Blademaster...? (Open)

[Leiva]

  Leiva staggered across the Sacaen plains, the only signs of civilization miles away, her legs heavy. The girl's sword seemed to weigh infinitely down on her arms; only barely able to keep the blade off of the ground. She hadn't had the foresight to bring a sheath with her before she set off from the wreckage of her home several days earlier, and was cursing herself for it now, the blade's cold metal heavy in the face of her slim arms. Throughout the days since her town's complete erasure, Leiva had lived day to day off of scraps from Sacaen towns, many of which were few and far between in the vast, dry plains. The grass scratched her legs and made them itch, bugs launching at and attacking her, her swatting, missing, repeating. On top of all of that, she hadn't gotten any more painkillers since the kind nomad had given her a dose while she was unconscious, and she was in more pain than she'd care to admit. Her clothes and hair were a mess; it had been days since she had had a chance to wash her clothes or herself, and everything was sore. But she had to keep going. She couldn't just stop and fall asleep in the middle of the plains; there were so many things that could go wrong in that situation that it hurt her tired mind to try to count all of them.

  Water. Leiva needed water. It had been too long since her thirst had been satiated, especially for someone who metabolized as fast as she did. But beyond that, she also needed to eat. It had been ages since her last scrap of bread or piece of fruit. She stopped dead in her tracks and dropped her sword, collapsing to her knees. She lost herself in the thought of eating a delicious apple, feeling the flesh crunch and the juice run down her chin, the cool feeling of the apple's skin still fresh on her lips. Leiva shook her head and pulled herself out of her thoughts and attempted to stand once more, but found herself back on the ground once more. She cursed to herself and attempted to force herself to her feet, but again, the effort was fruitless. She cursed again and observed her own hands, surprised to find them shaking a worrying amount. She promised herself that after a few minutes rest she would stand up and continue on, but for now, she sat and observed the Sacaen landscape. She could do nothing else, anyway.

[Ryuzaki]

Ryuzaki swished through the plains, his feet moving easily over the ground, his legs light and his step airy as he moved with the skill of an expert through the grasses. His weapons felt light as feathers, and his cloak was barely noticeable even in the sun. He was moving towards Bulgar, and from there the rest of the world once more. His visit to his home had been successful, informative, and had given him many things to think about, many new avenues to explore. He would become stronger, and grow with Shinryu.

He stopped, suddenly, looking at the ground. Tracks. It looked like someone was staggering through the grasses, trampling them and weaving as if wounded. It reminded him of how his marks sometimes tried to escape, fleeing with their lifeblood pouring out of their veins and gasping as the vestiges of life finally left their executed bodies.

Ryuzaki began to follow the tracks, soon coming upon the source quietly and stealthily, Shinryu drawn in his hand and glowing dully with an indigo sheen. The assassin took a long look at the crumpled form, trying hard to stand and move through the sea of grass.

"You are weak.

In nature, the weak perish to make way for the strong. Those who cannot survive, cannot thrive, cannot become masters of their domain... they are culled. Once, I would have done the same to you, ending your suffering and claiming your life for my collection. But you are lucky. I will give you a chance at life, a chance to grow stronger. It is the little bit of true equality I can give you... an equal chance. Any failure then is your own burden, your own shortcoming.

Eat and drink. You will need your vitality."

The assassin dropped a few pieces of dried meat, an apple, and a small skin of water on the ground near the girl. He turned, preparing to leave, his head turned in order to observe the form that still hunched on the earth.

[Leiva]

   Leiva's form shifted slightly as she turned her body to look at the stranger, her bandaged, bloodied, dirty face in full view of Ryuzaki. She hated herself for the pitiful look she had upon it, loathed her own weak body. She didn't want to believe the stranger's words, but she knew them to be true. She wanted to scream at him, educate him on how long she had managed to stay alive and provide for herself all on her own, but that wasn't a proper reaction to someone giving you a life-saving quantity of food and water, so she kept her thoughts relegated to her mind. 
   The novice reached for the waterskin and gripped it shakily, opening it and bringing it to her mouth. She upended the container into her mouth, loudly gulping down all of the water as if it was precious elixir. After drinking, she pulled the waterskin away from her mouth and exhaled loudly, picking up the apple before forcing herself to her feet and offering the waterskin back to the stranger. Leiva cleared her throat and spoke, "Thank you, sir. I think you just saved my life." But, as she observed the stranger with unclouded, hydrated eyes, she noticed the weapons lying at his sides. "Before you leave me here to find my own way, would you... would you show me how you use those?" She pointed at the blades. "I use swords myself, and it would be nice to see an expert again before I..." Leiva stopped herself from saying 'die,' instead opting to replace the word with, "...go."

