(Extra Story) The Crimson Warrior Part II

Day 1

The morning rises around the temple and the ravens caw. The students gather for training exercises and drills. This has been part of the routine, but there's one difference. Rena no longer scrubbed the floors and swept stone pathways. Master Rai assigned her to be part of it.

She is now dressed in a student's trademark shadow garb with the wooden sword in her left hand, practicing their swordsmanship drills.

As expected, the other students were not happy with the idea of the Crimson Warrior training with them. Although some were tolerable with her presence.

Then some time later, the whole class was to run through obstacles. Unfortunately for Rena, she often falls or is pushed off by others. Having only one arm didn't help. Luckily, Mayumi was in that class, helping her up. In breaks and night times, she tends to her wounds and Rena's frustrated whims.

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Day 3

Today is about dueling. Rena didn't understand why she had to participate given that she already learned how to fight, only one arm short.

It's Rena's turn so she walks and takes her place in the ring to face her opponent. Both engaged in a sword duel. She gained the upper hand in the first few minutes using offense and aggression, but that can also be her downfall. Her opponent is patient and resilient, when she attacks first, the opponent counterattacks her and wins the duel.

In Master Rai's mind, she'll learn that overpowering your opponents is not everything.

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Day 6

Rena and her class are to punch bars of iron for hours and she looks to see her knuckles bleeding. She realizes that she's just as struggling as everyone else.

Despite some failings and sabotage from the others, she's managing quite well as a student. When classes are over, she leaves until she finds herself at a lone rock in a secluded area.

She looked down at her bleeding hand and winced in frustration, she knew she had to cover it up. She grabbed the hem of her right dangling sleeve.

"Renalyn." a voice called out just as she was about to rip a part of her sleeve.

She turned to look at Master Rai standing there with his hands behind his back. "Master?! I didn't see you there."

"Sometimes when you taste the feeling of pride, you lose sight of everything around you and once it breaks, it turns into anger, an anger that kills you inside...May I?" Rai offered.

Rena gave him her bleeding hand . His hand made a gesture and silently chants, then his palms begin to glow blue as he hovers over hers.

"It may remind you that you have a mission. But anger is a child of fear and sadness. I saw this much. Pride and anger. In the young ninja of our rival clan...and your brother."

Rena felt a cool chill in her hand and the pain slowly fades. Master Rai withdraws his hands and sees that he healed her wounds.

"What do you know of my brother?" Rena asked while she flexed her hand.

"He came here once." He simply said before turning around. "Follow me."

She didn't ask, she just went along and followed him. She doesn't make any attempts to start a conversation because she's just as taciturn as her brother, a trait shared within the twins. She followed him all the way to the temple, into the master's dojo. There are displays of weapons, armor, vases and paintings. But the one that stood out the most is a katana at the far end of the room, surrounded by white banners with a red dragon emblem.

The sword has a black hilt wrapped with red cloth, golden hand guard with a dragon design. She has yet to see the blade inside a black scabbard with a dragon design, wrapped with a red cloth by the scabbard knob.

Master Rai caught her eyeing the sword. "Ah yes! the Dragon Blade. It was once made from a tooth of the legendary dragon that fought to end Endoa's first war. They say the dragon's spirit still lives within that blade. It has been passed down through generations, the last owner of that sword was my father."

"How come you never use it?" Rena asked.

"I rarely wage war." He said as he held something that appears to be wrapped in a cloth.

"What is that?"

"..."

Rena was met with silence. Instead, Master Rai sat down and gestured for her to sit. She knew there was a story coming up, so she obliged, both of them sat down cross-legged across each other.

"The Raven Clan doesn't always have this peace, often we were terrorized by our rival clan, the Serpents. They were merciless and harsh extremists who sought to control the territories of Endoa and build an empire known to the land yet unseen in the world. One day they conquered the nearby village, and it was when he came..."

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(Flashback)

(//) - Narration

In the town of merchants, with structures of Endoan architecture. Its people wore kimonos and fishermen garbs and they traded fruits, fish, and essentials to wanderers.

/The nearby merchant village was a thriving one. Until the Serpent Clan came to invade./

Then the townsfolk screamed and tried to run from men with dark green ninja outfits with yellow sashes and katanas in their hands. Rounding up the villagers and slaughtering those who fight back or attempt to flee.

Then among them was a ninja who wore green armor than the rest.

/And the one who led the raid was their young prince. Koda Sanada./

He took off his mask, revealing a young face full of pride. He had fair skin, green eyes and black hair tied in a wolf tail.

