Meteor Arts Saga

Chapter 36

Tachibana-sensei called everyone to clear the centre of the dojo for the special sparring between the Kage-gun survivor, Issei Tsushima, and the previous president of the Renmei, Masaharu Suzuki. Taro asked some of the kendoka next to him if they sparred against Issei. The opinions of Issei were similar if not the same. He had the killer instinct of a wild boar and even shamed them for lack of warrior drive. None of them had taken his approach well. Taro learned Yuuta was not the only time he had a difficult time with Issei.

The sparring match commenced, and Issei started off delivering a strike, but Suzuki-sensei blocked it and both opponents collided. When Issei broke out, the sensei caught him by his men perfectly. The spectators were quietly amazed. Issei attacked another target, but the sensei once again stopped him and countered his attack. Issei was shaking, as if his skills are failing him. Issei struck with his shinai few times, but he could not hit either any of the sensei's target areas completely. He grew nervous. He was desperate and rushed to attack. Most often, Suzuki-sensei struck his do when Issei attacked fast and hit with debana or suriage techniques when attacked slow. Issei got angry and decided to attack him, and with one strong strike, but the sensei caught his shinai and deflected away, throwing Issei completely off balance.

The spectators were amazed to see the sparring. They exchanged quiet comments on Suzuki-sensei besting Issei without effort, even with the higher drive Issei outputted.

Issei had grown tired and could not keep his composure.

Masaharu made a tap on the shinai, and it made Issei jittery. "Come on, Tsushima," he said, while calm and collected. "I can tell you're very strong and experienced, but you fight like a rookie. You can do way better than that."

"Hey, what's going on?" said Kohei, appeared out of nowhere.

"Shh..." His father shushed him calmly. "Both Suzuki-sensei and Tsushima are having jigeiko."

The air turned tense around the spectators, anticipating what both opponents next moves will be, while remain stoic and just followed along the match.

They slowly moved into their cutting distances, connecting each other with feeling of how they are wielding their respective shinai. A few seconds later, Issei made a small number of combos, whether be it a kote-men and a hiki-men, but Suzuki-sensei threw them off as he came right at him. And in one alarmed moment, Issei suddenly used tsuki. The strike missed, but the shinai went through the sensei's men and it got stuck. The students gasped and cringed in shock.

Suzuki-sensei broke out in rage. He slapped Issei's shinai away and charged at his opponent like a raging bull, all the way until his back hit the wall and locked him tight. "Hey! What the hell was that!? Huh!?" he yelled.

Issei was frightened. Even the students were frightened by the sensei's outburst, and Koki was shocked, looking lifeless as if his soul flew away. Even though Issei's tsuki strike failed, there was something about it that connected to Koki.

There was some whispering going on.

"I don't believe it!"

"He used tsuki on Suzuki-sensei!"

"That idiot Tsushima! Doesn't he know you shouldn't use tsuki on an 8th dan!?"

"Be quiet over there!" Suzuki-sensei shouted at them.

The students flinched. They turned silent and bowed for his forgiveness.

Suzuki-sensei turned back to Issei. "Why did you do that, huh!? Is my kendo such a joke to you, you decided to use tsuki on me!?"

Issei responded uneasily, "S-Sorry... I just... I just lost myself! Besides, I didn't even know what else to do but-"

"Don't argue with me! Did anyone give you permission to use tsuki on me!?"