I prepare for the upcoming fight with Kunnia by sitting on a bench... doing nothing.
I see a little creature hop out of the woods. It looks like a bunny, except it has horns and pink fur, which reminded me of a peep.
Turning my glance upwards as I look at the cloudy skies.
Cloudy days are the best kind of weather, a somewhat unpopular opinion. But my favorite temperature is 73 degrees, and a nice breeze, maybe even a bit of rain. It's about as calming as it could get.
And just when I think my day couldn't get better, I hear loud clanks from metal boots as a beautiful Kunnia walks up to me... with a very angry expression.
I continue looking up to the sky, trying to act cool. "It looks like it's about to thunder."
Kunnia ignores my remark and apparently my coolness. "It would seem you're not as cowardly as you first appeared."
I sigh, thinking how a nap on this perfect bench with this perfect weather would make the perfect day. Maybe I could convince Kunnia to let me rest on her lap.
I glance up and see her glaring expression...
...Maybe not...
"Do we really have to do this?" I exhale.
"While Roulette may have prevented you from signing that dropout form, I have made it my job to end any dishonorable behavior. So, sign the challenge contract. How about whoever wins does what the other side says for four months."
"Servitude? That works for me, but wouldn't you rather have me drop out? I am your competition, after all."
"While you are a coward, it would be disrespectful to end a young swordsman's journey so soon. "
Did she realize what would happen if this duel was to drop out? Or is she really that morally just?
If she were to become known as the person who forced people to drop out, she'd be a common enemy and eventually have to face an angry mob, one that she could not defeat, likely leading to her own dismissal.
I look at the knightly women and realize it was the former. "So you're giving up your chance to become a Luminary for the sake of your honor?"
"I'm not giving up being a Luminary. I will become the strongest through my honor and for the sake of it."
"Hmm? Sounds like quite the early grave," I mumble.
"Someone as cowardly as you wouldn't be able to understand. Knights live and die by a code. I'm hoping by winning, I can show you the strength of our code. So, let us fight!"
I sigh a sigh of defeat; she seems the stubborn type. I pull out the challenge form she gave me earlier, it's all crinkled. I hope she doesn't get the wrong idea about me.
(expand - go into more detail about the forms) Looking at the page, most of it is basic rules such as restrictions and regulations. At the very bottom, there's a box with two spaces, one for the rules of the match and the other box for writing the rewards and penalties of defeat.
We each write our own rules and restrictions. Checking her regulations, I sign. Handing her the paper, in hopes that she will comment on how good my handwriting is. She signs it without even checking.
A large domain of clear hexagonal plates forms, creating a dome the size of a small soccer field. Each plate is several inches thick yet clear like tempered glass.
A megaphone emerges from the top of the dome with a goofy-looking jump. "The Duel will begin in three!..."
During the countdown, I hastily grab the coins from my pocket; Buying two long metal tubes, a wooden plank, and a stick, I attempt to wrap them together with a bit of rope. I try my best to make it look like a double-barrel shotgun, but only a novice in guns would be convinced as the gun lacks a hammer, as well as a trigger.
Kunnia stands on the opposing side in what seems to be a professional sword pose.
After this astute observation, I quickly realized... I have no experience with swords. In my old life, my dad gave me a katana that he'd taken from a patient as hidden contraband. I swung it around a few times because it was a good shoulder workout, but I had no clue what I was doing.
This life wasn't much better; the best I could do was dodge beer bottles. I pray my instincts and muscle memory will be enough.
In terms of strength, I have always maintained my physical strength. I have never been into hypertrophy training. There's no point in having huge muscles if you can't use them practically. So I stick primarily to strength training through calisthenics; it allows me to feel in perfect control of my body.
"...two! one! BEGIN!"
"I look forward to teaching you true honor. Your first lesson is to bow when facing an opponent."
As Kunnia courteously bows, I dash at her, managing to catch her off guard as I scoop up some dirt, throwing it into her face, hoping to at least dirty her glasses.
Recoiling, she begins to swing her sword aimlessly.
Taking advantage of this brief weakness, I dig a shallow trench in front of my makeshift shotgun. Slipping a gold coin in my hand as I imagine a metal rod, as I wrap it in copper wire.
Just because I don't know how to use a sword doesn't mean I don't know how to fight dirty. "Your honor has made you weak," I taunt as I dig.