[Ryuzaki]

"I did not save your life, nor did I give you anything more than a fair chance. You control the rest."

Ryuzaki turned completely away from the Novice, his eyes closing as he stood still. She wished to see him demonstrate his skills with the sword. She too used swords, of course... So she wanted to understand, to see how he performed the art of killing.

"Very well."

The assassin was perfectly still as he spoke, his voice calm and expressionless.

"Though I dislike classifying my techniques as 'forms' or 'patterns,' I will attempt to delineate the distinct styles I use so that you may understand.

Style one: single weapon combat."

Ryuzaki turned, his magic sword sheathed and Gemini rising in a sharp arc, passing inches in front of Leiva's face as he began to fight an imaginary opponent. He began with guarding strikes, parrying outward while maintaining a strong defensive stance, using his rear foot to turn and shuffle and occasionally pivoting completely around as if to strike at a second foe. He transitioned, using quick, powerful thrusts and nimble slashes, avoiding the traditional looping slices or arcing blows most mercenaries would default to and instead focusing on efficient attacks aimed at weak points or blood vessels. As he retreated, feeling pressure from two imaginary foes in tandem, he grimaced, letting the danger mount, until he twisted his wrists and the large, double-edged sword split into two twin halves, each with a razor edge and a serrated edge. Now the assassin smiled, moving forward with both blades whirling in unison, parrying and striking, blocking in X formations or parallel lines as he fought back both, switching his attention to one or the other but never leaving his body open.

"Style two: twin weapon combat."

The two swords worked much as he used them against Vincent in their duel, each holding an independent agenda but opening new avenues of attack for the other, both closing gaps in his defenses and weakening his foe as he applied relentless pressure, almost dancing as he moved swiftly and gracefully, his hands moving with practiced skill and his gaze never flickering, intensity always present in his eyes. Then Ryuzaki cast both Gemini Edges down, impaling them on either side of him as he leaped forward, his hands drawing forward a sword that instantly burst forth into a malevolent indigo glow, gleaming with a light that almost seemed like shadow. As he arced through the air, the sword spit forth a cloud of red droplets, a rain of crimson that splattered down around where the assassin would have landed, covering the grass with what looked to be droplets of fresh blood.

But Ryuzaki had disappeared from view. If Leiva were to truly look very closely, she would see a shimmering haze that almost appeared to blur the grass behind it. But for the few seconds that the assassin stood, his sword outstretched towards her, most likely half a meter from her face at its tip, he was truly invisible. Letting Shade fade away and allowing his body to flicker back into existence, he slowly brought his mouth into a small smile, the blade in his hand not wavering at all as it continued to emit a small stream of blood from its tip.

"And style three: magical weapon combat."

[Leiva]

    Leiva's face slowly faded from exhaustion into wonder as the assassin initiated and continued his demonstration... up until the explosive mist of blood erupted from the stranger's daggers. At that moment, a look of intense fear blighted Leiva's face, a feeling of dread weighting upon her heart like three solid gold bars. "That... That was... You're..." Leiva gripped the hem of her shirt and looked on, the fear and dread slowly fading and being replaced with an intense feeling of wonder. She dropped her apple in excitement and pumped her arms, a grin exploding across her face despite her pain and fear. "SO COOL!!!" She ran forward and marveled at his weapons, completely awestruck. "The-The invisibility and the blood, and the grace and the efficiency! My old instructor could never have done that!"


    She blinked and stepped back swiftly, clearing her throat and picking her sword up, rubbing her arm. "I mean, um, you're clearly very formidable, sir. Thanks for the demonstration." She shuffled in place and paused for a moment before shaking her head and huffing. "Oh, screw it! Mister, I'm going to ask you something really dumb right now. Will you take me with you? Will you train me? I have nowhere to go, and if you taught me, even for just a little while until I could hold my own, I could make my own destiny, just like you said! I want to learn how to help people and protect them and maybe sometimes kill them. I don't want to be weak anymore." Determination hardened onto Leiva's face, herself somehow looking fierce and willing despite her girly and innocent face. "I can even show you, if you insist. I know my way around a sword, so I won't be dead weight! I promise. Please, I've never been more set on anything in my life." She straightened her shoulders and stood up straight, improving her posture. She didn't really know the formal way to ask a favor, so she tried something she never had before: Leiva bowed. "Please train me, sir!"

