On The Precipice -> [G13/G13]: Incident #2107

[G13/G13]: Incident #2107, The title wouldn't fit here. Too long~

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Sobriquet	Posted: May 6 2009, 03:08 PM
black dahlia. Group: Admin Posts: 48 Member No.: 4 Joined: 10-April 09	[G13] Lucien Knight � Crys [G13] Hideki Kou � Sobriquet As if taking a picture and freezing the scenery in time, the cold, steely eyes of Masataka Nobuo surveyed the field before him with utmost precision, a certainty that even the smallest detail about the makeshift, soon-to-be battlefield wouldn�t escape his dutiful watch. Yes, for he was the one who should learn all about that field faster than anyone else, and with that knowledge, he�d pave the road to victory with a flawless, meticulous strategy. He had the soldiers needed to win under his wing, and a vibrant desire to attain that victory as well � he just needed to play his card right and everything would go be just fine. ��no, that�s where everyone else fails. Overconfidence leads to underestimation and stupid mistakes. No battle can be won without a single sword being unsheathed, not even this one.� His voice was but a murmur, a quiet self-admonishment for almost falling into the clutches of laziness, of disdain. He folded his arms and sighed, the exact time that another figure took to reach his side. A woman, probably on her late thirties, with an exquisite combination of tangerine colored hair and green eyes. Her skin was slightly more tanned than usual, which suited her round eyes and curly hair just fine. �Nobuo-san, the troop�s assessment has ended. We have ten people capable of handling Kidou with ease. Twenty are suited for close-combat, be it armed or not. Five more excel in speed and stealth. And finally, fifteen people weren�t able to achieve satisfying levels of combat abilities, being delegated to support work just as you instructed.� He voice was overly casual as she spoke the somewhat rigid words. The scene was odd, to say the least. �I see. That�s more than enough. Divide the twenty men in five squads; each should also contain a Kidou unit within, for back-up purposes or diversion if needed. The remaining Kidou units should be arranged in a single unit for strategic purpose; they�ll act under my immediate command if needed, otherwise, they�ll remain on the back-lines. I want the five scout units to progress into enemy territory right now and gather as much information as possible. Tell them to not engage any enemy they come across, that�s not their task. They should run at the first sight of trouble, and also, tell the troops that should they face any kind of unwanted situation, they should communicate using the hand-gestures I exposed on the brochures they all received. They should keep words to a minimum when out in the field�� He told her methodically, with well-placed pauses and all kinds of different emphasis to some words here and there. Just by hearing his voice it was easy to deduce that this man knew how to lead others very well � it was innate to him, a gift he received at birth. ��finally� has he arrived yet?� he asked of her, and for the first time since she arrived, his eyes travelled from the horizon to her face; a cold, chilling atmosphere was offered to her during that second � she refused it with her smile. �Yes.� And indeed, she didn�t even have to speak the words for Nobuo to know that his trustworthy soldier had just arrived. It was a mere task of lifting his glance and projecting it behind the woman�s figure, and he�d see the approaching frame. Confident steps, a blue headband fluttering along with a strange, eerie breeze, and most notably than anything else, a scarlet, sleeveless haori covering the usual dark colored shihakushou. No other man that Nobuo knew would dress himself in that way for battle. Only Lucien would go that far. �That�s good�� he said to the woman calmly. �� tell the men to get ready, we�re marching soon.� �Yes, sir.� She bowed ever so slightly before turning away and quickly fading from view. She also bowed as she passed the approaching man; Lucien just smiled to her and nodded. �Don�t you think you�re taking this too far, Lucien?� Nobuo asked with a sarcasm only known to those who often make use of such flavors of interaction. �Maybe� but hell, I may never have a chance like this again, you know? Got to enjoy this to the fullest while I still can!� The dark haired man said while finally stopping beside his comrade. His eyes readily surveyed the open land as well. �Oh� who would�ve thought that Academy would go this far to train us, eh? I mean, heck, preparing this kind of artificial landscape just for the sake of readying us for war, hot damn�� �Well, I�m not one to complain. Besides, this little �field-training� of theirs has some very nasty underlying motives as well, don�t you know?� �Nope, haven�t got a clue.� �I s-see�� Nobuo�s face made no attempt to hide his surprise; maybe for the fact that the expression on Lucien�s face told that he actually didn�t have a clue for real. To the dark haired man, this was actually just a drill, just another creative way to train students before they hit the long, winding road of being true shinigami. ��so?� Lucien said impatiently as he, even more impatiently, started to stretch his arms and legs and jump a little in place. ��so what?� Nobuo said nervously. �Can I go lay down some law? I mean� you want me to be your front-man, right? Just give the order, boss; I�m ready to give them a beating they�ll never forget.