Ch 298: Challenge for the title of Toudou’s strongest.

Akeno took a deep breath, then struck the air with her right fist. A faintly visible, twenty-centimeters thick beam of Ki shot out before dissipating to nothingness within twenty meters, forming three circles of white vapor as the compressed air formed shockwaves, and the snow on the beam's path was blasted away.

"You really have mastered the Forged Needle technique." sighed Maya, while Aya happily clapped. "You're such a cheat! Less than four days! It took me months! Months!"

Suzuka was also watching and nodded with satisfaction. She couldn't replicate Akeno's feat yet, but had mastered the trick of making a cooking pan move by striking another, and that was the hardest part of learning the Forged Needle technique. She looked forward to being able to replicate what Akeno had just done.

"You should be happy, Maya." grinned Akeno. "Imagine what heights you will reach, when you too benefits from the perks of being an Agent."

"I haven't said I wanted to become one."

"Pfft!" chuckled Akeno. "I am confident that you will. The temptation of measuring yourself against thousands of other Agents and access to many different worlds full of different fighting styles is too much for you to refuse."

Maya didn't refute it and instead looked at Akeno with a dead serious expression.

"Akeno, never put so much Ki into your Forged Needle unless you intend to kill your opponent. This one would have torn a hole into any human's torso, even the one of a martial artist."

"I am aware." nodded Akeno. "Don't worry, I'll be…"

Artoria suddenly appeared inside the Sanctuary.

"Emi Isuzu came to the Natsume residence to confirm the duel and left after delivering her message. Tomorrow at noon, in Toudou Academy's second gymnasium. It will be closed to the other students."

Maya nodded doubtfully.

"I should focus on helping Heejin and Song-Yi, then. I think you can manage, Akeno."

"Yes, I am confident." smiled Akeno.

…

Later that day, after they retired for the night, Akeno stealthily walked to Aya's room and knocked quietly on the door frame.

Seconds later, the panel slid open, and Aya looked at her, dressed in yellow silk pajamas.

"Akeno-sama?" asked Aya as Akeno slipped in.

"Aya, I am in the mood to devour you, if you are up to it." whispered Akeno.

"…Yes." nodded Aya, starting to blush.

"Let's go inside the sanctuary. We'll spend a while inside." said Akeno as she set the crystal ball on the ground.

"A while?"

"About five days, just you and me. By the time we are done, I will know every nook and cranny of your body." chuckled Akeno, making Aya blush deepen.

Akeno transferred them inside the Sanctuary, directly into the basement, and Aya started to look around, her eyes wide.

"Eyes on me, my sweet Aya." said Akeno. "You will have ample time to get to know the particulars of this room later.

Aya nodded, staring at Akeno, as she started undoing the buttons of Aya's pajamas. Aya shuddered slightly as Akeno stripped her with slow, sensual movements, removing her pajamas, then her white cotton panties.

"You really are a work of art, Aya." grinned Akeno before kissing Aya, and she moaned softly. "…One that I will dye in my colors."

"…Yes, Akeno-sama."

"Good girl." smiled Akeno, running her hands over Aya's body, and large and soft, yet perky breasts, her toned muscles.

She decided to take it slow with Aya. She would use hands of Nirvana, but not one of the special collars. Aya likely already had some masochistic inclinations, according to her previous revelations, and Akeno would use the old-fashioned way to make her bloom into a splendid masochist.

Akeno took from her inventory a black leather blindfold, and showed it to Aya. Aya gulped, but nodded and let Akeno fasten it over her eyes.

"This will make you feel everything more intensely, Aya. I will blindfold you often during our games."

"I understand, Akeno-sama." nodded Aya, her breathing pattern fast. The heavy petting Akeno had done on her was having its effect, and Aya was growing aroused.

Akeno walked to a closet and took from it four pairs of soft, padded, black leather cuffs. She fastened them slowly around Aya's wrists and ankles, then positioned her under a spreader bar hanging from the ceiling. She connected the cuffs to the ends of the spreader bar, and to short chains locked to anchor points on the ground, and Aya was bound spread-eagled, vulnerable.

Akeno resumed her kissing and petting for a few minutes, making Aya moan sweetly.

"You asked me to be rough, Aya." said Akeno, stepping back. "Because you deserve punishment. I am going to test your qualities as a masochist now."

