Academy Beta: Meian and Amaya (R, DE)

[Zeich Yajuu]

((OOC: Mini-Mission complete, +10 QP each. Optional mission complete at 5/5 each, +50 QP each.))

Yasuhiro frowned at the quick decline, but out of respect he gave a polite bow and turned to walk away. Out of some sense of dignity he kept a straight face, but it was evident in the slump of his shoulders and his sullen body language that the turn-down was not a pleasant one for him. Nonetheless, the young man said nothing after excusing himself, hurrying down the hallway. Whether or not it would affect their relationship as classmates would remain to be seen, but at least Amaya had been gentle about the decline. Yasuhiro would at least leave her alone for the rest of the night, though there was no guarantee that he had given up in the long run.

“Oh good, he’s gone.” A voice came as she closed the door, and Amaya would turn to see a familiar face leaning in from the window that connected to the living area as Miyako, a friend from her Travel class, waved to her. The young woman had a habit of visiting at odd hours, and despite Amaya’s room being on the second floor, Miyako was never slowed down. The young woman was an amazing climber, and she never seemed to have any difficulty making her way up to her friend’s window whenever she felt like dropping by. The windows didn’t even stop her, as she often found tricks to open them from the outside even when latched. Often this came at the most unexpected times; midnight visits, for example, were the most common, but no time seemed safe from her. Though it wasn’t often, Miyako had even skipped classes before to stop by. It all depended on her moods.

Pulling herself in all the way, Miyako seated herself on the windowsill with a wide grin, as if she was bursting to speak. The young woman was easily excitable and very sociable, and as a result she popped by mainly for the sake of sharing gossip or news of events. This was no different, it seemed, as Amaya was barely given time to speak, whether it be for the sake of welcoming Miyako or chiding her, before the student began to speak. “Fireworks, Amaya! They’ve got fireworks out in Seireitei! After all the mess that’s been happening with invasions and whatnot, the higher-ups decided to try and boost morale by celebrating the holiday season. Fireworks, festivities, food; they’ve got all three Fs of fun!”

As always, she was overexcited, drumming her legs against the wall under the windowsill she sat at, and it was no wonder. After the destruction and death that had occurred recently due to the Vandenreich invasion, morale had been really low. Many were dispirited at the ease in which the Vandenreich had simply waltzed in, destroyed large portions of Seireitei, and had taken many Shinigami lives before leaving just as easily. There were still estimates being made on the damage done, and as a result, everyone was down, feeling their weakness and the absence of their fallen comrades. The festivities would help dampen the gloom a bit, and hopefully raise spirits while they recovered from the tragedy.

“C’mon Amaya, fireworks! You know you wanna watch them get shot off! They said that Squad 12 was working on them too, which means they should be spectacular! We have to go, what do you say? Please?”

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Meian, on the other hand, would be getting his own share of fireworks soon, though he didn’t know it. As soon as he had left the room, the young man had attracted the notice of a small of students who had been loitering in the hallways, conversing and covertly keeping an eye on the door. When Meian was around the corner, four of them broke off and started to follow him at a distance, making sure to walk together and continue their conversation, as if they were just another social group going in the same direction. They all carried bags as well, though they were likely for books and such; odds were, they would seem like nothing more than a study group finishing their work for the afternoon.

After a short walk, both the student and the group following him had arrived at the library, each taking their respective spots at different tables with a fair amount of distance between them. That would be so that Meian wouldn’t be able to watch the other group’s actions as they discreetly pulled out something from their bags. Sneaking over to a bookshelf behind Meian under the guise of looking for a specific tome, one of the young men in the group took out a book and placed something between the shelves, just in the student’s blind spot. A small spark of Reiatsu would be released as well, but again the student would not feel anything; it was too faint to be noticeable. Once the object was placed, the prankster returned to his table carrying the book, whispering quietly with his companions so as not to violate the noise rules in place, and they watched to see the results of their mischief.

After a moment, it was all too apparent what had been done. Meian would hear a roar behind him after a loud hiss, and even as he turned he’d find a large, conical object shooting from between two books, almost directly at him. If he didn’t move, it would bounce off the table to his left in a loud blast of sparks before bouncing upwards, impacting the ceiling and going off. For Meian, it was like a bomb going off above him, and the room was filled with glowing purple and red as the firework simply exploded. Thankfully it was a small one, so the damage was minimal, leaving a large scorch mark in the ceiling while Meian’s ears were left ringing. The sparks did have one effect though, scattering down among his notes and books, scorching the corner of his Travel book and partially burning a page of his history notes. Thankfully, all of his coursework on Reiatsu was left alone. The pranksters would run off in a hurry while Meian was still dizzied from the near-explosion, preventing him from finding out their identities. Certainly, this was not the best day for him.

[Nakazawa Meian]

Even though Meian did not notice it yet, he became the target of the culprits who joked around with him once again. As soon as he left his room and reached the hallways, many students who were gathered around started to form a small group which followed him. Of course, Meian realized that this group was following him since he was even more cautious than usual, but the fact that they talked together normally was enough for him to lower his guard a bit. On his way to the Academy’s library, he kept a careful eye on them, but most of his attention was focused on what he was walking, more fearful that a trap may have been set on his way there.

Once he reached the library, Meian immediately got in the section about controlling reiatsu and started to search for something useful. While he was at it, the students that followed him had seemingly gone elsewhere, for they were not around him anymore. His eyes surfed on the bookshelf in front of him, looking at the names of the books for one which would seem interesting and help him in his upcoming exams. Hidden Squad: the Kido Corps… Mystery behind the Kido numbers… Biography of Satsujun, God of Murder… Kôjutsu Eishô guide of mastery… Most of the books that Meian saw were related to things that were either useless for increasing his skills or too complicated for someone of his level, but one did attract his attention though. Reiatsu interactions with the world: How to strengthen on a daily basis… That’s what I need.

SPOILER: Click to show

(OOC: this is the part of the book that Meian read)
…Reiatsu is an energy which flow through most objects in a small proportion, but which accumulate within some living beings in a much higher ratio. Its most surprising ability, though, is that it interacts with other pool of reiatsu to strengthen and enhance itself. That is the very reason why all high-ranked shinigamis within the Gotei 13 have a seal placed on them when they go to the World of the Living, to prevent massive reiatsu fluctuations with the world’s citizens they may encounter, and why some persons seems to have an incredibly powerful reiatsu without having trained it at all. Moreover, the secret to increase one’s own reiatsu lies in this entire trait; the most efficient training method is to forcefully create and maintain these interactions with someone else’s reiatsu by constantly leaking reiatsu while close to others. These interactions will, over time, increase a reiatsu’s strength and capacity.

However, with this method, how does someone increase his control over his own reiatsu? The answer is simple and is called “state growth”. This phenomenon is a basic truth that exists with all form of reiatsu control. Basically, when some reiatsu is either stable or instable, its current state of stability spread to all nearby reiatsu at a rate depending on the user’s required control over his reiatsu. This is why, when a reiatsu is being stabilized, full concentration is required, and why, once it is stabilized, the user can concentrate on other things without destroying the reiatsu’s stability. Although a Kido’s incantation is meant to control and manipulate the “state growth”, this phenomenon also explains why some Kido, the high numbered one, are harder to create than other; for those spells, instability spread really fast while stability spread slowly.

