Chapter 3

We are the strength and certainty of steel.

The next day began with more practice on building the energy reserves for the anvil in the basement in the very early morning. Then, I began a run that was around the block three times before I went home for a quick shower and breakfast. After that was finished, I did pushups and sit-ups, and I'm starting to see the barest hint of muscle starting to form. I did this till fifty before heading to my room to do more research into my family tree, and I didn't find anything unusual. There is nothing that indicates that my dad was anything but a normal human. However, DNA doesn't lie easily, and I continue to look for something that doesn't make sense.

My search was interrupted by the doorbell ringing, and I turned off the computer, thanking the machine spirit of it before going to answer the door. I opened the door to see it was the exercise delivery people. The two men in the moving team started getting the exercise equipment into the home, and I immediately offered to help out. The team liked that, and we got it done relatively quickly. I thanked them with a bow and then escorted them out of the house.

Then came the fun task of lifting said weights for a half hour. I pulled a muscle at twenty pounds and thankfully, being a perpetual, immediately began to fix it. That continued for another fifteen minutes till taking another shower and then getting dressed in jogging clothes to prepare for my midday workout.

The day was starting to get hot when I entered the park, and Issari sitting on a bench looking around anxiously. That sight made me and even Koriel, in the deepest part of her mechanical heart, feel bad for the pervert. It looked like she was expecting me not to show up at all. Has she tried before to make friends, and people led her on? Screwed with her giving the illusion of friendship, then fucking with her? That's incredibly dangerous, and if she is a social dragon that plus Raynare killing her might have set the stage for a massive potential problem.

That's probably me thinking grimdark but her face shows the hard doubt that she actually made a possible connection. I decided to actually speak the truth. Because that's not what anyone should do even if it's a pervert.

I approached the chestnut who was wearing actual joggers' clothes and not the pretend stuff you use for eye candy.

"Issari-chan."

Issari jumps hearing my voice before turning to me and showing her face to me. The confusion melted away to happiness as she beamed brightly before jumping up off the bench. She then hugged me tightly, making me oof at the ferocious hug.

"You actually meant it."

I feel so bad for her and hate myself more. Was the reason she would eventually fall in again with the open perverts because someone screwed with her again before the school year? I gentlemanly pat her back.

"That's what real friends do."

She hugged me tightly before saying in a whisper.

"You're not like me. I figured that out last night and I was ready for you to no show. It's happened multiple times before. You're a wonderful person, Gregor-kun."

It hurts knowing that I am right about that thought train. She was screwed with and probably did fall back in with the perverts just to have possible friends. They would screw her over multiple times, making her the target of revenge for their failed peeping by pushing her down to make their escape. Then she gets the swords from the kendo club. It is very possible she is a potential social dragon if she would put up with that. I reassured her.

"I do like that stuff. I'm human, but I try to be respectful about it. I really don't think you're a bad person, Issari-chan and I really am willing to be your friend. Just don't expect me to bail you out if you get caught being an open pervert."

Issari lets tears down as I feel them on my shirt.

"I won't. You're like my friend who left when I was six. She was my best friend with whom I did everything together. I have felt incomplete since then."

Yeah, this is a social dragon. That concept is horrifying if you really think about it. The instinctual desire for connections times a hundred, in some cases, promoted by dragon hoarding. Denying it leaves horrific scars and can fuck the individual up horrendously.

"You have a new friend here in me. You're in jogging clothes that means that you are actually serious about exercise."

She finally let go of me, and her face is still beaming with joy at actually winning for once and likely having the social dragon being fed.

"I do want to try it. I have tried multiple different things to try to get people to accept me. Teach me Gregor-sensei!"

There is the knucklehead showing. I laughed at that.

"I'd be happy to have a student in exercise. I do plan to do it all summer long and then into the next year. Just don't stare at my ass. You mentioned that you also want to learn swords at some point, right?"

Issari beamed brightly at the acceptance then nodded vigorously at swords.

"Yes I want to know that because despite what people say about things being better there are men and women who are rotten pigs. It's better to learn the skill and not need it than need it and not know it."

Her seriousness makes me nod.

"A wise process. I'm looking into sword dojos, and I have found three that might work. You're a local, right? I just moved to Kuoh recently, and I'm still learning the area."

Issari nodded enthusiastically.

"I am a local! Tell me the names, and I'll tell you what I know."

I gesture to her to follow, and we begin to walk slowly around the park before slowly picking up the pace. Issari does, during the walk, stare at several men and women enjoying the day, and I have to click my fingers to get her to pay attention to the exercise and not the parts she is staring at. We walked and talked about things more and more. She tells me that one dojo she has heard is good is in the area near the park and Kuoh Academy. As the walking continued, Issari slowly got better at not openly staring at people. It's difficult to get her to not do that. I offer Issari a reward for not staring at a very hot woman with blonde hair in a very revealing dress.

"Want to get ice cream, Issari-chan?"

Issari brightened at that.

"Yes!"