Akeno walked to the wall from which hung several tools from impact play. She hesitated between a flog, an ideal tool for beginners, and a short whip, something for experienced masochists. She looked back at Aya, and trusting her instincts, took the whip, a braided piece of leather 150 centimeters long. Aya did say she wanted to feel punished, after all.

"Aya, I am going to lash you, ten times for now. Each time, I want you to count and thank me."

"Yes, Akeno-sama." breathed Aya, tensing in her bonds.

Akeno swung the whip with moderate strength.

*whoosh*

The breaded leather hit both of Aya's butt cheeks, making her hiss.

"One. Thank you, Akeno-sama."

"Good Girl." praised Akeno, before swinging a second time, aiming five centimeters above the previous spots.

*whoosh*

"Two. Thank you, Akeno-sama."

*whoosh*

"Three. Thank you, Akeno-sama." said Aya.

Akeno walked in front of her, seized a handful of her hair to make her tilt her head upward, and hungrily kissed Aya, while playing her right breast.

"Ah… Akeno-sama." moaned Aya, squirming, when Akeno broke the kiss.

"You're doing good, Aya." smiled Akeno before returning to her whipping position, a meter to Aya's right.

*whoosh*

The whip struck just under the first of the pinkish marks now adorning Aya's creamy white butt cheeks.

"Ah… Four, Akeno-sama." gasped Aya.

"Good Girl. You need to thank me for disciplining you, but I'll let it slide this once. Tell me if it becomes too much."

"Please continue, Akeno-sama."

*whoosh*

"Five. Thank you, Akeno-sama."

…

After the seventh's time, Akeno paused the whipping to kiss and grope Aya again for a minute, then resumed it.

After the tenth time, Akeno put the whip in her inventory and hugged Aya gently. She snaked a hand between Aya's legs, making her gasp.

"You are wet, Aya." teased Akeno. "I was a little worried starting directly starting with a whip might be a little too much for your first time, but you took it well, it seems."

"I… can take more, Akeno-sama." said Aya. She gasped when Akeno's left hand touched her sensitive rear, running along the pink lines.

"Later, I think, my sweet Aya." smiled Akeno.

She removed Aya's blindfold.

"For your first time, we are going to continue this into my room."

"Yes, Akeno-sama." nodded Aya. Her eyes conveyed her unspoken desire to be touched, to be bullied, to be brought over the edge.

Akeno nodded to her, and created a black leather collar, inlaid with gold trimmings.

"With this, I claim you as mine, Aya." softly said Akeno as she fastened the collar around Aya's neck. "I will bind you to me with bonds stronger than marriage vows, and you will forever be by my side. Even death, will not do us part."

Aya's heart skipped a beat, and she smiled radiantly.

"Yes, Akeno-sama. Bind me tightly with chains I will never want to escape!"

Akeno nodded and attached a leash to the D-ring in font of Aya's collar, and freed her limbs from the four cuffs.

"Follow me, Aya." muttered Akeno tugging slightly at the leash as they left the basement.

"Rose petals, Akeno-sama?" smiled Aya as she saw the many red petals on the stairs.

"Yes. I had some time to prepare before I went to you. I want this to be romantic, at least as much as something involving BDSM can be." grinned Akeno.

"I love it! I am very happy right now, Akeno-sama." exclaimed Aya as they followed the path or rose petals. Akeno opened the door to her room, revealing a room with a huge bed with silk sheets, the lighting provided by dozens of candles all around the room.

"Lay on the center on the bed, Aya." purred Akeno. "Did I ever tell you before that I am half fallen angel? I am going to give you a demonstration of what I can do with my wings' feathers, and with my tongue. You're going to love it."

…

"And this is only the second gymnasium? It already looks large enough for a thousand spectators." said Heejin as she looked around. The exhibition area in the Gymnasium's center, about fifty meters wide, was one floor below the bleachers. Its floor was covered in hard brown tatami mats.

"It's more than good enough. And I prefer the privacy." shrugged Song-Yi, before frowning. "relative privacy".

They weren't completely alone. There was a young man sitting on a corner, with brown eyes, light brown, slightly wavy hair reaching slightly past his neck, and broad shoulders. He was holding a smartphone, and Song-Yi saw on the back of his right hand a black tattoo representing a drawn bow ready to fire an arrow with a forked head.

He stared at each of them for in instant, before staring back at his smartphone, but Song-Yi still felt that his full attention was on them.

"Someone you know?" asked Song-Yi to Maya, who frowned.