[Ryuzaki]

Ryuzaki blinked, sheathing Shinryu and fusing Gemini back into one before returning it to his belt as well. A bit dumbstruck, he looked the girl over. She was certainly enthusiastic, and he'd never had someone bow to him before. Or call him sir in a polite fashion. Who the hell was this girl who had been half dead on the plains? She wished to be the apprentice of Ryuzaki? His student? He had had a few apprentices... One was Vincent, who had grown to be a fine swordsman in his own right. One was Jude, who had left to become a pirate once more. And in this void, this hole left behind by the cooling of his passion for universal equality, he truly did not have much pressing to do. Perhaps he could give this waif a chance.

"I am an assassin. The way of the assassin is the way of shadow, of the dark and the lonely. The night is your only true friend, and the kill is your first love. If you wish to become an assassin, you must hone your skill. You must strike with precision, with speed, and with power. You must disappear into the alleys, must use cunning and deception. It is a difficult path to walk.

If you truly wish to learn, I will not refuse you... But you must still convince me. Come. I will fight you, a practice spar to assess your skill. You need a firm foundation upon which to build advanced techniques."

Ryuzaki drew forth Gemini, holding the blade up in his favorite guard.

"The purpose of this exercise is not for me to strike you down... Rather, I want you to come forward, trying to strike me. Utilize all you can, and let forth your full effort. I will attempt merely to defend myself, but do not leave your guard open or you will receive a good hit from the flat of my blade."

This would begin to teach her balance. Something told the assassin that that might be an area she lacked. If they could establish a firm idea of the give and take between offense and defense, the cycle and the ebb and flow, then the girl would be much more prepared to train in earnest.

"Let me see your power! Bring it all to bear upon me!"

[Leiva]

   "Y-Yes sir! I will do my best!" Leiva drew in a large breath, held it, and released. She attempted to level her breathing, consciously inhaling and exhaling in rhythm, controlling her breathing. She raised her sword and leveled it in front of her, the blade clearly too large for her. She tightened her grip on the blade and stepped forward quickly, tensing and raising her sword as if to slash downward vertically. However, halfway through the motion, Leiva ceased the attack and sidestepped deftly around Ryuzaki's side, her boots throwing dirt and dead grass from the ground before she reeled her arms back and attempted to thrust the blade into Ryuzaki's abdomen, exhaling and leaning into the attack as she did so, stepping forward into the thrust so as to maintain the speed of the strike while pumping as much power into the stab as possible. She made sure to keep track of where her feet were, however, making sure that she could step, jump, or duck from a strike, should it come, her boots planted into the dust but only lightly, so as to allow possible ease of movement. This being Leiva's first real fight, she was absolutely determined to make a good impression on her newfound mentor(?).

[Ryuzaki]

As the novice fighter raised her weapon, Ryuzaki could see that it was either ill-fitted for her, or she was simply too weak to wield it. Perhaps both. Eventually, she would become stronger, but a sword that had the right weight and balance was essential. They would have to visit an armory in Bulgar. He could not have an apprentice trying to swing around a hunk of metal with the grace of a buffalo. He restrained himself from simply smashing the weapon out of her hands, though, preferring to see what she could do.

As she swung her sword upward, ready to send it crashing down upon him, Ryu remained motionless, watching the blade as it reached its halfway point and then did not ascend further. Instead, it came towards him, an efficient stab that would most likely have caught a lesser opponent off guard. Well disguised for an amateur. He was impressed by that degree of control. But if he were to be hit by this, it would be a great embarrassment for him, as choreographed as it was to his trained eye. Without moving from his stance, Gemini came down to the left, the blade sweeping outward and sending the stab harmlessly past him, the novice following her sword straight by the assassin.

Ryuzaki sighed.

"That sword is too heavy for you. You'll need to get stronger before you can use it effectively. For now, just use this. I want to see how you perform in optimal conditions."

The assassin split Gemini once more into its twin halves, handing the novice one edge and keeping one for himself.

"This is a Killing Edge. It is a style of sword that is meant to deal great amounts of damage, in an irreparable form. It is a weapon made for vicious fighting. This design is my own; it takes the form of one heavier sword that can be split into two identical lighter halves. I enjoy dual-wielding, so it is my preferred weapon for that style.

Note the serrated edge. That will assist you in catching an opponent's blade to disarm them, or allow you to rip through their flesh to cause widespread damage. Now note the razor edge. That will be used for slicing arteries to quickly kill a foe.

Now, enough explanation. Try again."

