It was the next day and the sun was just rising over the horizon, Bryn had left his dorm and was now heading over to the first class of the day with a smile on his face.
Yesterday had been a good day.
He was now a Hero with not only Gear, but [Skills], and he couldn't wait to show off what he had bought to Armani.
With a quick wave as he entered the classroom for Tactics, Bryn sat in the same place as last week, moving past the rest of the class that were equally as excited as he was over the visit to the temple.
Seeing Armani sat in his seat Bryn gave him a quick look up and down as he tried to figure out what he had bought yesterday but for the most part, he couldn't find anything different which was odd.
Practically everybody in the class had bought some type of gear that they were currently wearing, take Bryn for example.
After he had got the HP from Auction house he had scanned through the current items up for sale and upgraded his gear, and whilst he hadn't changed the overall look and kept the same uniform as before, a uniform which he was happy to find out was actually a mid-quality Tier two cloth armour, he had bought some stronger metal armour to go over the top such as boots, greaves, pauldron's and another gauntlet so he wasn't wearing just the one any more.
As for the type of style he went with, well, he took the advice of the teacher from tactics and chose the gear that not only worked well, but looked good.
After trying on a few pieces holographically, Bryn had decided to play on his heritage and chose some pieces that gave off a samurai vibe.
However, whilst he had bought all that, most of the HP he had obtained he had spent on a number of charms similar to what Armarni wore, he figured that if a person affiliated with a faction had them, they must be good, and from what Baldwin advised on them when he was at the shop and the types the auction house offered that he could actually afford, he had found it hard to say no.
Now though, he could see that Armarni hadn't added to his number of charms either, but what Bryn failed to notice was that whilst he was looking at Armani's set of charms, Armani had noticed his and was now supporting a smug look.
“Did you know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” Armarni joked which caused Bryn to give an embarrassed frown before sitting.
“oh, shut up” Armarni joked back whilst punching his arm, “Ow, Hey, cool it, I'm not a brute like you, I'm one that fights with my mind, not the body” Armarni said back to which Bryn laughed.
“Ha-ha, Is that why you didn't buy any new gear” Bryn asked to which Armarni shook his head, “I'm Sorry to say but that isn't the reason, I simply didn't need anything, My family sent me to this academy with everything I would need to start out” He said whilst patting his charms, but stopped as he gave a cock eye to Bryn's set.
“I can recognise a few of yours from my own but I've got a few recommendation for you if you plan to buy any more in the future” Armarni said before he began to speak to Bryn about his own charms and how and when to use them to get their full effect.
The conversation went on until the teacher came into the room with her usual swagger and sat on the edge of the desk under the focused gazes of the class.
“So, I understand that all of you went to the Sky flower for the first time yesterday and obtained your first [Skills], I'll say this now, you best have used what you have learnt in my class over the past week or else you better have a good explanation why not” she said with a sharp smile before pointing to a dummy target lent against the wall at the far side of the room.
“You will each take a turn to come up to the front of the class and demonstrate what you obtained and if I find issue with your skill set, you will explain the logic behind your decision but I'll tell you this now, if I don't like your explanation then you will be practising your parkour long after classes finish for the rest of the week” She said and pointed to the first student to take to the stage.
The young girl walked up to the stage and Bryn was not ashamed to say that whilst she was very cute, he could not imagine her as a Hero, she simply did not have that atmosphere about her.
The young, small and cute girl walked tentatively up to the front of the classroom before standing in front of the dummy, a distance of 10 meters separating them.
Bryn and practically the rest of the classroom were leaning back into their chair as they waited, some had decided to make a couple of snide remarks to their friends about the girl but a glare from the teacher shut them up.
The girl gave a look to the teacher to make sure she had permission before focusing on the target after receiving the nod.
She looked apprehensive as a pig before the slaughter, or at least she did before she began.
A fierce and sadistic smile spread across her face as she whispered a skill name, “[Acid Orb][Corrosive Cloud]” She said and a purple ball of acid shot out of her hand and covered the distance between her and the target in a seconds before blowing up, the initial damage taking a chunk out of the target before a cloud arose from the explosion and continue to enshroud the practice dummy until the skill's duration ended, at which point the class could see that all that was left was a part of the stand that had been holding the target dummy up.