"…I don't recognize him."

"Well, if Mitsuomi and his friends don't care about him being there, I don't, either." shrugged Akeno, removing her jacket. "Let's do some stretching."

She was dressed in black and purple sportwear. Sport underwear, a sleeveless top, long pants, and sneakers. Heejin, Song-Yi and Artoria had similar outfits, but with different colors. Green and White for Heejin, White and pink for Song-Yi, and Artoria had chosen dark blue and yellow.

Akeno and Artoria were unarmed, while Song-Yi had twelve throwing knives sheathed on two straps around her thighs, and Heejin carried a wooden staff.

"So, how strong are those guys? Stronger than you, Maya?" asked Suzuka, looking bored, she, like Maya and Aya, was wearing the standard uniform of Toudou Academy.

"Mitsuomi is." shrugged Maya. "Maybe Bunshichi. We never fought against each other, and our fighting styles are very different. I focus on technique, while he is the ultimate brawler. I could defeat any of the others, but maybe not without getting a few bruises or cuts."

"Does any of them use a sword?"

"No. Do you want to challenge one of them?"

"Kinda. Sparring with Akeno is fun, but at the same time, it's so frustrating! She's too much of a cheat!"

"Ufufu." chuckled Akeno as she stretched on the ground.

She stopped and stood when the doors on the opposite side of the gymnasium opened, and a half dozen people entered. The first was Emi Isuzu, wearing the blue blazer, white shirt and green checkered skirt of the female student uniform. Walking beside Emi was a two-meter-tall man wearing the standard black male uniform, although his obviously had to be a custom fit. He had muscles on his muscles and had to be either a body-builder or a pro wrestler. Akeno saw the blue and orange wrestler's hood covering his head, and took a wild guess that is was the latter.

Walking behind Emi was a tall and skinny man with long black hair, partially covered with a bandana, wearing a black t-shirt and black leather pants. She held a long staff, about 2.5 meters in length.

The fourth person to enter the inner part of the gymnasium looked significantly older than the others. His short hair were brown on the side, but white on the top, and his stubble beard made him look like he was in his thirties. He wore blue jeans, a white shirt, and a dark green, sleeveless leather jacket likely too small to be closed. He didn't have quite the bulk of the wrestler, but his chest and naked arms were still comparable to those of action movie actors from the nineties.

Finaly, walking behind them, was a tall, muscular young man with short white hair and long bangs, with brown eyes and forked brows. He was dressed in a tight fitting, sleeveless, black leather top. Akeno didn't need confirmation to know he was Mitsuomi Takayanagi. He had the gait of a prowling panther, and his eyes conveyed his complete confidence.

Akeno didn't miss the slight frown when Mitsuomi noticed the young man in the far corner, but he didn't say anything, and his attention returned toward Maya and her companions.

"Hey, Maya! Long time no see!" cheerfully waved the old-looking man. "Your boobs have grown even bigger!"

Akeno, Song-Yi, Artoria and Heejin raised an eyebrow and looked back at Maya, but she didn't react to the blatant harassment. She simply nodded to him in greeting. Her attention was on Mitsuomi.

"I guess I should do the introductions." sighed Emi as she pointed to the skinny man. "This is Shiro Tagami."

Shiro nodded to them.

"I like your way of challenging us upfront. That is how warriors should act."

"Indeed." smiled Artoria as Emi pointed to the giant with the wrestler mask. "This is Sagara Mask, of the Judo Club.

"I already told you, Emi. When I wear this mask, I am only Sagara Mask, the Mask of Justice." frowned Sagara, his voice rumbling.

"Justice, eh?" said Akeno.

"Yes." solemnly nodded Sagara Mask. "The actions of the Executive Council are Justice, and those who oppose them are Sinners."

"...Let's agree to disagree on that." shrugged Akeno.

"Moving on, this pervert over there is Bunshichi Tawara."

"Hey." grinned Bunshichi. "You girls too all have deadly weapons. What's your secret? Do you drink a lot of milk?"

If those words had come from any average pervert, Akeno would already be making plans for him to have to be carried out of the gymnasium. But there was something about Bunshichi's tone and 'honest' expression...

"He's always talking about boobs, but he won't try anything without your permission." sighed Maya.

"Of course!" grinned Bunshichi.

"For those I did not see before, my name is Emi Isuzu." resumed Emi, sighing just like Maya. "And this is Mitsuomi Takayanagi, our leader."

