Chapter 2 - Passion and fire
*In a park with many people, Shun and Takahashi are in front of a table playing a card game*
Takahashi: And, with this attack, your life points have reached 0.
Shun: I lost… It was a good game, Takahashi!
Takahashi: Good game indeed!
Takahashi: But… Do you know why I came here today?
Shun: No…?
Takahashi: Today marks 5 years since your father went in his mission.
Shun: Oh… Yeah. That’s right.
*Shun’s facial expression becomes more serious*
Shun: But…
*Shun goes back to smiling, and looks at Takahshi with a determined look on his face*
Shun: I know he’ll return!
Shun: This is why I cannot worry about this!
Shun: He must be having the best battles of his life!
Takahashi: That’s right.
*Suddenly, Benita comes to the park holding a paper bag with a friendly look and a smile in her face*
Benita: Good morning, Shun! Takahashi!
Shun: Hello, Benita!
Takahashi: Hey there, Benita!
Benita: I brought your favorite cakes!
*Benita grabs some slices of cake from the bag and puts them on the table*
Shun: Normally, I’d leave them for later, but I can’t reject some hope cakes! Thanks!
*Shun starts eating*
*Benita smiles lightly*
Benita: You’re welcome! I brought these cakes to celebrate your promotion to knight!
Shun: Speaking of promotions…
Shun: Are you gonna take the medicine test this time?
Benita: No. There’s no reason for me to do that.
Benita: I’ll fail anyways.
Benita: I will just embarrase myself again if I do it.
Shun: You should try it, Benita.
Benita: But I won’t pass it.
Shun: My dad once told me that a true warrior ain’t one that wins, but one that fights with guts!
Benita: But I am not a warrior!
*Shun opens his mouth and facepalms*
Shun: Oh… But you get it, don’t you?
Benita: Yeah. I think so.
Takahashi: Shun! Benita! Do you want you play with me?
Shun: Of course!
Benita: Yes.
*Shun, Benita and Takahshi go to the table and start to shuffle*
*Shun draws a card*
Shun: My turn!
*A violet smoke that can only be seen by Shun appears from the sword he is carrying and it rapidly transforms itself into the figure of Kusanagi*
Kusanagi: Shun! What are you doing?
Shun: I’m just enjoying the game!
*Shun speaks while playing*
*Takahashi draws a card*
Takahashi: My turn!
Kusanagi: This is a waste of time! We should be training instead!
Shun: It’s not a waste of time! This is fun!
Takahashi: And with this attack, your life points reach 0!
Shun: Hahahaha! Good game!
Kusanagi: Hey, you shouldn’t have this attitude when you come across a defeat!
Shun: It’s just for fun!
Kusanagi: You act the same way with fights.
Shun: Calm down, Kusanagi.
Benita: Shun! Why are you talking to yourself?
Shun: I’m talking to Kusanagi.
Benita: How are you talking to a sword?
Shun: There’s a spirit of a warrior inside it,
Benita: What?
Shun: I’ll explain it better for you.
*While Shun explains about the sword to Benita, a man is creating a painting*
*Gianluigi is drawing a map while he looks at the river beside him that leads to a deep valley below him*
Gianluigi: Vihihihihihi!
Gianluigi: It’s done!
Gianluigi: The map of the great Gianluigi Empire!
*Gianluigi quickly raises his arms, and ends up letting his brush fall down the river*
Gianluigi: Oh no!
Gianluigi: Who cares anyways. It’s just a brush! I can just by anot-
Gianluigi: I can’t buy another brush!
Gianluigi: All because of that insolent Shun!
Gianluigi: Because of him, my whole reputation was ruined in one fell swoop!
*Gianluigi hits the painting with strength*
*In another place*
*Dojo*
*Shun hits Takahashi’s sword with strength*
Takahashi: Very good!
Takahashi: Remember: The oppressed style, if used the right way, becomes the oppressor!
*Takahashi attacks Shun*
*Shun tries to defend himself, but fails and falls on the ground*
Shun: Ah!
*Takahashi helps Shun get up*
Shun: It was a good fight, master Takahashi!
Takakashi: Didn’t you notice something different?
Shun: No.
Takahashi: It was my moves.
Shun: Oh…
Takahashi: I used a branch style.
Shun: Branch style?
Takahashi: The three styles of swordfighting are the main ones, but there are others.
Takahshi: The one I used in the last battle was the Cat style.
Takahashi: This is a style that consists in confusing the opponent. It’s a type of jink.
Takahashi: The branch styles don’t have a well defined order of oppressed and opressor like the three main ones, so they tend to be harder to predict.
