The Referee

It was most interesting to watch both fencers walk onto the piste, both carrying different but nearly equal weights with them. Carr, the Swordsman of Zero, carried with him both the trauma of witnessing uselessly as his friend was murdered before his eyes and the horrifying fear that his opponent before him somehow was his friend. He knew better, of course—he trusted Celle even if he didn’t trust himself—but his feelings disagreed with his thoughts and overruled them. She can’t be her—but…she looks and acts just like her. Carr’s thoughts became a whirlwind of emotion, accelerating between the logical and the wishful at an impressive rate.

His mind was on anything but the match itself.

Katherine, meanwhile, was faced with a different concern. Her memories were accurate, but her host’s inherent empathetic abilities were perhaps more of a concern. Unlike Carr she was not the kind to be overwhelmed by her rage. Instead, upon seeing the man who she was told to be the fake, she couldn’t help but wonder, in the quietest parts of her heart, if he wasn’t somehow the real one. His trash talk…his arrogant confidence…it suits him really well. Almost better than… Katherine’s thoughts were hesitant as well.

The small discrepancies were in both her and the False’s thoughts. Yet she was the only one to pay them any mind, for the False Carr could lose himself within the world of fencing, which he truly loved, and there he forgot all about his self-doubt and any other concerns. Truthfully, it was this particular bit that made the False Carr such a perfect copy. Though the host’s body differed from the memories a great bit, he shared both the love of the sport and enough fencing talent to quiet down any other doubt.

Katherine was different. Johan had hurried her creation and forced the memories upon someone who showed a little fencing talent but hardly had any time to do so, even accounting for Endovélico’s interference, the added time still resulted in a host body that had been most unsuited for the sport. Heavy practice and a measure of soothing explanations were enough to convince the resulting Katherine that nothing was wrong for a while: her beloved friends were alive and together again, as she often had prayed for.

But unlike the False Carr, she didn’t have fencing to protect her from concerning thoughts at night.

Her lunges were slower than she was used to. While she could analyze her bouts as her memories told her she could, during matches her reaction was slower. Occasionally she would look at Johan and have feelings she did not remember having. What of the day when they were brought into this world? It, most of all, felt…different. While most of her memories were crystal clear, these were foggy. Naturally so, for Johan had instructed the Nameless Assassin to change her memories before doing so. We were over at that cottage…Johan was still wheelchair bound…his injuries hadn’t healed…then that monster attacked. Why? And then Johan…parried him? But he was more of a stop-hit kind of guy….why had he parried him? No, that’s a silly thing to wonder… .

Most of all, sometimes she looked at the locket she found herself with when she first regained consciousness and felt a sudden sadness she could not explain. Who is the girl on that picture?

It was with these two very concerned mindsets that the two fencers stood across from each other, both wishing not to believe their concerns. At this difficult exchange, the first one to disregard their concerns about the very nature of their existence and make a move…

“THAT WAS PERFECT!” shouted one of their teammates.

…was Katherine.

Her lunge was direct and to the underside of Carr’s arm. Shit. I have been so used to fencing people who aim for deadly spots here that I almost forgot to prepare for shallow targets like this, Carr thought. The two had been stepping in and outside of each other’s distance for a while, but Katherine was the first to regain her focus and attack. Shorter than Carr, the underside of his arm had been an attractive target. But one loses distance as they try to attack from under, as the angle to do so requires a slightly bent elbow, which makes the shorter fencer even more vulnerable to the taller fencer’s straight extension. Nonetheless, Katherine’s distance and extension angle were perfect.

The New Bladewolves: Carr — 0 (0)

The Real Bladewolves: Katherine — 1 (1)

“SHAKE IT OFF CARR!” Fedal shouted. “IT’S JUST ONE POINT!”

“GET YOUR DISTANCE RIGHT! KEEP YOUR ARM UP!” Valle shouted angrily. “YOU CAN’T GET CARRIED AWAY RIGHT NOW!”

Carr offered a weak nod to his teammates and got back in position. I have to focus. I don’t know how, but I have to focus. Katherine…is this really you? No…there’s something off but…it feels just like fencing you. It appeared that every step they danced across the piste, every point, appeared to be sinking Carr further into that darkness.