The students looked at each other for a second before bursting into an excited cry as the whooped and Hollard to the girl who gave a blush as she walked back to her seat.
The teacher gave an appreciative nod before motioning for the next student to come up, only different from last time, Every student was sat on the edge of their seat as they eagerly awaiting the next one come up front to demonstrate what they had obtained.
One after the other the students in the class made their way to the stage, some showed off fantastic fire abilities whilst others displayed ice, some got cheers whilst others were booed.
Usually, the one who had been booed were spoken to by the teacher and if she didn't like their explanation, they were told come back after classes had ended for the day, she was fully intent on making sure they knew they had made a mistake and whilst she couldn't correct it, she could make it so there chances of surviving their first mission didn't drop because of it.
Time passed and eventually it came to be Bryn's turn, he got up from his seat and gave Armani the look that basically meant 'Beat this'.
Bryn walked to the front of the class but unlike before, the class was no longer excited or in a happy mood, they were giving Bryn the same look he had received countless times in the past week and in doing so, his own mood reverted back to how it had been.
He had let the festive atmosphere get to him and let down his guard, he forgot that these people were not his friends.
Standing on stage Bryn shook off the negative vibes he was getting off the rest of the class and focused on the dummy, he had played with his new skill last night in his room, but thanks to the size of his room there wasn't much he could do with it so here and now, there was in reality the first time he was using the skill.
Bryn thought back to when he was at the system shop and the feeling he had felt when he bought the skill, the feeling of having the knowledge implanted into his brain so deeply that it felt like it was now a part of his instincts.
It was a feeling he still felt.
“[Ethereal Chain]” Bryn mutter and two chains emerged from what appeared to be a ripple in space above his palms.
The chains floated freely and grew longer the further they moved from the ripple.
The purple chains glowed with power but were noticeable transparent, whilst chain links were added to the end of each chain as they grew longer, the other end was actually not a chain, but a tipped blade similar to that of spear, connected to the chain through a series of non-chain links.
Bryn gave a look to the rest of the class as the chains moved like a serpent through the air, casually and slowly going about the room as they would if they were under their own power, but it was Bryn that was in control, only his control still needed practice.
The chains grew longer and longer, growing close enough to those in the front row that they moved from the edge of the seats until their back were fully pressed against the cushion of their chairs.
It was only when he noticed the slightly fearful looks they had when they looked at his chains did he pull them back until they were floating above his palms again.
Bryn grabbed a hold of the actually chain and focused on the dummy before swinging the chain in his arm at the Dummy, the two chains automatically extending as he did.
The blade of the chain swished through the air as he swung one arm after the other but as he did, the fearful looks the class were giving him started to dissipate and were eventually replaced with unrestrained laughter.
After so many attacks, he had yet to hit the target a single time.
Even the teacher was showing her disappointment.
In fact, never-mind the teacher, Bryn was getting pissed off himself.
Finally, Bryn sent the two chains heading straight at the target at an angle and speed that meant that they could not miss.
The Two blades on the edge of the chains cut into the dummy but even then, the amount of damage whilst significant, was nothing compared to what the rest of the class had shown, it was a far beyond the level required for the teacher to accept his choice in skill.
Both the teacher and the rest of the class were silently judging him for his failure, Only they hadn't realised, Bryn wasn't finished showing off his skills.
“[Reaper's Touch]” Bryn said in annoyance and he suddenly felt a force transmit itself along his ethereal chains away from him before an ever more powerful and constant force came back to replenish what he had lost and then some.
The practice dummy glowed as the enchantments on the dummy that protected it tried to stave off the skill but it was of no use, as long as it did not cut of the supply of mana leaking from the dummy or break the physical connection, it would never stop until all the power had been taken.
Within 30 seconds the enchantments on the dummy were broken and the dummy began to fall apart as if it had weathered a thousand years.
The class was quiet as the skill Bryn showed was not only the most subdued out of all that had been demonstrated, but it was also the eeriness of watching something be destroyed thanks to what could only be described as old age.
Bryn went back to his seat only this time he didn't have the same bravado as before when he looked at Armarni, but he did.
