Shikari High (Part 2)

"Crap. How long was I gone for? What class period is it?"

Looking at the schedule, it is almost time for his P.E. class to start. Koroki begins to step outside the main building and walk around the school campus, lost. Looking around, he sees students flooding the campus floor.

"Where am I supposed to be going?" He struggles to find anyone from his homeroom class, preferably Surata, but… no luck. 

With his worried expression, someone could think he doesn't want to have a bad first day at his school. However, the thought of him trying to have a good day for himself isn't on his mind. He was trying not to cause trouble because if something did happen… Ishio would have a "physical" choice of words to say.

Stranded in a new place, Koroki looks up at the multiple buildings on campus. If it is time for P.E., it would be in the gymnasium, a.k.a. the shortest building. The tall building behind the main building looks like a skyscraper, where the higher-ups go and have meetings. 

With that thought in mind, Koroki calmly heads to the shortest building. He walks through the open-air corridors linking the various school buildings; his sense of concern fades away as his expression becomes monotonous again.

Looking like he doesn't have a care in the world, Koroki enters the building, walking with his hands behind his head. Coincidentally, Koroki hears someone calling his name. Its voice grows louder as it approaches Koroki. He suddenly feels a light but friendly punch on his back.

"Hey, Koroki. How was your trip to the doctor's office?" Surata casually asks.

"I don't… want to talk about it," Koroki responds, looking away from Surata, trying to forget about Nurse Hapi. "Apparently, Ishio told her about me and wanted to test it out."

"Well, that's Father for you." Surata half-heartedly chuckles.

"How do they even know Ishio?"

"He used to be a teacher at this school before. Some of the teachers would tell me how happy he was training students. But he left the school during the war. Now he's only focused on being one of the higher-ups."

"Mhmm."

However, he didn't seem to care about the presence of someone else in the hallway. The mysterious presence didn't seem to care about Koroki at all, either. Class is about to start, and the hallways should be almost empty by now, so who is this presence he is feeling? It isn't until they bump into each other that they finally notice each other.

"Hey! You're Koroki, right?"

On the outside, Koroki is unfazed. However, inside, he feels a powerful aura forming around the figure, as if the king of the jungle is on his shoulders. He can tell right away that this person is strong. Koroki slowly turns around and gradually faces the lion. "Huh?"

Despite his presence, the lean, muscular man stares down at Koroki, annoyed. The man is dressed very professionally, his sandy-blonde short hair slicked back, wearing glasses and a white-collar shirt with black suspenders.

"Mr. Latro?" Surata replies.

Latro is a licensed Shikari and a well-known staff member in this school. He is a teacher who scares his students away with his serious, dark energy. It's not on purpose. Latro carries his sense of duty and responsibility seriously; he doesn't like unnecessary behavior.

"Ugh…Why does everyone want me today? Didn't know I was a celebrity." To his knowledge, Koroki had never seen Latro before. Yet, for some reason, Latro can't wipe away his annoyed expression, as if Koroki did something to make him angry. 

Koroki inspects Latro's face, noticing a strange marking across Latro's right eye. Whenever Latro blinds, Koroki sees the complete Noye marking carved from his inner eyelid.

The marking is the kanji symbol:

"切"

Latro's eyes become narrower, observing Koroki for a moment. It was like his anger flowed through him like lava. Latro begins to take a swing at him. Caught by surprise, he ducks as he dodges his strike. Surata's eyes widen as he stands by, confused by Latro's behavior.

Koroki could take on a teacher, but it would give him a bad image on his first day. To avoid this, Koroki sprints away from Latro. Surata follows Koroki's actions, thinking that he might be hit next. The boys rapidly squeeze through the cluster of students to escape from Latro, trying to find their class.

Down the crowded hallway, they spot their classmates entering a room that looks like their class. With quick effort, Koroki powerfully slides the front door and forcefully closes it shut, using his body as a barricade, gasping for breath. While Koroki walks into the room, his ears pick up a familiar voice.