Opposite to him, Katherine had started to fall back within normality. After scoring the first point of the contest, she let out a fierce scream of triumph, backed by another shout from her team. “THERE YOU FUCKING GO!” the False Carr shouted, punching the air and shaking his fists with excitement. “SHOW THE FAKER HOW TO FENCE!”

“Mix it up, don’t stay one-dimensional,” Max said, clapping along but keeping his voice stern. “Change your targets, you can’t go under every time! I swear, even back on Earth you always had this issue… .”

Max’s own thoughts were briefly taken over by hesitation. I could see them, fixated on their stats.

Carr the Swordsman of Zero

[Swordsmanship]: 0

Katherine the Duellist:

[Swordsmanship]: 35

Why is her [Swordsmanship] so low? Max wondered. If your stats should be equivalent to your fencing skill when you are summoned to this world for the first time, then why does an elite fencer like her have such low stats?

“ALLEZ!” I shouted, prompting the two to resume fencing.

Carr’s immediate response was to lower his wrist to protect the underside of his arm. This was a bad response and he should have known better—doing so exposes the overside of your arm to a hit. While there are times when adjusting the height of your sword arm is the correct approach, those moments usually come when there is something wrong with your en garde position to begin with. Usually being hit under your arm is an indicator that your distance wasn’t right or that you should have been ready to counter-extend more. But Carr’s mind wasn’t working correctly yet.

Katherine took note of this weakness and refused to aim for it. On the contrary, she started threatening his arm again, keeping a level en garde, but occasionally guiding the tip of her blade toward the bottom of his hand. Suddenly, she accelerated and lowered the tip of her blade, clashing it against the metal hand guard around the hilt of the blade and producing a loud sound. That’s good…I remember this was one of my favourite tricks, Katherine thought. There was sheer delight in her brain now, mixed with heavy adrenaline. It’s hard for anyone to ignore that sound after a blade collides with your bell. Keep paying attention to it…keep focusing on the underside of your arm…

Carr fought with distance. His thoughts were a mess—She’s fencing like Katherine…Katherine how did she fence again? No…this isn’t right…I have to focus on the match—but his body remembered what his mind hesitated and danced in an out of her distance. Even at only half-attention, his reflexes were truly world class. This heightened the difference between the two: with hardly any [Swordsmanship] of her own, Katherine was relying purely on her athleticism and fencing skill. While her skill was sincere, the athleticism lagged behind and she had begun to sweat already.

Only a minute and a half had passed in the match.

NOW! Katherine found her opening. Carr was lost in thought and took a step back carelessly—his arm lagged behind his body, blade low as if to parry another underside hit. Here Katherine took a step forward and used a step-lunge at him. It is not simply a step followed by a lunge, but a combination of the two: the body weight shifts forward with the step producing a faster lunge than you would otherwise get with two separate movements.

And she caught the top of his arm with a light touch, the blade bouncing off the top of his bell before finishing to the top of his arm.

“KEEP KILLING HIM KATHERINE!” shouted the fake.

The New Bladewolves:

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Carr — 0 (0)

The Real Bladewolves:

Katherine — 2 (2)

“Carr, focus!” Valle demanded from the bench. “I know this is difficult, but if you don’t focus we can’t win goddamn it!”

“SHE’S NOT REAL CARR!” Celle sounded both upset and desperate at once. “Get your head in the game!”

But Carr wasn’t listening to them.

For the first time since the match had begun—indeed for the first time since he had laid his eyes on the impostors—his thoughts wandered away from his guilt and trauma and towards something else. More than anything, Carr’s brain had been forged and honed for a singular purpose: to spot weakness. It was how he became the greatest fencer on Earth. Even at his lowest point he could not help but notice a discrepancy here.

Why is she so tired? This has just been less than a bout on Earth and we are not even going at a high intensity…something is wrong. Katherine was much more athletic than this. And here when the first inconsistency caught his brain others flared up. I was keeping my hand low like a fucking idiot. Why did she bounce off my bell guard to land that? Why not a flick? She went way too deep…I could have scored a double or even a single light off that.

I wanted to see the end of his thought process but I had a job to see too—as the Almighty Referee I was to ensure a fair match no matter what. Gods be damned. Fencers be damned. Johan be damned. A referee’s job was simple: to arbitrate over the bout.

“ALLEZ!” I shouted once more.