Now, how does that help with actual reiatsu training? You see, this “state growth” is not simply something that affects reiatsu negatively; when someone knows how to take advantage of it, it makes things much easier. Two or more persons training the same Kido together, if their reiatsus interacts with each others, will be able to spread their state of stability among themselves, which means that someone of high skills can allow someone with low skills to attain a level of reiatsu control he would not have reached by himself, although simply momentarily. This higher reiatsu control than usual, though, gives that person the opportunity to get accustomed to a Kido’s feeling and aura, which in turn allow him to control it more easily when created alone. Although this is not a perfect training method, it usually gives just enough help for most people to overcome their difficulties when trying to get better, and the results are often astonishing when compared to other, more draining trainings…

He then came back to the library’s main hall with the book in his hands in order to sit at a table. While the book’s content was indeed interesting, one detail disturbed Meian a little; it was implied that a reiatsu’s growth was directly linked with its interactions toward other reiatsus, which meant that a partner would be required for training. However, before he could even finish the section of the book he was interested in, Meian suddenly heard a loud sound from behind him. As he turned back, all he could see was a strange object which fled toward a nearby table, bounced on it and exploded in tons of colourful sparks near the library’s ceiling. Still stunned from the blast, which was incredibly close to him, he heard loud steps from many persons who seemed to be running out of the room. Although he didn’t see them, Meian easily understood that these retreat noises belonged to those who had followed him earlier.

Once his mind was clear from the explosion’s effect, Meian took back his books and doused any flames that were on them. Even though they were damaged from the blast, the damages were minimal. However, Meian was not angry at all about these events; he was instead glad that they occurred. He had enough time earlier to recognize a classmate’s face within the small crowd that followed him, which meant that if he wanted to, he could now find the pranksters and put an end to those silly jokes he was the victim of. Should I, though? As long as they keep targeting me, no one else is a victim of their pranks… Does that lead to balance or instability? These questions kept rambling inside of his mind until he finally found an answer. My lack of reaction would be a small source of instability. If I want to keep things as much balanced as possible, I must make sure that they change their aim toward someone I am not affiliated with.

Keeping that in mind, Meian then borrowed the book he had found and then got out of the library, making sure that he still had all of his books and his bokuto. After taking a break at his room to hide his books under a tile behind his training dummy, Meian departed toward his classmate’s living quarters. It was very unlikely that he was there right now, since he just did a prank on Meian and escaped, but it was still possible that the pranksters had regrouped to his room after their evil deeds. If that was indeed the case, Meian would listen to the ongoing discussion for anything related to their jokes, until he would finally burst in the room when he would have heard enough. If no one was there, however, Meian would enter the room and quickly search for any evidence that this classmate is indeed among the pranksters, for example some unused fireworks, or for anything suspicious of being used for an upcoming prank.

[Zeich Yajuu]

Meian was correct in his assumption that the pranksters were not likely to be present in the room he went to visit, as he found the dormitory was empty. This allowed him ample time to look around, though there was a lot to look through. Every dormitory room was comprised of three bedrooms as well as the living area, so if he didn’t know where to begin looking, then he was going to be busy for a while. He wouldn’t even know which of the rooms belonged to the prankster, so that meant he would have to go through each individually. And in the event that only one of the three was a prankster instead of all three, suddenly he would find himself at risk of violating the privacy of another student who may be innocent in the whole mess. Should he be caught in such a situation, there was a high risk of punishment for what could be seen as vandalism or theft.

With only time to search one room, Meian had to choose at random. He had time to rifle through books, looking for plans or notes, and to dig through the occupant’s bed and wardrobe to try and find some sort of proof that he was one of the culprits that had been playing cruel jokes on him for the last month. Unfortunately, his search turned up nothing; there were no hidden tools, no loose tiles, no messages; clearly, whoever lived in this room was innocent of messing with Meian. That also meant that his investigation would have to wait; there was no guarantee someone couldn’t come and find him snooping around a room where he shouldn’t be. Rather than risk getting in trouble, the student wisely left and snuck back to his own room to avoid any further complications.

Thankfully, the rest of the night was quiet; Meian would be left alone to study in peace no matter where he went. The pranksters seemed done for the evening, likely having to go study for their own exams. This allowed the student to get his studies done, memorizing notes and preparing himself for the exams the next day. Finally, as the night began to grow particularly late, he would close his books and head to bed, resting himself for the next day. The first exam wouldn’t be too bad, at least; it was his Kendo exam, the class in which he excelled. Later in the day, however, were his Reiatsu and general survival exams; the former would be the trickiest, judging by the student’s progress over the last year or so.

The night would come and go, and the next day would come more quickly than it should, at least in Meian’s perception. The morning, on the other hand, dragged on; breakfast seemed to last for hours, and the time passing before the first exam made it feel like it would never come. This was just simple nerves; the first exams of the Academy were a big deal! Meian would finally get to see what it was like to be tested by each of the teachers after all of the learning he had done beneath them. Thankfully, the first was with Meiji, the charismatic Kendo teacher that he had met at the beginning of the year and that had impressed him greatly. Meiji had noted several times that Meian’s progress was admirable, using the knowledge of swordsmanship he had previously possessed and combining it with the lessons he had been taught to make something greater.

Upon arriving at the Kendo classroom, Meian found he was among some of the first to arrive. Those who were already there, three students whom he had sparred with briefly, and the only ones to give him difficulty in sparring, had borrowed shinai from the rack along one wall and were practicing before the exam, going through the breathing and basic movement exercises that Meiji had taught them. These were the most devoted students, and the ones who would probably receive the top grades in the class. Meian could count himself among them as well; he had shown remarkable progress throughout the year, and certainly could compete with the other three. None of them had an advantage, and wins and losses came in equal measure.

After a few minutes of students shuffling in, Meiji finally arrived himself. The teacher’s familiar expression, a calm and patient half-smile, greeted the students as he closed the door behind them, indicating that the students line up along one side of the Kendo mat, while Meiji moved to the opposite side so that all could see him. “Welcome, students, to your Kendo examination of the first year. Today we will be testing each of you to determine the progress you have made throughout your training under me. I will be personally grading each test, but you will also be demonstrating your skills before the rest of your class, meaning that they will be grading you in their own way and learning from you as well. In this sense, this exam will be a lesson as well: it will be the lesson you teach one another, in order to grow as a class.”

Meiji gave his students his usual reassuring smile, suggesting that the exercise would not be as bad as it sounded, as he always did. The teacher had a way of disarming any potential fears and worries with that smile, though he never ceased to push his students hard and make them work to be their best. Despite the hard training, that smile, that gentle reassurance, strengthened even the weakest backbone with an assurance that it would all work out in the end. “Now, as for the exam itself. I will be selecting two students at a time, and pairing them against one another. The two selected will spar on the mat here, in front of the others, and their progress will determine if they pass or fail this exam.”

“Please make note of those words: it is not whether you win or lose that will determine your ability to pass this exam. Rather, I will be grading you based on your progress and effort to make use of the lessons taught to you this year. Remember that I have not taught you techniques, have not taught you fighting styles; these are things you have learned yourself. Instead, I want to see that you can demonstrate your ability to understand yourself as much as you understand the blade.” That last statement was a bit of a mystery, but then again, Meiji had always been about the metaphysical as well as the actual fighting; he encouraged spiritual growth as much as physical. This was likely another step in the process.

“When I speak your names, step forwards. The first pairing will be Shiba Hisato against Nakazawa Meian.” The young man who stepped forward was one that Meian was familiar with, and one of the better fighters in the class, if not the best. It was no wonder that the two had been paired together; it was likely that Meiji had prepared pairings of equal experience and skill in order to ensure that the fights were not over too quickly. Hisato was one of the more skilled, one who had practiced diligently in and outside of class on a daily basis. His name as one of the Shiba clan, who had only recently started to make a name for itself again among the nobility, was also of note; he had a lot to prove.