� Nobuo stared blankly at Lucien�s face for a while. There was this hidden feeling of admiration towards the other man, a silent, restricted sense that he�d never, ever become that honest, that pure. At the same time, he felt an intense, deep pity for his friend as well. He knew that, without a doubt, Lucien would end up being used left and right by the professional schemers that populated the Gotei Thirteen and the Central. Yes, and quite painfully, he knew that Lucien would do it all while thinking that his actions were righteous and justified� just how much blood will Lucien spill in the future for another�s ideals? He didn�t want to know at all, as such, his mind quickly shoved the thoughts very much away from consciousness. �You may go when you please. Different from the others, I don�t have a need to look after you, do I? Do what you think is best, but please, remember that it�s just training, alright?� The commander said with a rock-hard tone. �Yes, sire!� And Lucien was gone. -- �I think it�s stupid,� Eri yawned, covering her mouth as to hide her frustrated indifference, �Look at the boys. They�re treating it like some egotistical-boosting game.� Kou simply nodded as she looked in the direction of a group of �soldiers� performing some awkwardly male ritual war battle dance cry or whatever it was they believed added motivation to the heat of the moment. �Kill the enemy and see who takes down the most!� Eri cried out sarcastically, raising her fist in mockery of them, �These boys could never understand that the real thing wouldn�t be so carefree. Nobody dies during training, so they figure it�s alright to not take it too seriously. You just watch; half of them will run in, laughing and charging like nobody�s business.� �Well, I�m not fond of training sessions at all,� Kou replied, expelling the air from her lungs in a sigh. With the palms of her hands, she nervously smoothened out the creases in her outfit � it was a garment of inversed colours, in comparison to the traditional gi and hakama that the Gotei Thirteen regarded as uniform. Their �troops� had been delegated to wear a white set with black lining instead. An image flashed through her mind and she wondered why they�d allocated her to the side where any bloodstains from injuries would leave clear, boiling scarlet imprints on her outfit. �Maybe they�ll really have a casualty this time,� Eri chuckled, her green eyes calling out to Kou teasingly, �You really might die out there. Don�t get trampled, if you can help it, okay?� �Har-har,� Kou muttered under her breath, glancing away to look at the greenery laid out before them, a part of her knowing that what Eri said had the potentiality of becoming reality. There was something artificial about the massive arena that steeped slightly like a valley, while maintaining a perfect environment for an even battle to take place. At both ends of the field were where the �enemy camps� both resided, and through listening intently, one could tell that the �opposition� was treating this as festively and vigorously as their own. She could smell the fresh morning dew that licked the grass and feel the heat of the artificial sun; Seireitei had indeed come a long way. Holding such large-scale events indoors while providing the atmosphere of an outdoor territorial campaign and diminishing claustrophobia altogether � the technological advancements were beyond anything that anyone gave their scientists credit for. Kou knew that if she lay down, she�d feel the moistening of the glimmering wild grass on her skin and take in the scent of every battle ever carried out on these grounds � but in reality, she was probably lying down on nothing more than some technologically-connected platform. Illusion was bliss, at its kindest. �It�s quite pretty, isn�t it?� she snapped back to her senses as she took in a familiar voice behind her. Turning around, she saw that a senior was standing there � his arms were folded neatly behind him, as though he was in deep contemplation. �Komatsuzaki Hiroki-senpai,� Kou whispered, a smile involuntarily gracing her lips, �A-Are you here to take part in the battle too?� She noticed him wearing the traditional shinigami uniform, though a beautiful peach and beige haori rested over his shoulders. She noticed the multiple weavings and fine-stitching of cherry blossom imagery on the garment, flattering and providing an excellent match for his gentle form. He looked beautiful, to her, and she tore away from his gaze. By then, she also noticed that Eri had wandered off on her own to talk to their unit leader. �Not at all,� Hiroki smiled, more with his eyes than his lips, �I�m just here to watch. Akira, on the other hand, signed up out of his own accord.� He gestured towards a group of rowdy boys in the distance, and she noticed him with their �territorial banner� in his hand and loud battle cries. �Just like him to do so.� �Ah�� Kou nodded, �I�d rather have sat out of this too. I was never built for battles, yet alone wars.� �Never be too hard on yourself,� he said, �Or you�ll always find that the battle�s lost before it even begins.� It was then that she heard the sound of a horn, and saw Eri approaching them. �Get ready,� Eri warned, grabbing hold of Kou�s wrist, �It�s going to be serious.