BtF - Part III

Nikaho, Akita Prefecture, January 6th 2022

Roar of the crowd.

Clash of wooden swords.

Several dozens of young teenagers watching the matches roaring. Students from Nikaho Middle School entered by personal will to fight in the stadium, a small former kendo stadium, now with sand on the ground, from all types of martial arts and sports. The matches were controlled and organized by students of 3rd grade, and lasted till one of them surrendered; they were nearly for joy…and illegal.

Several boys already in puberty watching them.

Yamato: “the fights are particularly entertainment today!”

Daisuke: “We would enjoy more viewing them from the 3rd grade’s stands. Look at them…Fucking shit eaters.”

Miya: “let them joy and laugh as a bitch Daisuke. He will put them in their place when he steps to the sands.”

Yamato: “Besides we have left like two months of this. Afterwards we shall either go back to Tokyo, or have the stands for ourselves. Let us joy this moment.”

The two gladiators upon the sands clash swords. As one of them falls to the ground the other goes round the place, shouting to the crowd, amusing them.

Miya looks around, and notices someone he knew.

Miya: “SAKURA! TAI! HERE!”

Sakura: “sorry, we were still on class, a test.”

Tai: “we hope we have not missed him.”

Yamato: “lucky then. Cause you have not.”

Miya: “next match.”

The gladiator in the ground surrenders, as he is helped to get out of the place by the gate.

Matou, one of the kids of 3rd grade raises his hand, as one of his classmates enters the sand with Shinai in hand, while shouting his own battle cry.

Sakura: “Matou begins the match without proper introduction?”

Daisuke: “proper? Matou and the words keep distant relationships. I can nearly undertand him…”

Miya: “then I am glad…The kid’s voice causes me headaches…”

They all laugh.

“now he takes position.”

The door opens, as a blond teenager with blue eyes and blonde hair appears, with a smile shining on his face. The entire crowd gets up and roars to him, showing approbation and likeness to him. he continues to smile while looking to the crowd of teenagers, boys and girls.

Miya gets up.

“NOW THERE IS A FUCKING GLADIATOR!!!”

The blond kid notices him and nods him, as he raises both hands with his shinai on his right hand. he keeps on walking with the smile, which Sakura notices and also smiles.

Matou remains still, looking at him. As most of the students at third grade, he despised him.

Yet this did not stop the one known as “the Blue Ronin”, known for that nickname his he was always wearing blue and he never followed command of anyone, except himself. Who raised his hands again keeping his smile, raising both hands and turning 360º grades, as if he would be a total diva. He stops at the left of his opponent, looks at the grades of 3rd, and waits.

Matou raised his hand

The faced each other, as the blonde swings his sword a single time circularly.

“Beggin!”

The one of third attacks spinning in the ground and making a downwards slash, but the blue ronin saw him coming and blocked with his sword, and then tried to hit him at his side, yet the gladiator eluded and attacked back. They clash swords. The blonde kid begins to go round him. His superior attacks again but he continues to elude his attack laughing at him. He makes a forwards strike, yet the kid parries it, and hits the kendo mask he was wearing, leaving his superior a bit dizzy. The blue ronin, laughs and begins to run backwards to one of the corners, he parries another of his attacks, turns around and makes a quick short rush, jumping on the wall, and getting to the part of the audience stands, he turns around and noticing the other just below him he jumps back to the sands, and hits his back. The one of third gets to his knees, as the blue ronin get to the center of the sands. The arena roared, as the other removed his helmet protector from the head, and looks back to hi opponent raising both hands opening them while smiling once again.

Yamato: “he is never serious, right?”

Daisuke: “he would strip naked and fight with his dick as long as he wins.”

“BLUE RONIN! I LOVE YOOOOOOOOOUUUUUU!!!”

He laughs as he notices a beautiful girl shouting to him, and points his sword at her, in the opposite direction to his opponent. Seizing his distraction, he attacks hitting him on the left side of his forehead and then pushing him back as the audience exclaimed impressed. They set distance between them, as Matou joyed from the fight and laughed after his classmates opponent was hit.

The blonde kid looked back at his opponent. He thrusts his shinai to the sands leaving its handle vertically. He touches his head noticing the blood and gets up walking to his impressed opponent.

Yamato: “What is he doing?”

Miya smiled.

“Still…and wait…”

He continues to walk to his opponent, when he makes a horizontal slash,he eludes it by lowering his body, and castes two hard fists to his opponents face while using his Kote kendo gloves. The crowd roars. The one of third attacks once again making the same attack, opposite way, but he jumps back and eludes it. Hi opponent’s the tries to fit him, but the blue ronin lowers his body, bypassing the left fist above his head, and castes other four had fist to his face. He fall to the sands

“I told you!”

The blue ronin shout to the arena rising his arms. He looks back, noticing his opponent was getting up; he rolled on the sands edlung one of his attacks, getting near his sword and grabbing it. He spins once again eluding other of his attack and the turns and makes a heavy thrust to his stomach.