"Take all of them and make them kneel."

/He was vile as he is as arrogant and he ravished the torment of the innocents/

His henchmen rounded up the men, women and children and got them in their knees.

"Is this all of them?" Koda asked his men.

"Yes."

He looked at them and they have despair and pleading eyes as if they were begging for mercy.

"Kill some of them, set an example." he ordered with no hesitation or remorse.

Screams are heard from blades digging into men's flesh and ropes are tied to their hands and feet.

One of the ninja approaches a young woman with dark hair tied in a ponytail but she managed to kick him before running away into the forest. The ninja grunts and their leader took notice of this.

"What are you doing?! After her!!!" He ordered him.

The ninja then ran towards the girl's direction at a speed of sound.

The young woman ran as fast as she could, daring not to look back. While the ninja was free running on tree branches. She couldn't know how far she ran, all she knows is her life is on the line.

When things got suddenly silent, she stopped and looked behind her, only to find no one. She sighed to catch her breath but she couldn't help but fear that they're still after her, and her suspicions were true when she was suddenly pounced from above by that same man who was chasing her.

He held both of her wrists with one hand and a knife held in the other. She tried to struggle but he pressed the knife at her neck, threatening to kill her. All she could do is look at him with fear and whimper as he slowly runs the knife down to her chest until he stops at the hem of her kimono. He then opens it revealing a white Hadajuban wrapped on her breasts, he then sliced it open and he was about to indulge himself.

But then he heard footsteps nearby and it caused the ninja to jump back and look around with the knife at the ready. Seconds later, he was face to face with a black-cloaked figure with the hood shadowing his face that seemed to be young. The young woman covered her naked chest with her hands and crawled away.

He stares for a minute. The ninja could feel the murderous intent from the cloaked figure and it sent him shivers.

Finally the ninja let out a battle cry and dashed towards the figure, and the last thing he saw was an axe blade swing at him and then red.

Back in the village, a pile of corpses of some men littered in the ground while the only ones that are docile remained alive and terrified.

The Raven ninjas of black and red prowled at the roofs of the houses, guided by the red armoured ninja giving orders. This red ninja is none other than Master Rai.

Koda stood straight with his arms crossed, watched as his brethren stole and slaughtered

the innocents. The two ninjas brought an elder in front of Koda and forced him on his knees.

"Too much pride will be the death of you, young man." the elder spoke with seemingly no fear for his life.

Koda winced at the comment so he would respond by unsheathing his katana.

/ The Serpent Clan sought to claim territory, take their supplies, and claim children to mold them into their ranks. But young Koda was not interested in those. All he desired was to carve himself legend that would spread fear in the hearts of men, that he was to become the master of death, like his father before him. We arrived at the scene to put a stop to them, but your brother came.../

Just as he was about to kill the elder, a loud thud was heard, drawing all the invaders' attention. They saw it was one of their own, littered with cuts and blood, lifeless. The others became wary, especially Koda.

Then a minute later, a black-cloaked figure emerged from the shadows, with a lumberjack's axe covered in blood in his hand. They couldn't see much of the face since it was hidden by the hood, but the jawline suggests it was a young man. The standoff feels like an eternity until Koda breaks the silence.

"Who are you?" he asked in a demanding tone.

The figure did not answer. Instead he gripped his axe tightly. Koda saw this as an intimidation display but he was far from intimidated. So he and his men just laughed.

"Hahaha!!! Do you actually believe you can take on all of us? Let alone me?" Koda asked with humor and disbelief.

Again, no answer. The figure just twirls the axe then enters combat stance.

"Very well then. You two! Bring me this fool's head." Koda ordered two of his men.

They nodded and approached the cloaked figure as they unsheathed their katanas. Before the first ninja could make the first move, the figure then swings the axe into his neck and blood splatters. Then the figure hooks the axe on the other ninja's leg, pulling him towards the figure then stomps his neck so hard a crack can be heard.

Koda and his men were taken by surprise, how the figure killed them in an instant, without giving them a chance to attack.

Some of the blood got into the figure's face by the cheek. So he removed his hood, revealing a young teenage boy with spiked back black hair with emo bangs, pale white skin, and red eyes sending a sharp glare.

/ Koda was confused that what he saw was a boy with the eyes of a killer, but his men did not scoff like he did. The murderous intent your brother had sent shivers to their spines, even I had felt it./

"We kill him at your word Koda-san." one of his allies said.

But Koda raised his hand, signaling to halt.

"Wait, this one is mine." Koda then approached Alex.