He walked to the front of the classroom under the gaze of the teacher, doing a little dance on the tips of his toes when he was there to lighten the mood, it wasn't enough to make everybody forget what had just happened but it was enough to bring a small smile to a couple of their faces.
The Teacher had to replace the target dummy this time as unlike before it was unable to regenerate after Bryn had destroyed it like the others, but it only took a few seconds as the teacher had anticipated a few students obtaining a skill with the ability to stop it from regenerating.
Once she was done, it was time for Armarni to show off his new [skills].
Armarni looked to the side and whilst Bryn wasn't really in the mood any more, that shit eating grin on Armani’s face still managed to trigger his competitiveness.
Armarni didn't turn to look at the target but instead drew his pistols and shot the target dead on, his smile grew wider.
*Bang*
*Bang*
*Bang*
Armarni continued to shoot the target one shot after the other, his form and shooting stance were horrible but in spite of that, his shots kept hitting the same spot.
“[Aim assist – Passive]” He said before stopping and holstering his two pistols, but he wasn't done, he simply drew two new pistol, pistols that was very different from the pistols that he just been shooting.
They were identical six shot revolvers.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
Armarni shot and Bryn felt his retina were seared as bolts of lightning shot out of the barrel of his pistols, each strike hitting the dummy and Charing it black.
The pistols ran dry but Armarni wasn't done, in a fluid motion he brought his two pistols to a new belt he wore on his waist and drew them across it.
It was bullet belt.
“[Lesser Copy] [Instant reload]” Armarni said and suddenly, his pistols were fully loaded.
Armarni swung his pistol back up and started to unload on the target again, only this time he had a variety to his madness.
[Acid Shot] [Frost Shard] [Lightning Bolt] [Web Shot] and a bunch of others suddenly hit the dummy one after the other until he ran dry again, only this time he didn't reload but holstered his new pistols and gave the entire class smug look that told them, he was the best, and if the cheer they gave him was anything to go by, they agreed.
Armarni walked back to his seat and even the teacher gave a clap as she walked to the front of the class, “Brilliant, just Brilliant, this is what can be achieved when you combine several high level [skills] together and this level of power is something that each and every one of you can achieve with time” The teacher said and called out for the rest of the students to continue demonstrating their abilities.
Abilities that unfortunately for them, were unable to match up to the demonstration that Armarni had displayed.
A Demonstration that he was only too happy to rub in Bryn's face.
Class ended but Armarni had yet to let up with Bryn, even as they were walking out of the classroom he was making jokes at Bryn's expense.
He only stopped when he noticed Bryn had stopped walking, and after tracing Bryn's line of sight, he knew why.
Ashikaga Hanzo, Head of the Black Rose Branch yakuza attending the academy, was waiting for him.
Armarni moved to head over there and say a few words about why he should 'Piss off' and stop bothering Bryn, but Bryn stopped him.
“It's fine, I got this” Bryn said to which Armarni showed a disapproving look.
“Then I'll wait” Armarni said sternly but Bryn just shook his head.
“This will only take a few minutes; I'll meet you at the next class” Bryn said before reassuringly patting Armani’s shoulder before moving over to speak to Ash.
Armarni was unwilling but Bryn had told him to go and whilst he was worried for his friend, his friend wasn't a little puppy that needed his protection, he was a Hero in training that could sort out his own problems.
People don't grow stronger if they are always coddled, that is a fact of life.
Armarni left with the rest of the class and eventually it was just the two of them, something that Bryn was only too willing to bring up to Ash.
“You're by yourself today, no 'lackies'” Bryn Joked before leaning on the wall next to Ash.
Ash smile lightly, “no, no 'lackies'” He said before taking out a cigarette and lighting it, he even had the courtesy to offer Bryn one but Bryn waved it away.
They stood like that for a while before Ash broke the ice, “Do you still have it” Ash asked and as to what he was referring to, the both of them knew.
It was Arai's sword, the named blade, [Crimson Moon-light].
“Honestly, It was a real temptation to sell it” Bryn answered honestly and Ash let out a relieved breathe.