� She turned to Hiroki and greeted him, before excusing them and pulling Kou away. Looking over her shoulder, Kou saw him raise his hand in a prompt, delicate wave, before turning to leave their camp and watch the battle from a safer distance. To her, the battle was already lost in her head. -- It was almost as if the very ground trembled with the footsteps of the two armies; demanding footsteps from both assembled �armies� urged the solid floor to lose its rigid qualities and give in to the unsurpassed excitement and anticipating that was brewing above. The scarlet garbed man witnessed it all from his vantage point, he was alone before the entire blue army, his headband signaling the unmistakable affiliation; his smile telling lies to all those who felt its provocative presence. He wasn�t exactly happy with this, no, it was pure childish excitement � it was quite different. He lifted his left hand and tightly clenched it. The blue army stopped at his command. The various familiar faces of his academy class all obeyed the single hand gesture � good, that meant they�ve read the brochures. The vibrant hazel eyes of Lucien watched a similar commotion on the distance. From afar, his discerning glance captured a single man and his unity standing out from the crowd. �Oh�� the sound was prolonged, as if extremely satisfied with its purpose of declaring surprise. Lucien reached for his waist, a black sheath was found static in place. He snatched the black and white handle and swiftly pulled the dull Viking sword from its resting place � none of the weapons had a cutting edge, but still, they were all pretty favorable for blunt damage. Lances, katana, European swords, knives, daggers, an assortment of weapons was given to both armies; a way to better suit each soldier�s unique fighting style. Of course, the teachers knew exactly just where each student excelled, as such; there was a good probability that just about anyone was using the most comfortable weapon for their skills. Lucien swiftly swung the blade once, and afterwards, held it pointing towards the heavens, its handle directly in front of the man�s closed eyes. Quite a poetic scene and possibly another childhood dream of him coming true; leading an army, was there any boy who had never dreamt of that? On his back, sewed with golden colors one could read clearly the phrase �Seigi no Senshi�, an explicit display of his righteous personality and ideals. Quite corny though, mind you. His eyes opened from their forced suspension, his irises focused that singular unit carrying a banner with unmatched intensity. He took one step forward and pointed his sword against the enemy army, and soon enough, his voice boomed with great intensity a single word. �Chargeeee!� And this time, the earth truly trembled. -- �He seems familiar,� Kou listened to her fellow �soldiers� who were designated to the fate of being support members of their squadron, due to a lack of exquisite or outstanding skills for the battlefield, �It could be Lucien Knight � he�s probably the loudest one here� except for, say, Yanaihara Akira-senpai, but then again, he�s a senior and doesn�t have to be here�� Glancing across the field with a pair of spiritually-energized binoculars, she saw the assembling black-uniformed troops, clad in blue. Colour coding at its finest. She spotted a man in a haori the shade of blood, a bright blue headband wrapped around the circumference of his head � they were probably referring to him. From a distance, he seemed to emphasize in ways that were almost as dramatic Akira-senpai, but she stifled a giggle as Akira let out a competitive battle cry of his own, which echoed like an audible Mexican wave through the crowd. She felt a shiver of both fear and anticipation curl through her nerves as she heard Akira�s booming voice shout out commands that had been earlier embedded into her cerebrum, as well as every other person present. They were the commands the Gotei leaders used in times of war to lead and navigate their troops, as well as to indicate formations and other necessities � all of them had been taught these commands in preparation weeks before this event. Kou could vaguely remember brochures given out about them, and she wondered where she kept hers. She stared at the artificial kodachi in her hands, hardly amused at its make. Despite the obvious fact that it was a blunt object, she easily imagined the impact it would have when swung properly, as well as the brute strength most of the �soldiers� would impose upon their enemies. The number of broken bones and bruises that needed trips to the healing section would be many. It wasn�t until she heard the sound of encouragement entwined with fierce determination in the form of a loud �LET�S GOOOO!� did she draw her weapon and let the air flow from her lungs, her throat, and her lips. Another day, another battle. Chaos was a god who would surely let his name ensue. -- It was almost as if Lucien followed a pre-determined route as he danced his way through the enemy infested battleground. You�d easily notice where he�d be next, but still, it was much, much harder to actually get there than it previously seemed. Take for instance the fact that there were more than one kind of weapon cleaving its way through the air, which meant that you�d have to know exactly how each weapon behaved and also exactly where it was safe to step and where it wasn�t � really, easy things, right? For a born warrior, yes, they were. Along with Lucien, a dozen or so other soldiers followed the same pattern of advancing and retreating, of feigning and charging with equal vigor and purpose. It wasn�t an exclusive ability of the man clad in a scarlet haori; however, it was something that only those with a taste for battle and a peculiar selfless behavior could ever pull off perfectly. The soldiers� rhythmic steps were intercalated by strong, booming sounds coming from the clashing of metal against metal. Since all soldiers � or at least the vast majority of them � were members of classes with the same amount of experience, it was safe to assume that battles didn�t have a prominent winner decided beforehand. The struggle was optimized in this battlefield by the single lack of actual expertise of its players. Of course, there were those like Lucien who had always excelled on matters such as sword-fighting and simple battle prowess, but still, their edge was far from assuring a certain victory; at best, they could be counted as two, but nothing more than that. Yet, every rule has its flaw, and this one wasn�t any different. �What� is that man?