Episode 02: A New Friendship

After first period had ended, Kotaro and Keisuke had made their way to one of Mutsuroku Academy's one of many gymnasiums. They had changed out of their uniforms and into casual clothing. The academy had no strict rules in regards to gym clothes, so it became wear what you are most comfortable with.

“Now then, I shall have you all practice your fighting skills. Come at me, Yamamoto!!” The bulky teacher yelled as he pointed his wooden spear at his first victim. This was a man the students had dubbed the Demonic Instructor, a title well deserved due to his harsh and strict attitude. This man's name was Yuga Akuto.

The boy who was called upon, Seth Yamamoto, was of medium slender build with brown hair that covered his dark eyes. His sword stance was inexperienced and awkward. His shoulders were visibly shaking under the instructor's pressure. The outcome of the spar was as clear as day at a glance.

Yamamoto hesitated for a few seconds before clumsily charging at Yuga, Yamamoto swung his wooden sword at a wide angle. Yuga stepped back slightly before lunging forth with his large fist. “URGHH!!” Yamamoto yelped. “GUUHHH!!” Yuga had jumped into the air and kicked Yamamoto, who harshly skid across the gym's floor and groaned in pain.

“NAIVE!! If you swing wide you leave yourself open to a counter attack!!” Yuga yelled. “Get up!!”

Yamamoto slowly stood up with his shaking knees. “That's the spirit!!” Yuga smiled before charging, his wooden spear pierced through the air and was on a collision course with Yamamoto's abdomen, the boy fearfully closed his eyes. The spar had degraded from a lesson to pure bullying.

Clack!! - A loud sound forced Yamamoto to open his eyes, where he noticed the wooden spear was blocked by a wooden sword, Yamamoto stared open eyed at the boy whom blocked the attack for him. “Kotaro-kun?” The boy in question turned to the pained Yamamoto and pulled a toothy grin before returning his sight back to Yuga.

“Sheesh, you really are too kind, Kotaro,” Keisuke said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Don't interrupt my lesson Kotaro!!” Yuga yelled as he swung his spear.

Clack!! - Kotaro parried the attack and swiftly swung his own weapon. Yuga blocked Kotaro's sword with his spear's shaft.

Clack! Clack! Clack!! - Teacher and student exchanged blows with their wooden weapons, neither fighter gained or gave ground, their strength was equal. Until Their weapons finally entered into a deadlock.

“That's enough Sensei, you don't want to be disciplined by the principal again do you?” Kotaro asked whilst glaring.

Under Kotaro's pressure and verbal warning, Yuga's eye twitched before he withdrew his spear, “Tch, you're definitely strong Kotaro, but you have no mind for the battlefield. Battle is cruel and unforgiving. The sooner you children learn this the better.” Yuga turned on his heels. “Each of you pair up and practice together, alternate between attacking and defending.” He ordered.

“I'm going to take Yamamoto to the infirmary.” Kotaro stated as he lent his classmate his shoulder.

“Do as you please, but the battlefield is no place for weaklings who cannot carry their own weight.” Yuga declared whilst glaring at Yamamoto, whom averted his gaze.

“Then we shall do as we please.” Kotaro declared back whilst leaving the gym with Yamamoto.

“Tch, naive brat, soldiers won't become strong if you pamper them.” Yuga said under his breath whilst giving Kotaro a hostile glare. “Kindness will become the noose that constricts on their necks.”

Kotaro walked down the corridor with Yamamoto, the boy was much lighter than he thought, he definitely didn't have a body built for fighting. “I'm sorry, Kotaro-kun, you were forced to help me.” he apologised.

“Don't sweat it, you gave me the perfect excuse to ditch that shitty Spartan training.” Kotaro smiled, trying his best to cheer up his classmate.

“Ha-ha-ha,” Yamamoto weakly laughed before his face turned sour, “I'm really no good. I suck at fighting. What kind of Vampiress would want to bond with me?”

“Don't get yourself down, you can train to gain strength.”

“I just got myself sent to the infirmary in that said training however...” Yamamoto sighed, “I wish I could be as strong as you and Saito-kun, ha-ha-ha...”

“Strength aside, I hope you don't become an asshole like him...” Kotaro grimaced.

Yamamoto smiled lightly, everyone knew just how much the two strongest boy's in their class hated each other. “Kotaro-kun, why did you come to this school?” Yamamoto asked to change the mood.

“I'm an orphan, so I have no real family, but a girl who is like a sister to me became a Vampiress. I joined the school simply so we wouldn't be separated.”

Yamamoto remained silent for a moment. All girl's who became Vampiress are forced into one of the many special academies, there were many examples of girls being torn away from their families'. It was a harsh, yet necessary law. The only assets the world had against the darkness. Every one had to be utilised for the greater good.

Kotaro's only family too would have been spirited away then if he hadn't decided to join with her. To be with that girl he threw away his own future and safety and placed himself at the front of the battlefield.

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“You're amazing...” Yamamoto stated, his admiration for Kotaro renewed.

There is nothing amazing about me, I still failed that same girl in the end. Kotaro thought to himself, but opted not to tell his classmate. Just as the duo were standing outside the infirmary door Kotaro turned to Yamamoto. “Do you want me to teach you how to fight?” Kotaro asked.

“Would you...?” Yamamoto asked, his eyes almost sparkled with joy.

