

He is helped up.

Miya: “Sorry. But it seems that I arrive just in time.”

“You did.”

Suddenly Taichi, Diasuke, Yamato, Ikuto, Takeru and Izumi appear from parts of the factory.

The six of the look around, surrounded and outnumbered.

A desperate Shinji looked at the person he hated most.

“You panned this?!??!”

“Indeed. I was the bait, saving time for my friends to get around the place and defeat you.”

Shinji: “you son of a!

Miya appears and casts a hard fist directly to his chest forcing him back another time.

The Blue Ronin gets down, and grabs one bokken left on the ground with his left hand and his Shinai with his right.

“He is mine. Now ATTACK!”

The Blue Ronin begins a savage assault while he attacks his opponent with two swords.

Miya advances on his opponent and eludes the strike with sword speed several times. After his opponent tries to smash him, Miya blocks the blade with both hands, and manages to make it slip from his hands. He starts a fast deliver of fist directly to his chest and finishes him with a right uppercut. Yamato parries the blade with his forearms, resisting the pain the wooden blade infected, but he rapidly manages to defeat him with help of his brother, who slips down to his opponent and makes his legs to the ground. Taichi spins on the ground and parries the blade of his opponent with his own, he later grabs the hand to his opponent and deliver a fast hit directly to his face and drives his blade deeply into his stomach, defeating him. Izumi is nearly holding his own against his opponent, but suddenly, his opponent screamed; an arrow had been struck to his ass. In the meantime he makes a full strength hit to the face, defeating him. The Blue Ronin spins on the ground eluding his opponent’s attacks and then clashes sword with him and looks eyes, as his were full with his love of battle and anger for what had happened to his friends. They part, and he is left on a vulnerable position, band Shinji attacks, as the Blue Ronin made a smiled at this. He spins on the ground as he got nearer parries the blade with his bokken ,and makes a deepest thrust with his bade his opponent fall to his knees and Galant smashed his neck with the bokken.

Shinji still crawls in the ground trying to get another sword in the ground, but he forces him to get around and looking at him.

“I told you. You should had prayed for this day not to come.”

He raises his sword getting ready to strike him on the face. He lowers his sword in a flash strike and Shinji screams in pain. He is covering her bleeding groin, with both of his hands.

“now you that even tinier dick.”

As Shinji continued screaming, he rushes to see Ikuto next to Shun and Sakura.

“Are you both okay.”

“I will be, but her…”

“I will be alight.” Shocked but happy that they were saved, as she covered her breast with her arms crossed.

Upon noticing this, the Blue Ronin removes his blue jacket and gives it to her.

“Take this you will need her more than me.”

She gets up and goes to other place to change herself.

Izumi got near Shun, examination her feet.

“It is sprained. We should go to the hospital.”

Shun: “shit.”

Daisuke and Yamato help him up, lifting his arms, as he grabbed their shoulders. Sakura wearing the blue jacked closed.

She hugs Shun.

Sakura: “Are you alright?”

Shun: “I will be. But you…”

Sakura: “I will be fine.” She placed her hand on his cheek. “They did not make anything else on me.”

“It seems that then we arrived just in time.”

She turns around, noticing her childhood blonde friend, as she run to him and hugged him. He was surprised to his.

“Thank you!”

He smile, and hugs her also.

“No. Thank us. I would be with brains upon ground in we had not arranged this.”

“Still. I am grateful.”

They separate, as She holds her hand to her fast beating chest.

“We should still get going fast the hospital.” He looks at all his friend on a circle round him and smiles to them

“Guys. Good work!”