� Lucien�s voice was surprisingly baffled by the performance of one soldier in particular. Between swings from his sword and parried blows, he carefully examined the fight going on in the distance, and it was unbelievable. Using nothing but a simple wooden banner, the white-army soldier completely obliterated an entire squad of four soldiers and one �mage�. He avoided Kidou with the experience of one that has cast such spells thousands of times. He stroke with his makeshift spear with the likeness of Odin wielding Gungnir, the sure hit spear. He was, to put it simply, a demon on the battlefield � or maybe, he was just someone a rank higher than all others were. Lucien parried another blow and took a step left, his thicker sword carefully led his opponent�s katana to the side, shifting his opponent�s center of gravity ever so slightly and ultimately opening his left side for a painful strike to the ribs � one down. Lucien breathed deeply once before roaring wildly and launching himself against the assumed White Demon. �All men back off of him, he�s mine!� From the distance, with almost hawk-like precision, Nobuo watched his most trusted soldier launch himself to certain death. Inevitably, he sighed and lowered his head. �That� arrogant, self-centered fool�� His left hand instinctively reached for his waist, both swords compromising the duality of the samurai were there motionless. ��will this battlefield need me after all?� He could only wait for the answer. -- Despite the ongoing battling and cacophonous sounds that orchestrated along with it, Kou found it bewildering that she could hear the sound of Akira-senpai�s voice from where she was; she couldn�t see him from the distance she was at, and neither was she spared the liberty to do so. Pseudo-kodachi drawn, she had set out with Eri into the ongoing madness, taking bruises and attempting to inflict the same amongst the heated rush. As a member of the support group, she was expected to cover for her friend, and was used to such an assignment of duty � though Kou wondered, or even knew, inside her mind, that it was truly Eri who was covering her. Kou watched the girl move in a dance of swords, wielding one in either hand and using them as both weapon and shield at the same time. Eri wasn�t the fastest, and neither was she the strongest, but she was agile in her footsteps and moved to the rhythm of all the incoming, adrenaline-induced strokes from the broadswords and spears made of wood and other elements. Kou could only defend herself in desperation as the sound of her own breathing defined her anxiety and became the reactions that moved her sword � repetitive physical training had served its purpose well. �Fight back if you want to survive� was no longer an empty string of words or just an educated warning � it was new life, even if she couldn�t bring herself to live up to anybody�s standards. Following through further down the valley of disaster, she heard Akira-senpai�s voice carried over the crowd as he charged through, beckoning the white uniformed �soldiers� forward motivationally, as well as physically � she could see his opponents tossed aside with every twist and turn of� their banner pole. �Well, some people are enjoying this!� Eri shouted as she pushed forward with no intention to lose to anyone she couldn�t recognize. Out of the corner of her eye, Kou barely caught a glimpse of Akira-senpai and the �supposed oppositional leader� with the blue headband clashing in a fierce deadlock of sorts � banner pole to Viking sword, leader to leader, testosterone to testosterone. She could only hope that she wouldn�t get caught up in their clash. -- Sixteen times did Lucien count his sword, the thick metallic weapons of mass destruction, hitting the makeshift spear of his enemy, and yet, all he could see upon the wooden pole were mere chips here and there. Normally, such frail material would�ve crumbled under the pressure of the superior touch of tempered metal, but the entire situation didn�t seem to follow standard routine anymore. Things only went south after that. Lucien�s eyes couldn�t keep up with the mad whirlwinds of sheer power that his opponent created with effortless moves of his spear. One after another, the blows stroke against his body, evading the parrying motions of his sword with utmost precision � it was clear then that whoever this demon was, he knew exactly what Lucien would do beforehand. Shit! He�s�too much even for me?! Desperation was starting to crawl from underneath Lucien�s skin, but a loud booming sound took his attention elsewhere � to the very space in front of him, actually. Standing there, two swords in hands, Nobuo held back yet another attack incoming from the white-army�s demon. The sound had been nothing but the banner breaking in two as it struck against Nobuo�s weapons. �You� do you think this is funny? Picking on the weak like this� I wonder if you derive some sort of amusement from all this, Akira?