"Yes." nodded Akeno with a welcoming smile. "Thank you for accepting our challenge. I am Akeno Himejima, and my friends and Artoria Pendragon, Han Song-Yi, and Park Heejin."

Mitsuomi made a very small nod, then turned to Maya.

"I am surprised by your actions, Maya." said Mitsuomi with an even voice. Why have you taken under your wing those… newcomers?"

"She agreed to teach us a few things, in return for us agreeing to go easy on you guys and not letting my fight with you exceed three minutes." shrugged Akeno. "The incident that happened three years ago has nothing to do with our challenge today."

Mitsuomi snorted, looking slightly amused. "Go easy, on us, you say?"

"It does sound arrogant, isn't it?" chuckled Akeno. "But, we aren't your average martial artists. As the challenged party, you get to decide how we will fight."

"I wouldn't have given you the time of day if not for Maya, but fine." nodded Mitsuomi. "Let's go with simple one on one fights. If the four of you can defeat my four lieutenants, I will fight one of you. I don't care which. The fight will stop when one opponent is unable to continue or declare forfeit."

"Okay." shrugged Akeno, turning toward her companions.

"I don't mind starting." nodded Heejin, answering the implied question.

Akeno nodded, and the girls, save for Heejin, walked to the periphery of the fighting area.

"I will fight her." said Shiro to Mitsuomi, asking for his permission.

"…Do not underestimate your opponent." nodded Mitsuomi before walking off the stage, a standing a few meters away from Maya on Akeno's right. Sagara, Bunshichi and Emi joined him.

…

Heejin focused her attention on Shiro Tagami. He was wiry, likely indicating that his physical strength wasn't all that high, but the way he held his staff, the loose grip of his hand on the shaft that he kept holding vertically, reminded her of something Artoria had once said.

"There are only two kinds of warriors who do not adopt a battle stance with their weapon when they are about to fight. Complete amateurs who do not know the first thing about fighting, and masters who do not need one anymore. Their lack of stance is a stance in itself."

Heejin didn't need to be told to know that Shiro was in the latter category.

Heejin, on the other hand, was primarily a wind mage, and she couldn't use any magic in this fight.

She only had a few months' worth of training with a battle staff, but she had received occasional advice and demonstrations from Scathach, and she had the advantage of being an Agent.

In addition to the passive body strengthening and improved reflexes, her Ki wasn't fixed to any single attribute, and she could infuse some of it into her wooden staff, as if she had wood-attribute Ki. She was starting to do just that, increasing the weapon's durability. The infused Ki would also make her strikes harder to parry or deflect without making it harder for her to swing her staff. Clearly, the laws of physics and conservation of momentum had been told to take a hike, whenever Ki was involved.

Heejin twirled her staff for one second, its ends becoming a blur while the weapon produced an intimidating whooshing sound, and spread her feet further apart, lowering her center of gravity.

"Are you ready?" asked Heejin with a fearless smile.

Shiro Takami nodded and walked toward her, his staff still held casually. When he reached three meters, he suddenly leaned forward as the staff shot out toward her torso. Heejin deflected his thrust with a swing and stepped toward him.

Ideally, she wanted to keep Shiro close, but not too close. Close enough that he would have a harder time raining thrusts on her body, but not so close that her field of view would only see part of Shiro's body.

What she wanted to avoid the most was a situation where they would both be locking their weapons like in so many anime scenes, glaring at each other close enough to touch by extending an arm. Staffs were tricky weapons, their wielders able to turn any force used to parry one end of the staff into added momentum for an attack with the other end, forming an almost unending flurry of blows to overwhelm the defender.

Shiro and Heejin exchanged blows after blows in rapid succession, mixing slashes and lightning-quick thrusts.

"Hum, she isn't bad at all." commented Sagara Mask on the side.

"Yes." nodded. "She's very bouncy." approved Bunshichi as he rubbed his chin with a grin.

"Stop it with the sexual harassment, Bunshichi." sighed Emi with the tone of someone who had said this a thousand times already.

Heejin heard the comments but didn't pay them attention. She was too busy for that. She was faster than Shiro, and yet, she hadn't managed to land a hit yet. Shiro's staff was moving so fast that it seemed to distort, and she had some difficulty differentiating between real attacks and feints.

Her frustration, however, was nothing compared to Shiro's. He could see that she was less skilled than him, and yet, she always managed to cover her openings before he could land a hit.