“I take it you're here again to obtain the sword for Arai but can I ask, why are you going so far for him? Duels happen in the academy every day and I can't imagine the yakuza completely separating themselves from this, why are you, the guy in charge of all the yakuza on academy ground, here?” Bryn asked to which Armarni nodded before looking off into the distance as he thought of the answer.
“Do you know what it mean to belong to a faction?” Ash asked to which Bryn shook his head as he had never belonged to a faction before, it had only ever been him and his aunt no matter what his extended family did in the background to protect him.
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“It means that you dedicate your life to them, that you give your flesh and blood to their prosperity and are willing to sacrifice everything in their time of need”
“In exchange, you receive a family, a way of life...safety”
“You may not know what it means to be a part of a faction, but your father did” Ash said and Bryn looked at him in shock.
“Everybody knows about [The Fallen Hero], the Killer of Hong Kong, but not many know about the story of Ryuto Asakura, yakuza”
“Before the day of that incident your father was a member of the yakuza, and he was no low-level person, but someone of a particular standing within the clan, he was a lifer that had worked his way up from the bottom to the top”
“The story goes that when your father was a child he was plucked from the ocean by a member of the yakuza that was in the middle of a job, he thought your father was dead as your father had a large bloody gash over his right eye and he had been floating face down in the water for whoever knows how long, but he survived only to find out that he had lost his memories of who he was before he was in the ocean”
“The yakuza member that plucked him from the sea took him in, Raised him to be a part of his clan and when he showed promise, sent him to the academy to learn”
“It was here that he started his rise, beginning with holding the position that I now hold”
“You're father progressed quickly, he gathered strength, friends, loyal subordinates and lovers, but no matter what came about or what he obtained, his loyalty to the clan and the man that raised him remained the same”
“It was under Clan orders that he went to Hong Kong and he was under Clan orders when the massacre happened, The Clan may have suffered in the aftermath of that day but we have never doubted his loyalty... He was Yakuza!” Ash said with steely eyes and Bryn had no doubt that he truly believed these words, but whilst Bryn was thankful he had been told about his father, Ash still hadn't answered his question.
“I'm Happy that my father wasn't just a monster, but I don't understand why you are telling me all this, what does this have to do with Arai's sword” Bryn asked and Ash gave a look that told of immense difficulty in response.
“You're father killed many people that day, but it was because of one person in particular that he killed that led to the hit being put on you during the entrance exam”.
“He killed the person that plucked him from the ocean and raised him to be yakuza, his boss and most importantly, Arai’s Father” Ash said and the answer had finally been revealed.
“It was not the clan heads that put the hit on you but Arai's mothers”
“The day you're father killed her husband was the day she not only lost the one she loved, but the day she lost the political power within the clan she had long since grown used to, Arai's father was a lot older than her and she was a former escort that he had grown enamoured with and eventually married after Arai was conceived, without her husband the power that they had amassed over the years was swallowed by others until only the crumbs remained, that sword in particular is one of the most valuable possession they had and it is also all that Arai has left to remember his father bye” Ash explained before finally stopping.
Bryn now had his reason and it was similar to what he had expected back in the second exam, only he didn't realise his family were so deeply entwined with their story as well.
It was no surprise that Arai's mother hated him, his father owed his life to her husband and yet he killed him in the end.
Without her husband, even he wouldn't be alive at this moment.
“We cannot change the grievances from the past, but we can stop more from being created, now tell me, what is your price?” Ash finally asked.
Bryn looked at the sword and thought of all the skills he had seen attached to it yesterday, he thought about how even if he gave the sword back that it was no guarantee that Arai wouldn't come for him again, he thought about.... the people watching him at this very moment.
It was out of the corner of this eye that he noticed them, some were hiding in plain sight, pretending to talk, whilst others were hidden around corners or within the small garden areas dotted here and there within the academy.
Bryn questioned for a second whether they were Ash's men but quickly dismissed it, he had no need to hide his people, if he wanted them there, then they would be there.
No, it was someone else.
More than likely the same people that had attempted to attack him the night of the Banquet.
It was probably Trey's girlfriend again.
*Sigh*
With a sigh, Bryn knew the cost.