Standing opposite from Meian, Hisato brought his shinai up after it had been presented to him, holding it in a one-handed stance with the weapon and arm both extended. The other arm was held ready but loose, giving the man somewhat of a fencing stance, albeit a fully extended one that spoke of his unique style. Standing taller than Meian and in fact most of the students, Hisato often used his height and longer arms for their reach advantage, allowing him to strike while remaining out of his opponent’s own attacks. He was also remarkably fast, allowing him to keep his distance with ease, fighting at a range that was hard to work against. Meian had fought against him a few times, and had experienced difficulties with the man’s reach in the past. Would he be able to react to it now?

“You two may begin whenever you are ready.” Hisato inclined his head in a half-bow, allowing Meian the first strike, before readying himself, tensing his muscles.

SPOILER: Click to show

Hisato Shiba is a Level 1 Brave Type. Class 7.

Strength - [60 x 1.5] (90) Points

Speed - [70 x 1.5] (105) Points

Spiritual Pressure - [20 x 0.5] (10) Points

Reiatsu Strength - [30 x 0.5] (15) Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct - [50] Points

Senses - [50] Points

Energy sensory - [20] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [300] points

SPOILER: Click to show

• Weapons: Katana 1
  
  
• Battle Analysis 1
  
  
• Damage Recovery 1
  
  
• Calm Mind 1
  
  
• Battle Focus 1

[Nakazawa Meian]

Once he arrived at the dormitory, Meian quickly noticed that his thoughts turned out to be accurate; the rooms were empty. However, he also noticed something else that he had completely forgotten; each dormitory was home to three different bedrooms! Well, this make things more complicated… I can’t risk either getting caught in someone else’s room or involving an innocent, so I have no other choice now but to search only within the living room… This situation left him with not much to investigate, but he would still look for anything suspicious among what he could search.

Meian looked under the chairs, the carpet and the desk table for something glued there, but all he could find was some chewing gums which seemed to be located there for a while. His investigations around the fireplace, the couches and the kitchen didn’t give promising results either; there was nothing suspicious within the living area. Meian could have tried inspecting one of the rooms, but he refrained from doing so. I cannot risk my entire goal over such low instability. I’ll need to confront my classmate directly later, but for now, this’ll have to do.

Once he left, Meian briefly returned to his room to retrieve the reiatsu book he had borrowed. His main concern was with his training in reiatsu, on which he focused for some time now. Since the book clearly explained that a partner was required for efficient training, Meian thought to go at his usual Kido class, where some other students, probably with the same goals than him, had gathered in a desperate effort to get help from their teacher. Although his low reiatsu pool had caused him some difficulties once again, he managed, with some help from the teacher, to make some progress in the time he was there. Meian then spent the time he had left to revise his history and travel notes, give some strikes on his training dummy and go to sleep.

After his night, the following day seemed to pass quite fast, but on the day of his exams, some stress started to take over. He had three exams on this day; the Kendo exam, the Kido exam and the survival exam. His Kendo exam would likely go well, since it was the battle discipline he had trained in for most of his life. He wasn’t afraid for his survival exam either; who, aside from him, could claim to have survived a war, an arrancar encounter, an assassination attempt and several conflicts with the thugs of Rukongai, each of these without having anything more than a normal sword? The true problem was with his Kido exam, an ability he still wasn’t accustomed to train, and which required tons of efforts to reach a result.

Still wondering what he would need to do for his Kido exam, Meian departed toward the dojo where his exam of Kendo would take place. Once there, the students that had already arrived, who Meian recognized to be those who had shown great skills when he sparred against them, were preparing for their exam, practicing their movements before their fight started. On his side, Meian took the time to breath, calm down and recover his inner-balance a bit; he didn’t want his worries about the exam of Kido to have an effect on his other exams too.

Most students arrived a bit after, crowding the room more and more until Meiji finally arrived and took the control over his class. Meian easily noticed that the atmosphere was uneasy; many were likely more stressful of this exam than the Kido one. However, this feeling left as soon as Meiji started speaking in his reassuring tone of voice. ”Welcome, students, to your Kendo examination of the first year. Today we will be testing each of you to determine the progress you have made throughout your training under me. I will be personally grading each test, but you will also be demonstrating your skills before the rest of your class, meaning that they will be grading you in their own way and learning from you as well. In this sense, this exam will be a lesson as well; it will be the lesson you teach one another, in order to grow as a class.”

”Now, as for the exam itself. I will be selecting two students at a time, and pairing them against one another. The two selected will spar on the mat here, in front of the others, and their progress will determine if they pass or fail this exam. Please make note of those words: it is not whether you win or lose that will determine your ability to pass this exam. Rather, I will be grading you based on your progress and effort to make use of the lessons taught to you this year. Remember that I have not taught you techniques, have not taught you fighting styles; these are things you have learned yourself. Instead, I want to see that you can demonstrate your ability to understand yourself as much as you understand the blade.”

Once again, Meiji’s words had a hidden meaning that most of the class didn’t pay attention to, but that Meian understood as if it was a basic truth. My ability to understand myself and the blade… Basically, this means he will judge us based on our capacity to understand our own strengths and our limitations as well as those of a sword. The best results will be awarded to those who can use their strengths to counter their weaknesses. Of course, this meant that a win or a loss was not what mattered here, but it unfortunately also meant that winning did not guarantee passing the exam.

Meiji started speaking again, this time marking the beginning of the exam. ”When I speak your names, step forwards. The first pairing will be Shiba Hisato against Nakazawa Meian.” Shiba Hisato was a name that Meian already knew from before; he was among the few who could rival with him in a spar within the Kendo class. As soon as he heard it, he quickly understood that Meiji had planned each challenge according to the skills that each student demonstrated in each of their previous spars, which was a relief; no one was at a disadvantage with this system. Nonetheless, it also meant that Meian’s battle would be a thrilling one, since his opponent was judged to have equivalent skills.

If the few spars that Meian had with Hisato in the past had taught him something about his fighting style, it was that the man used his reach to gain an advantage over his foes. Once he obtained his shinai, the stance of battle he took, holding his shinai extended toward the front with one hand while the other is on the side, implied that it would be no different from their previous battles. Being able to rely on attacks without the fear of retaliation was a huge advantage in this kind of battle, which suggested that Hisato would be hard to deal with. If Meian wanted to win, he would need to pierce through his defense and get up close while still keeping an eye over Hisato’s actions.

”You two may begin whenever you are ready.” Hisato’s body gestures implied that he was ready and waiting for Meian to make the first move. Meian took a deep breath, taking out all thoughts not related to his spar, and then inclined himself toward his opponent as a sign of respect. Do not take your pride or unnecessary emotions in this battle; let yourself be driven by your skills and your instinct of survival. Although Meian did not take any pride in this battle, it was likely not the case for his foe, who was of the Shiba clan and as such had to prove his might. Keeping focused as much as possible on his battle, Meian readied himself for the upcoming blows.

