Sophie examined her recent class progress while she took a break from sparring with Sasha.
Class: Samurai - Lvl.40
Skills
Sword Techniques (Intermediate): Lvl.4
Sword Combat (Intermediate): Lvl.4
Footwork (Intermediate): Lvl.4
Dodge: Lvl.4
A few weeks prior to her birthday, she had finished the Apprentice Swordswoman class, immediately picking the direct upgrade, Samurai. Her training under Arakawa Sensei had provided a massive boost to her progress. The trait that she had received from the first sword-focused class was also incredible.
Trait: Quick Attacks - All bladed attacks are faster.
The trait sounded simple but it proved it’s worth everytime she trained. I’m growing, even if it is rather slow.
“Alright girls, take your places again.” Sensei’s voice pulled Sophie from her thoughts as she hurried back to the centre of the room. Sasha did the same, the pair of mercs standing across from each other.
“Begin.”
Sophie moved first, stepping forward with her katana in a smooth arc aimed at Sasha’s side. The older girl deflected it with a swift flick of her Rippers, the sharp clang of metal against metal ringing out. She immediately countered with a piercing thrust, her claws closing in on Sophie’s midsection.
She twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. “Not bad,” she said, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
Sasha grinned. “Don’t give me that, shorty. I only missed because you’re so small.”
The netrunner darted forward, her claws cutting through the air in a series of wild strikes. Sophie parried each attack, her blade moving fluidly despite the intensity. The sound of clashing metal filled the air as they exchanged blows.
“Go on the offensive, Sophie,” Sensei said from the side. “Your movements are clean, but you’re relying too much on evasion. Use your footwork not just for defence but also to attack. Control the space, not just escape it.”
“Got it,” Sophie replied, stepping back and taking up a different stance.
Sasha grinned at her. “Come on, Sophie. Don’t make me look too good in front of Sensei.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be on your ass soon,” Sophie shot back, lunging forward with a quick overhead slash.
The blade swept toward Sasha’s shoulder, but she dropped to all fours, like a cat and narrowly dodged it. She lunged, countering with an upward swipe of her claws. Sophie sidestepped, twisting her body to avoid the strike, and brought her katana down in a diagonal slash.
“Better,” Sensei said, nodding at Sophie’s adjustment. He turned to Sasha. “Sasha, your aggression is effective, but you overcommit. Stop committing so much to your offensive. Focus on finding a balance between offense and evasion.”
“Balance, huh?” Sasha muttered, straightening up for a moment.
“Come on kitty, where’s all your energy?” Sophie prodded, grinning as she tried to rile her sparring partner up.
Sasha gave her a playful glare. “Oh I’m so gonna get you.”
“Looking forward to it.”
Sensei’s voice cut through their banter. “Enough talking. Continue.”
With a nod, they began their clash anew. This time, Sasha shifted her movements, feinting more often and using her longer reach to probe Sophie’s defenses. Sophie adapted to the change, keeping her movements tight. Every attack was deflected and countered with precision.
The older girl lunged again, her claws aimed low at Sophie’s legs. Sophie jumped back, twisting mid-air to bring her katana down in a sweeping arc. Sasha rolled to the side, narrowly evading the blade, and sprang up with a quick jab that Sophie deflected just in time.
“What a trickster. You got pretty close there,” Sophie said between breaths.
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“I’ll get you soon. You won’t be able to escape these claws.” Sasha replied, grinning despite the sweat on her brow.
Their sparring session ended when Sophie managed to trap Sasha’s claws with her blade, holding it steady against Sasha’s forearm. Both froze, breathing hard but smiling.
Sensei stepped forward, gesturing for them to lower their weapons. “Good. Sophie, your movements have improved but you stay on the defensive too much. Attack and evade more while being ready to counter without hesitation.”
“Understood,” Sophie said, nodding as she loosely held the katana in her hand.
Sensei turned to Sasha. “Your speed and offense is commendable, but you still lack control. You continue to waste too much energy in your attacks. Focus on conserving your movement and not overcommitting.”
Sasha sighed but nodded. “Fine. I’ll definitely win the next spar.”
Sophie chuckled as she sheathed her blade. “Sure you will. Want me to stand still, give you a free attack?”
“Funny,” Sasha retorted, retracting her claws. “I’ll remember that when I’m the one standing over you.”
Sensei raised an eyebrow. “If you’re done jesting, perhaps you’d both like to face me? You may, of course, attack together.”
Both girls exchanged a glance, and Sophie grinned. “I’m game.”
Sasha groaned, rolling her neck. “Alright, alright. Just don’t get too cocky, shorty. We both know Sensei is stupidly skilled.”
Though neither of the girls had sparred against their sensei, they were more than aware of how skilled he was considering how quickly they had grown in such little time.
-----------------------
The dojo was silent, a tense atmosphere pervading the space. Sensei stood in the center, a katana in one hand and a wakizashi in the other, his face expressionless. Sophie and Sasha stood opposite him, their weapons ready.
Sophie gripped her blade tightly, fidgeting slightly. Sasha flexed her fingers, tipped by her Rippers. Her body was low to the ground, a position that allowed her to burst into movement immediately. Both girls were very much aware of the difference in skill between them and their master.
Sensei studied their stances, then spoke. “Begin.”
