79 COGNIZANCE (2/2)

”Well, not every rule can be understood alone in its entirety.” 777 smiled a little. ”Some rules explain the other. In any case, now you know.”

”Are you guys done?” the masters' voices made Sariyu and 777 stop conversing and look at them. ”Hehe,” as the masters lay their eyes on Sariyu, they couldn't hide their excitement.

”My pupils say that you are the one who took care of over four dozen pupils of Sean and didn't suffer a scratch,” one of the masters said in a courteous tone.

”Keke,” the second master walked toward her together with the other master, ”let's give her plenty of scratches then.”

”Yep,” the first master, Hehe, dashed at her. ”By beating you is how we bring competition to that Drill Hall. Become a stepping stone for us!” He thrust his sword at her so fast over Beren's head and at her face, but the sword didn't even scrape her, for she had bent to the side and at the same time struck the master's cheek with her toe. The second master, Keke, rushed in and swung his blade at Sariyu's leg from the side, while she was bringing her foot down, but 777 appeared in his path.

”Move aside!” the second master roared, but 777 didn't even blink. ”I guess the beating wasn't enough. Fine, let me show you what real sword fighting looks like.” He held the blade loosely and shook his hands so nimbly that it created after images of the sword, about half-dozen of them. And he diagonally swung the blade at 777. ”Round Resonance!” The air itself vibrated and made a strange noise along the sword's path.

777's eyes widened a bit. He immediately stepped in, while dodging a couple of after images, and raised his sword horizontally, holding it at both ends.

BAM~~!!

The incoming attack was blocked successfully, but 777's sword cracked at the region of impact, and a gust of cutting wind slashed his shoulder and drew out blood. 777 gritted his teeth and held onto his wooden sword, for he knew that if he were to let it go, the opponent's sword would come down and cut through his shoulder.

”Keke,” the second master grinned. 777 was too close for him to generate enough strength to push him down. ”Afraid to face my attack head-on?”

”I'm more afraid of your face than the sword in your hands,” 777 bulked up his arms and shoulders and pushed the second master back with a roar, and then held the sword with both hands.

”What monstrous shoulder power!” the second master was quite surprised, but he quickly got back his mind in the right zone. Sensing that 777 was getting into an attacking stance, he readied himself to defend. 777 raised the sword to the back of his head, and in a quick long stride, he brought down the sword like lightning, ”Sheep Slicer!”

The sword in motion cut through the second master's sword and then his chest. ”Krgh!” Blood sprayed into the air as Keke fell back. The two broken pieces of his sword fell on either side of him. Though he was still conscious, he was puffing and huffing like a dog that had been bitten by a wolf. ”You…” His eyes shot venom at 777.

Hehe, the first master, on the other hand, was still on his knees and was on the losing end in his fight with Sariyu. He couldn't believe what was happening, ”H-How is this possible? W-Who are you?” he looked at Sariyu in disbelief.

”I'm ineffable,” she teasingly stated, plucking the sword of his hands and tossing it away.

The first master bitterly said, ”You surely jest.”

”I-Impossible!” all the pupils who were witnessing had disbelief cross their faces, for what just happened was beyond their cognizance. ”First Master Hehe! Second Master Keke! How could they be outmatched like this!” Both their masters were losing in the hands of two plain-looking people at the same time. This only happened when the masters had previously fought Sean, though he fought both of them alone.

”Did you gain any knowledge from this exchange?” 777 looked at the second master who was still on the floor, fueling his body with rage.

”You swine…” the second master showed all his rage on his face. ”Damn you, just wait! Let me get a real sword and—”

”Swords in sick hands have everything to whinge about. This sword will be more pleased when in better hands,” 777 turned around and tossed the wooden sword at Beren. ”That's—for your assistance.”

Beren didn't know what to say. Even cheap wooden swords cost around fifty copper coins. Though this certain sword had cracks, if he were to roam with such a valuable item, he would definitely encounter trouble sooner or later; however, he grabbed the sword's hilt and looked at the pupils, startling them. ”You can take this back for half the price.”

The pupils were baffled to hear that, and their faces soon turned ashen. If 777 and Sariyu weren't around, they would have played with him until he screamed 'sorry' for seven thousand times, but now they could only squeeze all their shame down their intestines.

Sariyu, however, giggled. ”Pushing the boat along with the current. Not bad, boy.” She was now suave in front of the kid. ”You might make a good merchant out of yourself one day.”

Beren couldn't help but rub the back of his head, ”Hehe.”

Sariyu then looked at the pupils and squinted her eyes. ”Didn't you hear him?”

The pupils shook in their shoes. (She's scary!) ”W-We will buy the sword.”

”At full price,” Sariyu demanded.

As if enough color hadn't already been drained from their faces, they now looked at each other's visages, hoping one of them would be willing to pay; however, the next moment, they all looked at their second master, who suddenly started to cringe from excessive pain and said, ”I have a rendezvous with God.” He then acted like he passed out. Then the pupils' eyes turned toward the other master, who was still on his knees. ”First Master…” their voices were low but vehement.

The first master frowned. (These mean morons… so useless!) Just when he thought the attention was no longer on him, everyone was now staring right at him. He sluggishly took out a silver coin from his shirt's inside pocket and threw it at Beren, who then tossed the sword in return.

Upon taking the coin, Beren came and thanked 777 and Sariyu by bowing deeply. He never touched a silver coin before, and it made him so excited that he wanted to share the news with his friends, but he had to contain all of that inside his heart, for he had come to the twelfth deck on purpose. Until he finished what he came for, he wasn't planning to go back to Lima.

”You shouldn't roam outside with that money on you,” Sariyu said. ”Go back to your parents or wherever your shelter is.”

Beren pressed his lips a bit and nodded. ”Thank you, elder sister and uncle.” He paused for a moment and then hesitantly asked, ”Do you know of the person named Big Nick?”

Sariyu's expression changed a bit. ”What about him?”

”I'm here for him,” he replied in her face with a bold mien.

Her eyebrows flirted, ”For what?”

Beren clenched his fists, and one of Sariyu's eyebrows twitched when she felt a faint offensive aura gathering around him, ”For spitting in his face.”