This time Katherine advanced, more confident, but Carr did the opposite, taking a step back. This step back was different however, it felt like it had a purpose other than panic. His eyes were no longer vacant but fixated on his opponent as he stepped back and his sword arm moved in synchronicity with his feet. Perfect movement, I thought.

When Katherine came close she noticed his blade arm angled perfectly for a stop-hit and stopped giving chase. He’s fencing much better now, I have to be more careful! She stepped back and for the first time it was clear how slow her retreat was. Still, though Carr gave chase, he did not accelerate. He maintained the same distance between them, a blade’s reach away, just far enough neither could extent their arm and hit the other without a lunge. Shit, I have to run away faster! Katherine’s excitement gave way to concern as she desperately walked back while Carr pressed on.

Upon reaching the end of Katherine’s side of the piste, where she could no longer retreat without going outside the arena, Carr stopped giving chase. Here Katherine interpreted the sign as weakness: You out of gas? I’m not!

She started advancing towards Carr who retreated with purpose once more. Her top speed barely reached Carr’s calm pace and by the time they reached Carr’s end of the piste she was visibly exhausted. Carr once again gave chase but this time he accelerated—as she retreated, he took her blade in a sixte bind and lunged directly at her shoulder, drawing blood.

The New Bladewolves:

Carr — 1 (1)

The Real Bladewolves:

Katherine — 2 (2)

Both teams shouted loudly in reaction to this. “DON’T MIND THAT!” and “THAT’S RIGHT CARR!” were both thunderously proclaimed in response. Yet what I focused on wasn’t that, but rather Carr’s quiet words he muttered upon scoring. “You’re not Katherine.”

Gone was his concern.

Gone was his guilt.

Gone was his hesitation.

In its place there was but one emotion: righteous fury.

Anticipating what was about to happen, I quickly signalled for the restart of the next point, “ALLEZ!”

Carr took a step forward. “How fucking dare you and Johan make a mockery of my friends? You put out a puppet like this—and you think I’m just going to sit back and let it go?” Katherine stepped back. Sweat was dripping from her forehead now, and not all of it due to exhaustion. I—I have never seen Carr this upset before. Not that he’s the real—no. Is he the real one? But then am I… Carr exploded forward in a flèche. “I’M GOING TO FUCKING MURDER YOU!”

His movement was furious but technical. In a single advance he wrapped his blade around Katherine’s, pushing the tip of her blade out of the way then exploded through for a deep wound to the right side of her chest.

The New Bladewolves:

Carr — 2 (2)

The Real Bladewolves:

Katherine — 2 (2)

Carr kept running past Katherine, who was on the floor bleeding, and stopped just short of her team’s bench, locking eyes with the False Carr. Here they both looked at each other and Carr said, “Give up now, faker, or I’m going to kill the Fake Katherine as well.”

“How fucking dare you, Katherine—is she—“ the False Carr started. Max of Relampago had to hold him back to keep him from jumping onto the piste. “DON’T YOU DARE HURT HER!”

Carr walked back in position for the next point. There was no rule preventing him from just stabbing the fallen Katherine, but he had chosen to engage this as a fencing match on his terms. His fury was cold and unsettling. His own team appeared uneasy at this, Celle taking a step back and managing to stutter out, “C-Carr, don’t lose your cool now! You have to—“

“I have to kill this mockery of my friends’ memories. Nothing else,” Carr replied. He didn’t raise his voice. If anything, his tone was lower than usual. Yet it was more commanding than a shout.

Celle shook in her seat. This is like when I had just met him. When he had just found out Johan was alive. He had just started to make progress…no. Please, let the clock run out before his anger takes over again.

There was still one minute left on the clock. Katherine stood up with effort, blood dripping from her wounds and mind unfocused. If—if the guy I’m fencing is a fake, why is he so upset at me? Could that mean he’s the real deal…and that I’m the fake? “KATHERINE, LEAVE IT TO ME!” the False Carr’s voice was loud and desperate. “IF YOU KEEP FENCING—“

Katherine’s pride was too much to allow this. Quiet she might have been, but her memories drew upon her supposed time on Earth. I’m not going to leave it to anyone. I’m used to being the anchor of my team, why the fuck should I leave this for someone else? No…NOT ME! I’m going to win. Whether this guy in front of me is the real Carr or not, whether I’m the real Katherine or not, I—

“ALLEZ!”