Meian’s own stance of battle was simple; since he couldn’t use his usual Iaijutsu, he kept both of his hands on his shinai’s grip, which was held vertically in front of his body, with his left leg kept in front. Both his knees and his elbows were flexed a bit to keep his body in a strong balanced position and, for his elbows, to keep a good arm stance that would be hard to deviate toward the sides or elsewhere. Once positioned, he thought about what he should do to begin the spar. If I come to him with horizontal slashes, he will likely simply step back and take advantage of his increased reach. Piercing blows aren’t good for now either, it’ll give him the opportunity to pin me down. The only option I have to start the battle is with vertical slashes, which prevents him from taking full advantage of his reach.

Meian’s movements were nothing overly complicated; he engaged the battle by making one step forward, which brought his right leg in front and placed the tip of his blade around the middle of Hisato’s own blade. This step also gave him some small momentum toward his left that he used to push Hisato’s sword a bit to the side, which, albeit Hisato’s extremely superior strength, was made possible both because of Hisato’s one-handed grip and his over-extended arm positions. Using the opportunity, Meian once again stepped forward, bringing his left leg in front once again, which placed him in reach to give Hisato a basic vertical slash.

Not much strength was used behind this attack since Meian wanted to make sure that, if Hisato dodged it, the blow wouldn’t throw him off-balance or in any other dire situation, but the position that Hisato was in would prevent him from blocking the attack. If he was vigilant of Meian’s movements, Hisato would recognize this to be really simple Kendo moves, since the only things Meian used so far were the basic stepping movements of any sword style to bring Hisato in a dead-end from the very beginning, accompanied by a normal vertical slash to force him into a rash reaction.

In his current position, Hisato could either dodge toward his back or toward his right, but his left was inaccessible, or at least highly disadvantageous, because of his shinai’s position. Either way, Meian’s legs and arms location was good to parry and dodge Hisato’s attack no matter where he withdrew to, and even in the case that Hisato would try to dodge toward his left to counterattack with his shinai, it would simply give Meian the opportunity to get even more within his reach and greatly hinder him. The only real thing that could give Meian some problems was Hisato’s spare hand, but he knew that and, as such, kept a careful attention over it as much as over the rest of Hisato’s movements, staying on the defensive as much as possible. By now, Meian’s plan should be quite clear; to use his four hundred years of experience in stepping techniques to get the best position possible and, as such, gain the edge in battle.

SPOILER: Click to show

(OOC: brought back here so that you do not need to go back and forth in the thread’s pages to take a look at it.)

Abilities

• Iaijutsu Level 1
  
  
• Battle Analysis Level 1
  
  
• Hoho Level 1
  
  
• Stealth Level 1
  
  
• Survival Level 1
  
  
• Kido Level 1
  

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Strength – (70 x 0,5) = 35 Points

Speed – (60 x 2) = 120 Points

Spiritual Pressure – 20 Points

Reiatsu Strength – (30 x 2) = 60 Points

Light Aura – 60 Points

Dark Aura – 40 Points

Instinct – 60 Points

Senses – (40 x 0,85) = 34 Points

Energy Sensory – 0 Points

Healing Expertise – 0 Points


Total SP: 280 Points

[Zeich Yajuu]

Meian’s first attack came in with a powerful step and swing maneuver that would attempt to push Hisato’s sword aside. The young man shook his head as his opponent tried to push his shinai aside, but he went with the maneuver, letting his weapon be pushed aside. However, when Meian tried to slash downwards, the taller boy stepped into his opponent’s range rather than away from it, crowding his arms and making it difficult to swing his own shinai in a vertical cut. Hisato’s free arm came forward to grab at Meian’s wrist, attempting to wrest it away from his sword so as to weaken the other student’s ability to use his weapon while regaining the advantage in strength he had even with one hand.

Immediately after grabbing Meian’s arm, Hisato brought his own weapon upwards, the shinai’s hilt coming at the shorter student’s face. It was a rough bash technique that was meant to stun and disorient rather than do any lasting damage beyond the occasional broken nose, but even Hisato’s strength advantage wasn’t enough to do that, especially since he wasn’t aiming for overly crippling blows. There was a fine medical station within the Academy that actually employed healers from Squad 4 to deal with the more severe injuries, and so there was no risk even if he didn’t hold back, but Meian would remember from previous experiences from the young noble that Hisato was kind-hearted; he fought hard, but he knew his limits, and held enough back to prevent unnecessary or unreasonable injuries. It was just not in his nature to hurt people without good reason.

However, Meian would definitely notice that Hisato was fighting differently today. Normally he found ways to remain on the defensive, using his reach to attack while his opponents were busy closing the distance and finding themselves unable to get in close enough to make a serious impact. Yet today, he was staying in close, crowding Meian and trying to prevent sword swings. It was possible that he had learned from their previous fights, and had realized that a different tactic would be more difficult to adapt to simply because of its unexpected nature. But what would he do up close? With his longer arms and height, a close-quarters battle would normally put Hisato at a disadvantage. Clearly, he had something in mind.

The blade bash could be avoided, though it would be tricky to do so. With Meian’s wrist held, he would either have to swing his weapon one-handed to try and retaliate, or else he would have to wrest his hand free and retreat. The first was difficult, as it meant he was likely to take the hit himself even if he did retaliate, and a shot at the head was certainly nothing to sneeze at. However, Hisato’s superior strength and strong grip would make it difficult to simply pull free as well, and short of ducking or finding another way of dodging in such close range when his movement was limited, Meian would likely get hit there as well. It seemed Hisato had planned well to get in close, using his free hand for grappling and taking advantage of his superior strength.

[Nakazawa Meian]

Meian’s attack would have worked as he wanted if Hisato stepped back, except that this wasn’t what he did. On the opposite, he invaded Meian’s personal space to limit his counter possibilities. Meian’s vertical strike was, as such, met by a grabbing movement, preventing the downward movement from being done properly and, furthermore, placing his shinai in an awkward position for any counterattacks. He’s trying to use the advantage of the unexpected?, Meian thought as he saw him do that.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much time to think about what was happening. As soon as Hisato grabbed Meian’s right wrist, his shinai came up in a forward movement and took advantage of Meian’s current threatened situation to come down in a hit with the hilt. Even though the attack was merely meant to stun, it was nonetheless impeding. Meian instinctively reacted by dropping his shinai’s grip with his right hand, the one that was currently held by his opponent, in order to have access to his sword once again and try to deflect the blow. However, the strength difference was big enough that this would likely not work entirely, it would simply partly decrease the attack’s harm; Meian was left with too little time to react, and as such took the first course of action that came to his mind, which was probably not the best one to choose.

After that blow, Meian quickly aimed a strike toward Hisato’s hand to force him into letting Meian go, after which he put some distance between them to take some time to take his breath. From his numerous trainings, both as a samurai and with Meiji, he had been taught that a rash decision was a synonym to a quick loss. He took the necessary time to calm his body from the pain he felt, clear his mind and plan ahead.

From what he knew, his opponent had decided to change his fighting style in order to take Meian off-guard. This change was accompanied by the advantage of his spare hand, which gave him the possibility to use martial arts along with his swordsmanship. Also, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t go back to long-range fighting at some point, so Meian had to be extra careful. If he wanted to win, he needed to take Hisato off-guard too, and always be prepared for close-quarter fighting at all times. Meian decided to rely on his true fighting style, Iaijutsu, to achieve that; although it was impossible to use with a shinai, he could mimic his usual scabbard strike from Iaijutsu by using his elbow. The fact that he had always kept a two-handed grip on his shinai while in his Kendo class would work in his favor, since Hisato wouldn’t expect him to drop his sword with one hand to strike with his elbow instead.

