18 Enter the Dragon Lady (1/2)
-Morning, SDM Entrance Gate-
-Meiling POV-
”No matter how many times I ate it, Sakuya-san cooking is the best.” I said satisfiedly.
I put the food tray on the ground beside me.
After some time, Sakuya-san will pick it up when she stop the times. Now, I just need to perform my duty like usual ….yeah, like usual…
”No, focus, I just need to stay awake until Sakuya-san take back the food tray, then I can slee-I mean, taking it easy on the job.” I said with much resolution. ”Now, what do I do until Sakuya-san comes?” I start thinking.
I tried to think everything I could do to waste the time but everything ended up with Sakuya-san being mad at me.
I nod to myself, ”Let's just start worrying when it happened.” I decided to leave it to the future.
As I finish deciding my next course of action, I see someone in the distance.
That someone is walking toward the Mansion.
”…isn't that Arah-san? That's new, is he visiting at this hour?”
I recognize that someone to be someone I know, it's the youngster, Arah.
I easily recognize him because of his Yukata, black color with black cloud motif on it.
But now that he's getting closer, I can see him more clearly, and there's something different about him right now.
His Yukata is slightly different design but have the same motif just like usual, sure I can pass it as he's just got new Yukata and already wearing it, but he's walking while closing his eyes and gripping some kind of cane, did something happen to him?
'Look like he's walking toward here.'
I decided to ask him what happen after his arrival, so I just wait patiently near the mansion gate.
”Good Morning Meiling-san.” Arah waved at me as he arrived at the gate.
”Good Morning to you too Arah-san.” I replied to him with waving my hand also. ”It's the first time you come in the morning; did you come for a visit?”
”No actually, I come to make a request to Meiling-san.”
”Request? To me?” I ask confused.
”Yeah, the thing is…”
And then he start explaining about his condition, about why his Yukata is slightly different, about how he's blind right now, and about his request.
”…So you want me to have a spar with you to help you get accustomated with the blindness?” I ask him.
”Yeah, because I'm blind, I can't fight like I usually do, so I want to practice a new way to fight with someone to test it.” He further explained.
”I see, then why did you choose me to help you?” I tilted my head.
”Um…well, I don't mean to offend you but when I think about fighting, I can only think about Meiling-san…because, you know, your clothes look like a martial artist would wear.” He said hesitantly.
”Ohhh, great observation and don't worry about it, in fact I'm happy that you acknowledge me as one, we martial artist quite happy if we praised from our fighting prowess.” I said proudly.
”So …can you help me?”
”Of course, and this also help me with light exercising after meal.” I said with a smile, ”it's the real fighting right? Not the Danmaku one right?”
”Yeah, but where do we spar?”
”We can just fight in front of the gate. There's a forest and a lake on our back, so when you get blown back, the gate won't be damaged.”
I move a few meters to the lake shore.
”Ho-hoo~ seems like someone getting ahead of herself.” Said the boy behind me.
”I might be weak in Danmaku battle but when I do hand-to-hand combat.” I turn back and I put my hands on my hip and puffing up my chest, ”I'm the best…except for mistress of course…anyway, let's fight Arah-san.”
”Hm?” I blink, 'just now, I feel something just collide with me but it was very faint.' Because I feel it in the direction of Arah-san, I look at him instead.
…Even though he closed his eye, he somehow has approved? expression and his hand giving me a thumbs up.
”…What wrong?” I ask him.
”N-nothing, let's just start our fight, I'M FIRED UP!” He shout as he walk to his position, which is a few meter in front of me.
'…? There it is again, it come from Arah direction, is that how he know where to walk?' I think as I feel that something again.
”I'm ready, just come whenever you want.”
I observe the boy, he positions himself sideway, and his right arm is holding a cane with the end of it pointing at me while his left hand is behind his back.
'Even though I said of course, I still in doubt if he's gonna be okay in this spar.' I think worriedly.
We are sparring in front of the mansion gate, the gate is on my right side while for the boy, it's in his left side, there's a lake in my back direction and a forest for his back.
'Let's test him.'
”All right, here I come.” I said as I start my own fighting stance.
He tightened up his fighting stance and the feeling start getting clearer that it actually coming from that boy, it's as if he's saying ”I'm right here.”
I start quietly side-stepping to my left, testing him.
As I keep moving, he unexpectedly followed my movement by keep facing me with every step I take.
I smiled.
I dash to his location and start giving him the first punch.
He deflected it using his cane and counters me with a stab to my chest.
I dodge to the side and use my feet to attack his head.
I miss as he stepped back to avoid it, but this resulting him to be closer to the gate, making his dodging field to be limited.