He falls down on the sands, and raises two fingers, giving the mission and surrendering once and for all.

As he did the crowd roared for the blue ronin’s victory, as he raised both arms and made a fearsome battle cry while turning 360º once again.

Tai: “Well, we should get going now.”

Yamato: “yeah we should.”

Miya: “you well know him still. He can by a goddamned year there screaming to the crowd.”

They got out and gout outside the arena.

Sakura: “we are not staying for the rest of the games?”

Daisuke: “nah, the guys of 3rd have all the prominent matches now. All that are now inside the arena are more than enough to watch him stroke his dick.”

Yamato: “Better to not see it then.”

“NOW YOU LOVE ME, NIKAHO!RAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

He raises both hands while keeping that same confident arrogant and overconfident smile and continues to scream and shout before going back to the inner part of the arena. He looks back at the girl that shouted him that and winks his eye to her.

Once inside he grabs the dark blue sheath of his sword and placing it inside, before putting it on his back. Shinji, other guy of 3rd year speaks to him, from back of some bars that separated those that entered than those that got out of the arena.

“Perhaps one day the pretty little bitch will fight later in the afternoon. WITH THE REST OF THE MEN!”

He approaches the bars.

“You and your tiny dick best pray that day never comes!” he places his hand on his mouth and separates it slowly blowing a kiss to Shinji just to piss him of.

He moves the bars in anger and spits to the ground before the blue ronin get out of the arena looking to his friends, as soon as he was out, they started to walk back to the student’s apartments, as the gladiator stepped in the front of the group with the rest at his back.

Yamato: “you should save blood for the sands.”

Tai: “seriously. What sized you brains releasing the swords in the arena?!”

“I COULD HAVE KILLED THE MAN ABSENT AN ARM AND BOTH FUCKING LEGS!”

Miya: “Hubris fine quality…”

Yamato: “yeah often passed by guys that perished by it.”

“Thanks for those martial arts lessons guys… they have been of use.”

Miya: “you should continue with them. You got more potential. At least more of the one of Matt”

Yamato: “another that may parish by it…”

Taichi: “It still does not make you afraid be discovered?

“This games have been running the last year, and have never stopped nor been discovered. I can say the same of you since you are watching them.”

Taichi: “Imagine what Kirei would tell you…”

“Then a blessing he is not here! He would not favor the games. But for that, he needs to KNOW of them!”

Yamato: “the guys of 3rd make good work covering this…I do not know how they do…”

Daisuke: “maybe, we should not even know bro…”

Taichi: “or maybe this is just luck…”

“Whatever it is, let it last…It is amazing.”

Sakura: “Is that so?”

“Yes cheesy girl, You should ask Shun, once he I back upon the sands.”

Sakura: “I do not think he will ever be…”

“Well, then I will tell you: hearing the roar of the crowd and the herald of your name, filling the air…”

Sakura: “they were not heralding your name.”

“You did not get my point still. There is no grater thing, that standing victorious in the arena….except maybe girls.” he laughs

Miya: “Amen to that brother.”

Sakura closes her eyes, and sights for a moment.

“Maybe it is the best of the options if he does not come back to the arena, Cheesy. If not, too many girls…”

Sakura: “Maybe…But you can be a dick sometimes.”

“The better to be with girls then!” he laughed “Speaking of them…You know that one that shouted that she loved me?”

Sakura: “Yes. Otome Sayou, she is in on 2-3.”

“Well…it seems I have something to do these weeks…”He laughed again

Daisuke: “hey are not those?”

Yamato: “Ikuto! Takeru!”

From long distance arriving at the same time as them to the students’ dorms were Ikuto and Takeru. Both of them best friends. Ikuto was by far a joker and some one that cheer up each one of the group. Takeru was far the contrary. Silent and few of words, but a bull’s-eye speaking in of terms of archery. He was by far the best on the archery club. Even they were as night and day, they were best friends and spent lot of time together.

Miya: “Guys!”

Ikuto: “Hey! How was the arena?”

Taichi: “the champion here won.”

Ikuto: “well done!”

“I thought you would come, and that also Izumi would. What happened?”

Ikuto: “wait, what? He did not tell you?”

Tai: “what?”

Ikuto: “Shun told us they would to have class at Kirei’s dojo. Izumi also went there with him.”

Tai: “GOAT FUCK!”

“We should get going! Now!”

Sakura: “I am going with you. I have to help Naoto.”

“Is that…or you want to see shun…”

Sakura: “Let’s go!”

“That answers it: she wants to see Shun!”

Sakura looked back at him with a killer sight, but she then laughed. They began to run to the dojo of Kirei, after they said goodbye

Daisuke: “always the same mad fuck.”

Yamato: “will he ever change?”

Miya: “who knows…who knows…”

---

The group of three arrives running at the Dojo in a small mountain, at several blocks from the school dorms. It was a long way up, like 100 steps. It was one of the few green places in the city of Nikaho, as the dojo was very traditional in Japanese culture, some. Sakura trees were round the place, as generally at spring the smell in that place was great, as was the air covered in thousands of pink petals.