As we were about to leave the park, the blonde woman caught my eye again. She looks like a Phenex. My eyes widened when I saw a young girl with blonde hair reading under a tree in the woman's line of sight. It's Ravel under that tree as I recognize the drill hairstyle. She is wearing a dress that is not her usual pink dress to blend in. Oh, shit, we need to split fast. I picked up the pace, seeing that Issari was confused about the sudden speed increase, but followed along at a good pace. I don't want to be near Ravel at all as she frankly terrified me. Her logical and strategic mind is incredibly hot, but she will be arrogant in the extreme if she is the same. She might be a tsundere and be too formal. Issari noted that look at the blonde woman.

"You like blondes too. Better choice than black hair, in my own opinion."

I don't know how to explain this.

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. What's a good ice cream place nearby?"

Issari smiled and then took the lead with the jogging. Koriel asked why I was so scared of the drill girl.

"She is like Rouboute. Her plans are very close to flawless most of the time. She would very likely see the gear, and she would inform her family of us. They would then try to capture us possibly as a future piece for her peerage when she gets one. They are a noble family in the highest brackets of devil society. Any escape from them would spread our existence to the rest of the nobility. If she gets a whiff of us, we are screwed."

"That's a very good reason then."

Issari finally stopped at a place that was ten minutes away from the park, and we entered it. We ordered Ice Cream while I watched out for a potential stalker. When we get the sweets, we sit down on wooden chairs. Issari sat with her back to the door and mine to the brick wall behind me. I'm watching the door intensely. Issari noticed something that was now impossible to hide.

"That's an interesting ring motif. I have never seen anything like that before. What's the meaning of it?"

The ring is fully visible, and I think about how to answer it.

"It's a motif of something I found in a hole of depression."

Issari seems to get that.

"I'm sorry for being forward. I haven't had a friend in a long time."

I smile gently.

"It's alright. We all have different coping mechanisms for it. This was something that represents to me an idea with good lessons."

It also has lots of body horror and transhuman ascension. Yet the Mechanicus, to me, was the logical thinking of science and the power of faith as one. Issari seemed to get the explanation.

"I got into painting like that, too after my best friend left. My dad tried hard for me, along with my mom, to make it better, but then everything happened."

I smile and get her more than ever.

"You have good parents."

Issari smiled wistfully.

"I do what about yours?"

I didn't know them here, but with the possibility of who my dad here could be, I'm not hoping to meet him.

"My parents are dead. They died in a car crash earlier this year."

Alex's mom most certainly did. His dad might have just appeared dead before he got up, and seeing his wife dead and maybe thinking his son was dead too, he then ran. I found the diary of the original owner of this body yesterday when I began my search for family information. He mentioned that the crash was extremely bad, and there was a very messy investigation. They definitely found his mom. His dad was presumed dead after the car exploded. He was just a kid going through serious depression. He was smart enough and competent enough to get his emancipation after the funeral was arranged and dealt with. He was like me in a lot of ways.

I am almost certain Alex was an alternative version of me. That belief came as I read the diary and he mentioned several things happen to him that are the exact same things I had in my childhood. Like my best friend at the time of the same name betraying me with the same description of them, too while living in the States at the time. He had broken a thumb in junior high as well with the same hand and way. We had so many similarities it was scary and why I lean on the alternative version of me heavily. He also hated his grandparents. This time on his mother's side rather than what was for me on my father's side. They treated Alex horribly and he fought so hard for emancipation to stop the possibility of going to them. I don't know why he hated his maternal grandparents bitterly. I will search again, but the feeling I got was that it was an incredibly bad reason.

Issari's face fell, and she looked down at her lap in shame.

"I didn't know. I am so sorry Gregor-kun."

I smile because this is a good person despite the perverted nature, like nearly all other versions of him/her.

"Issari-chan, it's okay. You didn't know, and I'm past it. Life isn't picture perfect and my parents would not want me to stay down forever. I got help when it was the wors. I believe in the idea my ring motif connects to."

Issari feels better hearing that.

"What's this idea?"

I laughed nervously because it sounded stupid for people who don't click with the idea and don't get the universe it came from.

"It's silly."

Issari looks extremely interested.

"Why is it silly?"

I scratched the back of my head because it made Koriel kind of pissed to know what a machine spirit might actually be. The spirits of either long dormant AI programs in everything or spirits of the warp that possessed technology and then formed a symbiotic relationship with it.

"You'll laugh it's a stupid idea."

Issari grew determined.

"I want to know. You didn't leave me out to dry like so many others. You meant it being my friend. Friends try to understand the other person. Please tell me the idea."

That's sweet and sad. I kept my eyes on hers.

"It will sound extremely stupid. I believe that machines can have spirits in them. That these can eventually become souls given enough time."

Issari looked at me like I was crazy for a second, but then she softened her eyes and then giggled.

"That is silly. It's an idea I haven't heard of before. You really believe that?"

I chuckled at the funny side of this.