“The Cost is my safety”
“Your safety” Ash Repeated as his eyes widened, “I don't think there is anyone on this planet that can guarantee your safety, it is certainly not something the yakuza can do, nor would we be willing to” Ash answered by dismissing he price resolutely.
Bryn's price may have sounded simple, but it was a price worth far more than what the named blade was worth.
Bryn frowned for a second but decided to go into more detail, “I think you're misunderstanding me, I don't want your complete protection as I know that you cannot give it, I just want to be able to move around the academy without the constant threat of death over my head, look over there, you can see them even now, waiting for a chance to get me” Bryn said and pointed out the ones he had noticed, his action was not subtle and they dropped their pretence as soon as they realised they had been found out.
Ash frowned as he noticed them coming over now that Bryn had pointed them out but as they walked over, an idea came to his head.
“I can't guarantee your safety, but I can offer the same protection we offer those in the clan and let the rest of the academy know that as well” Ashe suddenly said with a hint of anticipation in his voice.
“And that is?”
Ash brought out his Holowatch and after messing with a few buttons, slid a bright red holographic button across the air so it slid onto Bryn's holographic scree.
“This is a panic button, It is to be used by members when they are either in danger or they have been challenged to a duel and need backup, and whilst it is not a guarantee of winning and depends on who is in the vicinity to respond, it is better than a guarantee of losing” Ash explained whilst his eyes darted between Bryn and the incoming group as they drew closer, they were running out of time to make a decision.
Bryn thought about it and whether it was worth giving up what was essentially his main saving grace, but whilst it was his main saving grace it was also the biggest target people would be after if they weren't already after his life.
Also, Ash may have been playing nicely now but that could soon change if he didn't like his answer.
“Do we have a deal?” Ash asked to which Bryn tossed the Sword into his hand.
“We have a deal” Bryn answered as he looked to the newcomers but before he could prepare himself, Ash had stood in front of him, causing the incoming group to stop dead in their tracks.
“This has nothing to do with you Ashikaga, get out of our way” The one Bryn recognised as Trey's girlfriend said.
Hearing the girls words and the tone in which they were said, Ash frowned. “I don't remember ever giving unaffiliated like you the right to address me directly, have you forgotten your place within this academy” Ash said as he stabbed the scabbard of the sword into the ground in front of him to display his dominance, a display that made the group facing him immediately reconsider their life choices that led them to this moment.
“I'm giving you one chance...leave...now!” Ash said and a few of the opposing group showed a look of wanting to leave.
“Maybe we should leave Jodie, we can try again when the yakuza aren't here” one of her friends reasoned under the agreeing nods from the rest of their group.
“No! No!, He is the one that took Trey away from us, from me, I won't stop until he is dead, I challenge you to a Death match!” She shouted in hysterics as she shook off their hands as they tried to pull her away.
Her friends were shocked but after a few moments, calmed.
The shot had been fired and there was no way to take it back now, they could only go through with it and accept whatever may come their way.
“I gave you chance...don't expect another” Ash said before pressing a button on his Holowatch.
The two groups stood off against each other as they waited but it didn't take long for the person Ash had called to arrive.
The Adjudicator jumped down from atop the roof he had ran across to arrive as quick as he could, he looked to the two parties but whilst he acknowledged Jodie and her friends, he appeared before Ash and showed his respect with a slight bow before turning around to take his place between the two groups.
“Will the Dualist's please step forward and name you wager?” He called out to the two parties at the same time but it was Jodie that took action first.
“I am Jodie forester and I challenge Bryn Lockhart to a Death match!, I will see him dead for killing Trey” Jodie called out righteously whilst those in her group joined her only a moment after saying words of a similar, heroic nature.
The adjudicator frowned, it wasn't often that he judged upon a Death match, but it did happen. It was usually reserved for those that had unreconcilable differences that could only be solved by the death of the other. He turned and looked towards Bryn and ash, “I would ask whether you agree to duel or not but if you do not, they will be in their right to kill you here and now” He said with a slight tone of deference.
“There is no need for that, we accept the duel” Ash said without letting Bryn speak.
The adjudicator frowned for a second before asking, “Sir, are you intending to fight yourself or are we to wait for others to join us here” He asked, hoping it was the latter but when he saw Ash shake his head, he knew that Ashikaga Hanzo, leader of the Black Rose Yakuza branch, was about to enter the fight.
