The students enter Miyamoto's class.

  The sakura from the cherry blossoms fall upon the gravel, the sound of dirt under their heels, and the inky sky blackened by nimbostratus and cumulonimbus filled those who remained in the battle with both anxiety and resolve.

  “At the end of class yesterday I brought up that, I’ll would be matching up those who were left.

  The duels that would commence is Hirano vs. Tetsu.

  Mori vs. Mizuki.

  Kojima vs. Tokei.

  With the final duel being a three-man duel due to this being the only fair way I could find for the final duel.”

  “I would like to cross my blade with Kojima first, Sensei.”

  “Then ready yourselves for combat.”

  While the two place their selfs into position, I realize that the students wear no blood or bruises, so V must have left the fighting out. But there was still tension in the air; it could just be from the fear of dueling or whatever V was raving about this time.

  “覚悟! (Kakugo!)”

  Kojima once more used the Sha No Kamae stance.

  And Tokei used the Shin No Kamae stance.

  Why does this school teach swordplay? An “art,” if you can degrade the act of slaughtering your fellow man to that of art, to these children. In this pursuit of knowledge that V is on, and I have joined him in, is it just cause for not caring about what we may be teaching these children?

  Have I asked the same question twice?

  I must be spending too much time with V.

  “開始! (Kaishi!)”

  Kojima made the first move.

  Tokei stood still with his eyes closed as if he were in a meditative state with his bokken pointed to the sky.

  Slinnnnnng.

  Kojima aimed at the Tokei’s body.

  Tokei reflected and returned with an attempt at Kojima’s cranium.

  Bang!

  Kojima jumped backward, hiding her bokken.

  Tokei remained emotionless.

  Ripples sounded across the sky.

  Boom!

  Blows filled the air.

  Kojima was able to make another clean strike at Tokei.

  “Your strength is formidable, but you won’t be able to defeat me,” Tokei said.

  “Why won’t I?” Kojima asked while taking another swig at Tokei.

  “Because in swordplay, strength isn’t the variable; it is a mere fourth of the whole.”

  “You haven’t answered my question fully.”

  “Your movements are sluggish, filled with wasteful movements.”

  Tokei seems ensnarled with the blade. If he was trying to comprehend another weakness during a duel.

  Sling.

  Tokei's and Kojima's bokken clanged against one another, forming an X.

  “Tokei, what you say may ring true, but I must keep standing; I must become stronger.”

  “Without support from your abilities, then your words stand baseless. I can say I’ll live forever, but when reality holds me to such a thing I’ll be sitting.”

  Bang.

  Bang.

  Kojima's attacks pick up speed after Tokei's last statement. A blaze had been lit underneath her, but will the flames consume her?

  Tokei aimed a blow at Kojima's legs.

  Kojima blocked and responded with a kick.

  Tokei jumped to the side and blocked the kick.

  Tokei's now aiming at Kojima's unprotected back; he readied his greatest blow.

  Whoosh.

  Kojima was able to bend backward.

  Striking back at the Tokei.

  Hitting Tokei in the arm and knocking his bokken loose from his hand.

  “Victory for Kojima.

  Defeat for Tokei.

  Tokei, you could have snatched victory, but due to you becoming too relaxed, you left Kojima the opening she needed.”

  “Thank you, Sensei. I’ll will become better.”

  “Now, Kojima…”

  “Yes, Sensei.”

  “Tokei was correct; your movement could flow better, and you can cut down on some of your acts. The last move was your best, representing how the battle can change within mere seconds.”

  “Thank you, Sensei.”

  “Mori and Mizuki, your duel will commence next.”

  “Yes, Sensei,” both exclaim.

  Mori took the Hidari Gedan no Kamae stance.

  Mizuki the Gedan-No-Kamae stance.

  Both defensive stances.

  “覚悟! (Kakugo!)”

  Mori and Mizuki were the last two in V class to fall.

  Mizuki fell before Mori, she was taken out by V, using his shoe to knock her off balance.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Mori was taken out by using his own attack against him.

  I bring these points up due to some respect these two have gained from V. One of the craziest men I ever met, but as well as one of the deadliest men I ever met.

  “開始! (Kaishi!)”

  The two encircle each other.

  Waiting.

  Watching.

  Readying their selfs for the pounce.

  The storm brews above us, and the wind continues to blow.

  The two grow closer.

  Bang!

  Mori struck.

  Mizuki reflected.

  The breeze turned silent.

  The two stared each other down, ready to kill each other.

  They stood six feet away from each other. As well as standing sideways from one another.

  Then two moved their bokken to their side.

  Then they pounce.

  Thud.

  No dust clouds to cover what had happened this time.

  “Mori won.

  Mizuki loses.”

