ZEN - Part Two [COMPLETED] [#WATTYS2017]

This'll Save Your Life... Or Kill You

Chapter 82 - This'll Save Your Life... Or Kill You

"Good. So, now that you've all got the basics down, it's time for some practical applications." Zen treats her half-dozen candidates to a truly evil grin, then accesses her storage-pouch and withdraws a wooden sword with accompanying main gauche. "For this exercise, you'll stand in a circle around me. At random, I'll attempt to stab you in the stomache, where you will parry, then use your other hand to attack me."

Each of the girls glance to the others in an effort to console themselves that they weren't the only ones a little hesitant about this excercise, and the short Cat-woman issues a snort of amusement. "Whut. First time I killed a man was with this maneuvre."

"W-what happened?"

Zen offers a little shrug while twirling her wooden katana around. "A week after my brother and I left to pursue our new careers, we sorta ran afoul of some local thugs. They believed us to be easy prey. They did not get a chance to revise their opinion. So, come on. Circle-up. You move too slow, or strike too weakly, there will be repercussions."

A few of the teens groan at the thought of the agony they'd be sure to receive, though still shuffle into place around the sadistic feline.

"Alright. Keep at the ready. Top dagger covering the chest and neck, low guarding the belly and thighs." The small Scout counts down from three, then whirls to stuff the end of her sword straight into Ezra's gut.

Though the plain-looking human attempts to swat the sword away, there's simply too much force, and the impact immediately steals her breath and drops her down to a knee.

Without waiting, Zen spins to attack Juniper, who grunts before collapsing, then the Coyote-kin Yuma who yelps while doubling-over, but when she thrusts her blade towards Wilma, the tiny girl actually manages to deflect the blow.

Yet the Mouse makes the fatal mistake of not following up with her off-hand fast enough, and pays for it with a painful slash across her medium-sized breasts by the feline's main gauche.

Calamity is the next to receive their Master's wrath, but she smacks the wooden sword away and ripostes with a stab towards the Cat's throat, only to have it blocked in turn.

"Good." Zen whirls to confront the final teen, the raven-haired Darcy, and the taller human mimics the ginger-nut's successes motion for motion. "Nice. From in outwards. Keep their long blade on their strong side, 'cause if you push it to their weak one, they can follow up with a slash while pulling back. Again. Up!"

After all the downed girls painfully pull themselves vertical, the small Scout lashes out to attack them all, this time with three of the six completing the task. "Again." On the next round, four manage to survive. "AGAIN." With her anger and frustration rising, the number goes back down to two. "COME ON! AGAIN!"

A dozen more circuits are needed before all of the teens succeed, though Zen figures it's a one-off, and goes through the drill one more time. But they all block and counter perfectly, so it's time to move on to the next portion. "Alright. Now you'll be deflecting an direct overhead slash. Push the sword to my weak side, and spin to stab me in the throat or temple. Obviously, you know what will happen if you miss your initial parry... so don't miss."