� Nobuo�s voice was cold, much colder than the usual tone Lucien was used to hear. �Lucien, get away from me and go help the others. This one is far too much for you to handle.� �But� Nobuo�� �Shut up and go. This is an order from your commanding officer, you must obey.� And that was the fact of it, one that Lucien didn�t like at all, but also one that held him down with unbendable pins. He clenched his fist and turned away from Nobuo. �Are you done?� the voice of the white-demon was much more sane than what Lucien could guess, but it wasn�t directed at him � not a word to him. �Yes, I�m done with him. Now it�s time to force some discipline into your head, Akira. Are you ready?� Nobuo�s stance slightly shifted, his legs showing some kind of malice as they bended ever so slightly. �Ha� come and try then, man! Took you long enough to get down here, I�m already all fired up after beating all these greenhorns�� Mockingly tilting his head to the right, Akira jumped in place while stretching both arms with ease, with an intimate kind of passion that traced a line from the tip of his fingers all the way to the burning irises of his eyes. He truly loved that single moment, the disturbing seconds before all hell breaks loose. The same kind of passion was alive and kicking inside of Lucien, and since he was denied to share it with Akira, he was forced to take it out on the first white-army member who crossed his sight � certainly an unlucky person, for he was much more than merely pissed with the development of things. He moved, and the Viking sword was buried in the ground forcefully by his hands; his eyes glanced towards the pair of girls sneaking their way past the turmoil surrounding Akira and Nobuo. �Stop there, gals. I�ll be your opponent, you better be ready for this.� -- Breath control didn�t come easy for Kou as she let the sound of air filling her lungs and escaping at the same time drown out her anxiety with a rhythmic nature of its own. Her system was no longer trembling � exhaustion has chosen to take her over on its own, and she welcomed it and rejected it all at once. Giving up was a tempting option; it wouldn�t have meant a thing if she chose to lie down with the �fallen soldiers�, black and white and bruised all over, knocked out and scattered randomly across the battlefield. But a bigger part of her didn�t want to be tripped over and deemed a greater disappointment than she already was; plus, she was starting to get a hang of this. Eri would probably be right all over again � together, they could and would conquer this, even if their side didn�t emerge victorious. Standing back to back with Eri, they�d cover each other and make their way through enemy territory. Or� so Eri had planned. It was when she heard Eri fiercely whisper her name in a stern, cautious voice that Kou realized something was wrong. Spinning around to glance at their incoming threat, any mild sense of security that Kou once had defenestrated itself at the sight of the oppositional, blue head-banded warrior standing before them. Her heart froze and her face fell as she glanced peripherally at Eri, �Wasn�t Akira-senpai�?� Another glance across the field answered her question; another senior had taken this fighter�s place. �It�s misogynistic, almost, to pick us as your next targets; but we�ll take it as flattery and accept your challenge,� Eri replied boldly, and Kou could swear that her female companion didn�t have an ounce of fear in her � just the thrill of all things violent and skilled. �Eri-san� He looks� livid, almost, like he�s not going to stop,� Kou murmured, and she wondered if he could hear her. She wondered if he knew that his unspeaking expression and vigor terrified her more than the swings of his sword she saw earlier; but perhaps, they were essentially the same. Lucien Knight, her fellow �soldiers� had called him; and a part of her knew that she�d remember that name for a long time to come. �He challenged both of us � so support me,� Eri spoke, her grip tightening around the handles of her pseudo-swords, her palms sweaty and hot. Turning to him, Eri beckoned for him to come, �Challenger begins, don�t you think?� and Kou stepped back, her own false sword raised. -- �Miso-what?� replied a somewhat amazed Lucien. �Then again� it doesn�t matter at all, does it?� She called for it. With her cocky voice and defiant attitude, the woman was able to stir the beast within the man called Lucien quite well. If at moments ago, it had been tamed bravely by mere words coming from Nobuo, now the animal was once again unleashed with its full glamour for all to see. His right hand tightly wrapped its fingers around the handle of his sword, and with one mighty swoop, Lucien withdrew it from the ground tearing asunder rock and air alike � it mattered little to him, didn�t it? �Those were� some very special words, gal. I hope� that you can back them up?� He said as to overcome the growing excitement; his grieve for being deprived of a match against Akira slowly subsiding in favor of an effervescent desire to break this woman; to defeat her utterly and completely. For some reason he knew it was supposed to be that way, he should win. Call it the epitome of machismo, but Lucien�s mind harbored no thoughts about losing to this woman at all � in fact, it wondered if this was even fair game, but this paled in comparison with the thrill of her succumbing to his might, oh it did. And so, the brave warrior wasted no time to destroy the space between him and his foe with sure steps. Initially slow and paced, his feet switched to a more fitting, thundering tune as he drew closer to the black-haired woman, echoing with a single intent � to win. His body lunged forward along with his sword, finding a suitable partner on the woman�s very own blades, which was odd: she could actually parry his blow� and with ease! �You are just too arrogant for your own good.