“You're not going to learn anything from Yuga-sensei's one sided beatings after all.”

“YES!! Please teach me.” Yamamoto shouted in excitement.

“Right, then let's exchange details,” Kotaro rolled up his sleeve exposing a watch around his wrist, Yamamoto did the same and they put their watches together and pressed a button.

Two pop up boxes appeared in the air in front of Kotaro and Yamamoto respectively, it displayed a message. “Friend request from Seth Yamamoto/Kotaro, do you wish to accept?” Below the message were two touchable buttons, both teens pressed the “Yes” button and received confirmation of their new contact.

“Well then, I look forward to getting along with you, Yamamoto,” Kotaro said whilst holding out his hand.

“Just call me Seth, Kotaro-kun,” Seth took his hand and gave a light shake.

The two smiled at each other at the birth of a new friendship. Just then the door in front of them opened with a loud thud.

“Sorry, but if you're going to get into a yaoi relationship can you not exclude me.” Kotaro and Seth turned to face a tall man with long blond hair and dark eyes. He wore glasses and a white lab coat over jeans and a dark t-shirt, his arms were folded and his mouth was showing a mischievous smile. “By the way Kotaro, are you a giver or a taker?”

“HUH!? No I'm not into...” Kotaro stuttered.

“Just for the record I'm open to all worlds, both giver and taker, men and women, young and old, a sadist and a masochist. It's all written on my resume.” The perverted doctor showed his papers, which included his sexual fetishes, the list was long.

“Yeah, and I guess you love people and animals too.” Kotaro retorted.

“You're into beastality? That's disgusting Kotaro.” The doctor showed an appalled expression as he subtly distanced himself from the boy.

“I'M NOT!! AND YOU'RE THE LAST PERSON I WANT CALLING ME DISGUSTING!!” Kotaro yelled. How on earth did this man get a job at this academy?

“Well, now that I've had my daily dosage of teasing Kotaro, why don't you come inside?” The doctor said with a sunny smile on his face.

His medical skills aside, I can't stand this guy for a reason completely different from Saito. Kotaro sighed inwardly as he drooped his shoulders. “Then I'll be leaving, see you, Seth.”

“EHH, but I want to check your temperature with this thermometer, of course this is the type that goes into the rectu….”

“Forget it!!” Kotaro left the scene at a quick pace.

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That night a silhouette sat in an armchair within a pitch black room. It inserted a needle from the nearby IV drip into its vein and placed a set of headphones over their ears. They closed their eyes as the drug began to kick into their system.

“Goodbye real me...lets meet again...in one hundred and sixty eight hours….the plan begins...now will it...succeed?”

A thin smile crept onto the silhouette's lips as darkness took their conscious. The noise from the headphones the only thing destroying the silence.

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Kotaro lay on his bed typing on his Aircom. This was the time Kotaro enjoyed the most in the day. The time when he and another could talk properly. The chat quickly scrolled down the screen.

Kotaro: Yuga-sensei was a complete a**hole today. How could that be called teaching? He really laid it into Seth.

Luckiest Vamp: His methods maybe harsh, but his heart is in the right place. Btw, Seth?

Kotaro: Yeah, Seth Yamamoto. We just became friends today, I promised I'd train him.

Luckiest Vamp: Oh, I see, you truly are kind, Kotaro. Just don't slack off on your own training.

Kotaro: I know. In order to get her back, I shall continue to get stronger.

Luckiest Vamp: On second thoughts, feel free to slack off a little. I don't want you to burn yourself out.

Kotaro: You know I have infinite energy don't you?

Luckiest Vamp: No, I don't. Your fight with Saito-kun and Nora-san before proved that to me. You're strong and kind, but still hotheaded. Do you know how hard I was grinding my teeth watching you take that beating!? >:-(

Kotaro: Are you mad at me?

Luckiest Vamp: What do you think?

Kotaro: I'm sorry.

Luckiest Vamp: I don't want an apology, I want you to reflect. Although this is you we're talking about.

Kotaro: Yeah, I can't change that easily.

Luckiest Vamp: You're going to get a lecture from me every time until you do.

Kotaro: Please spare me.

Luckiest Vamp: It's a small punishment in comparison to how much some of your antics have worried me.

Kotaro: I'll do my best so it doesn't happen again.

Luckiest Vamp: Please do. Btw are you planning on entering the tournament? It's accepting entries from tomorrow.

Kotaro: Yes, I'm entering. I grow stronger by fighting.

Luckiest Vamp: I see :(

Luckiest Vamp: Please don't do anything reckless.

Kotaro: This time I'll show you my cool side.

Luckiest Vamp: You don't have to, just do as I asked and don't push yourself. Don't let your pride and feelings cloud your judgement. And most importantly: KNOW WHEN YOU ARE BEAT!!

Kotaro: Will you give me a reward if I win.

Luckiest Vamp: And give you a motive to be reckless? Dream on.

Kotaro: Can't blame a guy for trying, anyway I'm calling it a day, goodnight.

Luckiest Vamp: Sweet dreams.

Kotaro deactivated his Aircom and lay on his back. “Sweet dreams, huh? I only have nightmares...”

Kotaro slowly allowed the night to engulf him, his soft breaths didn't last long until they became pained groans and his closed eyes released tears. “...Sara...” he quietly muttered between his groans.