5- Proving one's worth

Hey there! Gazer's here! I know I haven't uploaded in a while.but don't worry, I won't disappear like I did before.

I really hate PTJ. Couldn't he have uploaded the shiro oni arc earlier!

And what confused me the most is haruto yamazaki. What is that? It looks like a girl but everyone refers to it as "he".

Whatever.

So the story would still be same as lookism's but with a lot of changes.

So without wasting anymore time, lets get into the story!

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After taking a cold shower, hiroki was now standing infront of a mirror.

He was looking at the changes his body had gone through.

He was taller by a few inches, his hair seemed longer and his physique was little more bigger.

All the damage he had sustained against gun were completely healed.

"It seems like my body is slowly adapting to the rapid growth in stats."

He got out of bathroom and put on a simple gray and white track suit with white strips and left his room.

He had seen a gaint backyard from the window of his room and made his way toward it.

After walking for a few minutes hiroki stopped and sighed. He was lost.

He looked around to see if someone was around. Fortunately, two ladies who looked to be in their late 20s were standing at the end of the hallway.

They were wearing a simple gray and black kimono with their black hair tied in a bun.

By the looks of it they were most likely maids.

Hiroki approached them and spoke in a calm and polite manner.

"Good morning ladies, my name is hiroki and I'm quite new here, it would be a great help if you could tell me the way to the backyard."

The 2 womens turned to the boy and froze. they looked as white as a sheet of paper.

They suddenly bowed startling hiroki and said in a frightened tone.

"G-good morning young lord! I-it would be our pl-pleasure to escort y-ou to your d-destination!"

After that, the two ladies guided hiroki to the backyard of the estate.

Hiroki thanked them and told them that they didn't had to do that.

After a little while the ladies left as hiroki began his daily quest.

"Not gonna lie, if it wasn't for Gamer's mind, I would have passed out ages ago from the exhaustion of fighting gun for hours."

Hiroki thought as he felt his head pounding from a strong headache.

The shower helped but not that much.

The daily quest was completed in half an hour due to the increase in stats he had experienced.

Hiroki sat on the grass and stared at the inventory screen. He raised his hand and clicked on item draw ticket.

[Name: item draw ticket

Rank: Rare

Type: consumable

Uses: 1/1

Info: A summoning ticket that can be used to draw items from rank (common) -> (rare) ]

[Would you like to use the draw ticket?]

[Yes/No]

Hiroki clicked on [Yes] as a window with a blue roulette wheel appeared in front of me.

The wheel had a different color and a lot less variations compared to the Fortune roulette he spun to get [Eyes of deduction].

It had a lot of sections on it with 3 different colors. White,green and blue.

The wheel began spinning as the big [STOP] appeared below the wheel.

It was still just as mesmerizing as the first time but this time he was able to control himself and after letting the wheel spin for a few seconds he clicked on the stop.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations! You have obtained a charm(rare)!]

[Name: earing of solace

Rank: Rare

Type: charm

Durability: 300/300

Mana cost: 100

Info: An accessory once worn by a benevolent queen. Some says that this used to be a pair.

Active skill: [sin of solace] : allows the user to get a random buff upon activation.

Cooldown: 2 hours

Duration of buff: 5 minutes

Passive Effect: +10 INT

+10 SEN

+20% stamina recovery

+15% mental strength ]

[Would you like to equip (earing of solace)]

[Yes/No]

Hiroki's jaw hit the ground as he read the description of his new item.

Hiroki quickly tapped yes as a white earing manifested on his left earlobe.

It had a silver crescent moon connected to it by a shiny chain.

The moment the earing appeared he felt his mental fatigue and headache dessipate a little.

Hiroki was feeling great as he got up and left the backyard.

He wanted to return to his room and go to sleep but to his horror, he was lost. Again.

"I really suck at remembering directions."

Hiroki walked through the hallways in search for anyone who could help him but he didn't find anybody, until he heard something.

It was faint, so much so that if his senses weren't enhanced it would have been impossible to hear.

hiroki followed the sound and ended up infront of a big intricately designed wooden double doors.

Hiroki slowly pushed them open and entered inside. The room was massive with traditional judo tatami mats.

The room was packed with people. All of them belonging to the yamazaki clan with gun sitting on a wooden chair in front.

What caught hiroki's eyes was the girl standing in front of gun, due to their position he could only see her back.

She was a few inches shorter than him with a lean athletic build withnlong straight hair were a shade of silverish-white reaching up to the back of her knees, tied in a ponytail.