Meanwhile on the roofs, the Raven ninjas brandished their weapons out. They waited for Master Rai's order, but signaled them to stand down.

/Koda was not dissuaded like the others. Instead, he challenged him. I wanted us to intervene and aid him to drive Koda and assassins out, but out of curiosity, we had to spectate./

"You there! you killed my assassins." Koda called out.

"Get in my way and you will join them." Alex spoke in a soft yet threatening manner.

Koda was offended but still kept his composure.

"Insolent fool." he spat silent before he unsheathed his kyoketsu-shoge.

"Very well, I am Koda Sanada, and I am your death."

He throws his weapon towards the cloaked teen. Alex was surprised by his speed, but managed to block the attack with his axe. If it wasn't for reflexes, he would've been dead. Ninjas are remarkably fast, he'll have to rely on reflexes if he wants to keep up with them.

Koda manipulates the chain to strike at Alex but he continues to dodge and deflect each strike. Koda spins the blade and throws it at him which catches the axe, Koda tries to pull the axe out of Alex's hands but he doesn't let go, Alex pulls the chain with force that Koda was pulled due to Alex's supernatural strength. Alex swings the axe horizontally but Koda back-flipped his body while in mid-air to avoid the axe blade to the face then land on his feet.

Alex began to notice something. The chains of his weapon were wrapped around his legs. Koda pulled sharply and the chains tripped Alex while the blade grazed his leg, knee, and tight, before he plumped to the ground.

Alex gets up but he drops down due to the effect of the cuts, he's now bent on one knee and glare at the ninja.

"And now, for the final touches. DIE!!!" Koda spins his chain blade around himself violently until he becomes a human shredder. He dashes towards Alex and past him, with the chain blade tearing at Alex's flesh everywhere. It's not just him, the blade kicks some dust in the ground, making the view from the outside invisible in the dust cloud. Koda finishes him off the sequence and exits the dust cloud. Though Alex couldn't be seen through the dust cloud, blood bursts from his position.

"That was easy." Koda cleaned off his kyoketsu-shoge and walked away.

"As expected, nothing truly stops you Koda-san." his fellow ninjas praised him.

Koda can't help but let out a satisfying smile full of pride. But it's too early to celebrate.

When the dust cleared, what Koda saw shocked him. Alex was still standing, slouched. His clothes were tattered and dusted, cuts and blood were all over his body. Alex's eyes looked up and his scowl remained.

"You live?...no one lives." Koda's voice cracked with confusion and anger.

What happened next Koda didn't predict. Alex threw the axe at him. He tried to dodge it but the axe blade hits him in the eye.

"RAAAAAGHHHH!!!!!"

Koda fell while clutching his wounded eye and writhed in agony.

/ Koda was a man of too much pride. His goal was to carve himself a legend that he would be the master of death, like his father before him. But Alex broke his pride by not only surviving his killing blow, but also scarring him as an insult to injury. And from that day, Koda held a grudge. /

"KODA-SAN!!! YOU WILL BLEED FOR WHAT YOU DID TO OUR LEADER!!!" his henchmen threatened while lavishing their katanas, but Koda halted them.

"NO! We must retreat...YOU! I will not forget this gaijin. You will pay for what you did to me."

Koda gave a look of venom in his eyes before his men dragged him out of the village.

The villagers helped their own at their feet. They wanted to thank Alex for saving but he was already gone.

In the forest near the village, Alex ran until he slumped to a nearby tree. He sat down with a grunt, his wounds left him weak. He closed his eyes then a group of ninjas clad in black and red surrounded the pale teen, with the Master Rai crouching down to check his wounds.

(Flashback end)

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"He sustained wounds from his encounter with young Koda so we carried him back to our temple and healed him." Master Rai speaks.

Rena was mesmerized like a child listening to a story, and will intend to listen more as Master Rai continues.

"However he was one who did the healing. I found that he wasn't human anymore nor is he the happy boy I saw with his father as he claimed. I let him stay here, though it was only for a few days. I taught him our ways of assassination and wisdom but I learned he was more damaged than I thought. He has grown cynical and apathetic, he murders anyone who he deems unethical. To him, we're all the same as the children that despised him and took everything from him. But among his dark thoughts, I saw there was one spark of hope."

Master Rai pulled out something wrapped in a cloth and placed it between them.

"My experiences taught me that the need to entice it leads to resistance. So I gave him a choice."

He unwrapped the cloth and showed it to Rena. Though it wasn't what she was expecting, he revealed a black kusarigama (chained scythe) with the handle wrapped in pieces of red cloth.