Heejin was slowly adapting to Shiro's moves, and her own attacks gradually increased in frequency, when something changed. Shiro suddenly jumped forward and turned a section of his staff.

And suddenly, it wasn't a staff anymore, but a three-section staff.

Heejin was caught by surprise by the sudden change in its movement patterns and took a hit on the left arm. She was forced on the defensive.

Shiro's attacks were slower, but the movements of the three-section staff were harder to predict, and Heejin felt the pressure. When she took a second hit on the right thigh, she decided to stop trying to compete with Shiro in technique, and brute force it.

After parrying the next strike, Heejin lowered herself further, and suddenly sprinted forward, one arm raised to protect her head.

Shiro's eyes widened, and he jumped back as he swung his weapon again, but couldn't evade Heejin's charge.

She ignored the hit on her flank, and as she was about to impact Shiro's torso with her left shoulder, sent him flying several meters away.

He tried to remain upright but couldn't get his feet under him in time and fell on his back.

Heejin didn't intend to let him back up and followed him. She was hit another time on her left thigh when Shiro flailed around to keep her away, but ignored it and managed to step on the second join of his three-section staff, pinning it on the ground. She pressed one end of her staff against his throat, preventing him from raising up.

"Do you surrender?" asked Heejin.

Shiro Takami winced, clearly very unhappy with the situation, and nodded with a reluctant sigh.

"How could you take hits like that and feel nothing?" asked Shiro as he accepted her hand and got on his feet.

"Oh, I felt them alright." chuckled Heejin. "And you damaged my pants with that last hit. But I was trained by a monster of a woman who would only give me a break if my bones broke. I learned to ignore the pain."

"Really, Akeno-sama?" asked Aya to Akeno.

"Yes, Scathach is a very strict teacher." smiled Akeno. "Training with her could be considered pure torture, and she made me bleed a lot. But I also got much stronger thanks to her."

"Scathach? The same name as the Irish warrior-queen?" asked Maya, glancing at Akeno and Artoria and wondering if they were referring to a Heroic Spirit.

"The same name, yes." winked Akeno, and Maya nodded.

"I am sorry, Mitsuomi-sama." said Shiro as he stopped in front of Mitsuomi, his head hanging low.

"It is fine." said Mitsuomi. He looked at Artoria who had just walked on the fighting area's center, obviously waiting for an opponent.

"Please let me avenge this defeat, Mitsuomi-sama." asked Sagara Mask. "Even if they can take the pain, that won't help them against me."

Mitsuomi nodded, but he was already half-expecting Sagara Mask to lose. He was now feeling something abnormal with the four who had challenged him, something that made him wary of them, but he couldn't put a finger on it and needed to see them in action.

…

"I suggest you surrender now." said Sagara Mask.

"I will decline." shrugged Artoria.

"Very well." nodded Sagara, adopting a wrestler's position, hands up and forward. He waited a second to make sure Artoria was ready, then charged forward.

Artoria ducked to avoid his grabbing hands and sent a right hook to his stomach, limiting her strength to avoid causing a major injury. Sagara Mask grunted, but he was tougher than Artoria estimated and didn't stagger back. Instead, he grabbed her right arm and jumped while rotating his body, trying to wrap himself around her arm and put his legs around Artoria's neck in a hold that would let him break her arm, should she refuse to surrender.

But Artoria was a Heroic Spirit, and one whose attributes had been boosted. Her strength was far above Sagara's, despite the huge difference in body bulk. His eyes bulged in sheer incredulity as Artoria lifted him and slammed him hard on the tatami mats, making him loosen his hold, and she stepped away, honorably waiting for Sagara Mask to stand.

The giant man was much more careful in his next attempt to grab her, but that didn't help him. Artoria used a Forged Needle attack aiming at his sternum, and Sagara Mask staggered back, coughing some blood.

"You really should surrender now." frowned Artoria.

"…No, I…"

"That's enough, Sagara. You can't defeat someone who can lift you with an arm." interrupted Mitsuomi, looking like he had difficulties believing what he had just said. Emi on his side was looking at Artoria like she was some incomprehensible monster.

Sagara Mask winced and looked for a second like he was gong to ignore the order, then sighed and walked to his group, one hand massaging his chest.