Once he was ready, Meian slowly advanced toward Hisato, keeping his middle stance like before. If he wanted things to go his way, he first required to get at around the same distance as he was when the battle first began. As soon as he got there, Meian started to give fast piercing strikes to keep Hisato on the defensive and force him into taking the offensive. The speed behind these strikes was enough to prevent Hisato from taking advantage of his reach and also to prevent him from having enough time to strike Meian’s shinai at full force and break it, although it also prevented the blows from being overly crippling if they somehow connected and made them fairly easy to deflect or defend against.

[Zeich Yajuu]

((OOC: Hisato speaks in aqua))

Meian’s counterstroke was not unexpected, and Hisato quickly reacted even as the man let go of his shinai with one hand. Though his blow came down hard on his fellow student, slamming his shinai back down into his face slightly, the blow much less severe than before, but still painful as the grip with which Meian had tried to parry was not the most effective at close range. Thankfully, a hilt bash was not particularly strong either, meaning that while most of the attack’s power had gone through, there wasn’t much to it in the end, leaving at most a bruise on Meian’s face wherever his Shinai had struck him. It was still the first blow, and Hisato had managed it successfully thanks to the sudden shift in tactics, suggesting that he had planned ahead in case he ended up against someone who knew his style well.

Meian’s swing towards Hisato’s hand had the student quickly backing up as the two of them separated once more, creating distance between them. However, this would create a slight threat towards Meian, who was now at the mercy of his opponent’s reach again. The other student had shown that he was skilled in switching between and acting in either short or long range, which likely left the middle range as Meian’s only option; he had to get close enough to prevent that reach from being an advantage, while keeping Hisato away to prevent more crowding. With the young man’s strength and ability to wield his weapon one-handed while still outmaneuvering Meian, it would require planning and careful measuring of the distance between them in order to avoid being trampled by Hisato’s skill.

Hisato gave Meian a confident smile as the two of them separated, his eyes meeting the other student’s as he once more held out his weapon in a fencing stance. “Not as predictable as you thought it’d be, huh Meian? I had a feeling I’d be fighting you; didn’t want to make it easy. I hope you’re on your A-game today, or this won’t last long.” It was a jab, but a friendly one; the two had a sort of rivalry going on among them, as they did with the other high-level students. It was a competition of sorts, but one that was meant to foster growth and cause one another to become stronger. Each of them had developed a friendly respect for the strength of the others, and all constantly strove to better themselves.

As Meian shifted to an Iaijutsu stance, Hisato grinned a bit wider and held himself ready, spreading his legs and extending his arm to its full length. He knew that stance from their earlier spars, and knew that it would be far quicker style of swordsmanship than before, meaning he had to be more cautious. Meian had shown that he was the faster between the two of them, though not by much; even so, his style of fighting made him even faster, using quick motions rather than strong ones to slice through an enemy’s guard. However, the downside to using such a style was that Hisato had seen it many times before, and though it would be difficult, he had ways in mind to counter its speed.

Meian moved forward, beginning with lunging thrusts that had his shinai stabbing forward towards Hisato in several quick slashes reminiscent of a fencer’s fighting style. The student was forced to step back to adjust to the rapid blows, each of them low in power but high in speed, allowing them to pierce his defense if he did not react properly. However, as always the young man seemed to have a solution; even as Meian lunged forward for another attack, Hisato timed it and stepped back, slowly adjusting to the speed of each strike. Finally, after four or five more blows, he suddenly stepped forward into a gap created as Meian drew his sword back for a moment, lunging forward with his own weapon. This came in the form of a horizontal slash towards the student’s head, forcing him to either duck or step back to avoid the attack. The latter would be more difficult, as Hisato had extended himself to his full arm’s length, meaning that there was more range to cover in order to avoid the attack.

The one disadvantage to this attack was that it extended Hisato’s lunging arm, which was his right arm, leaving that side of his body exposed to a counterattack should it come quickly enough. That was an opening, but Meian had to consider that his opponent had made this move deliberately; was it a rash attack to get a solid hit in, or was it a tactical offering that would lure him into a trap?

[Nakazawa Meian]

”Oh, don’t worry. You sure are skilled, but I’ve got a few cards up my sleeve too. I won’t fall that easily.”, Meian replied with a cheerful smile as Hisato addressed to him. However, one should not misunderstand; there was no pride behind this statement. Sure, Meian may have been raised in a society where pride and honor was a priority, and his pride may have been hurt when a blow successfully landed on him previously, but it was an unnecessary feeling in battle and, as such, he had set it aside since the very start. No, his words were driven by another feeling; the feeling that a battle’s outcome cannot be determined until the very end.

As Meian prepared to take the charge once again, Hisato seemed to get ready for the incoming clashes, knowing that these wouldn’t be the strikes of small fry. Nonetheless, Meian started his offensive like he planned, by using fast piercing motions to prevent retaliation as much as possible, to which, as expected, Hisato reacted by stepping backward and adjusting to the strikes speed. After a couple more of these attacks, Hisato took advantage of a gap within Meian’s blows to counter this set of strikes with one of his own; a horizontal slash coming at Meian’s head.

This attack was met with two possibilities; Meian could either back away and keep the battle the way it was, or he could duck and take the opportunity to land a counterattack, which may or may not be a lure. No risks, no gain., he thought to himself as he ducked and took advantage of the situation to quickly strike toward Hisato’s current weak side, his right, with a left-to-right slash. This reaction may have been expected by Hisato since Meian’s fighting style, Iaijutsu, was meant to take advantage of close-range fighting.

However, what he wouldn’t expect was his next movement; if Hisato used his left hand to hold Meian’s right-handed sword slash, Meian would then turn his body counter-clockwise and give an elbow strike with his left arm on Hisato’s left side, a strike which was meant to use the fundamental basics behind his Iaijutsu’s scabbard blows. This would likely be completely unexpected for Hisato, since it was something Meian never used in his Kendo class because of the lack of scabbards when fighting with shinais. Although the attack would likely be much less powerful than the real thing, it could still cause a bit of damage if it managed to hit.

Now, how would Hisato react to those two simultaneous blows which were coming at him ?

[Zeich Yajuu]

“I hope not, I expect better of you.” Hisato grinned back before his first swing was made, lashing out towards Meian’s side as he stepped into his counterstroke. The blow whistled through the air, a lot of strength behind it, and it would certainly be a devastating attack should it strike. However, the student had the guts to duck beneath the blow, barely dodging it as it had been aimed at about chest level. The attack tore by overhead with enough strength that Meian could literally feel the force of it as he dodged, the wind blowing his hair about as he slipped beneath the strike. It was obvious that Hisato was not holding back, carefully using his full strength to deliver devastating strikes.

Meian’s follow-up, however, came as a complete surprise; as shinai came without a sheath, Hisato had never been given the opportunity to see his opponent’s style of Iaijutsu in action, and had no way to predict the strikes. Meian’s first blow was met by his opponent’s own shinai, weapons clashing as they came together. Hisato held the attack there for a moment, wondering at his opponent’s game; surely Meian knew that an obviously-telegraphed strike like that one would be easier to block, and with his greater strength, the Shiba youth knew that he would be able to turn such a clash to his advantage. It was difficult to tell if Meian had just misjudged his attack, or if there was a feint involved.