Kunnia stands still for a moment, wiping her glasses with a newfound hatred. She glares as she takes a deep breath. I hear a loud whistle as air slips through her lips like the sound one would hear before a firework was to go off.
She plants her feet in the ground.
It's fine, at least I managed to blur her vision; when you combine that with her glasses, it means her depth perception should at least be somewhat thrown off. Now I just need to find out what her power i-
Kunnia vanishes; in her place, a cone-shaped cloud as a deafening boom fills my ears.
Instinctually panicking as suddenly a sword is thrust into my face, I step away, barely managing to block the strike as I lean backward.
So... she's not afraid to kill if she has to. No, she was holding back.
Barely managing to trade blows with her as she slows down, or more realistically... I manage to survive a few attacks before she allows me to breathe.
It seems my body has given up before me as my shoulders droop in surrender and the air in my diaphragm abandons me. Anyone would know what that cone-shaped cloud was...a sonic boom.
So, I'm facing a human who can go faster than the speed of sound, and I have the ability of an overpriced grocery store in my palm.
Kunnia's steps slow as she comes to a stop. She musters a deep gasp as if catching her breath. "I must say, you fight well for a disgrace. Few have been able to dodge my first few attacks. You show promise, so please don't hold this future loss against me, but instead against yourself and your cheap style. I'm simply stronger and more noble!"
Mustering up the most of my ego in these current circumstances I return her remark with tired eyes. "Then don't hold it against me when they have a hard time recovering your corpse."
That wasn't very charismatic of me, and apparently, Kunnia agrees. She begins to grit her teeth as her eyes narrow, and I hear the whistling once more. This time it's different, it feels much stronger.
Failing to catch my breath, I suddenly have a hard time breathing; she must be compressing the air within the domain.
The ground begins to shake as she aims her sword, and her legs glow an ominous green followed by a chant.
"The cracks of bones rattle this world's core; blood shall flood the rivers. There are no clouds and yet it rains. The dreams of the forgotten dead lie on the hilt of blades long since rusted. But I... shall not let their dreams die ...Semper Fi."
As I watch this superhero-like charge up, I imagine myself sitting on the bench. The nice breeze blowing through my hair as I see clouds pass by, I may have also imagined Kunnia there as my head lie on her lap.
I'm dragged back into cruel reality as Kunnia vanishes. She circles around me, my ears nearly bleeding due to the continuous sonic booms reverberating around me.
She creates a runway directed towards me. Moments away from being a skewered toothpick... I throw away my sword.
Kunnia skids to a halt as the air rips past, stopping as her sword pokes the fabric of my shirt, warning my heart of its presence.
As I thought, she couldn't do it. "What's wrong, can't kill an unarmed man?" I Jeer.
She narrows her eyes, her blade ignoring the laws of personal space. "Pick... up... your sword! You coward!"
I put my hands up as if I surrender. "It looks like you beat me."
Kunnia's expression lightens as she raises her chin, sheathing her weapon. "Very well, don't fret, I have nothing malicious planned for you. Starting tomorrow, we will begin your honorary training."
She turns away; taking this blindspot, I grab two more coins from my pocket and create a small car battery fumbling as I attach to the metal rod I had initially placed in the trench, electricity sparks as energy streams into the coiled wire.
Meanwhile, Kunnia continues monologuing to herself. "Well, at least your cowardice helped you realize when you... were... outmatched?" Her words begin to slow down with uncertainty as she looks up, likely perplexed to see that the domain has yet to open.
She attempts to strut away, but for some reason, her forward boot won't move, as if it were stuck on something... how odd.
Looks like someone didn't read the rule book. The rules of challenges state that opponents must either publicly declare "surrendering" or no longer be in a conscious state to declare it themselves.
"Rabbits are known for their speed; you cannot kill what you cannot catch. We humans are no match for a rabbit in speed. So what do we do? We use their speed against them. Thus, the snare was invented. Hop and hop as it may, the noose is already securely fastened around the bunny's neck, only getting tighter with every jump," I preach.
She cranes her neck to look at me as she raises her eyebrow, then down at her metal boot; her eyes scanning my ramshackle invention, seeing the battery attached to two wires. Quick on the pickup, it seems she connects the dots as her eyes widen.
"An electromagnet. When electricity flows through its coil, it generates a magnetic field that aligns the magnetic domains within the iron, causing it to become magnetized and thus attracted to the electromagnet. All I had to do was scale it up a bit and voila, a knight snare. They say opposites attract. So I was wondering if, by chance, you had any interest in me?"
