Chapter 75 - 73

Facing the new weapon she takes the shield back, hitting it with her mace and making me fear for the bent integrity of the metal, but it holds alright, probably in great need for repairs after our little spare.

Is my time to test the blades in the air, twisting the small one in small arches and feeling the comforting weight at the palm of my hands.

And that makes me confident enough to strike first even against such strange strong woman. She manages to block the long blade with her shield, but as her mace comes from behind to hit me I use the smaller sword to defend me, parrying her upcoming attack and using her momentum to carry her mace to the side and open her arm with it.

If it wasn't for the shield keeping my long sword occupied I could have cut her, but having that kept at bay I use the smaller one to strike, all in a flowing motion, going outwards then striking at her open side, but she dodges back, proving that she is not only well versed in weapons but her footwork is also as great.

I shake my head to the side like a wet dog, the back of my eyes burning as a voice resonates somewhere deep inside.

"Footwork is the true defense. No shield, no armor can completely protect you from an attack, but your speed and ability to dodge will always take you away from a killing blow. Never to be hit, never to be hurt, with the speed of a snake and the sharpness of a blade."

Those thoughts, those… memories roll in my mind, making me light on my feet as she launches a sequence of heavy quick attacks, landing none as she sweats with the effort.

I can feel my heartbeat pulsating at the back of my ears as something… changes.

Red flames burn on the background and screams fill my ears, and yet my master's voice resonates clearly, like the calling of a bird on summer.

"A steady defense does not mean the stillness of a rock, but the flow of a river, to be strong enough to mold the earth with its passage, but to be smart enough to fluctuate when facing stronger opponents. Watch, observe, then… attack!"

The fire intensifies, but I can only hear my own breathing as my eyes focus on the enemy in front.

Then I attack.

All flows, the long strike, coming from her attacking side is not aiming to hit her and, as she dodges her body back the blade hits the side of her shield, bringing it away from her body and twisting the arm strapped behind it, and hissing she is forced to let go of it before the angle and strength break her arm, and trying to still defend her side she uses her mace to push me back, only that I block the attack with the smaller sword and advance, the long sword, once in the air, comes back around to hit her.

A decapitating blow.

"Seiji, 'stop'!"

And with that, my nerves are set on fire and I'm forced to drop my weapons and myself on the floor, the cursing command burning on my skin and letting a foul smell drift in such a small place.

I hiss, but once I drop to the floor the burning attack ceases, leaving me to blink the battlefield away as the screams leave my ears buzzing.

All are shocked in silence, especially the Queen as she knew from my eyes that I was about to kill her, that she has been mere seconds from death, and yet it seems appropriate that, even in this kind of situation, even while the other are still in shock, that she is the first to talk again: 

"Captain, you have a lot of explanation to do." Her tone of voice leaves no space for discussion.

"..."

All stare at me with wide eyes, but I cannot blame them, and I don't even care really, I'm more worried with these strange memories of mine playing, wondering if I'm going insane.

They start heading upstarts, and the Captain goes back to call for me, only that I realize that is not my name he says.

"Scientist, stop staring at him and come up, I will only explain it once."

That makes me frown and look back, only to be face to face with the dude that was at the back table before, all bland and passable, but now he is glimmering and staring holes at me, his face too close for comfort.

"Such a fine specimen! I cannot wait to study him into even the smallest pieces, inside out… How much has it changed? Blood, DNA, so many samples needed…" Ok, this guy is a creep, can you get him away from me please?

"Scientist…" Captain says, using his scolding voice.

"Magnanimous Scientist please, and of course, of course I'm coming! I'm more than eager to know where did you find such creature!" At that the shy guy cannot stop talking and rumbling about testing this or testing that, but I choose to block his voice out for the sake of my sanity, my already crumbling sanity.

These humans will drive me crazy!

And yet to my delight, the ego hurt Gunner is waiting at the top of the stairs, and once we reach there and everybody is on the other side, he simple closes the door on me, but not before having the last word in, saying in the small open crack:

"You stay out of this freak."

…T-this guy! I wish I had beat you to a pulp!

Growling and pacing on the stairs I go back down, and with no windows or other places to go out from and see just how much they think they can control me, in the end I'm left to cross my legs on the floor and stare at the swords I had just used, my earing making me very aware of everything going on upstairs.

Asher then goes to, once more, explaining the situation, giving me enough time to nap with my eyes open, again.

"No wonder he gave me such a hard time. Seiji Koshiro, one of the fiercest of the seven samurai. I recognized him once you gave him those two blades, but to think I would exchange blows with the Twin Fangs… Plus, wasn't he supposed to be on his forty or something?"

You ask me lady? I don't even remember all that stuff!

At that the commotion settles, all talking at once, some wanting to know about me, others about my condition, others pointing how untrustworthy I am, others that think I'm a ticking bomb, a ghoul, an enemy, others thinking as Asher, that I can be useful in the battlefield, arguing about the little taste I just have them, and the discussion is set as all start speaking over each other.

Bored by that I end up letting my gaze wander back down to the reflecting metal of the weapon in front of me, and I cannot help but reach out to them and embrace their crisscrossed white and blue handles, feeling soothed by the sensation of having them in my reach.

…Are they right about my condition? Was I this human they talk about, Seiji, before? I had a past beyond the woods? Beyond my superior form?

I did not know…  I truly do not know, nothing at all.

And that scares me.