And then the strike came. Whirling, Meian’s elbow came around in a sudden strike that Hisato didn’t recognize as Iaijutsu due to the lack of a sheath, a clever adaptation of the technique that left the boy surprised. Trying to react to it, as his speed wasn’t too far behind Meian’s, nonetheless Hisato found himself taking the hit even as he tried to step back out of range. The surprise of the attack had reduced his reaction significantly, and as a result his opponent’s elbow caught him in the side, causing him to stagger back. Thankfully, Meian’s strength was low and the attack wasn’t very powerful, but it was still a well-played move that had put Hisato briefly on the defense.

The reversal didn’t last for long, however, as Hisato had a surprise of his own in order to counterattack. With a sudden blur of movement he vanished, appearing to Meian’s left side in a quick Shunpo. His weapon came around fast while he had the element of surprise, a blow that would hit the back of his opponent’s knee and knock him down to the ground. It would be hard to dodge, given the element of surprise and the sudden speed at which the attack came; Meian would have to be on his guard to react in time. Even if he did react, would it be enough to prevent a serious blow? The attack was two-handed, meaning it was at Hisato’s full strength, something his opponent couldn’t match. The Shunpo was indeed a surprising choice of strike, indicating that Hisato had managed to learn it quickly.

[Nakazawa Meian]

As Meian ducked to escape Hisato’s strike, the force of the blow was something to be reckoned with. To Meian however, it simply indicated that his opponent took him seriously and was giving his everything to defeat him. As a sign of respect for a fellow partner of training, Meian also gave everything he had; although it was an exam, the pleasure Meian felt by fighting with an art he excelled so much at was simply immeasurable. Keeping focused on the task at hand, he took the opportunity to launch his counter strike and aim at Hisato’s right side.

On its way to slash Hisato, Meian’s shinai was parried by Hisato’s own shinai, an outcome which was easily predictable. However, the next blow was much less predictable as Meian used his left elbow to deliver an attack which relied entirely on the element of surprise; a surprise that was apparently used effectively, considering that the strike landed without difficulties. As a sign of experience, though, Meian didn’t left himself be blinded by the result in his favor, fully knowing that retaliation often followed this kind of outcome.

As expected, a counter did come, except that it wasn’t in the way Meian wanted; Hisato had shunpoed to his left. Unfortunately, since Meian’s last attack was made on his left, it was the direction he was currently looking toward, which meant that Hisato’s shunpo didn’t take him out of Meian’s line of sight; the surprise behind his follow-up attack was as such already hindered since Meian saw it almost immediately. Although his reaction did get crippled by the unexpected turn of events, the slash that Hisato had aimed at the back of Meian’s knee was evaded at the last second when Meian quickly brought his left leg in front of his other one, taking himself out of the blow’s trajectory and strengthening his balance at the same time.

However, Meian’s actions didn’t end here. Since his back was currently facing Hisato, the first movement he took was a rotation of his center of gravity, in order to bring him back toward the battle. This rotation, though, wasn’t simply meant for that; it also allowed Meian to gain some momentum for a two-handed horizontal sword swing, which was aimed right at Hisato’s right side. Furthermore, Meian had purposefully made it horizontal to make use of Hisato’s previous rash movement; the fact that he aimed for the back of Meian’s knee meant that he lowered his own body in a position that would be inappropriate for dodging, so Meian’s horizontal blow would likely be enough to prevent dodging in any way, aside from shunpo, forcing him to take the full force behind the attack, which was increased by the momentum of his movement. This would hopefully force Hisato into blocking a strike which may disorient him, considering he had just gone out of a shunpo, a technique he hadn’t mastered fully yet.

[Zeich Yajuu]

Hisato’s move had indeed been a reckless one, as he had tried to startle Meian with his own unexpected attack, and soon he was paying the price. As he appeared out of his step, his shinai came about in a quick swing that was aimed to cripple the student temporarily by making movement painful or difficult. However, Meian had seen through the clumsy move, and as a result his counterattack came at an appropriate time that allowed him to step away from the attack. The downside, however, was that even when the student moved his leg forward to avoid the initial swing, he forgot to compensate for Hisato’s reach. Normally the swing would have missed its mark, but the student’s long arms allowed for a swing that would smash into the back of Meian’s right knee instead of the left, albeit with less power. Still, it was enough for the choice of attack, which would buckle the leg briefly, causing a stumble.

The effect of this would be obvious; As Meian went to whirl about for a powerful two-handed strike, his leg gave out beneath him, causing him to trip and stumble. This stumble was all that Hisato needed, and in a moment he had his shinai pressed point-forward to his opponent’s throat. The two of them froze at that moment, held in that position as they stared down one another at the climax of combat. If they were holding real weapons, a simple stab forward would have Meian’s windpipe pierced, followed by a very slow and antagonizing death as he suffocated to death. Fortunately, this was a simple training spar with only wooden weapons, neither of which could be used for fatal strike except in extreme cases. This was a checkmate, so to speak.

“Alright, that’s enough.” Both students would look up as Meiji stepped forward, raising a hand to end the battle. Hisato quickly disengaged, pulling his weapon back and even offering a hand to Meian to help him with his balance if necessary. This was followed by a polite handshake and a smile that said “No hard feelings” before the student finally stepped away, returning to the line. Meian would be directed towards the line with a slight nod of the head from Meiji, and once he had taken his place, the instructor stood before them again, looking at a small clipboard where he had been taking notes during that short battle.

“Alright, review for the first round. We’ll start with Hisato: for positives, you made use of several unpredictable styles throughout the battle, changing out of your expected style and keeping Meian off-guard at first by relying on unorthodox tactics. You also made good use of your reach at key times, which would have netted you a victory had this been a real battle.” Hisato nodded at the compliments, pleased by the teacher’s praise. “However, there were a few thing you will want to keep an eye on in the future. For one, don’t expect a new enemy to be thrown off-guard by a style that’s unusual to your normal one; they don’t have the same foreknowledge, and you lose a lot of the element of surprise as a result. Instead, focus on developing your main style first and foremost, with alternate ones to change the flow of the battle when needed. Atop that, avoid reckless moves that you have only begun to master, like that Shunpo; you nearly cost yourself the battle there.”

Once Hisato had been addressed, Meiji’s eyes turned towards Meian’s, their gazes meeting. “You, Meian, did fairly well yourself. The use of Iaijutsu without a sheath shows a strong sense of creativity and adaptive combat, which will serve you well in the future. You also adjusted very well to the surprise of having Hisato’s fighting styles switch frequently, especially considering you had foreknowledge and thus expectations of his fighting style. You kept your calm and focus the entire battle, which is to be praised.” The teacher gave a slight smile and a nod of his head. “However, there were a few flaws, too; the first, of course, was trying to make use of your Iaijutsu in an ineffective way, using your elbow with reduced physical impact. Your strength is already low compared to your opponent’s, so you may want to consider a better way of using it should you find yourself without a sheath. Atop that, you forgot your opponent’s reach at a key point, underestimating him once he had made a mistake. His recovery became your downfall when you forgot to compensate for that advantage. Never underestimate your opponent; better to be disappointed than surprised.”

With that, Meiji flipped a page on his clipboard, bringing up the next fight on his roster. He called out the names of two students, who immediately took up positions across from one another on the mat. This continued for the rest of the morning, more and more being paired off until all of the students had been called out, and the exam was finished. Tired, and a bit worn out after their physical combat, the students filed out of the room with a mix of either excited or upset expressions, depending on how Meiji had evaluated them. The teacher had been kind throughout, always offering at least one positive and several suggestions for improvement, helping students find their strengths and learn about their weaknesses. It was the first year exam, after all; they weren’t expected to be experts within such a short time.