"I do machines seem to form different personalities to us. Some are temperamental while others are more reliable, and yet some are immediately failing upon use. You care for machines like you care for a human body with repairs and maintenance. We need them just like they need us. Together, we build dreams. It is a super far-off idea that is likely wrong yet I like to compare reality to one giant machine, with each of us being a cog in it working together to make reality function."

Issari stopped giggling at the idea. She widened her brown eyes, hearing that before smiling at me.

"I like the analogy. That's actually an interesting way of looking at the world. I still think it's silly no offense."

"None taken. You're still the thing I'm not, and while I was initially turned off by it, I saw the person underneath. I accept that I will be viewed as crazy and get laughed at"

Issari smiled more than ever.

"You're like my best friend, too. She was big on religion as well. Unlike her, you're not shoving it down my throat. She did that a lot when we were kids. Her parents didn't like that I was a pagan and passed some of that to her. I'm happy to believe in the Shinto because they probably helped me here."

I smile because you had the Machine God instead, Issari. I worry because you will be sundered from the Shinto if you become a devil.

"I have no right to preach my beliefs as the only way there is and I'll never shove this down anyone's throat."

Issari smiled more brightly.

"I might ask more questions eventually. I really do like the analogy. Everyone has a purpose like that. I have never heard of something like that."

We enjoyed talking more about various things that showed that this was the very likelihood of being a good friendship. We got up after we were finished, and we left the store happily. We walked back towards the park together, and we stopped at the entrance where we first met. We said goodbye for the day. Issari hugged me again while I watched out for Phenexs.

"Thank you for being my real friend, Gregor-kun."

I smile while still watching out for the blondes.

"You are welcome, Issari-chan. You don't have to thank me."

She beamed and then began walking away.

"Bye Gregor-kun! I'll see you tomorrow!"

We had agreed to meet here again. As I walk from the park towards my home, I don't see any Phenex servants or them, so I might be okay there. I am, however, still torn on whether I should let Issari die or not. It's a way to preserve the timeline. But it means not being honest to a person who is real and not a picture in a book. Along with the various issues that not being honest could bring up. Like thinking I am just using her for her potential gear. Which I am, but not in a way that is for my own pure benefit. Or the fact that I am manipulating her to gain power over her. This is not really the case, but the human mind can make terrible ideas from nothing.

Because if Issari gets enraged, she will enter Juggernaut Drive and then brutally murder me. Probably multiple times, and each time, it would be extremely painful. Yeah, I'd come back, but that would probably piss her off more.

As I'm walking home, I keep an eye out for potential stray nests and/or abandoned buildings for a second base. I don't see anything that could be useful. That downer was replaced by deciding to start more practice today on mechadendrites and then beginning to form a sword style. I'm considering going full harrowing of pinpricks to learn my styles and will then switch to a brutal space marine style used by the Blood Angels. Rip my foes apart with such quick and brutal tactics that the fight ends with them dead and me moving towards a new opponent. Despite the style I will do one thing before I kill a stray.

Ask why they ran and see if this world is grimdark. I refused to believe every single stray killed their master for power as people are not one-dimensional mobs. There are more reasons to kill somebody besides power. If they killed their master for power, yeah, I'll gut them, but if they didn't, I would urge them to run faster. Koriel is interested in strays.

"This lends credence to the idea that the reincarnation system uses some sort of warp-based ritual to do the deed, and when the piece is cut, maybe the mutation finally overcharges itself to rapidly spread."

"Possibly that, yes. There is a stray who has been on the run for multiple years and is still very sane just a sis-con. If we ever meet her, I'd love to ask questions about the situation. She eventually ends up as a piece to someone again. Her former master was a dark scientist, and yes, that does sometimes need to happen to advance the field. I always felt horrible for her."

Koriel shakes her head dismayed at my empathy. She and I will never agree on our approaches to science. My approach isn't completely right, nor is Koriel wrong. We do share the center of the spectrum in being evidence-driven. I'm entering my neighborhood, jogging steadily to my home as I prepare for my next possible way to counter the devils.

A cog pendant is the basic idea, but I don't know if it will work. Not enough people believe it's a holy symbol and I really don't want to spread the cult. My door is opened then locked it again as I then moved to the basement before moving to the vault and opening it, getting the mechadendrites out. I attached the pack to my back and began to extend the arms. I practice moving them around till it's beginning to be instinctual.

I summoned the anvil and began to make swords and guns along with ammo. Soon I had a decent stockpile of bolter shells and during that building I'm debating what my main hands will use. Probably a boltgun, or I could make an arc gun. Hell, I might make a radium gun and use that before I rethink that as I remember the effects of said gun.

I quickly make a carapace helmet minus the lower half so I can stick a rebreather there to cover my face completely. Said rebreather was with a voice modulator to prevent more possible connections to me. With the last of my strength, I make an ammo crate. Soon the rounds were putt away and I was gingerly moving upstairs to make a steak dinner. It's extremely good, and I need to find out where the steak came from.