Perhaps that was poor timing on my part... she glares at me for a moment before quickly crouching to unbuckle her trapped metal boot.
"Don't... move..." I warn.
She slowly turns to me; stepping out of the way, I present my jerry-rigged "shotgun" I'd made during the countdown.
"This is a fully automatic 870 shotgun," I proudly claim, internally, scoffing. It's certainly not fully atomic; very few shotguns are, most are pump action, and definitely not a double barrel...I guess there's the DP-12? No, that's also pump action. Clearly, she doesn't know the answer, as her eyes shake at the sight of my fake firearm.
"If you even breathe unevenly, this will go off and turn you into a bloody mist."
I look down at her as she glares at me. For a brief moment, I feel ashamed for tricking someone as honest as her, but the feeling fades as quickly as it came.
A light pattering can be heard on the domain as rain begins to drizzle, quickly evolving into a relentless rain.
"To think it's going to storm on the first day of school, well it's a good thing neither of us are standing next to a long metal pole," I say as I plant a long metal pole into the ground beside her; slowly turning my head I smile at her.
As if perfectly on cue, the loud cry of thunder booms. I don't flinch, but the same can't be said for the cute girl currently wearing forty pounds of metal.
Kunnia, kneeling there realizes the circumstances she is in, yet does not appear to waiver.
So... I've got to make her waiver. "There's a 1 in 15,300 chance of being struck by lightning, time to place your bets."
She doesn't respond, still kneeling there, not losing her glare. Perhaps she's coming up with a futile attempt at a plan.
Another thunder booms. This time, much closer than the last, while she attempts to keep a cool expression, her trembling body snitches as it fails to mask the fear. "You won't fool me with your bluff! The domain won't let any electricity in; I'll be fine." She shakily scoffs.
"That's true. But... I could always S-word (surrender), leading to the domain opening up."
"Then what? You would lose."
"Right again, I would lose. The domain would open, and lightning would be able to strike the pole, leading to your death. ...I doubt a corpse will be able to teach me much about honor though." Making sure to emphasize every word; I begin to back up, as if fearing getting caught up in the lightning strike.
For a moment she holds her stern expression but it quickly crumbles as her eyes begin to watery.
Like a cornered animal, unable to move, unable to negotiate, hopeless, as the teeth sink deeper. The only difference is, she has a way out, a way that will cost her her freedom.
Now looking around desperately, she looks for a "hero", for something to save her.
I theatricalize my "fear" by widening my eyes, stumbling backward as if preparing for the impending strike, covering my ears. "I sur-"
Hesitating for a single, before she finally falters. "Okay! Okay! I surrender. I lose!"
The hexagonal plates vanish as the domain opens up, revealing the open sky. Magically, the contract re-appears in front of us. The page implodes and from it, a tiny black murky creature appears. It splits itself in two, one half running up to my leg and digging into my skin, the other running up Kunnia's leg, and yet she does not move, likely fearing my fake shotgun, instead showing her discontent as she congeals her face.
I'm not entirely sure what those little creatures were. But I assume that is how our "servitude" penalty is enforced, so I ignore it; what's another parasite in my body?
Kunnia's eyes dart around as if waiting for me to act. "I surrendered! Get rid of the damn gun!"
I pause for a moment raising my eyebrow with a shrug. "It's not real. It's just a bunch of metal tubes."
Her jaw drops dumbfounded. "Wha-" Realizing she's still in danger, Kunnia hastily takes off her boot and flees from the death trap she was once restrained to hopping towards me. Guess I wasn't too far off with the rabbit analog-
My internal monologue is cut off by a loud boom of thunder followed by lightning striking the pole. Kunnia watches with wide eyes, turning to me while standing on one boot. "That could've been me, you idiot! You were really going to kill me!" She huffs and puffs.
I close my eyes and give my brightest smile."Don't worry, I would have saved you. You call me dishonorable and cowardly, but even I wouldn't allow a beautiful woman like you to die." At the core of my heart, I know this is a lie. I would have let her die without a second thought. I don't save people. I have no reason to unless they're useful.
In truth, besides that sonic-boom ability, I'm not sure what I'm going to use her for.
Strolling over to my death trap I refund all of the objects; the gold coins shock me as they appear in my hand.
Tossing Kunnia her boot, she hastily puts it on. Her expression lightens as she untenses.
I strut up to her. "Don't go thinking it's over. You're only at the entrance of the den, the lions still within."