They three remove their shoes, as they enter to the dojo. Shun looks at them and they nod back, they go the bathrooms to change themselves, when someone stops them. Sakura smiles too him, and he is distracted form the opponent he was facing, Izumi Wong, but he rapidly comes back.

“You three…”

Both of them look to their right. There he was dressed in a black hakama, Kyosho Kirei, the sensei and owner of the Dojo.

“Sakuya, Susaku you can go to the changing room.”

All them three go to the changing room.

“Not you. Come with me. I would have words…”

Kyosho goes out of the Dojo by a big door, which gave way towards a small garden.

Taichi and Sakura look back at him.

“It seems it is speech time. Go. I will see you later.”

They nod and go forth to the changing room.

The blue eyed kid follows his master to the garden, placing both hands on his back he waits for him to speak, while looking anywhere else. Kyosho was looking to a Sakura tree, and then looks back at him.

“You have arrived late. Again.”

“I have been having some personal problems.”

“Your face suggests that.” Kyosho said referring to the wound of the gladiatorial match, which still made drops of blood fall from his pear.

“Nothing important. Minor disagreement.”

He sighed.

“I cannot understand why a student like you has become the champion of the minor classes.”

“I never sought the title. You just gave it. Neither do I favor it.”

“But I had no choice. Not since Kazeriya was injured on his battle, and broke his arm.”

“And since that you had to choose me as last resort. Though you never favored anything of me.”

“A Dojo must have a best man, all classes must. That is the tradition of my forefathers.”

“Some Japanese Traditions must change.”

“Tradition is why we ARE Japanese.”

“I do not favor that.”

“True. You never did. You never wished for something beyond battle. Not glory. Nor honor. Nor following your ideals. Tell me now…why do you fight for?”

“I fight to stay alive, so I can I search that answer, while I grow stronger.”

“Then power. That is what you fight for.”

“No. Not something so slim and stupid.”

“Then what for?”

“As I told you. I do not know.”

Kirei sights again.

“The truth is…I guess you have never wished for this. Battle, Honor. Your eyes are forever focused on something else. Always looking towards the horizon…to this thing you do not even know what it is…”

“I am tired of this Kirei. Always the same discussion.”

“Because you always have the same problem. I remind you: your school has a pact with the next year to go back to your home, at Tokyo. If you want to be one of the few that will be going, you better get back to this…”

“I will remain with my friends whatever the cost. And nothing will seem me far from them.”

“Then I would see you battle. In a week.”

He walked turning to his students back, as he turned around.

“With who?”

“The school of Shiba is coming tomorrow, of your same grade and age. One of our man to face each other, in exposition constest.”

“Who I am to face then?”

“Some kid called, Shinji Kato”

“Kato. I know him. He goes the same school as I do. But is of 3rd.”

“You are still to face him, Kazeriya cannot.”

“And why you do not send your favorite student then to face him?”

“Because I am too old to face a kid of 15 years.”

The blond kid turned around, noticing a black haired boy with sky blue of 18 years, dressed with a hakama the same as Kirei. He carried a bokken, a wooden katana.

He well knew him, as he smiled reckoning his rival, yet kept his serious brow.

“Ovan.”

“That is why.” he approached walking next to the blonde boy.

“That did not apply when you broke Shun’s arm.”

“That was an accident.”

“I still cannot forgive it.”

Kirei: “Keep on being champion then. And once March arrives, the battle shall come upon your final test.”

“I long for it.”

He left walking the same way he came, as the gladiator kept his sight on him, but he looked back for am moment.

Yamato: “So do i.”

He went back to his part of the Dojo.

Kirei spoke.

“You cannot defeat him.”

“Maybe. But underestimating your opponent is a stupid trait.”

“Go to the changing room, and change to you hakama. Train.”

He left to the dojo of the class, as he went to the changing room and in few minutes he got out with his dark blue hakama. He did not like wearing it, but he had not much choices. The Japanese traditions were not favored by him. Most of them, not all. But a few were alright.

He got his Shinai from its sheath and entered the Dojo. He faced Shun quickly, as he was alone. They shook hands.

“what happened?”

“Kireis daily speech. I grow tired of that.”

“I can tell but what do you expect: you do not favor his traditions, and you almost always arrive late.”

“And I do not favor favoritism. Especially with students. A teacher must be neutral.”

“and be thankful he does not know of the arena. By the way, Tai told me you won.”

“You should come back to it. When you are able. The crowd misses the Green Ronin.”

“I do not know, but I miss it.”

“The roar of the crowd…yes. There is no sound more glorious.”

“Yeah.”

“But Sakura would tell otherwise still.”

“what?”

“Because of all the girls I the arena, you may throw your girlfriend for another on it.” He laughed.

“Get in position before I smack your brains to the wood.” he said also laughed

“Alright.”

They face each other and get ready.

They clash swords.