  A split second before Mizuki could reach Mori, his blade was able to hit Mizuki.

  “My advice is this, Mizuki: you didn’t need to follow Mori's lead. You should have kept to what gives you the advantage.”

  “Thank you, Sensei.”

  The only reason Mori won was due to his arm being a bit longer than Mizuki's.

  “Mori, you got lucky this time around, but in a real duel, your act would have left you open to attack.”

  “Thank you, Sensei, for the feedback.”

  It was rather odd to see those two do such a thing mid-duel. Throwing caution to the wind… Maybe… The two wanted to show their raw skill, so they stripped away everything but the bare basics. Nothing I say feels correct; I just don’t have the tool set for teaching.

  “Hirano vs Tetsu…”

  Without me realizing, the two had already gotten into position.

  “Oh… well, 覚悟! (Kakugo!)”

  Hirano stood in the Ko Gasumi stance.

  While Tetsu got into the Sha No Kamae stance.

  I heard that these two are friends, but I could tell from the glimmers within their eyes that neither would dare to hold back. The storm grew greater above, threatening to release what it held at any moment. The wind grew more forceful as well.

  “When was the last time we fought, my friend?”

  “Who’s to say, Takeshi? I just hope you grow in strength since.”

  “I do believe I won last time, Yuto.”

  “By a hair.”

  “開始! (Kaishi!)”

  Boom!

  Boom!

  Two strikes of lightning lit the sky above.

  As the two boys exploded at each other.

  Their bokkens bashed upon each other at the same speed as the lightning above.

  Neither dared to forfeit a step.

  Consumed by combat.

  Consumed by fighting a comrade.

  Learning more than a word could ever dare to say.

  Lighting started to increase in amount, almost following after every stick between the two boys… I guess the best way to learn the blade really is through action.

  The thunder was almost deafening, but nothing could remove the consternation from these two.

  Only standing in place; no matter how many blows they fired off, neither could manage to touch the other.

  If I recall, Celeste told me in the fight where V fought the man named Kesyer, the two were stuck in a rather similar stalemate, being unable to break it until she fired a fireball into the air.

  No matter what, I will not step in between their duel for the sake of their honor.

  The battle continued, with neither giving ground.

  “Seems like you’ve grown tenfold since our last skirmish, Yuto.”

  “Well, if I’ve grown tenfold, you’ve grown twenty, Takeshi.”

  “I think we both know that we can keep doing this for days, so let’s put all our power into the next hit and do something like the last two did.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  The two jumped away from each other and stood in place for about a minute.

  Dust was being kicked up around the two, even though there was no movement from the two.

  Just like before, with lightning lighting the sky and thunder filling the ears, they flew at each other.

  Dust exploded around the two, and the only thing from the duel we got was the sound of a thud.

  With the high amount of wind, the dust flew away as quick as it came, revealing…

  Hirano still standing.

  “It was fun, friend.”

  “It surely was.”

  Hirano reached out his hand, and Tetsu took the offer.

  “We should train together more, Yuto.”

  “Not until I’m done studying, Takeshi.”

  “Hirano wins.

  Tetsu loses.

  Well, before the final duel, we will have a ten-minute break so Hirano can gain back some of his strength.

  The final duel will be between

  Mori.

  Kojima.

  And Hirano.

  So, ready yourself for this final battle.”

  The three who still stood ready their selves.

  I walk started to walk towards the door to enter the hallway to get my mind in order, even for just a mare second. But before I could reach the knob, I could feel the aura of a man who feels like I’ve known for eternity, a man who doesn’t deem himself as such… A Devil, so to say, walks out of the shadows.

  “Nice fighting.”

  “V, why are you here? Don’t you have a class?”

  “All my students are either sleeping or not in my class, so I decide to take a walk, and I also heard that my students were beating the shit out of each other. Too bad I got here at the tail end of Yuki's fight; I would have liked to see the whole thing. But what can you do?”

  “And why were you just in the shadows back here?”

  “The kids seem to have opinions on my existence, and I don’t want to mess them up during dueling.”

  “Rather nice of you.”

  “Nah, I’m just here for a good fight. Just want to see something like Hitman Hearns vs. Marvin Hagler.”

  “What?”

  “...Nothing.”

  V sometimes brings up odd comments like this Hitman Hearns thing and always never explains what he means. In all my journeys I never met a man like V.

  “Just come up front and watch.”

  “Fine, fine.”

  We walked back to the main dueling grounds with the storm still brewing above and a fight below. “The time for rest is over, Mori, Kojima, and Hirano; seal any worries that still boil within and place yourselves in position.”

  V turned his head and looked at me, asking, “Why do you call them by their last name?”

  “It’s professional, V. What have you been calling the student?”

  “Their first name.”

  “I still wonder what that headmaster was thinking, hiring us.”

