Spirit of Blades

Amadeus X. Write

The Twin Blades

A teenager, senior in high school, was walking towards the school gym. In the late afternoon with the sun setting, a girl followed him from a distance. Kendo club was meeting that afternoon and both were members, he was number one in the class and the region, while she was… well.

“I’ve got to win at least one today,” she said to herself, “or he’ll never notice me.”

She entered the gym and headed to the locker room.

“Hey Kenji,” said a guy in the locker room, “Alex is pissed that your skipping classes.”

“So?” replied Kenji while finishing changing, “He may scare you, Orion but I have no reason to fear anything he might do.”

“But some people are worried.”

“You of all shouldn’t worry for me,” Kenji replied and left the locker room.

“Ya, but Sara is.”

The students were gathered in the gym and the teacher stood in front of the students with his practice sword. The teachers eyes scanned over the students and spotted one in particular, “Kenji, it’s nice of you to join us today.”

“As it is to be here sensei,” Kenji replied.

“humph, well its time to make a new bracket. As you know that means their needs to be a tournament, and as such we’ll start with those that were at the bottom of the last bracket,” the teacher said looking down the list, “and that would be Sara and Jocelyn.

And so the tournament started. The teacher dropped the flag starting each fight. The tournament lasted until night and as expected Kenji was on top with his rival Alex just below. Sara had moved up several slots but her hopes of Kenji noticing her didn’t come through.

Kenji left the gym, Sara a bit behind. The courtyard of the school was dark with only the lights at the gate to illuminate it. Kenji noticed two girls at the gate as he walked by, one with black hair, the other with white. They watched him as he walked down the street.

“That him?” asked the white haired girl.

“Yeah, that’s him,” replied the black haired girl.

Sara exited through the gate and looked around to see who was talking but no one was there, so she looked down the street towards Kenji but he too wasn’t there. Disappointed and disheartened she went home.

Kenji was walking down the street illuminated by the streets lights. Across the street there was a rustling in the bushes and Kenji stopped and looked over. He could see two feint figures watching him.

“Yeah, what do you want,” Kenji called out.

The sound of girls giggling came from the figures.

“Whatever, I don’t have time to be messing around with girls that are stalking me.”

“You are the best, huh?” said one of the figures.

“What about it?” Kenji replied.

“I don’t believe him,” said the other figure.

A sliver of a smile grew on his face, “A challenge huh?”

“You have to keep up with us if you want to prove you’re the best,” the first voice said.

And the figures jumped into the darkened forest, Kenji bolting after them. With only a glint of moonlight every once in a while it was hard to see one of them but the other had white hair that shined like ivory in the moonlight. The two figures entered and stopped in a clearing. Kenji saw the two girls, the same ones from the school gate.

 “So, I kept up,” Kenji said, “Now which of you is first?” while pulling out his practice sword.

The girls giggled.

“Sister, lend me your strength,” called out the black haired girl.

The white haired girl began to glow and morphed into a blade held up side down in the others left hand. Then the black haired girl held out her right hand and a glowing sphere appeared, and when she grasped it formed into another sword.

“I don’t know what you two are, but you dual wielding still is enough to beat me,” Kenji said arrogantly.

The girl charged right up to Kenji, who slashed at her in retaliation. She blocked with the sword in her left hand while striking with the one in the right, stopping the blade millimeters from his face.

“Damn,” Kenji thought to himself, “I didn’t have any time to read her moves.”

The girl smiled, “You want this skill?”

Kenji stood there silently.

“You’re impressed I see.”

“No, stunned at such a reckless strike,” Kenji replied.

“Reckless? No. That’s the skill of the style,” she retorted, “So, you want this skill?”

“Are you the sensei?”

“You could say that.”

The girl backed off and the sword in her left hand glowed and morphed back into the white haired girl, whiles the other sword glowed and shrank back into the sphere which she clasped.

“I am Ebony,” said the black haired girl, “and this is my sister Ivory.”

“Yes,” Ivory said, “we are the spirits of the gemini blades”

“Spirits?” Kenji asked.

“Yes and if you accept our power,” Ebony replied, “you’ll be our master and we will teach you how to wield the gemini blades.”

“Accept your power?” Kenji retorted, “Why should I do a thing like that?”

--

“Then call us to you,” Ivory replied.

Kenji nodded, “Ebony, Ivory lend me your strength.”

The two girls began to glow and morphed into the swords in his hands. He grasped them, then handles hot to the touch. His hands burned more and more and he dropped to his knees. Finally the swords stopped glowing and the burning went away.

“God damn, you could have warned me!” Kenji said.

“Would of it made a difference?” said Ebony within his mind.

“Anyways, teach me now, teach me this ‘skill’”

Alex who had left a while a go was still walking home with only the street lights and passing cars to provide light.

“Come this way,” he heard a voice say as he passed an alley, the voice ominous in tone.

Undaunted by the voice he followed it into the alley. His eyes adjusted to the low light quickly, and in front of him was a giant clad in black armor.

“You have the want for power, right?” the giant said, “The power to be the best, better than someone you know?”

“And you can give me that power?” Alex replied.

“That and more, I can give you the power to be the best swordsman in the world.”

“Right, and how are you going to do that?”

The giant held his hand out and a black sphere appeared by his palm, and when he grasped the sphere and sword appeared in its place. The sword was massive, the blade alone being 2 meters and the handle being another meter in length.

“With this sword, my power, you will become powerful,” the giant said.

“Sorry, I only do kendo,” Alex retorted.

“And as you can see, that style doesn’t fit you.”

“And yours will?”

“Why don’t you find out,” the giant persuaded, “Call on my power, the power of Obelisk.”

Alex chuckled, “Alright then, Obelisk lend me your power.”

Obelisk’s body faded and the black sphere appeared in Alex’s hand. He grasped it and the sword appeared, his hand beginning to burn.

“What is this!” Alex exclaimed.

“Hold tight, this is your attunement, the price for accepting this power,” Obelisk replied.

Soon the burning sensation left Alex’s hand, a sinister smile grew on his face. He spun, swinging the sword around, and left the alley, the two building that formed the alley crumbling behind him.