Cleaning up the steak and the pan was easy, and then it was back to lifting. Tomorrow, I will make the first attempts at the Akashic Reader. Koriel has described the device in length to make sure we get it right in a few tries. She had started modifying the device as we do not have to use the now-not-here Astronomican and do not have to use an empath to power it. Hopefully, we will have a working prototype ready, and then we can get the dark age knowledge.

With no Chaos and the warp seeping through multiple realities, we can hopefully get a hand on the fountain and then drag the knowledge to us. Having free rein to innovate is a wonderful experience for Koriel, and she doesn't have to hide the fact she is doing that. Oh, we will have a robe oiling session when we potentially get this. I want to eventually make a company that will transform into the Mechanicus proper.

That's however, far off and requires help to fund the startup. Despite that I laughed evilly with Koriel about possible world domination in scientific fields. Oh, that's a wonderful idea, but we still need a second base. That would be looked for when I go for my evening jog. Exiting the house, I watched around for devils or familiars and don't see any during the jog. I have a new nagging question. Why have they not spotted me yet?

Maybe they are not used to my gear yet because they have never felt its presence before? Maybe gear has a general feeling that leads to a basic idea of known types? I don't know, and when I'm in a stronger position, I do more experiments. I jogged for twenty minutes east of my home and found a very possible base location.

An old, abandoned temple. Oh, that's a wonderful find. Holy places keep devils out unless it's Akeno's temple. It's not on a hill, but considering everything else, I'd hope it's not hers. As I approached it and its old, slowly rotting doors in the courtyard, I was relieved when there was no hint of Akeno. I quickly investigated the rest of the building. I find it's actually quite large on the inside with few remaining bits of furniture. I quickly checked to see that the building was truly empty of potential squatters. It's a Shinto temple, and I felt weird the whole time I was there.

Like I was being studied extremely hard by the Shinto. It felt like they were looking at me with hostility, pure shock, and clear curiosity. It was unnerving and I once inside the main room looking at a statue I said into the air.

"I'm not bad and have no desire to supplant you. I just need a safe place to hide from the devils. I'm against them with the information I have so far."

The Shinto seemed a little less wary after that. I got the feeling they didn't like devils much either, but they kept watching me. I felt a small nod of acknowledgment at my stated intention. Then the room was still again. I bow to a statue in gratitude for the tacit acknowledgment of my request. Before planning a few ways to prepare to eventually barricade the building. I found a well-hidden exit door that led into a forest, and I began to memorize a path to and from the door. As I'm walking from the trees back to the sidewalk then to home I was practicing a few sword stances. It was only slight dark making me consider and should enhance my eyes with better night vision capabilities.

The night was relaxing, and I saw the barest hint of stars in the sky. Their dim white lights and what could be out there made me feel both extreme curiosity and dread. We have no idea of what Xenos are up there. I don't want there to be Eldar or Orks. The Eldar are reasonable. It's not often, but they don't have their primary focus of Chaos here. A dreaded idea comes to me of maybe there are Xenos that are not from 40k here. I do hope that there are no stupid aliens like the Gorn. The nonstop Gorn memes and sentences on that game were horrible to read after a while. Koriel does not like the Gorn either after a brief flash of one of the many Gorning sessions I saw in that game.

We don't actually see through each other's eyes. We get flashes of each other, and we can control how much is shown. We can actually enjoy peace and quiet with each other if we want. It seems our Longinus is on the more developed end. Given it's the last of the properly made fourteen, that makes sense. That's extremely better than Ddraig and Albion, who are horribly aware of everything their hosts do. Issari, with her fetish and perverted nature, will drive Ddraig nuts. Vali is just a battle-hungry fucker but his or possibly her preference will be a source of annoyance for Albion. I hope my being there for Issari and helping try to tame her nature makes Ddraig a bit better off. Which reminds me I need to make more machines tonight.

A modern phone for easier communication with Issari and then a sacred gear scanner to see what gear she has. That was based on a scanner for psykers and should show me what she might or might not have. Hell, she might have Albion, and Vali might have Ddraig. I also need to make a washer and dryer because the current ones I have in the basement are dying fast, and the other me was worried about spending money to replace them. Our stipend is not high. Enough to live comfortably with good budgeting, and that was what Alex was doing. I'm sorry for taking your body, Alex. I did see what he wanted in the diary in the end.

A beautiful woman with a kind smile and three kids. He wanted a partner who was the human kindness to his driven logic. He didn't apparently show many emotions after the crash. He wanted someone who was the person he could trust implicitly. I want that, too. I thought I had found that, but then we started having small problems, and I didn't feel like they were bad. The problems apparently were. That drove my relationship apart. I regret that because she and I wanted this to work, and we both did everything we could to fix that. She saw that I tried desperately to fix them when I did become aware of them. She tried to fix the things I didn't like when we started airing that out. But we couldn't get past one thing. It, in the end, ripped us apart and left nothing but horrible regrets for both of us.