Bryn came and stood next to Ash, he looked him up and down and saw that he still wore no armour and he had no weapon other than the sword he had just been given.
“Erm, do you need to go and get your gear or something” Bryn asked in a way that tried to see whether Ash had forgotten he was essentially naked in this fight.
Ash smiled and shook his head, “For this level of opponent, no need, this will do” he said and gestured to the sword he had just received.
Bryn gave him a side eyed glance, “Do you even know how to use it?” Bryn asked in reference to the [Skills] enchanted into the blade.
Ash murmured something under his breath and then looked the blade up and down, “...I do now”.
The two parties stood opposite from each other and called out their names, the adjudicator paused for a moment to look at Jodie and her team in the eyes.
He shook his head and spoke in his mind 'Fools'.
“Begin!” the adjudicator announced.
Bryn went to move forward at the call of the adjudicator but Ash held out his hand to stop him, “There is no need for you to get involved, I've got this” Ash said but Bryn was finding it difficult to believe his words.
He knew that Ash was a year older than them so he was probably individually stronger, but their opponents were a true team, a group that had been together for over a year, they had fought together and faced death multiple times, it wasn't something that could be overcome by a slight difference in personal strength.
Bryn thought that if he was going to get through this then they were going to need to work together, but he was wrong.
Bryn had underestimated Ashikaga Hanzo, Branch leader of the Black Rose Yakuza!
Ash was a top tier talent amongst the forth years whose name was known far beyond the confines of the academy, He had been trained by the best and provided only the same, comparing him to a bunch of mediocre third years was a joke.
They may be a team that had fought together for over a year, but even the adjudicator knew that would not help them here, in the face of overwhelming power there wasn't really anything they could do.
Jodie and another of her team dropped back whilst the three other members rushed forwards with their weapons drawn, their speed was slightly less than what Bryn remembered Trey having but they were still well beyond normal even in all their armour.
Jodie and her partner in the meantime began to weave their own spells in the air, Jodie was a pure wizard type whilst her partner was a ranger, but whilst Bryn could see all this from a distance, he was surprised to notice that the ranger was not only weaving a spell, but anchoring it to the tip of the arrow she was about to shoot.
With the spell complete the ranger released her arrow and it shot at Bryn like a supersonic bullet, the wind whistled as it drew near whilst a white line was cut through the air and the super-heated air cause by the friction of its speed cooled as it fell to the floor below.
Bryn went to move, to doge, but whilst his brain told him to do so, his body was too slow and the arrow too fast, there was nothing he could do but with ash on the field, there was nothing he needed to do.
With a casual flick of his wrist the Arrow shaft was cut in two and all its momentum reduced to nothing.
It fell to the floor only three feet away from Bryn.
Bryn looked to Ash in amazement but he had yet to see the older boys best.
Ash lifted the Crimson katana above his head and suddenly it was empowered with a glowing red light.
With a two-handed slash he brought the blade down and the world was rent in two.
The crimson glow of the sword shot out towards Jodie and her team; it was as if a screen of crimson light travelled vertically across the ground before splitting the opposing team in two.
Jodie at the very back of the field had to abandon her spell and dive to the side to escape the carnage, but even as she picked herself up, the screen of light caused by Ash's Slash had yet to dissipate!
In Fact, it had become a crimson barrier that split the field in two.
Ash walked forward under the apprehensive gaze of the two front liners that had been divided from the rest of the team, their eyes were locked on to the almost neon glow of the crimson light that still trailed behind Ash's blade as he walked towards them.
They wanted to give up and surrender at this very moment but they knew they couldn't, they knew what had been wagered, so even with Ash's overwhelming strength right before their eyes, they prepared for battle.
The one on the left raised his shield and activated a skill that made it shine with a blue glow whilst the other drew a second sword and awaited Ash's arrival with dual swords in hand.
Ash smirked in contempt at the foolish display of preparation.
Bryn blinked and Ash was gone from him spot, he lost him until he heard the sound of clashing blades and witnessed as Ash sliced through one of the opponents shields, taking the arm and all, before kicking the other in the chest, ignoring his weapons completely and sending him flying into the crimson light screen which lay behind.