Takahashi: The Cat style can counter well the Tiger and Turtle styles…
Takahashi: However, it’s hard to use it.
Shun: I wanna learn it!
Takahashi: Very well…
Takahashi: But before, wait here.
*Takahashi goes to another room*
*Hahahahahaha!!!*
*When Shun looks behind him, he sees Razor*
Razor: You fell for such a cheap trick!
Shun: Look who’s talking! The guy who was afraid of drawing a sword!
Razor: You moron!
*Takahashi returns*
Takahashi: Hey, stop this, Razor!
Razor: Ok.
*Takahashi shows a red jacket with yellow buttons and long sleeves with a “39” written in it’s left side*
Shun: I can’t believe it!
Takahashi: This is your new knight suit!
Razor: It’s not fair! I want one!
Takahasi: You’re still not a knight yet.
Razor: Damn it! This isn’t fair at all!
Takahashi: You’ve got potential, but you’ve gotta stop being so arrogant.
Razor: I’m not arrogant! I am the man who’s gonna become the world’s strongest swordsman!
Shun: A swordsman who’s too afraid to draw a sword?
Takahashi: Stop it, you two!
Takahashi: Ok, Shun. It’s time for you to start your Cat style training!
Takahashi: Let’s go to the mountain to train!
Razor: I wanna go!
Takahashi: I already told you that you’re not a knight yet!
Takahashi: Pack your bags, Shun!
Shun: I’ll see if Benita wants to go there with me!
Takahashi: Ok.
*Benita’s house*
*Shun knocks on the door*
*Deva opens the door*
Deva: What is it, Shun?
Shun: Oh… Hi.
Shun: I just wanna talk to Benita!
Deva: Wait a minute.
*Time passes, Benita opens the door*
Benita: Shun? What’s up?
Shun: Do you wanna go out with me?
*Shun puts his hand on his mouth and blushes for what he said*
Shun: N-Not on a date! I mean for training!
Benita: Of course!
*Benita smiles*
Benita: What's with that face, Shun?
Shun: It’s nothing.
Shun: Let’s go!
*Shun and Benita pick somethings up and go to the dojo*
*Takahashi is holding a bag*
Takahashi: Alright! Let’s go!
*The three walk through a forest behind the dojo until and get to the top of a mountain, where there is a cottage*
*In the landscape, there’s more sky than land. Below, many trees and the humble town of Kibou;
above, the endless immensity of the sky with many clouds, some darker than others*
Takahashi: It’s here!
Takahashi: But before we start, I have a question…
Takahashi: Shun… Have you ever seen how cats hunt?
Shun: No.
Benita: How not, Shun?
Shun: I didn't pay much attention.
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Takahashi: Cats wait before they attack.
Takahashi: This is because they are thinking about the best way of attacking. However, we can use this to use the Cat style.
Takahashi: You can never know for sure when a cat is going to attack.
Takahashi: Be like a cat, Shun.
Shun: What…?
*Takahashi picks up a ball from his bag”
Takahashi: This is what I’ll use!
Takahashi: Pick up your sword!
Shun: I didn't bring my bamboo sword!
Takahashi: No! Pick up your real sword!
Shun: Ok!
*Shun picks up his sword*
Takahashi: Your goal is to pierce this ball!
Shun: But that’s too easy!
Takahashi: I may be sick, but my feflexes are still excellent!
*Shun tries to pierce the ball, but Takahashi dodges it with the ball*
Shun: But how…?
Benita: Go, Shun!
Shun: Yes!
*Shun tries to pierce the ball, but Takahashi dodges again*
*Kusanagi appears from a purple haze*
Kusanagi: Do you want me give you the Imagination Slash?
*Shun shakes his head*
*Shun tries to cut the ball from below, but Takahashi jumps and lands behind where he was*
Shun: Darn it! How am I going to hit it?
*Shun moves the ball rightwards*
*Shun spends a lot of time trying to hit it, but doesn't succeed once*
Shun: I’ll try it once more!
*Shun, excited, attacks the ball. But before he could hit it…*
*Takahashi falls to the ground*
Shun: Takahashi!
Benita: Mister!
*Benita runs to help him*
Benita: He has passed out!
Shun: Darn it! What do we do?
Benita: Let’s take him to that cottage!
*Shun and Benita take Takahashi to the cottage*
*The two put the veteran in a bed*
*Benita does her best to heal him*
Benita: Shun! Go pick up some wormseed, please!
Shun: Ok!
*Shun gets out of the cottage, determined*
*Shun gets near a river near the cottage, and almost falls for lack of attention*
*Until he hears someone saying something*
Gianluigi: Stop right there!