Ryuzaki raised his guard once more.

[Leiva]

   Leiva lost her balance and fell forward as her strike was parried, but quickly stood up and dusted herself off before letting her sword arm fall to her side. She blinked and dropped the ill-weighted weapon, taking the Killing Edge and immediately found herself immediately blown away by the astounding, perfected weight of the blade. She moved it around in her hand, rolling her wrist and feeling the weapon's grip out with her hand. "I-It's so light. This is perfect!" Leiva placed her other hand on the end of the grip, balancing the blade in her hands before taking up a combative stance, knees bent, feet light and ready to move. "Alright. Here I come!"
   With the blade's extra weight off of Leiva's hands, she was able to focus more on Ryuzaki's stance, able to pick out weak points. The novice stepped forward and launched herself with her dominant foot towards Ryuzaki, slashing upwards diagonally from her right side, aiming for Ryuzaki's thigh. Luckily, her previous mentor had taught her of the weak points of the human body, and therefore she knew exactly where to aim. As her foot came down, settling into the strike, she pivoted her foot and turned her shoulders in time with the attack, this strike noticeably quicker than the last.

[Ryuzaki]

The low slash came, rising quickly towards the assassin's leg, the razor blade of his Gemini Edge glinting as it cut through the plains air with a faint hum. The noise of the breeze and rustling grass was destroyed by the clash of metal upon metal as the serrated side of Ryuzaki's Gemini Edge caught Leiva's blade, stopping the advance and briefly holding both in a stalemate. Then the assassin stepped back, twirling his sword back up and countering with a lazy, arcing slash, his left arm bringing the sword down in a sweeping strike much like a mercenary would try to lop off an opponent's arm or head. The difference, of course, was that Ryu was aware of the openings that this created, and so would be looking out for a follow up strike from the young swordswoman.

His right arm stayed close to his body, his hidden defense concealed. If Leiva pushed him enough, he would display it, and then he could see how she reacted to something that was unexpected and unusual. It would be good practice, for not all fights were easy to predict or simple to win. Most opponents were tough, smart, and resilient. She would have to grow to be the same way if she hoped to survive.

The assassin noted her stance. It was remarkably good. Clearly, she had some previous instruction in the basics of swordplay. She knew how to maintain balance, how to direct her power, and how to improve her strikes by using her stance and her weight. He would teach her more as time went on, but he was glad to see that she was firmly planted yet nimble, ready to adjust, to move, to retreat or advance as the moment dictated. It would certainly increase her ability to fight and make her more likely to survive.

And that was the ultimate goal.

[Leiva]

   Leiva stepped forward as the slash came down from Ryuzaki, gripping her blade tightly and raising it at the opposite angle of the attack, parrying. She was not prepared, however, for the power behind the strike, the blade's power sending a wave of force down on the the blade of the Gemini Edge, sending it downwards as Leiva desperately tried to right the sword. After only half a moment she gave up and attempted an attack even from that awkward position, stepping forward once more and putting as much power as she could into an underhand strike aimed directly up the center of Ryuzaki's torso, her body so close to his, too close in fact, that the pommel of the weapon scraped the sleeve of Ryuzaki's coat; even if this attack were to hit, there was a strong chance it wouldn't do too much. It was too weak, too clumsy, but it still carried the same sense of speed that Leiva's fighting style had put on since the two had begun the sparring match. 

[Ryuzaki]

The assassin’s eyebrow raised as he saw Leiva tense and prepare to meet his attack head-on. That was foolish; she should have capitalized on his unguarded flank while his sword was caught up in its large, looping arc. When the two blades collided, he could see that she was taken aback by his strength. That was a mistake many had made in the past, and paid for. So too was she paying for this; she had become poorly positioned and had opted to try and slash upward, to cut along his abdomen. But she was far too close, and the blade had little force, stopping against the leather vest he wore under his cloak.

“That was a miscalculation on your part. Always watch your opponent and take advantage of openings. Only meet them directly if you cannot deflect or dodge a strike, and only worry about stopping their attack if you cannot first stop them by inflicting an attack of your own. Most opponents will be stronger than you right now, so you will have to outmaneuver them and be faster than they are. Do not try to fight a head-on battle that you are sure to lose.”

Ryuzaki stepped back and raised his sword into a guard once more. He smiled grimly at the novice, and beckoned by tilting the tip of his sword in a ‘come-hither’ motion.