It was over in a second.

Though her extended blade served as a stop-hit, Carr took it in a sixte bind once more. No, this was inaccurate. He appeared to miss it at first, but then swirled around the air once more violently beating Katherine’s blade out of the way as he jumped briefly and brought his blade back on her back, flicking her back.

The back flick is one the most difficult moves in modern fencing. Its mere presence baffles classical fencers and habitants of this world alike, which is why I was most pleased to see Carr use it earlier against Duartes some time ago. Yet against Katherine, who knew fully well what the move was, this move took a different message entirely: I am better than you and I know it. Know it as well.

The back flick occurs by moving your sword so fast that the sudden stop makes the tip of the blade bend in a downward motion, almost like a whip, allowing for impossible angles. This is a trick shot most difficult to use unless you base your style around it or you are impossibly better than your opponent. It is hardly conductive for a real fight, but in a points match like this it does more than earn you a point, it deals severe mental damage to your opponent.

The New Bladewolves:

Carr — 3 (3)

The Real Bladewolves:

Katherine — 2 (2)

“Oh? Where did your lead go, ghost?” Carr asked mockingly. His blade was dirtied with Katherine’s blood and he laughed eerily. “Looks like I’m winning now.” He took a step forward. “There’s no fucking way the real Katherine would let me just walk up to her and back flick her with no effort. Who the fuck are you fooling? Is me? Or is it yourself?” he asked mockingly. “Let’s end this farce.”

Is…is he right? Katherine wondered.

“ALLEZ!”

Valle was the first to notice.

Carr’s sword had changed.

It was no longer a French Grip, the traditional sword handle most people wonder about. He hesitated at the shape of his new grip, wholly unfamiliar to him. “What is that?” Valle muttered, to no one in particular.

“It’s—it’s a pistol grip,” Gilder replied. “Carr had asked me to do that. Like the handle of one of those weapons from Razil—the ones that don’t work here. We took forever getting the balance right.”

The Pistol Grip.

An invention from Earth to allow épées to be wielded with greater power. Accuracy was increased as a baseline, though the ceiling was slightly lower than the somewhat arcane angles a French Grip could muster up. The very sword handle was shaped like a gun, allowing for a more ergonomically accurate grip at the cost of some of the reach that came with the longer handle from the French Grip.

I have always thought that the ideal fencing shouldn’t look like the careful counter poking of a French Grip. It should be more…like a bullet!

Carr had returned to his roots as a pistol grip fencer and his style had changed with it. French Grip fencers were more defensive, using angles and avoiding parries by definition. Pistol Grip fencers were more aggressive, focusing on hitting the blade and knocking it out of the way.

It was hard not to grin at this. Young Carr, is this how you mean to fight Johan? This filled me with excitement. Oh, to officiate that fight one day!

But that was a dream for spring.

Today, as winter had started to approach, Carr’s duel with Katherine was the point at hand. Valle had been the only one to notice Carr’s new handle, but even he had not noticed what else was special about that blade yet.

It was forged from the sword they had stolen from Johan himself.

“Last chance, ghost,” Carr said coldly. “Give up now.”

“Fuck you,” Katherine replied. “My name—my name is K—Katherine!” Why does it feel wrong? Katherine’s mind swirled around with confused memories.

“My name is not Katherine!” She could see herself screaming. “It’s—”

A figure clad in noble clothing covered her mouth. “YOUR. NAME. IS. KATHERINE.”

Carr exploded forward, closing the range between the two. Katherine, in a haze, tried to block the hit but again he deflected her blade and lunged. This time she retreated and he allowed the retreat before giving chase. He attempted at picking her blade again many times, but her desperate steps back kept her safe.

Until she reached the end of the piste.

Carr grinned manically at her. “End of the fucking line.”

He took her blade and delivered another lunge to her, this time with the blade going deep through the right side of her chest. She gasped for air and coughed blood. Carr didn’t even look at her. Instead he showed the False Carr a wicked grin, his own face covered in the blood of the Katherine he had just stabbed, and he took his time as he slowly pulled out his blade and let the body drop onto her team’s area, forcing the False Carr to rush to catch her. “You’re next, faker,” he said.

The New Bladewolves:

Carr — 4 (4)

The Real Bladewolves:

Katherine — 2 (2)

End of Round 1: Timeout