"I guess I'm going next." nodded Song-Yi as Artoria joined them. As she did, she glanced at the man in the corner. He had stopped pretending to be watching his smartphone and was staring at them with sharp eyes, but didn't seem to want to be involved.

"I'll be the one facing you." said Emi, taking her position five meters from Song-Yi.

"Maya told me you have knives on your body." said Song-Yi. "Should we stop the fight at first blood? Or at least agree not to aim at vital organs?"

"I didn't intend to target your vital organs in the first place, but that will change if you do. And if you are afraid of being cut, you can surrender now." smiled Emi.

She made a sleight of hand, and suddenly, she had eight throwing knives in each hand, their blades spreading out like a fan.

Song-Yi snorted slightly as she took a single knife in her right hand.

"Ready?" asked Song-Yi, and Emi nodded, then made a lightning-quick movement with her wrists, sending two blades toward Song-Yi's left shoulder and right thigh.

Song-Yi replied by sending her own, targeting Emi's right shoulder, and with her two free hands, caught Emi's two knives.

Akeno and the others watched in amazement as the fight turned into a juggling performance worthy of a circus.

"I'll admit it, you're good." admitted Emi with gritted teeth and a forced smile. "But I'm about to get serious."

"Bring it on." smiled Song-Yi, taking her third knife from her left thigh and bringing the number of knives flying back and forth to eight.

Suddenly, Isuzu threw the knives she caught high in the air, in a trajectory that would make them fall around Song-Yi's location in a second of two, and kept throwing more knives directly toward her.

Song-Yi wanted to lift her eyes to follow the knives about to land on and around her but couldn't afford it. She jumped to the left, rolling once, and jumped left again.

Emi's knives missed her. Those she had thrown upward pierced the tatami mats, while those Emi sent directly at her clanged against the walls.

Emi sent two more knives at her.

She grabbed the two knives as they reached her. But to her shock, there was a third knife she hadn't seen coming. It had been masked from her sight by the second one. The sharp knife hit her left shoulder and had started to penetrate her skin when Song-Yi grabbed it, stopping it before it sunk further into her flesh, and pulled it out. Blood slowly oozed from the shallow cut.

"You! Are you even human?" exclaimed Emi, peeved after her special move had only caused a very minor injury.

"Sometimes, I wonder." frowned Song-Yi. "It was a nice move, but it won't work a second time."

Emi replied by taking out still more knives from under her clothes.

"How many damn knives do you have on you?" exclaimed Song-Yi as she shook her head.

"Over a hundred!" smiled Emi, smiling at the shock on Song-Yi's face. "Try catching those!"

This time, she waved her arms abruptly, releasing the ten knives she held in a single attack.

Song-Yi reacted instantly, plunging forward to minimize her exposure and catching the only two knives threatening to hit her.

Since Emi didn't seem like she was going to run out of pointy things to throw at her any time soon, and that throwing knives at a speed Emi would be unable to react to would mean causing serious injuries, Song-Yi wanted to get close enough to hit her with a weak Forged Needle. It would give Song-Yi less time to react in intercept Emi's knives, but she'd have to risk it.

Emi was surprised by Song-Yi's sudden change in tactics and started backing away as she threw more knives, but Song-Yi didn't intend to let her keep her distance. When Emi launched six more knives, she managed to catch or deflect five of them, and gritted her teeth as the last one sunk two centimeters deep into her left thigh before falling off.

The pain was worth it, however, as she reached Emi and kicked her stomach hard enough to make her fold in half and lose her balance. As she fell, her knives dropped from her hand, and Song-Yi threw herself on her, grabbing her wrists before Emi could take more knives from Goddess knew where. Straddling her, she pinned both of Emi's wrists with her left hand and lifted her right fist in front of Emi's face, ready to strike.

"…You win." reluctantly admitted Emi, her voice full of reluctance. She was so very reluctant to concede.

Song-Yi nodded and stood, offering her a hand.

"You are one dangerous girl. How the hell do you hide so many knives on you?"

"A girl has her secrets. It's rude to ask." quipped Emi, but she wasn't really in the mood.

Song-Yi nodded and walked to her friends.

"Good job, Song-Yi." smiled Akeno.

"Thanks." nodded Song-Yi. Heejin was already taking from a box some small bandages to cover Song-Yi's wounds. They would close and heal completely in less than a minute, but they didn't want to reveal this to Mitsuomi and his group.

Akeno smiled slightly at Bunshichi as they both faced each other.