Sophie made the first move, using her footwork to perform a quick slash aimed at Sensei’s shoulder. The strike was precise but lacked the speed to catch him off guard. With a flick of his katana, he deflected the blade, redirecting it harmlessly to the side.
Sasha used the opening to dart in from the flank, her claws slashing in a tight arc toward his ribs. Sensei pivoted smoothly, his wakizashi meeting her claws in a sharp clash. Sparks flew as he twisted his wrist, pushing her off balance.
He didn’t press the advantage, instead stepping back to avoid a sweeping blade, courtesy of the younger girl. His calm composure didn’t break in the slightest, something that slightly unnerved his two students.
Sophie adjusted her footing after the failed attack, narrowing her eyes. She lunged again, this time feinting high before bringing her blade low. Sensei didn’t fall for it. He sidestepped the attack and countered with a precise strike aimed at her side. Sophie barely managed to parry, though her arms were more than capable of withstanding the force of the blow.
Sasha circled behind him during the clash. She launched herself forward, aiming to strike his back with a piercing thrust, but Sensei spun, his wakizashi intercepting her mid-swing. His katana moved in tandem, pushing Sophie back as he kept both opponents at bay.
The spar heated up, both girls becoming more intense in their actions. Sophie’s blade traced sharp arcs through the air, testing the older man’s defense from different angles. Sasha’s claws glinted in the dojo’s dull light, the vicious weapons constantly seeking a blindspot.
Unfortunately, Sensei deflected every attack with ease. The dual blades moved in sync. His katana parried Sophie’s strikes, while his wakizashi tangled with Sasha’s relentless claws.
Sophie gradually began to feel the exhaustion however her synthetic lungs were doing an excellent job of supplying her with oxygen. Every time she thought she had an advantage, Sensei closed the gap with a precise counter or a step that threw off her rhythm.
It was even worse for Sasha, who didn’t possess the kind of chrome her younger partner did. Still, she pushed harder, her claws continuing to strike swiftly. She dropped low, aiming a slash at his legs, but Sensei stepped back, the katana coming down in a swift slash that threatened to remove her head. The netrunner was able to twist away just in time, her Rippers sparking against the floor as she regained her balance.
Sensei’s voice broke the silence, completely calm despite the fact he was battling two of his students at once. He even had time to comment. “You’re both doing too much on your own. Coordinate your attacks if you wish for me to take you seriously.”
Sasha locked eyes with Sophie, who gave her a small nod. They moved together this time, each coming at their teacher from a different angle
Sophie struck high while Sasha aimed low, forcing Sensei to split his attention. For a moment, it seemed they might overwhelm him. But then his wakizashi deflected Sasha’s claws with a sharp clang, and his katana twisted to knock Sophie’s blade wide.
“Better,” he said, stepping back to create distance.
Sophie adjusted her grip, her mind racing through the knowledge at her fingertips. Brute force wouldn’t work, but neither would their technique. Sensei’s experience outmatched theirs by decades, maybe more and it was he who had trained the pair.
The younger merc shifted her stance subtly, changing her positioning to invite an attack. Sensei’s eyes flickered with recognition, but he didn’t take the bait. Instead, he advanced quickly, his blade slicing through the air in a heavy downwards slash. Sophie responded with a parry, only to find herself forced to dodge a follow-up strike from his wakizashi.
Sasha capitalized on the distraction, launching herself at him with both claws slashing in an ‘X’ shape. Sensei met her head-on, his katana sweeping low to disrupt her charge while his wakizashi turned her claws aside.
For the two girls, time felt like it stretched endlessly as the spar continued. Sophie’s organic muscles burned, but she refused to let up. Each strike became more careful, her focus narrowing as she sought to find any weakness in Sensei’s defense.
Sasha’s approach, too, changed. She incorporated more feints, and her attacks stopped being so intense. Instead, the older girl darted in and out like a predator testing its prey.
Still, Sensei held the upper hand. With such a long time spent honing his craft, it was no surprise. For his two opponents, it felt as if the man was an impenetrable wall. Only by working together were they able to achieve anything, yet any time he turned to the offense, they struggled to survive the onslaught.
In a sudden movement, the man executed a rapid attack against the younger girl. His katana sliced toward Sophie in a wide arc. She barely blocked it, only for his wakizashi to follow immediately, forcing her to retreat.
Sasha stepped in to cover her, her claws swiping at his midsection. Sensei parried with his wakizashi and spun, his katana coming down in a controlled strike that stopped just short of her shoulder.
“Enough,” he said, stepping back and sheathing his blades.
Sophie and Sasha both lowered their weapons, breathing heavily despite the relatively short spar.
“You’ve both improved significantly,” Sensei said, his tone steady. “But you still lack harmony in your movements. When faced with a single foe, you must work together perfectly in order to truly oppose them.”
Sophie nodded, wiping sweat from her brow. “Got it.”
Sasha smirked faintly, despite her exhaustion. “We’ll get there.”
Sensei gave a small nod. “Good. Rest for now. In the next lesson we will repeat this exercise. I expect to see improvements, otherwise I will not be so forgiving.”
By the time the girls left, Sasha was complaining about her lack of endurance, making the decision to chip in a set of synthetic lungs, similar to the ones Sophie had. Of course, the younger girl was very happy her best friend was making that choice.
“Let’s go see Vik! He might have something already.”
“Yeah, let’s go Soph.”