*It’s Gianluigi, next to Shun, pointing a sword at him*
Shun: Not now, Gianluigi!
Gianluigi: Don't be a pushover! Let’s finish this!
Shun: Ok, bro!
Shun: Let’s fight!
Shun: (Fox style!)
*Shun runs toward Gianluigi and quickly attacks him*
*Gianluigi defends himself*
Gianluigi: It’s time for me to restore my respect!
*Gianluigi attacks Shun with all his strength*
Shun: I think not!
Shun: (Fox style!)
*Shun attacks Gianluigi in a quick attack*
*Blood falls from the ginger man’s arm*
Gianluigi: Ah!
Gianluigi: You’re nothing more than a one-trick pony!
*Gianluigi attacks Shun with a heavy swing*
*Shun tries to block the attack, but Gianluigi hits Shun’s leg, making him fall on the grass beside his blood*
*In the ground, Shun sees some wormseed*
Shun: Ah!
Gianluigi: Vihihihihi! I knew you weren’t gonna use the Fox style after my taunt!
Gianluigi: You better give up, Shun!
*Gianluigi steps in Shun’s abdomen with strength*
Shun: Ah!
*Suddenly, Benita gets out of the cottage*
Benita: Shun!
Gianluigi: I’ll give you a chance!
Gianluigi: You don’t need to die!
Gianluigi: Just surrender!
Gianluigi: Sign a letter that says Gianluigi Lee is the name of the man who defeated you, and done!
Shun: Never!
Gianluigi: Very well…
Gianluigi: This is the end, Shun!
*Gianluigi attacks Shun in order to cut his head off*
Shun: (Is this it…?)
*Shun remembers*
Takahashi: Be like a cat, Shun!
*Present*
*Shun puts his hand in front of the attack*
*Blood splashes*
Shun: Ah!
*Shun punches Gianluigi with his other hand, making the ex-knight fall to the ground*
Gianluigi: Ah!
*Shun uses this distraction to get up and picks up his sword*
Gianluigi: You always get in my way!
Shun: Thank you for the compliment!
Gianluigi: You moron! This ends here!
*Suddenly, rain starts to fall*
Shun: Yeah. Looks like this doesn’t end here.
Gianluigi: Damn it!
Gianluigi: This isn’t over yet!
*Gianluigi goes away*
Benita: Shun! Are you okay?
Shun: Of course!
Benita: You need to be healed!
Shun: But at least…
*Shun picks wormseed from the ground*
Shun: I found some wormseed!
Benita: Thank you, Shun.
*Shun and Benita return to the cottage*
*Benita, after some time, manages to cure Shun and Takahashi*
*Shun starts to wake up*
Shun: Benita… Thank you.
Benita: You need to be more careful, Shun!
Shun: I’ll try it.
Benita: Do you feel any fear at all?
Shun: I do every day…
*Benita’s jaw drops when she hears this*
Shun: Every time I fight, I fear that it will be by final battle…
Shun: But do you know what I do with this fear?
Shun: I transform it into excitement!
Shun: It’s the same reactions in my body! The heart beatin’ strongly, the fast breathin’, the urge to move…
Shun: What changes is what I feel!
Shun: After all, if this is really my last battle, may it be the best of all!
Shun: Because it’s not about the result! It’s not about winning or losing! It’s about trying.
Benita: Shun…
Benita: I…
Benita: I will take the medicine test!
Shun: Heck yeah!
*Takahashi starts waking up*
Takahashi: Sorry, Shun!
Shun: No problem, I learned the lesson!
Takahashi: That’s great!
*Time later, Shun, Benita and Takahashi get out of the cottage*
*Takahashi goes back to the dojo, and Shun and Benita go to a tall and elegant wood house with a sign in front of it that reads “Medicine academy”
Shun: Let’s go.
*Shun and Benita enter, and there’s many people there, getting ready for the test, but most of them look at Benita with disdain*
*Shun and Benita get to a counter with nobody, just a bell*
*Shun rings the bell a lot of times, and people find it weird*
Benita: No need to ring it that many times!
Shun: It’s just that I like the sound!
*In the other side of the counter, a door opens*
*And the person opening it is Deva*
*Benita instantly looks at the ground and starts shaking*
*Shun puts his hand on her shoulder*
Deva: What do you guys want here?
Benita: I want to…
Shun: Say it!
Benita: I want to take the test!
Deva: You don’t need to! Everybody already knows you’re a failure! You don’t need to prove it to anyone!
Deva: You were always behind me, and everyone else from the family!
Deva: Sometimes, it seems like you do everything wrong on purpose!