Grades would be posted in the late afternoon, after all of the day’s exams were done. That meant there was no need to wait around the classroom; the students could rest for about a half hour before their next exam period, either grabbing some food or just sitting and catching their breath after the first one, and Meian was no exception. He had about a half hour to kill, and then he would head to his class, which happened to be his Kido exam. This one would likely be a challenging one, as he was more suited to his Kendo than the Shinigami magical arts. Still, it was only his first year, and he had improved considerably; odds were, he’d have only moderate difficulty in passing the test.

((OOC: Mission #1 complete! For an Easy-Medium mission, with simple combat, you gain 20 QP. [Meian Total: 90 QP]))

[Nakazawa Meian]

Meian’s movement should have hit; in fact, it would have ended the battle, had it fulfilled its purpose entirely. Unfortunately, he had neglected a single detail, which costed him the battle. As he stepped forward with his left leg in a hope to turn around and counterattack, pain suddenly emerged from the back of his right leg. Before he could understand what had happened, out of instinct, he tried to stabilize himself by putting his right knee on the ground, and in a swift movement, a shinai’s tip appeared under his throat, putting an end to the fight.

”Alright, that’s enough.”, Meian heard from behind him, coming from Meiji. As soon as he heard it, Hisato’s hand showed up, offering to help Meian stand up, which he accepted out of respect. This was quickly followed by a handshake between them, a symbol of solidarity among the students. Although he had lost, in Meian mind, he had reached his goal; No matter if it’s a win or a loss, I pushed my opponent to his limit, and that’s enough for me. While going back to the line, Meian crossed the gaze of his teacher, replying to his nod with one of his own.

”Alright, review for the first round. We’ll start with Hisato: for positives, you made use of several unpredictable styles throughout the battle, changing out of your expected style and keeping Meian off-guard at first by relying on unorthodox tactics. You also made good use of your reach at key times, which would have netted you a victory had this been a real battle. However, there were a few thing you will want to keep an eye on in the future. For one, don’t expect a new enemy to be thrown off-guard by a style that’s unusual to your normal one; they don’t have the same foreknowledge, and you lose a lot of the element of surprise as a result. Instead, focus on developing your main style first and foremost, with alternate ones to change the flow of the battle when needed. Atop that, avoid reckless moves that you have only begun to master, like that shunpo; you nearly cost yourself the battle there.” To Meian, who had shown numerous times to be able to understand Meiji easily, this seemed to be a promising review; Hisato would have no trouble passing his exam.

”You, Meian, did fairly well yourself. The use of Iaijutsu without a sheath shows a strong sense of creativity and adaptive combat, which will serve you well in the future. You also adjusted very well to the surprise of having Hisato’s fighting styles switch frequently, especially considering you had foreknowledge and thus expectations of his fighting style. You kept your calm and focus the entire battle, which is to be praised.” This first section of the review, which illustrated the positive sides of his battle, was also hopeful, as it was large, covering most of the battle. For the upcoming negatives, though, Meian knew exactly what to expect… ”However, there were a few flaws, too; the first, of course, was trying to make use of your Iaijutsu in an ineffective way, using your elbow with reduced physical impact. Your strength is already low compared to your opponent’s, so you may want to consider a better way of using it should you find yourself without a sheath. Atop that, you forgot your opponent’s reach at a key point, underestimating him once he had made a mistake. His recovery became your downfall when you forgot to compensate for that advantage. Never underestimate your opponent; better to be disappointed than surprised.”

With that, Meian spent the rest of the exam watching others fight and try to get a good grade. Some were showing great skills while others were utterly losing. There were even some rare instances of unexpected turn of events, when warriors Meian had thought weaker somehow managed to pull a victory in their battles. After a time, Meiji announced the end of the exams, at which point the students slowly got out of the classroom with mixed feelings. In Meian’s case, although he should have been happy of the results from his first exam, a painful feeling of stress had suddenly come back; he remembered that his Kido exam was coming next.

He had around half an hour before his next exam started up, and he needed it. As soon as he reached the courtyard, Meian took a meditative stance on the ground, trying to calm down as much as possible. However, he was also wary that his meditative state may make him fall in contact with his inner-spirit, causing him to lose track of time and possibly miss his exam, so he was focusing all of his concentration on reality so as to prevent that to happen. Unfortunately, as one could guess, it also prevented him from regaining his entire calm, which would make him particularly frail to the words his Kido teacher would use to explain the exam, but still, it was better than nothing. To make sure he would be at his exam in time, Meian departed ten minutes before the beginning, making his way to the classroom, doubtful of what would happen. At the very least, his body was ready for it, although it may not be the case of his mind…

(OOC: When Meiji talked to Meian, you did an error between the names (which I corrected in my post). )

[Zeich Yajuu]

((As a reminder, Akane speaks in chocolate))

Arriving in time for the class, Meian would find that he was one of the later students to arrive, as many had arrived early or just before him. Even so it would hardly be a deterrence; he wasn’t late, and seats had been assigned all semester, so he wouldn’t be worried about finding a spot either. In the end it just came down to him taking his seat, which was halfway up the center row and slightly to the left on the stadium seating. Many of the students were chatting, discussing the possible tasks that would be on their test, especially as most of the year had only been the most basic of Kido techniques, most of which weren’t actually spells. Was it simply going to be a written test, or would there be some form of demonstration? No one seemed entirely sure.

After a minute or two, Akane came into the classroom, holding a small stack of papers. Many groans were heard at the sight; a teacher carrying papers on a test day meant that it was likely to be a written exam, one to be dreaded. There were so many intricacies in Kido’s many forms that it would be hard to get it all down on paper. Two other adults that looked as though they could be teachers too came in behind her, and stood to either side of the teacher. Murmurs and words of hesitation filled the classroom as Akane set the papers down on the desk, standing before the classroom and waiting for everyone to settle down. After a moment, people stopped speaking, aware of her scrutiny, and soon a silence fell over the classroom.

From the last year, Meian had learned a lot about the Kido teacher. She was particularly kind to her students, amicable and talkative outside of the classroom and patient within it. Akane was particularly fond of the “learn the hard way” method however, as long as it didn’t actually invoke lasting harm to the student. An example she gave was of a student who decided to prod at a Reiatsu Orb she was demonstrating with on the first day of classes, in which she had allowed the orb to shock the curious onlooker as a lesson not to mess with unknown things, as they could have serious repercussions. The reprimanded student’s name was not given, mercifully.

“Alrighty, students!” Despite being in her late twenties in appearance, Akane’s personality was always bouncy and energetic. “Today’s the big day of exams! We have a pretty exciting test for you today, one that I think all of you will like, as it allows you to demonstrate your unique skills and knowledge with Kido and Reiatsu manipulation!” This caused a bit of a stir; no one ever described written tests as “exciting” or “likeable.” Either Akane was being cheerfully sarcastic, or there was more to the test than met the eye, so everyone waited for the teacher to continue and explain what the paperwork she had brought was for.

“First, we will divide you into three groups, based on what kind of Kido you’re best at. If you’re skilled at offensive spells such as Hado or Bakudo, you’ll be in one group. Healing practitioners will be in another section, and then those without innate skills in either category will be given your own test in the form of Kido Manipulation and formation.” Akane ticked them off one at a time on her fingers, giving a pause so people could consider what group they would be put into, whether it was their decision or based on some other criteria. “Don’t worry; based on my observations throughout the years, I’ve placed each of you within a group that I think you will excel in based on your specialties. When I you’re your name, please move to the portion of the room indicated for your test.”