She was wearing a traditional Keikogi which extenuated her modest curves with a sheathed katana resting on her shoulder as she argued with gun.

"YOU CAN'T JUST PICK ANYONE FROM THE STREETS AND DECLARE HIM YOUR SUCCESSOR UNCLE!"

Her voice was laced with anger and frustration. But hiroki could understand.

After all he had also been subjected to the feeling of having a stranger entering his life without any consent.

"I have already seen what he's capable of and qualified him. And he's not just some nobody. He is a yamazaki."

Suddenly a few of the kids standing near the gate noticed hiroki's presence and stared at him.

Hiroki looked at them and smiled then gave a small wave.

The kids also smiled and waved back excitedly causing the adults around them to turn and look at what or who their waving at.

The moment their eyes landed on the figure of hiroki they all stiffened and bowed.

"Welcome young lord!"

This caused everyone who was unaware of hiroki's presence to look at him.

The silver haired girl turned to look at him giving him the chance to look at her face.

It was perfect. That's the only word that could describe her. Her ruby-red irises and white pupils gazed at him with hatred and loathing.

If he used to think that nao was pretty then this girl wax drop dead gorgeous in comparison.

"So...this is the one you chose uncle? I must say, I am quite disappointed."

She said turning her head to face gun again, meanwhile hiroki looked calm but deep down his ego was hurt.

"What's that supposed to mean??"

Hiroki thought in outrage but didn't let it show on the outside.

"Looks can be deceiving aiko. You should know about that more than anyone here."

Hiroki looked at her and used [mind's gaze]

[Name: Aiko yamazaki

LV: 16

Title: Blade dancer

Age:15

HP: 960/960

MP: 650/650

STR: 47

SPD:79

END:32

SEN:52

INT:65

Grade: Dormant ]

Hiroki's eyes widen at her status, her stats were something else considering that she hasn't even Awakened.

While hiroki was checking her status, gun and aiko continued with their conversation.

"If you have any doubts then why don't you test him yourself? I'm sure you'll change your mind after that."

Gun offered, a confident smile on his face. Aiko contemplated for a few moments then took the sheathed blade off of her shoulder.

"Fine. If he can take me down then I'll consider him qualified."

A sudden Ding caught hiroki's attention.

[Combat quest has arrived]

[Proving one's worth]

[Defeat the blade dancer and gain her acknowledgement.]

[Rewards:(1) +1 skill coupon(uncommon)

(2) +5 experience tokens(uncommon)

(3) +1 weapon draw ticket(rare)

(4) +2,000 credits ]

[Penalty upon failure: expulsion from the position of successor]

Hiroki paled. If he's expelled from the position of successor then he'll fail the Awakening quest as well, which means he'll die.

Hiroki took a deep breath and calmed his mind and looked at the girl who caused this.

"Hiroki. Come here, we'll begin your training for today."

Gun said while beckoning for hiroki to come to the middle of the room as everyone else spread out and formed a ring.

Hiroki stood infront of aiko at a distance of 5 meter as she drew her sword and took a weird stance.

She turned her body to the left and legs with the front leg slightly bending forward.

Her right hands rose up to her head with the blade pointed diagonally toward the ground.

[Ding!]

[Perfect copy - activated]

[ successfully copied- shinobi esoteric- opening blade stance]

(Image)

Hiroki didn't break eye contact with her and completely focused her every moment. Her breathing, the twitch of her muscles and even the flow of her bloo-

"Wait what? Did I...see through her ski- !!!"

His thoughts were cut short. Literally, as aiko suddenly disappeared and the next moment she was right infront of him with her sword in a slashing motion.

[Wind's grace - activated]

[Current stack- 3/6]

[Movement speed increased by 30%]

The sword slashed in a diagonal cross in matter of seconds.

Hiroki was able to jump back in time thanks to [Wind's grace] but despite dodging the blade he still felt a strong impact which caused him to slide back even further.

"W-what was *cough* that? I'm *cough* sure *cough* I avoided that so how?"

Hiroki thought while holding his stomach, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth.

[HP: 1870 -> 1543]

[successfully copied- shinobi esoteric- Whirlwind slash]

Aiko took advantage of his momentary disorientation to quickly dash forward and launch a flurry of slashes and stabs.

[Current stack: 6/6]

[Movement speed increased by 60%]

[Marble shell - activated]

[Physical defense increased by +50% physical defense.

Physical damage increased by +25% physical damage. ]

Hiroki quickly activated his skills and began weaving through her attack while simultaneously copying her.