"Good morning, class."

"Good morning... Mr. Ishio."

"Huh!? "

The boys are in complete shock by that greeting. Their eyebrows are raised by surprise. Maybe they misheard their father's name. There's no way they heard that correctly. They look at the front of the class and see Ishio greeting the other students. Ishio notices the boys at the door.

"Hey boys, how's school going so far?" kindly smiles Ishio.

Despite their shocked reaction, Surata can't stop gasping for breath while Koroki sighs in disgust as he walks to his seat.

Their class isn't in a gymnasium. There are no basketball hoops or bleachers nearby, but it still has the same sweaty aroma. The room looks half the size of any gym. Its wooden flooring is completely different from the tiles in the hallway. Being in a vast, empty room with no signs of desks, with target dummies and piles of crash pads, the room looks like some training hall- a dojo. The students sit on the floor with no seats, while some stand instead.

With everyone present, class begins to be in session. Since Ishio has come back, he decided to evaluate their skills. To do that, Ishio starts to teach his students the basics.

"Alright, students, to practice Noye, we have to be physically strong," Ishio explains. He prepares to have the students begin strength training. Arm exercises. Long Sprints. Leg exercises. The class started to turn into a gym session. Despite the students giving it their all, some excel more than others.

Surata effortlessly excels in all these training exercises. If this were a test, Surata would probably have the highest score. He excels in all of the exercises.

On the other hand, Koroki sees this as an opportunity. Giving himself a break, he lies sideways near the corner of the room, nearly falling asleep. Ishio notices his sons' efforts, smiling toward Surata and sighing toward Koroki, and decides to move on to some actual training. Ishio runs to the closest and throws tons of wooden swords across the floor.

"Alright, class. Now it's time for actual training." It looks like there are enough swords for each student.

"What's the point in using swords?" a student asks. Some students aren't fans of using wooden swords. They prefer actual weapons that can be used in real-life scenarios.

Mr. Ishio goes on to explain. "When using Noye, it could be seen as an aura that acts offensively and defensively. You can attack however you like, whether you have a Physical or Mental Noye. But for combat training, we will use these "special" weapons."

The students take a closer look at the wooden weapons. Each sword seems to have a small "line" marking on the hilt.

"These weapons are Noye-infused swords. Simply applying Noye to these weapons will make your attacks stronger."

One of the basic requirements for enrolling at Shikari High is to understand Noye already. You will probably never get registered in this school without knowing or awakening your Noye. Because of their understanding, the students get excited about using these weapons.

"Now I want you guys to pick a partner to spar against."

All the students look at one another as they begin picking their partners.

"Yes! Finally!" Excitement sparks in Surata. He is eager to practice actual combat.

"If I actually want to get stronger, I should pick a strong partner." Picking someone weaker than Surata would get him nowhere, so he decides to find one of the stronger students to spar against. Before finding a partner, Surata walks up to his father, “Hey, Father, I’m glad you’re teaching again. What made you decide to come back?”

“Oh… I remember when you asked me about it. So, I decided to give it another shot.” He turns to Surata with a grin that seems a bit too sincere, almost as if he's hiding something.

On the other hand, Koroki is still lying in the corner. He can't try to be more of an outcast even if he tries.

Once again, Ishio notices his sons' behaviors. To avoid using his threatening methods, Ishio walks up to Koroki, attempting to motivate him.

"Koroki, since you don't have a partner, I've found a student to spar with you."

The student looks ordinary in Koroki's eyes. His genuine, happy facial expression and a face full of confidence are what a typical star student would have. He seems determined to succeed. He looks to be well-nurtured and good-hearted.

Rather than being bored in school, Koroki decides to play along. The boys shake hands as an introduction. He stands up, picks up a wooden sword, and walks to an open space with his partner. They take their stances.

"I won't go easy on you," the student declares.