The swordsman spat out blood before looking up from the floor with his back still against to the screen to see Ash rushing at him, he tried to move but it was no use.
The kick may have seemed simple but the speed and power behind it was nothing to laugh at, his sternum was cracked whilst his back was broken.
He could do nothing but wait for Ash to finish him off, but ash had other ideas.
Ash ran at his downed opponent but instead of finishing him off, he crashed into the crimson light screen, but unlike his opponent, he did not rebound from the wall made of power, he passed through as if it was not there!
Ash appeared on the other side with barely a ripple passing through the screen to telegraph his movements, he had been so quick that the team member on the other side which had been separated from his two partners was caught completely unaware.
With a single slash, the shaft of the spear he wielded was halved in two.
A streak of blood spurt into the air and he collapsed to the ground whilst Ash dipped under another of the rangers arrows before retreating back to the other side of the crimson light screen.
Bryn watched as Ash no longer fought against his opponents, but played with them.
Ash Slashed out again, separating Jodie from the ranger before walking beyond the screen again.
The ranger shot arrow after arrow at ash, but she had focused on reaching the peak of speed, she had little else to offer so when her speed was of no use such as it was not, she could do nothing else but be struck down.
It had barely been a minute but only Jodie remained.
She had heard as her team mates were taken out one by one beyond the light screen, she had felt the difference in power between herself and Ash when he had first sent out that crimson light slash, But she was unwilling!
The world was silent now, she was the only one left.
With two magic circles weaved within the palm of her hands, she was ready.
A Crimson light slash came from beyond the wall and skimmed by her side but she was able to step away at the last moment to avoid the fatal strike.
Her eyes had only blinked away from the wall for a moment before they returned, she had noticed the ripple that would tell her when something was heading her way and now she was focused on looking for it.
She smirked as she noticed the next strike, Ash had misjudged her position and it was going wide, she didn't even have to move to avoid it.
She had missed the big picture until it had been painted.
The crimson light wall rose by her side, locking her in the corridor Ash had purposefully created..
Jodie's eyes went wide in fright when she recognised the corridor for what it was, a trap!
She released both of her preprepared spells at the same time and struck the first Crimson light screen with several bolts of lightning that chained together.
They blasted the wall one after the other and sent massive ripples spreading throughout the screen, but they were unable to piece it.
She panted as the last bolt of lightning struck and watched as the first wall faded away.
Ash stood there, ready and waiting.
“FUCK YOU!!!” She screamed before channelling her magic spamming one of her [Skills] for all that it was worth.
Dozens of [Ice shards] were created around her before being shot at Ash as he approached, but no matter the number, he dodged and weaved past each and every single one, moving in and out of the crimson walls that still surrounded the two of them on either side as he progressed further.
The fight ended with a final slash and Bryn watched as the crimson light screens that had obscured his view of the battlefield dissipate into nothing.
Jodie was knelt on the ground, her eyes filled with hate and tears as she held one of her hands to her chest, or more precisely her arm, as the hand was currently laying on the floor a few feet away.
Ash stood behind her and pressed the crimson katanas blade edge against her throat, he looked to the adjudicator meaningfully to which he received an accepting nod in reply.
“Winners!...Ashikaga Hanzo! Bryn Lockhart!” The adjudicator called out to inform all upon the field.
Some like Bryn, were relieved and happy, but his opponents, Jodie and the rest of her team, were distraught.
It had only just hit them, they had lost.
They were going to be killed and worst of all, they hadn't even stood a chance at winning, they had been deluding themselves by saying they had a chance against Ash.
It wasn't a fight; it was a massacre.
They should have just mourned Trey's death and moved on, it was his own fault anyway, they had told him that Gilbert was no good, that they were going to piss off the wrong person one day and now look where they were, they were dead and gone and now they were about to join them too.
Bryn came closer to where the carnage of the fight lay, the field was bloody and it was only getting worse thanks to the [Crimson Moon Blood's] Skills, if the injured weren't treated soon then they were soon going to die of blood loss, not that it mattered.