� Her words chimed clearly only for them to hear, the three of them. Even if Lucien only saw himself and the woman named Eri, the later knew this battle would be won using the full extent of her powers, as well as Kou�s. With a flicker of her wrists, Eri sent her opponent�s blade to the side, opening a magnanimous gap in his defense, and in that single moment, a blur made itself known to all. Kou�s weapon was small, seemingly harmless, and her arms didn�t possess a notable amount of strength. Yet, all those valuable points crumbled before the might of an intelligent, calculated hit against Lucien�s unprotected left ribs. She hit fast, clear, and with no time for reaction from her opponent, and more, as soon as she landed the blow, the woman moved away, into the shadow of her partner once more. Both females retreated with grace, choreographed steps of a particularly vicious rondo unknown to all but those two. Lucien was left with a left hand gripping his aching sides and a right one almost burying itself into his sword�s handle. His eyes, once lustful and filled with desire, had twisted into things much more similar to demonic in nature, and oh so human in promises. �You� I see� using tricks, eh? Can�t expect you to fight like a man, can I? Oh� very well, let�s do this then�� Lucien moved, once again his steps transmitting his undying energy with each touch against the ground, but there was something different about him now. Unfortunately, Eri only noticed this far too late, and Kou even later than her partner. The first felt this through her arms, the abnormal strength of her foe pushing her to the full, impressive extent of her own power just to block the incoming sword. Kou, with more than narrowed eyes, noticed this when she saw Eri actually being moved against her own will. And once again, the name of this man rang on her hand with power, striking fear, hesitation, and perhaps curiosity, but she cared not. There were far more pressing matters to attend to, such as� ��move Kou! Move!� Shouted Eri as she gave in to the pressure and floated backwards, opening way for the greedy passage of Lucien and his Viking sword � now he was there, before her, swinging motion midway through its course, and she thought to herself what she could do with that single second before the strike. Really, what could she do? -- Dodging was useless; Kou parried the blow � or so she wished she could, but his physical strength spoke for him, representing him, allowing him to splinter the sword in her hands. He was rough and dominating; like a man on a mission, while almost enjoying it at the same time, and Kou didn�t know what frightened her more � the pain of the fracturing elements and the force of his blow, or the fact that she was now his target. She felt herself thrown back by the force � his pure, brute, strength�or was it his spiritual energy? At that moment, she couldn�t tell, and the intensity of the situation flitted at her nerves, sparking her nervousness to a newer level; something refined, tense, and screaming �Eri-san� over and over again from every pore that covered her skin. It was in that split second that Eri came between Kou and Lucien; clashing headstrong with their opponent � a single sword in her hand, the other thrown over her shoulder towards Kou, the words, �Get up!� shouted repeatedly from her agitated tongue like a curse, or warning, or order. Kou could only recover from her shock, her pupils mildly dilated as she picked up the sword thrown to her like the desperate, unwilling �soldier� that she was, and she witnessed Eri battling for her life, like this was real, and not a game or even a training simulation, both hands on the hilt of her sword as each blow met with another� and Kou couldn�t tell if she was parrying or attacking. It looked the same, and so did he. �Kou!� Eri cried, not once removing her eyes from her opponent and his edge, �Start it!� And Kou froze as her thoughts gathered themselves, and she woke up to the war, piece by piece, remembering that Eri could only mean one thing and one thing only. Raising and gripping Eri�s second sword tightly with both, hurt hands where fragments of the last one still lingered, she entered the formation that they took on earlier � enticing him to believe that she�d strike him again as a support, she hoped. But Kou chanted a silent demonic spell with lips that struck as almost unmoving as her body moved instead, and as she finished it, she let Eri move aside, side step and all, until she saw the straight path to Lucien opening like a door that screamed not to be touched � She finished the melody like a witch completing her curse. -- Lucien�s ears didn�t recognize her whispers, the soft chanted words coated with highly veiled intents; yet, his body reacted all too familiar to the cobalt glow on the tip of her index finger � which was pointed at him, mind you. For a moment, he was thinking they were a one-trick pony team, but even those could alter their routine in order to catch opponents off-guard. There was barely any time to react after he saw the first sparks, so he did his best to jerk any vital organs away from the finger�s angle, and finally waited that long half-second between the first sign of the spell and its execution. Kou�s fingers sparkled with more intensity than before, and from her fingernails, the characteristic cobalt beam shot forward, piercing the left shoulder of Lucien with apparent ease � with an almost cruel lack of effort even. The blue-headband warrior let out a shout of pain and stumbled backwards, but he had run out of time. Eri was already there, her left knee crashing against his stomach strongly, firmly; she actually seemed to derive pleasure from that single action. Lucien�s body floated backwards even more until his back crashed against the ground lifting a small cloud of dust particles joined into a single entity. �Hmm� are we done here?