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“Oh….wow! You are much stronger than I expect!” The girl in black one piece skirt praised her opponent. They were both holding wooden training swords. “I guess we can certainly deliver a GREAT SHOW tomorrow to those ole butts! Hahaha!”
”……thank you, Haru, for….guiding me through this incredible training journey.” Sora used the sword to support herself before she fainted on ground. She couldn’t imagine being able to fight to a draw with Haru, the best elite student in the Ten-Ryu Dojo.
”And tomorrow, I will try my best to deliver what you have taught me all through these years, Haru senpai!” Sora bowed sincerely to Haru.
”Ner…..I see unlimited potential in you, Sora. I think I should better keep concentrated tomorrow. Otherwise I may lose real hard to you, my dear.” Haru smiled. She felt excited and looked forward to the challenge.
The day had come. To select the next successor of the Holy Sword and to inherit the Power of the Dragon, the Kami of Aqua. These two have long been the most {valuable} legacies of the Ten-Ryu Dojo, founded 500 years ago by the legendary swordsman Tenshin Yumeichro. Legend claimed that during the moment he had mastered the ultimate swordsmanship at last, the Dragon descended from Divine above and granted him a Holy sword and the power of Kami. From then on, the successors of the dojo would inherit the sword and the power if he or she is really qualified.
“Do you truly believe in the legend? The inheritor can talk to the Dragon and even summon it during the CRITICAL moment? Sora?”Haru passed her portable kettle to Sora.
”Yeah. Why not?”Sora drunk and passed it back to Haru, “but, Haru, I think I have…..experienced something strange…..recently. And I don’t know if it is related to the Dragon or not….?”
”Wait! Don’t you tell me that you have met the Dragon in your dreams already?”
”No, no, no! That’s not the case. Only that …..well… I guess it is nothing special anyway.”
Sora stood up and stretched before she waved bye bye to Haru. “Let’s go back, relax and prepare for tomorrow’s tournament, senpai. And I would pray for you the best luck tonight!”
”Good luck to you too, Sora. See you.”
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Haru saw Sora walking away. But she was slightly worried about her beloved friend. She recalled the scene just a day before when all the shortlisted students were supposed to be reviewed and judged by the Seniors their virtues and integrities of their inner souls in order to join the swordsmanship tournament.
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”Hey! Sora! You ARE scaring me! How come it takes so long for the oles to examine you? Did they do anything weird to you? Honestly?” Haru was smiling but in fact feeling really worried about Sora, who just walked outside the examination chamber, looking exhausted in her face.
”No…they did nothing special to me.” Sora just found a lawn to lay down, “but they did ask me a lot of questions and then discussed behind the curtain and then asked questions again…..oh, that was pretty annoying and exhausting, senpai!”
”Ner….those ole butts! I guess the questions were mostly referring to your family background, right?” Haru was truly concerned about her best friend and instead of hedging, she chose to address and inquire the problem directly.
”You are right…..”and Sora understood her. She indeed felt grateful to have Haru her bosom friend, “but they eventually decided that MOTHER is not the real concern of the Seniors…”
”So, what else?”
”I ….don’t know….at least I passed the examination at the end, anyway~ hahaha” Sora was laughing, mostly to herself. But Haru could feel her anxiety and depression behind the laughing face. She chose to lay down beside her so that she could look at the same sky with her best friend.
”No matter what, I will stand for you, Sora. Just remember your initiation of entering this Dojo.”
”Oh…I almost forget, senpai. For Justice and Equality of our world.”
”Ner…and the wealth of course! Ten-Ryu Dojo is RICH! Really rich! Hahahaha!”
”Those money are for the benefit of people! How come you be so greedy, senpai!”
”I am just kidding.” The girls bursted into laughter then.
”Sora, take it easy. Just follow the flow. We can control our body and mind. But we can’t shut some idiots’ mouths up. That’s reality.”
”Thank you, Haru, I love you.”
”I am flattered~~”
In the early morning of the following day, all 6 shortlisted students were to gathered at the Ten-Ryu ceremonial garden of the Dojo. After receiving the blessings from the Seniors, the tournament would then start. The tournament was in a knockout format.
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Each contestant represented their own House namely “Wind”, “Forest”, “Fire”, “Mount”, “Sky” and “Earth”, each led by a Master. The winner would lead the corresponding house as the HEAD to rule the rest until the inheritor stepped down or deceased and the new successor was assigned.
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Kuwata Mayumi, leader of the Wood House, was also the inheritor by that time. She was 89 already but her seven feet height and eagle eye on everyone proved her still hale and hearty
Sora was the representative of the Sky House. She arrived early and tried to meet her best friend before the ritual.
But Haru, the representative of the Fire House, was absent that morning.
Sora was mad about the situation. She ran around and asked everyone but still couldn’t figure out where she was. From the beginning of the ritual there was only less than 1 minute left. Until then,
”Help! Seniors! We need your help! Our village is under attack by the bandits!” A peasant was screaming outside the Dojo. Sora recognized his voice. He was living in the same village of Haru! He was brought in front of Mayumi.
”Do not be afraid. We have sent out the rescuers already. Haru should defend her village and defeat any invaders. Are you the only one? Any followers with you?”
”…….no. Our people have sent me to ask for your help.”
”Good.” Mayumi whispered to the Seniors standing beside her and said, “you should take some rest now. Rest assured. Haru would protect her home town. She is one of our best fighters.”
Two people accompanied the peasant to the guest chamber. After that, one of them returned to the garden with a note in his hand. He passed it to Mayumi whom read it loud then,
”Sora, the rescue sender has brought along with him a message from your friend, Haru. Come take it.” Sora rushed to get the note and read at once,
[Don’t worry about me! Fight to win! You deserve the best, Sora. Sorry that I cannot fight along with you this time. But I cherish the moment we have all through these days. Good luck and I need to see Sora the Leader when I am back! Love you, Haru.”]
It was clearly authentic by Haru. Sora was both disappointed and relieved. At least she knew her friend was safe and the situation was seemingly in her good hands.
“Haru is a great warrior. She had given up her chance in order to save her people. Her nobility to uphold Justice, the spirit of Ten-Ryu Dojo, should be honored here! And from now on, the rest of the contestants, you should fight in your best effort, to live up to her sacrifice!
I announce hereby the beginning of the tournament!”
The match was one-sided. Sora trumpeted her victory with almost no difficulties.
She bowed to take over the Holy Sword from Mayumi. And the day after she would succeed the leadership of the Dojo and to enter the Shrine where she would spend 7 days for the Enlightenment- to inherit the power of the Dragon, Kami of Aqua!
But that night, she did not join any celebrations but instead, rushing to the village where Haru was supposed to be fortifying.
There was nothing left there, no lives, no pets, not even a single hut remained intact there. Instead,
Fire burnt everywhere. Corpses here and there. Some recognizable as peasants and bandits but mostly, burnt or incomplete.
Sora screamed hysterically. She couldn’t forgive herself,
I should have told you, Haru! I should have told you MY DREAM! I am sorry……….Oh! I couldn’t forgive my evil, my selfishness!
Sora, the 10th Leader of Ten-Ryu Dojo, at her age of 15, knelt down and cried the whole night long that day.
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