"Your friends are very strong. Are you stronger?" asked Bunshichi.

"I am. At least in unarmed combat. Artoria still has an edge over me when swords come into play."

"I see. And you have those weapons, too. Just as deadly to me as Maya's." grinned Bunshichi.

"Ufufu." chuckled Akeno. "I should be offended by the sexual harassment, but somehow, you're so upfront about it that I only feel amused."

"Tell you what, I think you're a great woman. A pity Aya already claimed you."

"You should get serious now, if you do not want the fight to be over in seconds." warned Akeno.

Bunshichi nodded, and his aura changed. Akeno could feel some faint pressure coming from him. It wasn't anywhere near strong enough for her to feel threatened, but a normal human would likely feel it like he was being stared at by a tiger.

Bunshichi advanced on her, and when he got close enough, tried to punch her face. There was something about his large, closed fist that for a fleeting instant made her feel as if it was impossible to dodge, and her muscles all over her body almost clenched by a defensive reflex, locking her in position. however, the impression lasted only for a fraction of a second, and she easily dodged by tilting her head.

"interesting." mused Akeno as she evaded his second punch, then his third. "You're circulating your Ki into your arms, right?"

"Of course!" grinned Bunshichi. "There's no way I'd go easy on you after seeing your friends fight like that."

"Yes." nodded Akeno, before seizing his wrist during his next punch and executing a judo throw. Bunshichi landed on his back, but stood immediately.

"Ah!" chuckled Bunshichi, shaking his head. "Being thrown around by a girl barely a third of my weight. That's a first. But I'm not done quite yet."

He launched himself at her, punching toward her torso with his left arm, only to reveal it as a feint and try a cross with his right hand.

Thanks to her reflexes, Akeno corrected her posture fast enough and decided to try anything else. Grabbing his right wrist, she jumped and wrapped herself around his arm, snaking her legs around his neck. They both fell to the ground, Akeno holding him in a Cross Arm Lock.

"Fell like surrendering now? I could break that arm, you know?" asked Akeno.

"Damn." replied Bunshichi, seemingly not entirely unhappy with the situation, despite his fierce struggles. "Girl, you know you're sandwiching my arm between those deadly weapons, right? A broken arm seems like a cheap price to pay to touch those. And those legs!"

Akeno rolled her eyes, and shifted the position of her legs a little before squeeing, applying pressure on Bunshichi's throat. His struggles to free himself didn't lessen, and he even managed to get his feet under him and stand, shaking his arm to try to free himself, but Akeno didn't loosen her hold. A few seconds later, she felt him weaken.

"Alright, you win!" choked Bunshichi, and Akeno let go of his neck, deftly landing on her feet.

"It seems you'll be just fine." nodded Akeno after examining his complexion.

"You went easy with me, right?"

"Yes."

"I don't know how I feel about it." sighed Bunshichi. "You make me feel old."

Akeno only smiled.

Bunshichi walked of the fighting area and joined his companion.

"Mitsuomi… Sorry, I don't think you're winning this one." said Bunshichi in a low voice.

"We'll see." nodded Mitsuomi as he walked to face Akeno.

"I will admit I underestimated you all." nodded Mitsuomi.

"You aren't the first one. We are used to it." shrugged Akeno.

"Why are you trying to become the school's strongest, then?"

"…It's complicated. And do you know who that guy in the corner is?"

"I know him." nodded Mitsuomi, glancing at the young man observing. "He won't interfere with our fight. Are you ready?"

"Heejin, can you start the chrono? Warn me at the 120 and 150 seconds marks, then ten seconds before the three minutes limit."

"Yes. Starting now!" nodded Heejin.

Akeno nodded and turned to Mitsuomi.

"I asked her to make sure I do not violate my promise to Maya by mistake, but I'd be surprised if this lasts more than a minute." said Akeno as she lifted her arms in a guard position and made small steps toward Mitsuomi, keeping her legs slightly flexed.

Mitsuomi nodded and advanced as well, his aura changing. Akeno had found him rather cold before, but she now felt like she was facing a machine, one made to destroy the opponent in the most efficient way possible.

His first jabs were faster than Bunshichi's and gave her the same impression of ineluctability, but she still evaded them without issue.

She probed him with a hook of her own, and he managed to grab her, with a reaction speed that surprised her, pulling her in while moving his right knee toward her stomach. Akeno countered with her own knee strike, and the two knees made a sharp sound as they collided against each other.