� Eri�s voice was more a taunt than question, for she knew the answer before even moving her lips. �Feh� as if� you�ll have to do more than that to take me down, woman.� Lucien�s voice was strong, unrelenting, and more than anything, royally pissed � he was out to get someone, and he�d be damned if he didn�t. His eyes travelled far beyond Eri�s provocative figure, through the small openings on her raven hair, and finally found the concealed image of Kou still in the same place. He said no words anymore, but the animalistic way he swung his sword allied with the wild bravado that erupted from his throat were more than necessary to convey the message clearly. Payback time� And he moved. -- Too fast again, that boy � and Eri, too slow to respond as the force of a rhinoceros pushed past her and charged at the girl who had done spiritual damage to their opponent. Shit, was the word that stood on the tip of Kou�s tongue as she fumbled with a second demonic spell, only to realize that the stanzas took too long to recite, especially in the face of such an �enemy�. She merely grasped the hilt of her blade tightly in both hands as she felt the weighted, charging force slamming into her. She could hear his breath, his intensity, his vicious anticipation, and smell the sweat � hers and his, and feel the pressure of sheer strength against weakening defense� �That fucking hurt!� cried Eri from behind Lucien, charging towards him like the agitated, ego-struck warrior that she was at that very moment, as she aimed a blow towards his back, his open back � which he had left open, as his attention had become fixated on Kou. �Ribs, Kou, ribs!� was all Kou heard when she saw the livid expression of his face contort slightly into one of pain as she swore Eri�s blow connected from behind. The pressure he exerted on her at that moment decreased as she reached, right hand outstretched � towards his shoulder, her fingernails digging in to the location of her previous witchery. Her eyes broke away from his direct gaze out of discomfort as she used the following moment to knee him somewhere around his midsection � she didn�t like it when his piercing eyes broke into hers. Kou heard him swear something offensive aloud as he bent over with the blow and took the opportunity to try again, only to be blocked by his hand as he used the momentum to gain his balance and aim a clenched fist of his in return � Untimely and swift, abrupt and disruptive, a clamorous, strident noise carried itself through the air, coercively drawing all participants of the mock battle away from the attention of their opponents, and towards the white-uniformed camp atop the valley corner. A contained silence followed, as the gazes of the uniformed �soldiers� became fixated on the group of teachers and academy staff above. It was then that the most senior looking one of them all raised his voice, with the help of a speakerphone device of some sort (one couldn�t easily tell from the distance). A gasp escaped Kou�s lips at the very same time � one of actual fear mixed and shaken with a harsh expectance of pain, as Lucien�s fist stopped short of her face. Her breath was audible now, trembling as she fell away from him and onto the ground. His fist had clenched tighter now and she could swear that his expression was one of pure anger at the rude interruption. Eri had stopped too; one hand of hers resting against the shoulder that Lucien had injured as he previously roughly pushed past her � and the look on her face almost matched his� only that her gaze was colder. Letting the fear quell in its own pool of silence, Kou could only turn to look in the direction of the distraction that had made itself known. �Why�� the man began, and his voice thundered like a storm, �are there illegal participants in this war preparatory training session?� The murmuring burst and broke the silence as all the students looked around; searching for whoever the �illegal participants� must be, but finding none and only each other. �Let me remind you,� he continued, a scowl scarring his face, �that this session is not � I repeat, not, open to seniors of the Central Spirit Academy. You had your chance last year; now stop disrupting this one. All seniors found present here today will be subjected to�� He drifted on, naming their punishments and how disappointed and angry he was, though it didn�t make a difference to the ears of any of the �soldiers� � particularly not the seniors, who shrugged and grinned; the thrill of the fight was all that was on their minds. �I knew it,� Eri sighed as she sneaked around Lucien and set herself beside Kou, slapping her palm across her own face exhaustedly, �Leave it to Akira-senpai to illegally pretend he�s a part of this. I�m surprised Hiroki-senpai came to watch as well�� Glancing up to the point where she had seen some of the seniors who were watching the earlier mayhem below, she saw that Hiroki was no longer there, �Eh? He must�ve bolted. Smart man.