We departed from each other reluctantly. That issue, sadly, was never going to go away. We did stay friends just not the talking face-to-face friends but rather long-distance screen friends. We were both very sad we couldn't work. Kate was not the bombshell model nor did she have the red hair I really liked. She was plain and mousy, yet we connected because we both shared many of the same hobbies, including 40k. She surprised me because she was not the faction I thought she would be at first glance. I thought she was sisters because of her liking of flamethrowers in games we played. She wasn't with her faction being the Tau, specifically the Farsight Enclaves. Mine was of course Mechanicus, and we had extremely good times battling each other. Hell, we entered several tournaments together, and we did incredibly well, too, surprisingly. She carried us because I was terribly unlucky with my dice rolls.

Koriel didn't like her universe was made for a tabletop game, but she was interested in the complex rules and the codexes. I explained several things to my partner as we entered the house, and I went downstairs to make my machines for the night. The first thing I made was the scanner then a washing machine and dryer. They have a very gothic style of them, but they are the same and are more water efficient. Powered by internal power sources. Finally, I make a phone and make it so I can piggyback into phone networks while keeping an incredibly advanced firewall.

After that, I make bolter shells finally stopping after another two hundred pistol shells. I unsummoned the anvil and then went upstairs to bed.

When I woke up, I prepared myself for the sword stuff today and then the reader. I hope our prototype will work. We will probably fail at it for several months. But hopefully, we will get it before the start of the bullshit. Dressing after the shower, I went to my basement workshop and summoned the anvil with Koriel giving me a hopeful look.

"We should start small. The original design needed a throne, but we can do more things easily if we try to minimize it to a chair. As for power sources, we will need the temple for all the space the machine will need if we cut it down that much."

I nodded.

"We face the Shinto learning more of us, but maybe we can use that for an opening into the other side. I don't know how the Champion system works for the gods. There is a character called Yasaka who was supposedly the representative of the Shinto on Terra. She might be instructed to investigate us at their behest."

Koriel is not impressed by the hint of a flash she gets from me regarding Yasaka.

"Really."

"I didn't make her, and sadly, yes. We need to keep Issari away from her. Yasaka is represented as too playful, and that might make Issari go extra horny."

We sighed together, thinking the same thing before we prepared to make the first prototype piece. Koriel began describing the chains as I listened extensively and asked for clarification on several things I didn't understand. Before I picture a simple chair. I then swing the hammer, and the light is badly bright. It fades, and next to Koriel is the chair. It is one you'd see dozens of times before and not think much of it. Koriel observed it.

"It's passable. You missed a few things, but that's because I didn't inform you of them to see if we can make the item."

I understand why.

"Science is experimenting I get that. Keep the method up because we can then use multiple versions of them to see potential weaknesses that were hidden, and we can fix them on the next attempt. I do hurt, though so maybe we might make this a two-times-a-week thing."

"Yes I didn't expect you to make everything right the first time. We will go slowly. I waited a century and half before, and with us now immortal, we have plenty of time."

I willed the anvil away and then began to practice with my chainaxe on the dummy. I jumped at the roar before I quickly fall into my stance and begin to whack at the elf bastard. Each blow was calculated, but it was a dummy and not a real foe. It soon became clear that I would need a real foe which meant I needed the dojo and the risk the chance of running into the kendo club. Maybe if we do see them, I can help Issari not get clobbered by them and possibly get her more friends. She might really need them, and with the possible lack of social connections, more connections are better than less.

After an hour of setting into my stance, I go to lifting upstairs, and I'm starting to see the beginning of more muscles. As I begin huffing I swear I'm not going to fuck up my new life and make the same mistakes again. No mass eating or drinking real soda leading to diabetes. No hard drugs, a one-time thing that made me a little angrier, thanks to the experience. I will not lose this opportunity to be better than who I was. I have lessons that I didn't have before, and I won't lose the opportunity to live a better life. When I was done getting to thirty-five pounds I was gasping for air. I took a shower and then got my clothes for the day. A red shirt and black pants which I quite like the look of and will buy pairs. I enjoyed the nice way I was starting to look, and I then left the house for a day of working out.

I entered the park to find Issari doing warmups, and she was beaming happily. I approached her and, once close enough, greeted her.

"Issari-chan good to see you again."

Issari beams more and walks over to me. She is wearing clothes of a brownish color to match her hair and eyes. The two of us fell into step with each other before she finally said to me as we began our run around the park.

"The dojo place is close by. I heard that it's popular with the Kuoh Academy Kendo Club."

I have a suspicion as to why she knows that. The look was very clear because Issari blushed hard. We were now moving towards the dojo after three runs around the park.

"I heard it from them."

Of course, you did. She told me more yesterday that she tried to distance herself from them during the last year of middle school to win acceptance from people. The reputation had stuck around because she had been very active with them in the first two years, and that followed her to her current high school. That fills in more blanks. I blandly look at her.