Aiko suddenly halted then raised her sword above her head, then she did a vertical slash with blinding speed.

BOOM!!!

Her attack caused the tatami mats near her to explode as pieces of them went up in air.

Hiroki's eyes widen as he saw aiko uee the splinters as foothold to climb into the air.

"Why would she-!?"

Hiroki suddenly felt a kick lznd on his face then in a matter of moments he was hit with several kicks on his upper body.

[successfully copied- Senpou Esoteric - senpou leaping kick]

[successfully copied- Senpou Esoteric - High monk]

"Is this all you can do? If so, then you're not even qualified to b-!?"

Before aiko could finish speaking she had to use her katana to block a kick that hiroki used to launch himself in the air.

In just a second hiroki performed the same attack aiko used flawlessly.

Aiko tried to block the punches and kicks but some passed through her guard and landed causing her to take couple of steps back.

"You were saying?"

Hiroki taunted after landing on his feet.

"So...copy huh. I guess that's why uncle chose you. But that won't be enough to take me down!"

She said as she dashed forward.

"A copycat's weakness is to take him down with a single unanticipated move."

A wally of slashes descended upon hiroki as gashes started to form on his stone like skin.

[successfully copied- Mushin esoteric - spiral cloud passage]

Hiroki staggered back, blood falling on the torned and damaged tatami mat.

"This bitch...she's really trying to kill me...but..."

Aiko stood infront of him, her sword pointed to the ground, blood dripping from it. She looked fine except for little bruises she got from his high monk...until.

"Blegh!"

She suddenly vomited blood as she fell to her knees clutching her abdomen, her katana clattering to the floor.

Going back a little in time. Aiko was still in the middle of her assault.

Hiroki understood that this was a do or die situation, so he took the chance.

[Charge up! - activated]

[STR increased by 3x

armor penetration increased by 30%

Inflicts [paralysis] for 3 seconds when landing a direct hit.]

Hiroki gave up on dodging and used her own disregard of self preservation to launch a punch to her gut.

Now back to the present, hiroki stood tall panting, looking down aiko who was still hunched over.

*huff* *huff* "I win" *huff*

Hiroki said as he limped past her and started making his way toward gun who looked at him with...pity?

"We'll need to work on your awareness, nephew."

Suddenly hiroki felt a great danger behind him. He turned around as fast as he could with his battered body.

Aiko stood there, her blade raised above her head. But What caused the sense of dread that he felt wasn't the sword.

But her eyes, black sclera and pink pupiless irises. Hiroki tried to back away but it was too late.

SLASH

SWISH × 10

She brought her katana down in a downward diagonal cutaneous then, countless slashes appeared in air as hiroki's blood burst out like fountain.

[successfully copied- Mushin esoteric - One mind]

He was covered in cuts and gashes, his body swaying from pain and blood loss with his consciousness teetering on the edge.

[Warning- bleed has been afflicted. You will lose 5 HP/sec]

[HP: 14]

Hiroki's mind started going blank.

[HP: 4]

His legs buckled as he began to fall forward, his eyes rolling back in his skull.

But, that wasn't the end.

[You are filled with the determination to not fall.]

His left leg slid forward as his hand raise to her chest, his finger resting where her heart should be.

with a sudden tensing of muscles his fingers curled into a fist and he performed a 1 inch punch as she flew across the room from the force of impact.

Gun's eyes widen as he saw something that no one could. Black sclera, silver veins and pupiless silver irises.

It went away as fast as they appeared but gun saw them clearly as he began to grin.

"It seems like the yamazaki blood is still quite thick in his veins."

Aiko slumped to the floor, her eyes turning normal and losing consciousness.

The next moment hiroki lost consciousness and fell to the floor too.

"Well, that was anticlimactic. But I guess that's hiroki's win. Someone take these two the infirmary."

[Quest completed: Proving one's worth]

[Rewards have been sent to your inventory]

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FINISHED!!! You guys don't know how much of a headache this was.

There's virtually no information about the yamazaki's clan except for one thing, clan head's word is law.

But I think that that gun would have changed a few things since he doesn't stay japanso hence aiko's denial.

On the topic, aiko yamazaki is a OC and a possible love interest.

But I don't want to have a love interest in this story that's why I wanted to ask for your opinions.

Should I add romance or should I not.

Well, this is it. It's currently 1 AM and I have a lecture at 6:30, so I have to wake up at 4 AM to get ready. Abyss gazer, signing out.

-Abyss_gazer