� �Is it so bad for the seniors to be here?� Kou queried, as she imagined the other �soldiers� around her must�ve been doing too, as the murmurings across the field had increased in volume over the last minute, �But in a real wartime situation, we would be fighting alongside them anyway, wouldn�t we?� �Old geezers make the rules; younger old geezers make sure they�re followed,� Eri shrugged, leaning against one of her mock swords which she agitatedly thrust into the ground, �It�s simple protocol, and as a result, they�ve ruined this entire session. You can�t bring back a war mood immediately after you�ve interrupted it. Shit; I was even having fun.� Kou glanced meekly up at their opponent, blue headband and all; and a part of her was thankful that their fight had been stopped, right then. Eyeing him, however, she doubted that he thought the same. -- �FUCK THIS SHIT!� Lucien�s voice wasn�t audible; it was so much more than that actually. Along with his clenched fist crashing against the hard, sturdy surface below his feet, the young Shinigami felt the searing pain on his left shoulder subtly subsiding � damn that woman and her sneaky blow, damn the other woman and her witchery! How could they�ve stopped it? Right when he was about to impart justice against the witch�s face, right when he was about to share with her a tiny fraction of the pain coursing through his body� it was just so unfair inside his mind. He pointed the same hand that struck the earth towards the witch � her soft lines almost distorted by the emotions and crudeness of his speech. �I swear, I will get you for this. Just you wait�� his voice wasn�t cold at all, but rather, it was a fiery variation of a tempest, a promise of many things to fall upon the woman. He switched targets swiftly, and pointed at the taller gal, the brute one. �And you�� he smiled eerily. ��you�re pretty good, aren�t ya? Let�s fight again some time.� Of course, all of this was but a mere fragment of all the happenings throughout the large-scaled field of war, and in comparison with another one of those fragments, it was of no apparent importance. Two warriors were particularly handpicked by the supervisors� glares. From the higher ground, the elderly organizers clearly discerned the clashing of two opposing forces, and the way it simply refused to stop even after the warning distressed to all within the field � well, they didn�t expect peaceful compliance, at least not from one of the two warriors. �You know�� Nobuo said, his head falling backwards as Akira�s leg swept across the space it occupied previously. �� we should really get out of here, don�t you think?� Akira�s move came to a halt, with a spread out leg, the punk-Shinigami eyed his nemesis with curiosity � why, his face asked with no words, but just with a singular ability to be overly obvious. Nobuo sighed and pointed with one of his swords towards the higher grounds; two shadows had leapt from it and started to open their way towards the two of them, with even more obvious intents than Akira�s face. �Oh� that.� he paused to look and soon regained the image of Nobuo with his irises. �Can�t we just beat the crap out of them?� Nobuo had already sheathed his swords, which allowed him to bring his right hand�s palm across his face in sheer annoyance. �No�well� yes� but, I�m planning to become a Shinigami and entering a division before I turn ninety, you know? I�m pretty sure that beating academy instructors wouldn�t really be considered a good thing�� �Ah, I get it. Yeah, I gotta agree with you � I want to start fighting hollows as soon as possible too!� There was this joviality to Akira�s words, this sheer semblance of purity on his face, and a cocooned strength almost wanting to devour the world within his being; the young man was a mess, but a good one. Nobuo sighed, as customary of his, and merely gestured with his head for Akira to follow his lead, and the two were gone from sight, merging with the crowd of fallen Shinigami and ecstatic ones that still didn�t believe they survived so far into the training. With that taken care of, the elderly of them all, the very orchestrator of this grand happening felt at peace. His features softened and he reached once again for the mechanical instrument that allowed his voice to boom thunderously throughout the entire field. �All students, you�re free to commence the battle once again! We still haven�t decided�� he stopped. A single tear of cold sweat ran down his forehead. Below him, a sea of incredulous stares began to swarm against him, forming a wave of straightforward intentions beyond anything he had ever seen � he could almost see it shaping into a spear destined to thrust through his body without question. The elder took his face away from the instrument for a moment and cleared his throat, loudly, before speaking once again. �As I was saying� you�re all dismissed from today�s activities. Let�s not forget that tomorrow morning�� and he went on with the next day�s schedule. But really, was anybody listening at all? Some were unconscious, some were still thrilled, and without a doubt, all of them were simply too tired to give a damn to some old geezer�s words by this point. The day had been a good one, and tomorrow they would surely share the most ludicrous stories about this event with their closest friends. Friendships were born in this battlefield, and surely, rivalries as well.

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