"No peeping. I get that you're you, but that is just going to make the impression worse in Kuoh if we both get in. You're fighting the rumors that go around schools, and the other two might be angry with you. You need to be better than them. I'll help you gain acceptance. I actually plan to if I see them peeping on anyone, beating them bloody."

Issari blushed.

"I will be good. Please don't mention that I'm me to people at the dojo. I do want a swordsman or woman and do beat them up. The size scouter is extremely bad. He tried to put cams in the school bathroom and is why I finally left them behind. I like the flesh, but I don't like spying. I'm not into voyeurism."

I will beat them black and blue. I'll definitely help the kendo club do it too. That's criminal shit, and I'm showing that anger openly because Issari shivers seeing the look.

"I will rip his leg off. Why was he not prosecuted?"

Issari looked down sadly. We were getting close to a business district where the dojo was.

"The school covered it up because his dad is on the city council. My dad is on the council as well, and that is how I knew the size scouter before. My dad was pissed and he tried to open the investigation again but was stonewalled into dropping it. Thankfully, he didn't lose his seat in retaliation."

That pisses me off more. That's such horse shit! I don't give a damn I'm going to hurt that fuck who had earne permanent enemy me now. He will have a very horrible time at the school as I'm not scared of his dad. I school my new rage when I see the dojo before I tell Issari as we enter the dojo through a glass door.

"When I see him, you run from me. I don't want to get you into more trouble. I'm going to hurt him horribly if he peeps."

We entered together, and we saw a big room with multiple dummies along with several practice wooden swords and two real ones above where the clerk was waiting. The man eyed us both, and he was older, with black hair slowly going grey. His blue eyes are critical of us, and this might be the owner, actually. He seemed to approve of us both before he moved towards us. He was wearing a kendo uniform, of bright white. Issari was nervous and moved to hide behind me. That got a black eyebrow raised by the older man. I speak up for Issari.

"Apologies for her. We would like to use the dojo if that is alright with you, sir."

The older man eyed me again for a second before nodding.

"You are welcome to use my dojo, young man. It's rare for a youngster to show such respect unless you're in the circles. My name is Ohashi Ryozo. You look like you have potential for the sword. Your friend, not so much."

I nodded in understanding before bowing.

"She has spirit, Ohashi-san. I think she could be good given enough time, but that's true for anyone."

The older man smiled a ghostly smile.

"Very true indeed. Many young people ignore age and the wisdom of the older generations. I'm happy to teach willing students the ways of the sword, but I will not take those who ignore good advice."

Issari gains a bit of courage and bows quickly, too, before her knucklehead self shows again.

"Please teach me, Ohashi-sensei!"

The sheer enthusiasm is funny for me and apparently for Ohashi because he chuckled.

"She does have spirit. Please follow me."

We do, and Ohashi gets two wooden swords that are curved and then directs us to the dueling part of the dojo. The big circle is split evenly with a red line, and in the four corners of the room are bonsai trees. Ohashi gave a sword to each of us and then directed the two of us to opposite sides of the circle. We went to the left and right before we faced him, and he studied us more closely again.

"Show me your stances if you know any."

I drew the sword and then entered into a stance from a world in the far future called Heltena. It was world-famous for its pinprick moves because they had used rapiers for lots of noble duels. The world also had local predators that had extreme armor with only a few spots that were weak to pokes. Issari tried to copy me but couldn't get the stance right. Ohashi raised an eyebrow at my stance.

"I don't recognize that one. I'm familiar with both traditional ones from Asia and from Europe. I'm going to assume it's one you saw on TV or in a book. I would like to see how much I have to reteach you if it's not good, which it probably isn't."

That was brutal honesty.

"I understand the meaning, sir."

He nodded his head in acceptance, telling me to practice the stances. Before, he then moved to Issari to teach a few stances that would be good for beginning people. I easily fell into the motions of the style and began to move the sword like a rapier. Ohashi noted that. He, however, is interested in how the movement is. He watched for two minutes before he, after teaching Issari, who assumed an okay beginning stance, told us to face each other. He remarked to me.

"I am interested in this style. Its beginnings are in Western styles, but there are hints of things I do not see an origin in. You are raising my interest, young man. What is your name."

I smile and bow to him again.

"My name is Gregor, Ohashi-sensei."

Ohashi nodded.

"Begin."

Issari immediately launched into action, making a rookie mistake, and brought the blade in a forward chop downward. The sword moves fast, and I easily block it. The wood clangs, and I then riposte and throw Issari backward a few steps. She is panting slightly from that and is surprised. As is Ohashi. I assumed a new stance and then slowly moved my right foot forward. That pushed Issari into action again, thinking I was about to make an aggressive move.

I block her again. Her move came from a left swing, and I then riposted her with a gentle push to the right. Issari is off balance, and that's when I begin my strike. I gently poked with a swipe to the left that suddenly switched to the center when Issari moved to block the first strike. The poke gets through and hits Issari in the gut, getting a small oof. Ohashi is impressed.

"An interesting style. You might not need reteaching there. A tip, young lady. Don't always open first. Let the enemy sometimes come towards you at the beginning."