With her free hand, she struck Mitsuomi's arm, forcing him to release her wrist, and jumped back to avoid a quick jab.

Akeno smiled as she fought him. Mitsuomi was good, very good. Almost to the level of a Heroic Spirit, as far as technique was concerned. His stamina, reaction speed and strength were all well above average for a human as well, even if they couldn't touch a Servant's territory.

After exchanging three dozen blows with him, she readily understood how this young man could conquer a school full of hidden martial artists. Had she faced him on her first day as Noah's representative, before she summoned her first Heroic Spirit, she would have needed to resort to some of her supernatural abilities or weapons to defeat him.

But Akeno had grown a lot since then, and she was definitely faster and stronger than Mitsuomi.

"You aren't aiming at any spot that would leave any lasting injury or broken bone." said Akeno as they kept fighting. "Is it because you do not really care about being the school's strongest, or because I am a girl?"

"You are a martial artist before being a girl." replied Mitsuomi, suddenly executing a spinning kick that Akeno ducked under. "But you and your friends went easy on my companions. I am simply returning the courtesy."

"I see." nodded Akeno. She crouched suddenly, swept with her left leg, and he jumped to avoid it, with more strength than needed.

That was a small opening, but one she intended to exploit. Using her hands and one foot to push on the ground with explosive force, she dashed under him, kicked the ground again, hard enough to rip through one of the tatami mats, stopping her momentum and turning back.

Mitsuomi tried to turn as well as his toes reached the ground, but it was already too late. Akeno seized his waist from behind, and executed her plan. She lifted him off the ground and bent backward to execute a German suplex. At the same time, she activated her Greater Healing.

Mitsuomi managed to push on the ground using his hands, stopping the suplex's momentum before his upper body crashed on the floor, but Akeno didn't mind. She had located the foreign Ki rampaging around his heart while leeching on his own Ki, and used Purge. It only took a second.

Akeno released Mitsuomi and scrambled away, taking a hit on her shoulder as she did. As soon as he got to his feet, she resumed her attack with more intensity. Where before, she had mostly adopted a defensive stance, sending only one or two strikes for every three she received, she intended this time to overwhelm Mitsuomi.

She pushed him hard, and in just a few seconds, landed four hits on his arms, shoulders and thighs. Akeno took a few hits of her own as she neglected her defense, but she didn't slow down.

And when Mitsuomi started losing his calm, when he started showing more openings, was when he lost.

Akeno managed to grab his right arm, pulled on it while twisting it, and dislocated it at the shoulder, making Mitsuomi grunt in pain. Not content with just this, Akeno seized his left arm and put him in a Cross Arm Lock as well. With his left arm caught, he would be able to put the bone of his right arm back on its socket.

"I don't think you can come back from that." said Akeno as they both were on the ground.

"If I could use my right arm, I could have… but you're right. You win." sighed Mitsuomi.

Akeno immediately released him, happy to receive the System notification of a successful quest, and he stood. She was about to fix his right arm, but he did it himself with barely the slightest wince.

"What kind of training did you undergo?" asked Mitsuomi. " When I hit you, it felt like your body was much denser than normal."

"That's a secret." winked Akeno. "You do not seem very sad that you just lost the title of Toudou's strongest."

"I do not care about that title." shrugged Mitsuomi with a slight smile. "And isn't it the dream of martial artists to find a strong opponent to hone themselves against? You can look forward to me asking for sparring matches against you later."

"I'd gladly accept." smiled Akeno, and Mitsuomi nodded, but grew solemn as he glanced to the man in the corner."

"However, Akeno, winning your challenge against me, even if none of us really went all-out, also means that you have crossed a line. Some people are going to want to do something about what they see as a stain on the image of the Takayanagi family."

"The Red and White feathers?" asked Akeno, also glancing at the watcher with the bow and arrow tattoo. He sent her a sharp look before walking toward the exit.

"I see Maya already told you about those. Now that I am not undefeated anymore, my control over them will become tenuous. Be careful about them." said Mitsuomi as he looked at Maya. He gestured to her, and Maya followed him as they both left the Gymnasium.

"You were great, Akeno-sama." beamed Aya as soon as Akeno returned to her companion.

"Thank you, Aya." smiled Akeno. "Let's return home. All this physical activity has made me hungry."

Aya blushed instantly, as the way Akeno looked at her implied that she wasn't speaking about filling her stomach.