THE DUEL

"Are there any rules we should add to the game?" Shiro asked Saya's father.

"It would be easy if it ended too soon. Let's do this. A person with more than five superficial cuts will lose. If that doesn't happen, which is not possible, the person in a better shape in the next fifteen minutes wins by default." Suichiro responded.

"Understood." Shiro's sheath clicked and Shiro pulled out his sword.

When Suichiro saw the weapon, he complimented it. "It's a magnificent blade."

"Well, thank you." Shiro smiled.

"I'll give you the chance to attack first." Suichiro took a stance with one leg in front of the other and his body slightly bent sideways. The sword stood vertically in front of him, the hilt in front of his chest and the tip extending above his head.

Shiro on the other hand stood with his sword in front of him. He didn't take any stance.

Hearing Suichiro give him the chance to attack first, Shiro, with restricted speed and strength dashed at Suichiro.

"Amazing speed." Suichiro nodded.

Shiro, still limiting his strength, brought down his sword on Suichiro.

Clang.

Suichiro's sword moved to deflect Shiro's attack.

"You'll have to do better." Suichiro smiled. He pushed back with his sword and Shiro was pushed back.

"Understood." Shiro smiled back.

"I said that, but I'll have to make sure you don't do that. I can't just sit still and watch you attack continuously." Suichiro dashed at Shiro.

The sword came slicing at Shiro's neck from the left.

Clang.

Shiro's sword blocked the attack.

"You'll also have to do better." Shiro smiled back.

Suichiro chuckled. "That seems to be the case." He walked back slowly, keeping his eyes on Shiro in case of an unexpected attack.

Shiro didn't attack and just let him do what he wanted.

"Should we take it up a notch?" Suichiro asked Shiro.

"Sure. Let's do that." Shiro nodded.

The next moment, their swords clashed. The both of them were pressing each other to decide who had an upper hand.

Suichiro slowly increased his strength but Shiro stayed like a rock.

"I think I know why Shiro refused to let me fight him now," Saeko spoke from the side of the field.

"Why's that?" Saya asked. She was the tensest on the team at the moment.

"I might be great at swordsmanship but I greatly lack something they both have."

"What's that?" Kohta asked.

"Strength. I have great precision and control like Shiro but I lack the strength aspect." Saeko explained and turned to Saya. "Your father got training from my father so he'll be familiar with our sword style. That's another disadvantage. Since I lack strength too, the disadvantage tips to my side heavily. Shiro intends to fix those disadvantages with his strength."

"Do you mean to say that Shiro is stronger than my father?" Saya asked.

Saeko nodded. "In brute strength, I think so. But your father has more experience and is familiar with our sword style while Shiro knows nothing about his. If your father isn't fighting at full strength right now, the probability of Shiro winning is two out of every forty fights."

"Is Shiro going to win?" Alice asked Takashi.

"Let's pray he does," Takashi replied.

"Seven minutes have passed. Can we get really serious now? This will end in a draw if we keep doing this." Shiro was the one to speak this time.

"If I get totally serious, you might end up with a serious injury, but if you insist, I'll do so." Suichiro breathed deeply.

"Likewise." Shiro breathed deeply too.

"The part I was hoping to see." Saeko smiled.

"What do you mean?" Kohta and Takashi asked.

"The way Shiro had been fighting, is that how he fought when we all went out?" Saeko asked.

"I didn't see him fight so I do not know." Takashi answered.

"No, he was more dangerous and fierce." Kohta shook his head.

"Shiro is about to get serious." Hina chuckled and everyone understood what Saeko had meant.

The two of them vanished from their positions apart from each other and when they appeared, their swords were clashing with each other.

"Not bad at all. In fact, it's astounding." Suichiro praised Shiro.

"Thank you for the compliment. Let's go all the way." Shiro replied.

Clang! Clang!! Clang!!!

Their swords clashed consecutively, one attacking and the other defending, the position changing with every strike.

Suichiro's sword sliced through the air and Shiro was slower to react.

Slash.

Shiro was deeply cut on his left arm.

"I'll be damned." Shiro cussed.

"I warned you, didn't I?" Suichiro walked closer.

"The only person who could beat me at my current level is your cousin, Saeko's father. I don't think you're at his level yet, but I think you'll surpass him in your lifetime. You've got great potential."

"I should've gone all out after all I said. Sorry. I was trying to gauge your peak state and I ended with a wicked cut. You didn't hold back. If I had been slower, you would've cut off the whole arm." Shiro kept complaining.

"Okay, we've got three minutes left." Shiro smiled.

"No, we're done. You need to be treated." Suichiro objected and everyone broke out in cold sweats.

"I don't remember a rule saying a deep cut leads to victory." Shiro shook his head.

Suichiro thought for a moment and sighed. "Fine. Let's have it your way."

"Thank you," Shiro said and vanished.

Slash.

A minor cut appeared on Suichiro's cheek.

"What the hell was that?" Everyone gasped.

"What did you do?" Suichiro asked with a cold stare, glaring at Shiro who was now behind him.

"That's the first superficial cut." Shiro disappeared again.

Slash.

Another cut opened in Suichiro's thigh.

"The second."

Before Suichiro could speak, another cut appeared.

"That's the third." Shiro stood two meters away from Suichiro.

"I see. You were already at Master Busujima's level. No, you're a little past that." Suichiro nodded. "I give…"

Slash.

"And that's the last one." Shiro gave a deeper cut this time.

"I was going to surrender." Suichiro replied.

"I wasn't going to let you. I wanted to win according to the rules." Shiro replied as he placed his blade back into its sheath.

"Well, you won. Saya will go with you guys as promised. I won't go back on my words." Suichiro nodded.

"I'm happy she'll end up in good hands." Suichiro smiled.

"Thank you." Shiro replied and walked away.

"He won! Shiro won!" Hina exclaimed.

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