Ichika's POV
How did it come to this? I'm being trained by Houki, but she's taking it way too far. How did she even get permission to use a training I.S anyways?
"Come on Ichika! You can't slack off or else you're going to lose the class competition matches coming up!" she told me, but...
"I already lost once, there's no way I can beat Yn in a one on one when he was able to beat me with Cecilia there as a distraction," I groaned the truth. Chifuyu's been telling me to train hard, that it was only because Cecilia was there to divide Yn's attention that I was even able to land a single hit.
"So? He probably got that good by training hard, so if you do the same then you'll catch up in no time!" she proudly proclaimed. "After all, when we were all training in kendo way back when we were little, he was never allowed to train with us. He always had to get special tutoring from the head instructor."
Well, that was true. Back when I did Kendo he was always taken away to be taught by the head instructor, Chifuyu always told me it was because he was too weak to be sparring with us. I've never actually seen him in a match, but I'm pretty sure that Chifuyu has gone against him once, she once came home with a few bruises, telling me that Yn would be staying at the hospital overnight with our teacher.
She explained that she had defeated Yn and faced the instructor afterward. He was apparently pissed because she had hit Yn way too hard and he needed to go to a medical checkup to make sure that he was alright. During the match our instructor barely held back, claiming that he didn't want to injure her enough to send her to the hospital with Yn since someone needed to watch over me.
I remember her being depressed. But I guess that's to be expected, our parents had left not long before that incident.
"Besides, from what you've been telling me, he seems to be training his body and hand to hand combat, not anything for the I.S currently. Therefore you'll have more time to catch up to him by solely training technique and speed! After all, didn't Chifuyu say that your I.S was faster than his? That means all you need to do is close the distance and get one good shot in before he has the chance to do anything!" she proclaimed.
"I don't think that'll work as well as you think it will," the sound of Rin's voice drew my attention, though Houki looked annoyed for some reason.
"What are you doing here? Can't you see that we're trying to train here?"
"I was planning to help Ichika train, you know, like what I promised at lunch," Rin fired back at Houki. They didn't seem to get off on the right base back at lunch when they first met, but I think things will improve.
"I know that I'll certainly do a better job than you since I'm a representative candidate and all."
"Like you know the first thing about swordsmanship. Why don't you go train by yourself?" with a few waves of her hand it appeared as though Houki was shooing her away.
"Well it's better to at least know you're opponent, and you two don't seem to have the slightest clue about the Ghost, so I was considering helping you with that as well," she offered.
"Wait, you know Yn?" I asked as I stood up, having been on the floor from Houki hitting me down with her sword. "I thought you two didn't meet until today?"
Rin crossed her arms and looked away, a sorrow expression replacing the one she had. "I met him yesterday. I was temporarily put in his room, but he...well he decided to find somewhere else to sleep until he could get some privacy again," she spoke briefly. "But I've heard of him. My uncle has told me about him, I just never knew who he was until yesterday."
"Your uncle? But isn't he in the army?" I questioned. But then it hit me, "Wait, Yn said that he joined the army too. Does that mean they did some kind of mission involving both the Chinese and American governments?"
"...Yeah," I didn't notice Rin grip the fabric of her uniform. "My uncle knows of him...because he completed one certain mission...alone."
"The...mission?" Houki asked. Gulping down the lump of saliva I heard her ask with a trembling voice, "What...what was the mission?"
Rin glanced at me and took a short breath, "He was sent into the enemy-controlled territory. He was ordered to take it by any means necessary. I heard that it was fast and quiet, and there was no need to bury anyone."
He did something like that alone? And he took everyone alive? I couldn't stop myself from laughing at that, I guess I really have something to live up to. I've really got to catch up now!
"Alright then! Let's get practicing!" I raised my blade once more and prepared myself. I never noticed the fear that struck Houki's face, nor the nod that Rin gave her with a distant and faint fear from the past. If I had, maybe I would have been able to understand how I misunderstood what Rin meant by there not being any need to bury bodies.
3rd POV
"So, Phantom. I heard that you moved out of your room recently," Kaede looked to him. He was resting on a nice plain of grass with both Kuro and Kirin beside him, he just stared up at the sky, watching the clouds move.