*Benita becomes crestfallen*
Shun: That’s not true! She didn’t even try it yet! It’s been 3 years since she hasn’t tried it!
Shun: And if I have to fight against every member of the Academy so that she can take the test, I will!
*Shun gets ready to draw the sword*
*Kusanagi appears from a purple haze*
Kusanagi: Are you crazy?
Benita: Shun! No!
Deva: There’s no need to fight.
*Shun takes his hand off his sword*
Deva: Okay, Benita. You can take the test!
Shun: Better than nothing.
Deva: Wait there in the corridor!
*Shun and Benita wait in a narrow corridor with a gallon of water on the wall and many chairs and two clorsed doors in the end*
*The wait is almost endless*
*Time passes, but Shun’s determination doesn’t stop*
*A medic opens the door*
Medic: It’s your turn, Emilia Benita!
Benita: I don’t know if I can do it!
Shun: It’s not about succeeding, Benita!
Shun: Push forward!
Benita: I’ll try it!
Benita: I’ll try it!
*Benita goes toward the door with a serious and focused look in her face*
*The door closes*
*Shun waits a little bit more, thinking about fighting techniques, until the room starts getting hotter*
*A weird smell starts to spread, the place starts to get hazy and a strange sound can be heard*
*It’s at this moment that Shun goes back to paying attention and realizes…*
Shun: The hospital is on fire!
*The building starts catching fire*
*Shun runs toward the door*
Shun: Benita!
*The other door is destroyed by the fire, and behind it is Gianluigi, holding a torch*
Gianluigi: I didn't expect to see you here, Shun…
Shun: You jerk! Was it you?
Gianluigi: Of course!
Gianluigi: It was the only way to find out the whereabouts of the scroll of darkness!
Gianluigi: But don't work, there are steel doors that separate this room from others, so no one will be hurt!
*Shun draws his sword*
Shun: I’ll defeat you here and now!
*Kusanagi appears from a purple haze*
Kusanagi: Let’s go!
Shun: Yes!
*Gianluigi attacks Shun quickly with his steel torch*
Kusanagi: Turtle!
*Shun tries to defend himself, but the torch hits his torso, burning part of the jacket and causing slight burns in his skin*
Shun: Ah!
Kusanagi: Damn it!
Kusanagi: Retreat now!
Shun: I won't run away!
Kusanagi: He has a torch! It won't be just by attacking that we’ll defeat him!
Shun: Okay!
*Shun runs while Gianluigi runs after him*
Gianluigi: Get back here, you moron!
*Shun gets to a place that leads to a door*
*Shun tries to open it, but it's locked*
*Shun sees stairs beside him, and starts running upstairs*
*Everything is burning around Sbun, and a plank falls from the ceiling, but luckily, it doesn't hit him*
*Suddenly, his jacket starts burning*
Shun: What?
*Shun looks down and he sees a piece of paper
Shun: (He burned a piece of paper and threw it in my jacket! Darn it!)
Gianluigi: Vihihihi!
*Shun starts putting out the fire, but in the process, Gianluigi finds him and attacks Shun’s arm*
Shun: Ah!
Kusanagi: Damn it!
*Shun falls to the ground*
*Gianluigi pushes the torch into Shun’s torso with all his strength*
Shun: AAAH!
*The pain is indescribable, and the left side of Shun’s torso starts burning*
Shun: Give me your strength, Kusanagi!
Kusanagi: Yes!
Gianluigi: You can talk to your other personality all you want, but you still won’t win!
Gianluigi: This is the end!
*Shun points his sword at Gianluigi*
Shun: Imagination Slash!
*Shun kicks Gianluigi, who almost falls*
*Shun gets up while the fire deeply burns his torso*
Gianluigi: What?
Kusanagi: Tiger!
Shun: Ha!
*Shun stabs Gianluigi, who falls down the stairs*
*Shun falls to the ground*
*Because of the fire, a large part of the ceiling falls between Shun and Gianluigi*
Gianluigi: Damn it!
Gianluigi: Looks like I won't be able to defeat you…
Gianluigi: Yet…
Gianluigi: I hope you survive, Shun
*Gianluigi smiles lightly, and gets out of Shun’s view*
*Meanwhile*
*Benita runs in the academy among many other people*
Deva: Let’s go!
*Suddenly, Benita stops*
Deva: What is it, Benita?
Benita: There's someone who still wasn't saved!
Benita: Shun is still in the room!
Deva: Sacrifices are necessary.
Deva: Trust me, I know.
Benita: I have to save him!
Deva: You won’t succeed!