The adjudicator came before Bryn and spoke, “The Duel and the right has been approved by the academy, you may take their lives when ready” He spoke before taking a few steps back to allow Bryn his prize.
Bryn stopped and stared for a moment, was he supposed to be the one to kill them?
Bryn looked to Ash and he too had stepped back and sheaved his sword, “I only agreed to offering you protection, not to become a sword to be swung at you beck and call”.
Bryn hesitated for a moment as he stood over their dismembered and battered bodies.
Should he kill them?
It was honestly a good opportunity; he could reap five souls and unlock one of the skills he had obtained from the reapers inheritance.
Hell, there was even a feeling of success and pride over a job well done in his chest, they had sought to kill him multiple times and now, he had gotten his revenge!
Bryn was fingering the pommel of his knives when Jodie called out, “JUST DO IT ALREADY YOU MONSTER! Do not act as if you have a conscience” She spat and looked down upon him with pure contempt.
Bryn blinked, surprised by her words. He looked around and saw that even through their pain, the other four members of the team were equally shocked and stared at their team mate with a betrayed and hurt look.
Only Jodie had accepted they were to die and instead of focusing on that, she focused on her utter hate for Bryn.
Bryn walked over to her and knelt down in front of her, He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her in close to make sure she was listening even throughout all the pain she was currently in.
“You call me a monster, for what, killing you're little boyfriend and his pal, I was only getting revenge for them trying to kill me, heh, let me ask you, what is so different between me and all of you, the only thing I can see is that justice was on my side whilst you are just a widow, angry and hateful that the man she loved died because of his own callous actions” Bryn said before releasing her.
With her hair covering her face, Jodie laughed.
“Justice, HaHaHa, Justice should have seen you dead sixteen years ago, you are nothing but a monster and Trey was right to try and kill you, I only wish it stuck” Jodie said vindictively.
Bryn looked at her and saw for the first time a zealot, a person that would not stop until he was dead, until her mission was complete.
Bryn turned and looked at the rest of her team, judging them and their beliefs.
“...And What about you? Do you believe me a monster? Do you believe Trey had the right to kill me?” Bryn asked and they looked away.
The did not answer but if they did, they would say 'yes'.
'Yes, you are a monster, but no, he did not have the right to kill you, he was a bad guy and he got what all bad guys get coming to them'.
That is what they would have said, but they didn't, they simply turned their heads away in shame.
“I see” Was all that Bryn said before he turned around and plunged a knife through Jodie's eye, her limp body fell to the floor beside her.
The only other girl on the team, the ranger, cried as she watched her closest friend at the academy die whilst the others looked on in shock and fear.
“Hah” Bryn let out a heavy breath before placing a foot on Jodie's neck and pulling out his knife, he wiped the blood off on a clean piece of her clothing before putting it back in its scabbard.
The feeling from before was back, the sense of success and pride, the knowing that he had fulfilled not only his revenge by taking her life but ensured his safety in the near future, and yet, why was it that when he looks into the eyes of those that still lived he did not feel the same about them as he did Jodie.
Why did he not get the same feeling from them, why did he feel like he would not get any satisfaction from killing them, no, that was not right, it was more like, why did he feel he would not get enough satisfaction to warrant killing them.
It was their eyes; they did not possess the same unfounded righteousness that Jodie possessed.
“...Will you seek me out for revenge again?” Bryn asked the four and it took them a moment to realise that he was speaking to them, they shook their head instantly.
They were done with revenge; they had had enough of it.
“Then we are done here” Bryn said before walking away to get to his next class.
“Bryn, Word will spread about what happened here, we have an understanding with the larger factions but there are still a few that may seek you out, don't hesitate to call us when it happens” Ash called out as he passed.
“Thank you, you can take what you want from her gear...I don't want to take any more from her” Bryn said before walking into the distance.
Ash gave one look towards Jodie's dead body before turning towards the adjudicator, “Take what you can from her body and deliver it to me later, we're done here” Ash said before leaving himself.
The adjudicator nodded before looking over the dead girls remains and the several injured students, some were on the verge of dying whilst others had limbs that were still barely attacked.
He sighed, but scenes like this were simply a part of the job.
“MEDIC!” The adjudicator bellowed, his words ringing throughout the academy.