Issari nodded.

"Yes, Ohashi-sensei."

He nodded because Issari was accepting the advice without complaints.

"Begin."

We watched each other. Issari assumes a good defensive position. I made a move to the left, and she began to change direction to counter it. We circled each other for two minutes before I began with a poke to the center. Issari blocked it and then tried a riposte copying me from the first match. She, however, stumbles at the pure copy and does not know the footwork. I don't finish off the fight there, even though there are three ways to do so. Issari needs practice, too. Ohashi noted that but stayed silent.

Issari opened with a good move that hits from the right and is a swipe that is caught before I then riposte. But again, I'm going to give her more practice, the same as me. I poke with a stab that she blocked, and she is catching things fast. Ohashi is now looking at Issari with a curious eye.

We danced with blades, and Issari and I exchanged blows, with each of us practicing stances and swordwork. My endurance is better, and I finally make a poke when she takes a big gasp of air hitting her right elbow. Ohashi is very impressed. Issari is gasping loudly from the exertion. Ohashi does comment.

"Your style is a dueling one and a very good one, too. You have the potential of a good swordsman, Gregor-san, as does your friend. You could have ended the fight multiple times, but you didn't giving her practice."

I nodded and took in a deep breath of air.

"I want her to get practice, too. We are eager to learn the blade. I do want to learn styles that are unknown to me. I plan to perhaps join a dueling club in our hopeful new school should they take us."

Ohashi nodded.

"You're probably referring to Kuoh Academy. They have a very good dueling program. The question is, can you do more than duel? Battle is sometimes not clean like dueling."

I bowed again and let Issari catch her breath.

"I know, sir, but she is new, as am I to swords in general. Basics first before anything is good."

Ohashi smiled truly there.

"Very true again. I like you Gregor-san. You understand that basics are a very good thing. Isn't that right, Katase-san?"

That made us both blink, and we turned to the voice that had spoken up in reply to Ohashi-sensei. It is the one that I had hoped to not meet yet. Her pink hair is short and done up in a bob.

"That is true, Ohashi-sensei. I'm sorry for interrupting your session."

Ohashi shrugged but let Issari get her breath back before he again said.

"Begin you're welcome to watch Katase-san."

Katase nodded and then sat her bag down before taking a seat on the floor, watching us. I zone her out, but Issari has never seen pink hair before, apparently. That's the opening, and I then began with a poke towards the right that Issari does catch. Ohashi remarks to Issari.

"Don't pay attention to other things in the room when dueling. Focus on the opponent unless you see something that can make your fight easier."

Issari nodded, and Katase looked more closely at both of us. Before she frowned a bit, seeing Issari. I get Katase to focus on me with a swipe and a move forward that makes Issari back up a bit. She blocked the move. Issari nodded her head to me in thanks for that.

We dual. Each time we strike or riposte. Issari begins to make a few adjustments to her style to deal with the pokes I'm making. I keep memorizing the stance and the movements. I will make this my basic style for duels. There were three others I had picked out for this. Katase is frowning, having never seen this style of mine before as expected. However, she breaks the view of me to see Murayama enter, and the brown-haired woman takes a seat next to Katase after seeing the dueling.

The dueling continued before I tried my next style and then opened up with the Blood Angel style. It's brutal, and the sudden change of styles makes Issari immediately fall back and makes Katase and Murayama widen their eyes in shock, as does Ohashi. I swiped in such a quick flurry of stabs and jabs that I finally ended the duel by hitting Issari on the right leg, and she whined at the pain. I had held back the intentional blow that was for making an opponent lose their leg and then drop to the ground so a swipe downward that would claim an enemy's life. Issari hurts and is breathing loudly along with me. Ohashi looks at me openly in interest.

"I have never seen that one either, and that is a real battle style. You intrigue me, Gregor-san."

I nodded.

"You never know when you need it."

The man nodded and then smiled softly.

"Again, true. I wish to see you against a more experienced opponent. If that is agreeable?"

I nod again.

"I need all the practice I can get."

Ohashi nodded curtly before saying to the two other watchers.

"Murayama-san please fight Gregor-san."

The brown-haired young woman nodded at the request and stood. Her hair is longer than Katase's, and Issari goes and hands her sword to her fellow chestnut. Murayama took it and smiled gently at Issari in thanks, while Katase kept frowning. But kept the vast majority of her attention on me. Murayama assumed her position, and it's a very interesting stance. Her left leg is more prominent, and I see that her left hand is more forward, too. I then assumed my own stance, and Ohashi said one more thing while Issari sat still, catching her breath while sitting down away from Katase.

"Begin and don't hold back."

I nodded, as did Murayama. Her eyes focus on mine and mine hers. We don't move. We watched and watched before I made the first move. I shift my left leg to the right. Murayama followed with a good defense move. A shift of her sword towards the guessed attack path on the right. I surprised her with a poke to the center.