  “Yeah, that old man must have a few screws loose.”

  The reminding student has gotten into position. Only one last thing to say.

  "覚悟! (Kakugo!)”

  “You know Japanese, Miyamoto.”

  “V, it’s called Jōdai Nihon-Go.”

  Fucking… That just means old Japanese, “Whatever.”

  “I have to start this.”

  “I’ll shut up; I was just bringing something up.”

  “開始! (Kaishi!)”

  Mori stood on the left.

  Hirano stood on the right.

  And Kojima stood right in front of the blossom tree, in the middle of the other two.

  Each student study the other, trying to get a grasp on those who beat two of their fellow classmates. The first to attack would be at a disadvantage due to having their backs open.

  “If you kids don’t start moving, I’m going to walk over to each of you and bash you over the head with my cane.”

  Either due to these words spoken by V or if another factor played in, it seemed a fire were lit within Kojima and Mori, and both jumped toward each other. Even though it seems Hirano was not pursued by the same blaze, he still joined the battle. I say it came of honor, but only a man theirself could ever say what their own actions mean.

  The battle has started under the rose blossom tree, a course I realized how foolish it was to have a 1 vs. 1 vs. 1 because a 1 vs. 1 is easy to follow, but when three people are all fighting at once, it is impossible to view the battle.

  “I’ll say this is the best battle, duel, or whatever the hell you want to call it. It shows the reality of conflict, all the confusion and madness that goes hand in hand.”

  “Maybe, you’re correct.”

  Kojima was in the middle of the fight, fighting both Mori and Hirano.

  But the same goes for the other.

  Each didn’t dare collaborate with the others due to the simple belief in honor.

  Kojima was back into the tree trunk.

  Even though the other two were still going at it, it seemed like Kojima would fall first

  But before Komji could be fully box in, she started to climb the tree…

  “Clever girl.”

  The class, including V, all got closer to the duel to see what was happening.

  While the students, V, and I grew ever closer, the other two followed Kojima up.

  Each taking a branch.

  The Mori jumped over to Kojima’s branch.

  The two started to duel each other: strike, dodge, reflex, and repeat.

  Hirano was trying to join in but was having a hard time jumping to each branch.

  “It seems like everyone has become apes with sticks.”

  “This comes from your insanity, V.”

  “You know I can’t run straight up a tree and duel on branches.”

  Kojima took a swing at Mori, but Mori jumped over to another branch, causing Kojima to stumble a bit from the force of her own swing.

  Mori was trying to use the same move from his previous duel—jumping out of the way and attacking at his foe's weakened stance—but when Mori jumped back to the same branch, Kojima wasn’t weakened.

  Because when she started to fall, she had placed her bokken in her mouth and went down hard.

  But in the second Kojima hit the ground, she had gotten into a push-up formation and shot herself up.

  Causing confusion within Mori.

  With this reversal of Mori's last act, Kojima was able to take the upper hand and took a strike at Mori.

  All this is happening while Hirano trying to jump over drenched tree branches.

  Even with Kojima's reverse, Mori is still able to get himself together.

  Hitting back against the strike but now being pinned to the tree trunk.

  “You’ve been a worthwhile opponent, Kojima.”

  “You taught me much in this short time, so I must thank you for such Mori.”

  “Let’s finish this,” their voices echoed each other.

  Kojima brought down her bokken, but Mori walked off the branch… grabbing onto the bottom.

  Mori now being underneath Kojima, and Kojima in a state of bewilderment.

  He threw himself behind Kojima and stuck Kojima's back.

  But the duel is not yet finished, with Hirano getting over to Mori’s branch.

  “Ok, can we all get down and finish this like a real duel?” Yuto asked.

  “Yeah, I almost broke my neck doing that shit.”

  “Yeah, that was pretty insane, Rayden.”

  “Well, I just did what I thought V would do, Yuto.”

  The two let Kojima climb down first due to being out.

  Then Hirano jumped down and returned to his original position on the right.

  Finally, Mori got down and returned to his position.

  “Well, Rayden, we’re ending where we all started.”

  “Yeah… one hit will either bring us victory or defeat.”

  Both readied their bokken and, like many times before, leapt at each other.

  “Ahhhhhhhh!”

  The clouds exploded with lightning, finally releasing whatever it held.

  The rain was almost too thick to see through.

  Bang.

  A single bang cut through everything…

  Hirano had knocked Mori's bokken away and hit him in the stomach.

  “Hirano wins.

  Mori and Kojima lost.

  Great job, everyone. Let's all get into the hallway to get a roof over us.”

  We all started to run towards the doors, but V just stood still, looking up.

  “V!” My scream was almost drowned out from the downpour.

  “Don’t worry… don’t worry, it all will pass soon.”