"This weapon was once your father's. I gave it to Alexander, on the day he confronts Koda."

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(Flashback)

(Alex's POV)

I walked through the fog and forests, dressed in a black long sleeves shirt, grey belt with pouches and black skinny pants, having to receive the message of that young brat whose eye I took. He demands a death duel or more people die, but I did not care about that. I merely answered his call.

All this fog and the trees, Koda may have the advantage as a ninja. But I've learned much in the Raven Clan, I should be able to use my surroundings to shadow my movement. But still, I can sense Koda is somewhere in this fog, stalking, and prowling. I held my medium-length sickle, bestowed to me by Rai, at the ready until my suspicions came to fruition.

A blade came at my left and I managed to block it with my sickle. I used the hook part of the blade and pulled Koda out of the fog, he landed on his feet though and he wore a matching mask. He pulls his blade back to his and straightens his posture as I do the same, staring at each other.

"So you came gaijin." he spoke.

"I didn't think you'd come alone." I bantered back.

"I don't need them." he smirked as he tucks away his chain blade behind his back.

"So you've come to take me on all by yourself? Very bold of you." I said sarcastically.

"I've heard rumors about you. They call you The Reaper, wherever you go, death follows. That legend was supposed to fall to me, but you survived my attack. This time I shall reclaim that title. That is why you and I are in this duel, there can only be one master of death..."

I saw he unsheathed his katana rather than his chain blade, I knew he was gonna attack. So I held my sickle tight and entered a defensive stance.

"...and it's ME!!!" Koda declared as proved my prediction right by charging towards me.

I rolled out of the way just as he passed through to avoid the attack. Then I ran at him to strike him, he dodged and deflected my next attack. I followed up with a flurry of strikes which he blocked, when he tried to sweep me with his sword, I back-flipped away.

Koda runs at me to attack so I blocked him then leg-sweep him, which he jumped but failed to block my follow up side kick, which sent him further from me. I dashed towards him, he overhead slashed but I sidestepped and pinned his katana to the ground with my foot. I attempted to slice his hand which held the sword but he let go and I missed. I followed up with a strike to my left which he blocked unarmed, then I tried to overhead slash but he caught my wrist, elbowed me in the gut then he threw me over his shoulder. I grunted as my back hit the ground, when I recovered quickly, he was already gone.

"It's time for some mind games." Koda said sinisterly.

I figured he disappeared into the fog, so I switched my sickle reverse gripped and kept my senses open. I tip-toed slowly as I paid attention to any disturbances in the ground, sound and air, another thing I've learned from the master.

My eyes widened as I felt something coming fast at me. I slashed behind me, but I saw it was a mistake. I just sliced a shuriken in two instead of him. Then I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I grunted and almost fell, but I remained standing. I saw his chain blade being pulled back into the fog before I entered a defensive stance with my weapon gripped. I have to focus more, because I'm not about to fall for the same trick twice.

Another shuriken was speeding towards me, I dodged it and just as I predicted, I caught the chain blade coming from behind me. I pulled the chain with my might along with Koda out of the fog and sent him crashing to a wall.

I watched get up on his feet. He tore off his mask and he looked absolutely livid.

I let out a smirk as I decided to use a little parlor trick. I pressed a button on the hilt of the sickle and it split into six parts, revealing chains between and it extended, making my weapon into a kusarigama(chained sickle).

I threw my scythe straight towards Koda and he jumped to the side, then I pulled the chain so the blade went in his direction and he blocked it with his own blade.

We twirl our chained blades, constantly clashing with one another, until our blades hook onto each other, pulling, gritting our teeth. However the look on Koda's face showed more frustration.

Then suddenly he let go of the handle and used that end to ensnare with right foot, he pulled and I fell to the ground. I get right back up.

"Grr! Why won't you die!!!" he growled as he lashed out his blade at me, grazing me like a child throwing a tantrum, and I'm tanking all of them until I'm immobilized.

He took advantage of my stasis and took his katana and entered a strange stance. I wasn't sure if I was imagining things but I saw glowing green kanji characters circling around him, the winds began to swirl around him.

"The Reaper is mine! DIE!!!"

Koda dashed forwards, turned into a green blur. Lights were flashing around my body, then he appeared behind me. Then a second later, blood bursts from my body, feeling all the cuts at once. I collapsed to the ground, I can hear him sheathing his katana and sighing in satisfaction.