The blow was blocked easily, and then she stabbed towards my center, which then shifted right. I block it and then riposte. Murayama is impressed with the speed of my block. She then unleashed a flurry of blows that I caught. Before I poke again, Murayama catches the blow. Her style is a mix of ultra-aggressive and then a good defense. I unleash a new attack path.

I poke three times in fast succession. Two from the left to make her focus there more. Then, a poke on the right, then a switch towards the center. Then hard right. She catches all the blows. I smile, seeing the new stance. Before I unleashed the full version of a hard set of moves.

The first two blows are made to her legs, and she blocks both but gets more winded with the blows because of the wide strikes. Before I then chop with the intent to take her hands in a real fight. She blocked them but stumbled back a step, and then I chopped once more. One center, and that makes her back up because that chop requires a mini charge. She was preparing to return the blow, and when I sliced towards her shoulder, bypassing her guard because she expected the blow to come from my left. It came from my right. I wack her, and she hissed in pain. Ohashi is incredibly impressed.

"A very good match. You are good, Gregor-san."

I shake my head, surprising Ohashi because he clearly expected me to preen at that.

"There is always someone better. I enjoyed the fight Murayama-san."

I was breathing heavily, and Murayama was wincing at the blow. Katase is watching me with extreme curiosity while Issari with wide-eyed shock and lust. She did say she wanted a swordsman or woman. Because she was learning much from the fights. Murayama is looking at me, too, with interest, along with a hint of something else.

"It was a good fight, Gregor-san. Your styles are extremely different from anything I have seen before."

I bowed to her in respect for the duel.

"I'm in need of practice and I want to be able to have a way to defend myself better for if I need it against someone who has ill intent. I want to be ready for it should it happen."

Murayama nodded her head in understanding before she bowed back.

"I'd be happy to spar with you more should we meet again. I learned a few new things."

Katase continued watching, and it was clear she was the main captain. She looks at me interested. Before she looks at Issari once again. Her frown was very prominent. Issari, however, doesn't back down much. I prepare to leave the ring and offer my sword to Ohashi. He takes it before saying.

"You're welcome to return here at any point. It is refreshing to see someone who has wisdom at a young age. Your friend is welcome to return too."

Issari beams there, and I smile at her. Katase frowned more than ever but didn't say what she thought of Issari. Which isn't good because Katase has not seemed nice to Issari at all. This might be where the tension from the Kendo club originally started. Katase is a person who doesn't like people easily. Murayama, however, hasn't been open with her own feelings about Issari but smiled at her fellow chestnut a bit more. That makes Issari beam more. Murayama must have seen something there because she smiled wider.

"I will look forward to seeing you both more if you come here often. You seem humble, Gregor-san."

I smile.

"Pride comes before the fall. I'd rather be humble and win than be prideful and lose."

Ohashi smiled the first genuine smile of the day. He's a hard ass. Extremely good because that means he takes his profession seriously. Murayama smiled more than ever and also looked at me with lust. She might have a humble kink. Even Katase lets a ghost smile appear for a second before growing stern-faced again. Issari got up, and the two of us bowed to Ohashi. He bowed back. We then leave the dueling room while Ohashi gives the sword to Katase, and then the two captains begin their own spars.

Issari smiled more than ever as we left the building.

"That was so cool, Gregor-kun! You scored with the second one! I don't think the pink one likes me much."

I smile but ask her something.

"Perhaps I did, but I get the impression there is history between you two. Did you?"

She shook her head.

"I don't remember ever meeting her. Pink is distinctive but maybe I did? She just seemed like she has a ten-foot pole up her ass."

"She does seem like that. I don't know her, and they might become constant sparring partners if we continue visiting there."

Issari nodded vigorously.

"I like Ohashi-sensei. He was fair to me and didn't seem like he was against me from the get-go. Please teach me some of your moves, Gregor-kun."

I smile and then ask.

"Aggressive or defensive? I might have something that might work for you. Ohashi-sensei is the true teacher, not me. My stuff is weird."

Issari laughed.

"It is but it's a good weird and not in a bad way. I'd prefer something aggressive, but I want to learn everything in case you fail with the brown hair."

Issari listened as I described a style that was more aggressive, and she asked to see it the next time we met in the dojo. I do tell her.

"I have a phone now, Issari-chan. We can talk more easily. I'm probably busy tomorrow with a few things I need to get done."

She nodded in understanding. Before sharing her number and saying after that is done.

"I get it. I have to go see my mom's grandparents tomorrow, and I won't be free till way late. Maybe an evening run?"

I smile.

"Sure be safe, you gazer."

She laughed.

"You too, spirit boy."

She left to go towards her home. I go towards mine. I see Akeno again jogging near the park in the same clothes. She looked at me again in curiosity for a while longer before reluctantly leaving the opposite way. I don't like that, but it's probably because of the hair. I might dye it another color. Keep her and the other devils from seeing me more. Black or brown. Hell, I might do red. Koriel is impressed with the dueling. Today was productive again, and tomorrow, we will hopefully continue the trend