*Past*
*Benita was younger, and was hunting beside an older man*
*He had purple hair, light skin, red eyes, a suit shirt, a black belt and white detailed paints*
Benita: I can't stand looking for it!
Gertrude: We need to find the camomile! It's very important!
Gertrude: This plant will help us with our fame!
Gertrude: We’ll finally stop being seen as a 5th rate family!
Gertrude: Do you understand it, my daughter?
*When Gertrude looked back, Benita wasn’t there*
Gertrude: Daughter!
*Meanwhile, Benita was playing near a lake*
*However, when Benita looked behind her, she saw a man looking at her*
*The man had white spiked hair that curled upwards, red eyes, red makeup that looked like triangles that went from a bit below his eyes to his jaw, red lipstick, dark skin, an open purple jacket with a short left sleeve and a long right sleeve, a black suit shirt with a symbol that looks like a horizontally inverted “6” and white pants*
Benita: Who are you?
Kira: My name is Kira.
Kira: This is all you need to know.
Kira: Are you bored?
Benita: Yes.
Kira: I can help you.
Kira: Come here.
*Benita walked toward Kira*
*Kira’s kind smile transformed into a sadistic one*
*Kira revealed a metallic arm below his long sleeve, and used it to pick a double-edged sword from his back, and crimp it WITH STRENGTH*
*In Gertrude’s heart, who had just came to that place*
Gertrude: Ah!
Benita: Dad!
Kira: Do you think you can trick me?
*Kira speaks in a light but aggressive tone*
Gertrude: Run!
Kira: I’ve heard your family didn't behave very well…
Gertrude: What do you meN?
Kira: Don’t try to trick us. The Emilia family is suspicious of taking actions against the Dízimo empire.
Kira: What a shame…
Kira: You could have become a great medic…
Kira: If you hadn't died.
*Kira removed the sword with precise movements, making Gertrude fall to the ground*
*Benita was frozen in place, crying*
Kira: I hope you don't misbehave like your daddy.
Kira: Bye-bye!
*Kira walked, walked and walked until he disappeared among the trees*
Benita: Dad!
*Benita tried to heal him, but it was too late*
*A while later, Benita was found by the Emilia family and sent back to her town*
*The members of the family were in a cemetery with a gravestone written “Emilia Gertrude”*
Deva: Benita!
Benita: What is it?
*Benita looked at Deva, with tears in her eyes*
Deva: You could have cured him!
Deva: You could have prevented this from happening!
Deva: And because of you…
Deva: And because of you, our father is dead!
Benita: I’m sorry!
Deva: No apologies will bring our father back!
Deva: You never do anything right!
*Present*
Deva: You never do anything right!
Benita: I don't care!
Benita: Because it's not about the result! It's not about doing it right or wrong!
Benita: It's about trying!
*Shun can't get up anymore*
Kusanagi: DAMN IT!
*Kusanagi screams strongly, and his scream echoes*
Shun: Can't we use another Imagination Slash?
Kusanagi: No…
Kusanagi: The Imagination Slash makes us succeed in what we want to do…
Kusanagi: But only if there is at least 1% of it happening.
Kusanagi: However…
Kusanagi: There is a 0% chance of us surviving this.
Kusanagi: Shun? Can you hear me?
*Shun is inert on the ground with his eyes closed*
*But, even with all that, Benita shows up with a gallon of water, putting out the fire*
Benita: Shun!
*Benita puts out the fire that was burning Shun, and removes the rubble that was preventing the young warrior from getting up*
*Benita picks Shun up and starts carrying him out of the academy*
*Hours later, Shun wakes up in a hospital room, with bandages on the left side of his torso*
Shun: Did I die?
Benita: No, Shun! You're safe now?
Shun: Then why am I seeing an angel?
Benita: It’s me, Shun! Benita!
Benita: But don't worry! Your vision will get better soon!
Shun: Ok.
Shun: But what I want to know is…
Shun: How was the test?
Benita: I failed.
Shun: That's great!
Shun: You tried it!
*Shun smiles*
*Benita does too*
*Time oasses, Shun gets out of the hospital and goes back home*
Kusanagi: Shun!
Shun: What is it?
Kusanagi: Your imprudence could have killed you!
Shun: A warrior shouldn't fight with fear, Kusanagi!
Kusanagi: I’m not talking about guts! I’m talking about having a plan!
Kusanagi: If I hadn't told you to run away, you’d probably be dead by now!
Shun: But I’m alive!
Kusanagi: You might not be tomorrow, Shun.
Kusanagi: That’s the problem.
Kusanagi: But I’m afraid the only way to prevent this from happening again is by meeting an old friend…
*To be continued…*