(3rd POV)

"I did it. I finally did it. I have proven that I am truly...the master of death. No. Death himself." Koda revels in his accomplishment, unaware that the reaper is still alive.

As for Alex, he lied there, letting him think he is dead.

'So that's what Master Rai was talking about. The Serpent Clan was known to be in possession of the deadliest legendary technique in the world, there was nothing to counter it. However that claim isn't always accurate. Because for one, this guy is a complete amateur. And for other...' he thinks to himself.

Alex places his hand silently on the ground when he hears Koda walking away.

'...is because I'm not human anymore.'

Koda walks away with a smirk, but he lets his guard down. Suddenly the kusarigama hooked to his foot and then was sharply pulled, dragging the ninja down to the ground and scratching his foot at where it was hooked.

Shock came to him like a wave, he recovered and turned to see the reaper but he was gone, hidden in the fog. Anxiety overcame Koda, cautiously holding his katana with his right hand and the kyoketsu-shoge in his left, peering left to right for the eyes that peer at him from the fog.

Then he sees his silhouette figure and immediately runs to it, he stabs through it but he realizes his mistake. Turns out that silhouette is actually a thin tree trunk that's conveniently shaped like a person.

Alex jumped out from the fog at his left and sliced Koda by the cheek before he roundhouse kicked him. He dashes at him and extends his scythe to chains. Two hits clashed before Alex kicked a rock to his face and retracted his scythe back to its original form. Koda staggered and tried to retaliate by throwing his chain blade but Alex caught it with his own chain scythe and redirected it to a thick tree next to them, breaking part of it and pinning the blade. Koda pulls it to retrieve it, breaking another part of that same tree. Alex sprints at him and swipes the chain blade out of his hand.

Koda tries to downward slash him with his katana but Alex catches his wrist then elbows his arm, breaking it. Koda screams in agony and lets go of the katana. Alex kicks it back high up in the air, grabs his left working arm, wraps his legs around it then uses his momentum to throw him to the tree log. Alex then steps on his chest, catches the katana falling from the air then hovers the blade onto his neck with his left hand while holding his kusarigama with his right hand ready to slice him.

The two have a stare down. Koda looked at him like he was a force to be reckoned with, he just shrugged off the deadliest technique that earned him the title of death as if it didn't even happen, and his murderous intent is poisonous to even breathe. On the other hand, Alex knew the speed and trickery of ninja assassins are not to be underestimated, but if this is Koda's peak, he didn't need to take this guy seriously, he looked utterly defeated.

"It's over!" Alex said.

He lets go of the downed ninja prince and throws away the katana far from his reach then starts to walk away.

Koda may be immobilized by his feet, but he still refuses to accept that he is defeated by (in his mind) some punk who is less skilled than. His ego couldn't take that kind of humiliation.

With his last bit of strength, he reared back his chain blade and threw it at Alex. Time seemed to slow down as the blade was coming for the back of the pale teen's head. Just at the last second, Alex moved his head out of the way to avoid the blade and it hit the tree whose chunks in the trunk were missing. Alex narrowed his eyes and readied his weapon but Koda recklessly pulled the chain, causing the tree to fall onto them.

Alex saw this and rolled himself out of the way, and to Koda's consequence, he was unable to move.

'Too much pride will be the death of you, young man.'

Life flashes before his eyes as he remembers the village elder's words, then the young ninja was crushed to death by the tree.

Alex sees the ninja's hand spasm under the thick tree before going limp.

He stood up, collected his soul, and left.

(Flashback end)

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(Present day)

"Because of his overwhelming pride, Koda Sanada was killed by his own hand, trying to kill Alex Crowe."

Rena hummed in response.

"I offered him to stay, but he insists that he should find his path alone. So I gave him a dagger as a gift, one he used to rescue you."

Rena was a bit surprised at the memory in St. Olga's Asylum. He was using a knife at the time.

"Do you know the difference between you and your brother?" Master Rai asked.

Rena shook her head.

"Alexander spends most of his time, hating on what he had become while you revelled in your own self-achievement, and it was that same pride that destroyed you in the end."

Rena looked away in shame. Even if she was possessed by the demoness, it was still her desires. Master Rai sighed once more and stood up.

"You felt you were disgraced this much, then perhaps you need a new name. There was once a fire inside you before, and I don't mean literally. It's time you rekindle that fire and decide who you choose to be. I wasn't the right person to help your brother, but I see that I can help you now. Now go get some rest, I don't need to remind you of your classes."

Master Rai bids farewell and leaves Rena in the gallery.