"Temporarily, but yes, I did," he answered, "Is that a problem?"
He glanced up at Kaede, who was leaning against a tree only a few feet away from them, she was currently texting someone as well as speaking to Yn, but she soon put it away after a short sigh of relief.
"We can't have our representative contender staying in a place we cannot monitor. If something were to happen to you, you know what would happen."
"You could stay with us if you want?" Kuro offered.
"Yeah Yeah! Stay with us! You still need to give me my massage!" Kirin exclaimed with the cutest expression of joy, but Kaede shook her head.
"No, he can't stay with you two. For one, you two are already in a room together so you can't put any more in there, that's a school rule. Second is that Chifuyu is guaranteed to stop it at all costs, she's probably still pissed about the stunt we pulled," Kaede placed a hand on her chin in thought. "But I don't know where you're staying now. Phantom, where's your stuff? Where are you staying?"
"Above," he answered. She seemed confused about his statement until a sudden realization hit her.
"...Phantom...you have got to be kidding me."
"I do not know how."
"Fair enough," she stepped away from the tree, only to turn around to deliver a round kick with a great impact causing one very large suitcase to fall out of the branches, previously being perfectly hidden, to which she promptly caught.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The three girls stared at Yn blankly for a moment, but he didn't react at all.
"Why didn't Throne inform me of this?"
"He enjoys the outdoors as well."
"Right...forgot about you two loving being outside," she sighed but heard groaning soon after.
"Ghost, you didn't invite me? You meanie," Kuro puffed her cheeks as she pouted, lightly hitting his chest repeatedly.
"I apologize, I shall inform you the next time I am to stay outside for the night. Will that help me in this situation?" he asked.
"...Maybe a little," passerby's questioned how he could hold a conversation as one of his arms was currently pushing against the hand of Kirin which held a knife trying to plunge itself into his carotid artery.
"You jerk! I would have gone in a heartbeat! Jerk jerk jerk!" Kirin spat out those words as she put all her weight into it while tears threatened to spill at the corners of her eyes.
Kaede sighed once again, placing the suitcase down. She knew that both Yn and Kirin had a major hobby...okay more like an obsession with the outdoors. But she couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of her.
These...I wonder what it would have been like if they still knew each other, but didn't meet in that horrible place.
She watched with softening eyes, a warmth blooming in her chest as she quietly laughed at them.
It's nice to know they're alive. To see them be free. I just wish...they weren't chained to the past.
"Well anyway," her speaking up again made the three of them stop, "I can't let you sleep outside again. You need to be supervised now since Chifuyu will probably be scheming something. So for now..." Kaede looked to the side for a second before looking back and then turning her back to them. "For now...you'll just have to stay with me. Teachers have much better rooms anyway."
"Understood, I shall transport my luggage so-"
Do it later, let's just enjoy this for a bit longer. No harm done, right?
"...I shall do it later"
Kaede nodded even as she had her back turned to them. Though Kuro pouted again, "Sis, are you trying to get ahead again? You perv."
"Kaede's got a crush! Kaede's got a crush!" Kirin teased as she sang the words out, and thankfully there weren't any other students nearby to hear.
"Sorry? What was that~?" Kaede's head turned around with the sweetest smile on her face and a voice like an angel. That being said it was as if bloodlust was flowing from her like an endless river, which made the two girls cower and whimper and causing them to try to hide by pulling Yn up to use him as a shield.
...You know what, let's deliver it now.
"Agreed."
That boy...I've never seen anything like him. If I could get him to take over for me I believe we'd be recognized internationally. But there's something wrong, something is going missing in him. I don't know if what I believe is true, and maybe it ties to how he doesn't really have any interactional skills, but I can tell from his swordsmanship, I can feel the weight behind it. He is fleeing, running away from something. No. Something is leaving him slowly, and he is trying to grasp it as it burns him. That is the best way I can put it. But the one fact I do know about him is that if he should ever wield a sword again, I pray for the unfortunate souls that stand against him.
-Head Kendo Instructor