“Once more. Try to catch me off guard, or force me to abandon a strong defensive position. Try to lure out an attack and then counter it in a way that is hard for me to anticipate. Be creative, and sly. You are, after all, learning from an assassin. Keep that in mind, and think of what I would not expect to see used against me.”

[Leiva]

   "Yes, sir!" Leiva stepped back, returning from her stance to a normal standing position, closing her eyes and thinking. She focused on Ryuzaki's combat style, the shape and build of his swords, his speed, power, and method of action. She slowly retook her stance, sword leveling, feet stepping into position, fists tight around the hilt of the blade. Finally, she opened her eyes, steeled herself, and stepped forward.
   The instant her foot hit the the ground, Leiva turned her shoulders, arms, and wrists, swinging the sword from a perfect horizontal angle at Ryuzaki. However, before she completed the maneuver, she pivoted her front foot, pulling the sword back with her wrists, the blade narrowly missing Ryuzaki's flank, sliding her rear foot around to the front through the dust then re-leveling her blade and putting her weight forward, pivoting her wrists as she drove the blade toward his abdomen. 
   This was a fakeout of the most dangerous kind, putting yourself into your opponents range while simultaneously intentionally missing your first attack, but the payoff was worth it. It covered most dodging options the opponent could have; if they leaped back, the second attack's thrust was almost sure to at least graze the opponent's stomach, and if they ducked, they wouldn't have anywhere to stand back up due to the blade. This particular technique was the last thing Leiva's last instructor had taught her, the movements and forms still fresh in her mind. She couldn't be sure if this would satisfy her new mentor, but this was the novice's best bet. 

[Ryuzaki]

The novice had moved forward once more, preparing to unleash an attack, no doubt. As she descended into her stance, her whole body moved in unison, her slash coming with respectable speed in a straight and true path, a tight arc that aimed at the abdomen, a maneuver that aspired to cut deeply into the weak, soft flesh below the ribs.

To avoid such a strike, Ryuzaki could move backwards, gaining distance, or move to the side, to clear the arc. Or he could leap over or dodge under the blade. There were many possible avenues to stay clear. But since he had just taught her not to meet an opponent head-on unless you were sure of your strength, Ryuzaki swung his left arm and his Gemini Edge out to block the attack, hoping to generate enough force in the swing to disarm the novice swordswoman.

As her feint continued, Ryuzaki gritted his teeth. In the split second between the adjustment and the second stab, the assassin was already recalculating, his arm moving of its own accord. His sword was committed, and his center was open, so the only option left was to use his right arm as a shield. He swung his forearm out and down, impacting the advancing sword and driving it to the side of his body.

Normally, using one’s arm to deflect a razor-sharp sword would be a poor choice, but when arm and Edge contacted, there was an odd, metallic ring, and a rip of cloth. The end of the assassin’s cloak sleeve separated, revealing a flat blade upon Ryuzaki’s right forearm. It was an iron sword he had fashioned into a hidden weapon, a defensive armguard that in the most dire of situations could be used to avoid serious injury.

After blocking the strike, Ryuzaki slid his hand over part of the Gemini Edge’s handle, nodding to Leiva to encourage her to release the sword, and then fused the weapon and sheathed it.

“Well fought. That was very thoughtful of you.

I see…potential. While you are not the most talented of students, raw talent is often no substitute for dedication and determination. If you wish, I will accept you as a student for the time being. You will grow, if you focus on training your body and mind. I can make you a fearsome opponent, a skilled swordfighter, a hound of treasure, and a silent killer.”

[Leiva]

   Leiva's face morphed from her determinate expression to a huge smile as she released the weapon, standing up straight again. "Of course I will! I'm gonna be the best assassin this side of Sacae!" She shifted her weight and pumped her arms, the pride in her voice evident. Her joyous moment was cut short, however, by a rumbling noise emitted from her stomach. She held it, holding up a finger. "Uh. One sec!" She ran back to where she thought the apple was dropped, not finding it. She checked a few more spots, and a few more, for an uncomfortable amount of time as she cursed the apple. But, she eventually found it, dusted it off, observed, and dusted it off again before biting into it. She stood again and wiped her mouth, speedwalking back to Ryuzaki. "Sorry. Even fighters with this much potential get hungry after fighting against an expert assassin." She crossed her arms, an extremely smug smirk plastered across her face. 
    The look fell, however, when she had a sudden realization. She looked back up at Ryuzaki, a slightly-but-not-so-much-shamed look on her face. "Hey, I just realized that I never got your name, Mr. Cool Assassin Guy. I can't be your pupil if I don't know your name. So, what is it?"