He has a point. If the old one is charred beyond repair, then it's time to forge anew.

She let out a sigh and stood up. She looked at the Dragon sword for a moment before walking out of the gallery.

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Day 7

The next day, Rena was practicing drills with the rest of the class. Sometimes she gets pebbles thrown at her and pushed but she pays no mind as she continues her drills. The same goes for meditation. Even Mayumi joined her.

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Day 9

Obstacle course. This time the masters humbled her with patience and she used that same patience to anticipate the sabotages set by some of her classmates and dodged them. She even stopped to rescue a guy who got stuck in one of the obstacles

Slowly, the rest of the class became impressed, then Mayumi excitedly grabbed her hand and jumped with joy.

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Day 13

Everyone punches iron. Rena breaks the iron, but this time she doesn't bleed, closing her fist and smiling with satisfaction.

Everyday, she's earning respect from her peers. They began to treat her as a friend while the grudges for her past crimes began to fade.

From a distance, Master Rai looked more pleased, watching her.

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Day 16

Now it is time for the dueling. Rena has learned much and already some of her classmates are rooting.

"Rena!!! Step into the ring." the teacher called

Rena complied with the bokken in her hand and awaited her opponent.

"Renji!!!"

A boy then stepped to the ring facing across her who seemed familiar. Of course, it's the same boy that harassed her and whom she saved Mayumi from.

"You and the freak don't deserve to be here." the boy now named Renji spat.

Rena can't help but let out a tiny smirk, but she decides not to say anything.

"Fighters bow."

Both complied and bowed, then took their positions. Rena gripped her wooden sword one handed at her left side close to her face while Renji kept his wooden sword pointed at her two-handed.

"Fighters ready...."

Both combatants stared intently.

"....FIGHT!!!"

Renji makes a run for her and strikes which Rena blocked three times before sidestepping the next attack then enters the defense stance. Renji continues attacking and Rena dodged and parried them all.

"STOP MOVING!!!"

Renji attacks with a thrust only for Rena to swipe the sword away then hit his face with the butt of her sword.

She backs away, maintaining her defensive form. Frustrated Renji overhead swings his sword with his strength but Rena blocked it. She showed no signs of struggle despite having one arm, when she saw Renji putting everything to push her down she took this opportunity to sweep his leg, causing him to fall. Renji tried to sweep her legs but she saw that coming and jumped away. He gets up quick.

"Enough of this!!! I will not be humiliated by a one-armed freak loving destroyer!!!" he growls before he prepares for his attack. Then let out a battle cry while charging at Rena in a fit of desperation.

Rena thought that if she was still the power hungry fighter back then, she would've stopped him before he even had a chance to attack. But in recent lessons from a certain master, she decided to wait a bit before the counterattack.

She kept her muscles relaxed and waiting. Renji may be just another bully, but he's no idiot. He had been anticipating her but this time he couldn't read her next attack from her relaxed state, it was then anxiety came at him on what her next was going to be.

He then saw a twitch from her hand holding the wooden sword, and that was all he needed to know that she plans to counter with a sword. He swings his sword down with all his might, intending to out-strength her attack, and then...

BANG!!!

The final clash echoed around the area and everyone, especially Yumiko, looked stunned as something went spinning upwards in the air before it fell and embedded itself a distance away from the two combatants. That something was Renji's wooden sword.

Renji stood eyes wide and jaw open in shock while Rena stood opposite him with her right leg raised up. This tells that she kicked the butt of his bokken out of his hands and she twitched her hand on purpose to make him think she'll attack with her sword. Renji realized that he had played right into Rena's hands...er hand.

Renji collapsed to his knees and Rena held her bokken's tip pointed towards him.

"Yield." she dryly commanded.

Renji froze in place which prompted Rena to press the tip closer against his neck.

"I..." Renji trailed off before finally sighing in defeat.

"I yield."

And that was all it took for the teacher to confirm the conclusion.

"Renalyn Corvus wins!!!"

The stands were alive with acclimation, even Mayumi joined in on the cheering.

Rena dismissed her bokken in reverse grip and bowed before leaving the ring without paying any mind to the cheers to the newly earned respected peers to join Mayumi, who in turn grabbed Rena's hand and jumped with joy.

Master Rai, who was watching from a distance, let out a little proud smirk to see that his efforts finally paid off.

"A learner...Just like your father and your brother." he muses.

Meanwhile, Renji had his head hung despondently before looking at Rena with hatred in his eyes.

"This shall be the last time I lose to you Rena Corvus. I swear I will make you pay for what you did."