I see the opportunity as I press the attack.
I use leg sweep, my attack making him jump to avoid it, but I already predicted that jump by following my attack with a roundhouse kick.
'It's over, you can't dodge when you are in the air, I hope my kick doesn't hurt him that bad.' I think.
But an unexpected thing happen, he suddenly launched to my left, avoiding my kick completely.
He landed perfectly and redo his stance.
”That was close.” He said with worried expression.
-Me POV-
'A roundhouse kick is an infamous kick attack that can OHKO opponent if it's hit the right spot, so I just air dodge it because even though I already put up my armor, I didn't want to take a chance being hit by it.' I think.
I send my energy to grasp Meiling stance.
She's just standing in my previous location.
'…Is she waiting for me to attack? Should I said to her that I only want to train my melee counter attack?' I think.
As I considered my action, Meiling starting to speak.
”…Seems like I underestimated your ability to fight, as a martial artist that mean I dishonored your warrior pride, I'm very sorry and I promise that will not happen again and start fighting seriously right now.” She declared in a serious tone.
I sense Meiling take different battle stance from before, I'm guessing this is her serious stance.
”Um, I don't think you should be that serious in this spar.” I give my comment.
After I said those words, Meiling start dashing toward me.
'Dammit Meiling!' I shout inwardly.
Meiling is true to her word, she really did turn serious after that. She starts attacking ferociously and relentlessly, clearly different than the first minute of the spar. I'm doing my very best to dodge every of her attack. Side step, step back, blocking, deflecting, jumping, cart wheeling, back flipping and shit, and I block the blow that I can't dodge with Counter Armor.
I also increase my beat from 3 to 5 beat per second after Meiling gone serious. The energy consumption is something else and I grimace every time her attack hit my armor.
Speaking of Armor, ever since I block Meiling attack using my armor for the first time, she slow down her assault but just for a little bit, I still have to dodge her attack to keep my energy consumption only in energy echolocation and not in my armor.
And after traversing that hell of a spar(fight) finally, me and Meiling sit beside each other near the gate wall.
I finished the spar as I'm starting to tire and my energy almost depleted, but of course it's already regenerating as soon as we stopped the spar.
”*sigh* that was some experience, thank you for letting me spar with you, Meiling-san.” I said to the woman beside me.
”Y-yeah, you're welcome too, Arah-san.” She replied.
I look at her.
I may be blind and can't look at someone expression, but I'm sure can sense something wrong when someone stutter in their word.
”Is there something wrong?” I ask.
”…Remember when I punch you but it did nothing to you?”
”Yeah, I use my ability to the force behind your attack.” I nod.
”Well, it created an unique feel to it when my attack landed, and in several days so far somehow I already feel it when I woke up from my nap.” She explained.
'Ah…she finally noticed.' I said inwardly.
”So if I feel it whenever I throw a punch at you, then isn't that mean I always punch you whenever you visit us?” she reach her conclusion.
'HERE IT IS BOYS! THE Question! She probably has guilty expression if I can see her face right now.' I think. ”Technically, yes, you did but it's already even enough because I also use your punch to do some experiment with my ability so I say you don't need to feel guilty about.” I give my reasoning to her.
”But, I attacked the mansion guest! Mistress probably mad at me if she ever heard of this…”
'Aaaaand she's depressed, I think.' I said inwardly.
I send my pulse and it help to reach a conclusion, arm on the knee and slouching your back is definitely a sign of someone going on depression.
I start to think. 'What do I do to cheer her up? Leaving a woman sad is definitely not my style.'
After some thinking, I got an idea, a dangerous idea. 'Let's hope Sakuya didn't see us right now.'
I touch my choker.
-Meiling POV-
I'm sad.
'Attacking a guest is bad enough but that guest actually Arah.' I think. ”*sigh* I'm the worst…” I sigh defeatedly.
*kyu-kyu-kyu*
Suddenly I heard unknown sound beside me.
”Arah-san?” I turn and called out to the boy, I expect the boy to be there, sitting with me, but unexpectedly it's someone else.
It's Sakuya-san, and she's smiling.
”S-Sakuya-san?!” I'm surprised.
Currently I'm just sitting, not standing, which mean I'm not guarding the gate, not doing my job, which also mean Sakuya-san will be mad at me.
I panicked.
”I-I-I-I-I-I can e-e-e-explain what I'm doing Sakuya-san.” I trust my hand forward, signaling her to wait for my explanation. ”it's Arah, I just help-” *grab* She grab my arms ”I'M SORRY!” I shouted panickly.