With that, Akane took the papers she had brought in with her and sorted them into three piles based on the information on them. “Alright, we’ll start with Reiatsu Manipulation. Those who have their name called, please move to the right side of the room.” She started listing names, and Meian would catch his own name as it came up. He was part of a group of about six people, which wasn’t surprising as it wasn’t a large class. Directed towards the side of the room, the student was left to wait while the others were sorted into their respective groups. Once everyone was in their proper place, the two other professors who had come in with Akane introduced themselves briefly. One was an unseated officer in Squad 4, the healing squad, and he would be testing their basic healing skills, while the other was a Squad 5 unseated officer who would be testing the Kido practitioners.

That left Akane herself to help with those who were the least skilled in Kido, as it was likely she would be the one to best notice if things went wrong and stop them before something did indeed get ugly. “Alright, students, your tests today will be simpler compared to the rest, but based on your skill with Kido in comparison to other areas, where you might excel, it will still be a challenge in itself. We’ll start with a simple task, creating a Reiatsu Orb about the size of a grapefruit and holding it in place. Each of you, go ahead and do that now, creating it in one or both hands and holding it up.”

The test had begun, and the first lesson had been given; it was up to Meian to prove what he had learned in Kido control over time.

[Nakazawa Meian]

Meian arrived at his exam at the best of time; not late, but not too soon either, to prevent him from stressing over his upcoming task. As soon as he entered the class, he walked to his assigned desk, focusing as much as he could on the test. The other students, who had almost all already arrived, were discussing here and there, but that didn’t matter; all Meian wanted was to get this exam over with. Since it was a required class for his time at the academy, if he could at the very least passes his test, he would be satisfied.

Not long after, Meian’s teacher, Akane, entered the classroom, followed by two other persons and holding papers in her hands. Although the sight of the numerous sheets had provoked a reaction of insecurity among his numerous classmates, it caused quite the opposite to Meian, who knew that he would have better chances of passing if he didn’t have to produce the end result of his reiatsu manipulations. The presence of two other persons did upset him, though, since there was no reason for them to be there if the exam was a written one. What was their purpose? That was an answer Meian would only get by waiting.

”Alrighty, students! Today’s the big day of exams! We have a pretty exciting test for you today, one that I think all of you will like, as it allows you to demonstrate your unique skills and knowledge with Kido and Reiatsu manipulation!” Even though Akane’s energetic attitude normally had the effect of cheering Meian up, this time only strengthened the anxiety, already immense, that wandered in his heart. She sure have odd ways of announcing a test…

”First, we will divide you into three groups, based on what kinds of Kido you’re best at. If you’re skilled at offensive spells such as Hado or Bakudo, you’ll be in one group. Healing practitioners will be in another section, and then those without innate skills in either category will be given your own test in the form of Kido manipulation and formation.” this news acted as a bomb to Meian, who had just lost all hopes of doing a written test. At the very least, his grading would consider his difficulties with Kido, which meant it was still good news. The presence of those sheets is strange, though. I wonder what she’ll use those for… ”Don’t worry; based on my observations throughout the years, I’ve placed each of you within a group that I think you will excel in based on your specialties. When I say your name, please move to the portion of the room indicated for your test.”

”Alright, we’ll start with Reiatsu manipulation. Those who have their name called, move to the right side of the room.” It wasn’t long before Meian heard his own name, after which he travelled to the location of his group, waiting for everyone to be split. Once every student were in their respective side of the class, both of the two persons which had entered with Meian’s teacher headed toward one of the two other groups, leaving Akane to take care of the Reiatsu manipulation group. ”Alright, students, your tests today will be simpler compared to the rest, but based on your skill with Kido in comparison to other areas, where you might excel, it will still be a challenge in itself. We’ll start with a simple task, creating a Reiatsu Orb about the size of a grapefruit and holding it in place. Each of you, go ahead and do that now, creating it in one or both hands and holding it up.”

As soon as he could start, Meian discarded all of his thoughts about his surroundings to concentrate fully on what he had to do. Even a task so basic as to create a Reiatsu Orb could cause him problems if he wasn’t cautious. Meian started his assignment by focusing his reiatsu into the palm of his hand, and then physically materializing it in the form of a dark blue orb, around the size of a tennis ball. The task wasn’t complete yet since the orb wasn’t at the size of a grapefruit, though, but making it at the appropriate size from the beginning would likely have caused issues with Meian’s control over his orb. Now that it was formed, he slowly shrunk it until it got to the required size. Even though his Reiatsu Orb wasn’t perfectly stable, since it fizzled now and then, Meian considered that stirring it further would likely just make it worse, and as such he kept it like this, waiting to hear Akane’s comments and next assignment.

[Deleted]

((Sorry for the wait on this one, and the somewhat short post considering it's a catch-up post. Couldn't really get the muse flowing super well, but didn't want you guys waiting forever.))

Great, this was just what Amaya needed: more distractions. Amaya was trying her best to actually be a good student, but how often did a girl get a chance to check out fireworks that were made by the science geeks? These were bound to be the best fireworks anyone had ever seen. The Shinigami-in-training couldn’t even try to get a word in edgewise against Miyako, let alone tell her no. She simply nodded in agreement and headed along with her friend to watch the fireworks. All in all, it was a good decision. The show ended up being out of this world, and Amaya could just cram tomorrow night right?

There were few things Amaya had been more wrong about than that. Touching the reiatsu orb was up there, but this was arguably a stupider decision in the end. Not giving yourself much time to study is always a poor choice. Getting distracted two nights in a row was even worse. Amaya’s room seemed to have a people magnet built into it. The night before finals brought yet another visitor to her room. Once more, Amaya had attracted a suitor, but this one was more her type; attractive, eager, and down to earth. According to Amaya, they were up all night studying. Her roommates heard the truth though. The details are a story for another time, but suffice to say Amaya was locked in her bedroom with a boy all night.

This might not have been Amaya’s worst decision at first. Cramming would’ve helped a bit, but it could never get you much more than a letter grade in improvement. On the other hand, being up late with a boy could make you sleep through your first exam and flunk it outright. Such was Amaya’s fate this day. She woke up an hour past the start time of her kendo exam. No matter how fast she tried to get there, it was too little too late. By the time Amaya arrived at that classroom, the exam was long done. Well… I’m pretty sure that exam counted for about 100% of my grade. Guess it’s remedial Kendo next year.

At that moment, there wasn’t anything Amaya wanted to do more than crumple up in a ball on the floor and sulk, but she had another exam to get to. Not even the warm feeling from last night was enough to make up for missing that exam. Awful though it may be, the girl forced it to the back of her mind. Even if she had missed one exam, there was still time for her to make her remaining exams. She left the Kendo room and headed off towards her Kido exam as fast as she could. Even though she had booked it, Amaya was still a bit on the late side for her Kido exam.

After slipping into the room, Amaya was relieved to discover it wasn’t a pen-and-paper test. That much was obvious since everyone was still standing around even though the class time had clearly started. She poked the nearest student she was friends with and asked about what was going on. Amaya’s friend directed her over to the healing group. Everyone there was still just milling around. Looks like they haven’t started yet… maybe I can just sneak over unnoticed and not get in trouble? The only one in the group that Amaya hadn’t recognized was most likely a proctor for the test. Judging by their attire, they were Squad Four, but not an officer. If it was an unseated officer, impressing them enough to pass couldn’t be that hard… could it? Eager to try and make up for missing her first exam, Amaya blended into the crowd of medical kido users and waited for her instructions.