"Mhmm," Koroki replies assertedly.

Once everyone finds their partner, they find their own space. The center of the room becomes packed. Before they start their sessions, the students begin to activate their Noye. Patiently, they struggle to transfer their power into their weapons. Their weapons gradually resonate with their corresponding Noye color as they share their energy.

Most students successfully transfer their Noye, noticing their weapon feeling heavier than usual. The infused weapons slowly start to feel attached to their bodies, like an extension. Their partner can also feel the aura of those weapons getting more powerful from the other side. The students take their stance. They begin sparring one after another, the clash of wooden swords echoing throughout the room.

"Let's see how everyone manages," Ishio says, inspecting his students individually.

Not even a second goes by, and Ishio suddenly hears a student scream across the room. Everyone stops in place. Ishio looks towards the cry, only to find Koroki standing above his partner, who is lying flat on the floor.

Koroki sighs. "Well, that wasn't much training for me." Speechless is the only word to describe it. Everyone silently stares at Koroki, shocked, as he walks to Ishio and sits beside him, with his wooden sword leaning on his shoulder.

"C'mon Koroki. That was too fast. You could've at least gone a little easier." Ishio suggests.

"You said this was training. So, I couldn't go easy."

"I guess you have a point." As much as Ishio hates admitting it, Koroki seems more competent than he appears.

All the kids start to realize that the lazy Koroki is no joke. They regain consciousness from their frozen bodies.

"I knew this would happen. That kid stood no chance against Koroki. He's too strong for him." Surata smirks to himself. He would have gone to Koroki to be his partner at first. However, with his sluggish behavior, he knew he would have a better chance of finding someone else.

The students' shocked expressions aren't taken negatively, however. The other students steadily return to their sparring session.

Surata swiftly defeats his opponent, who is average at best. After their fights, the winners approach Koroki, who is about to fall asleep. All the classmates huddle up around Koroki, wanting to challenge him.

"Why am I suddenly getting this attention? I didn't ask for this." Koroki complains to himself. The last thing he wanted from his spar sessions was to do more useless work. Koroki's having a tough time relaxing with all the students yapping away non-stop. The noise level's really getting to him, and he can't seem to catch a break. He just wants a moment of peace and quiet to recharge his batteries.

"What's wrong, Koroki? Did being lazy make you rusty?" Surata's grin widens, trying to provoke Koroki.

"Shut up. You are you calling rusty?" His blood starts to boil. Rather than letting Surata get the better of him, Koroki begins accepting their challenges. The faster he finishes these fights, the quicker he can get back to his relaxation.

Whether it is one versus one, or one versus twelve, they start to challenge him. He would spar with them, winning every time. Each fight displayed a different Noye and different levels of strength. Koroki keeps the same slouched face with every spar.

Seeing Koroki fighting, Ishio raises the question, "Who would like to fight against Koroki next?"

Hopefully, someone in this class can give Koroki a run for his money. A hand from the back of the crowd rises. "I'll fight him," declares Surata, eager to prove himself against Koroki.

The classmates begin to gossip with each other.

"Wasn't Koroki the person who saved him yesterday," a classmate points out.

"He wants to go up against the guy who saved him," another adds.

Those comments aren't enough to stop his determination. Surata wants to prove to his classmates that he is strong like Koroki.

Koroki arches an eyebrow. "You sure you want to take me on, Surata?"

"Yeah! We never had an actual fight between brothers yet, have we?" Surata confidently responds.

During their years spent together, they haven't really fought physically. They would mind their business every time. They would always tease or annoy each other but haven't seriously fought.

"I won't go easy on you. You know that, right?"

"I wouldn't want it any other way." Surata calmly replies, maintaining eye contact with Koroki, focused.

They would grab their choice of weapons and take their stances. Staring down at one another, the brothers are thinking strategically. Even though this was a Noye training session, the two brothers agreed to fight without Noye. The tension amongst them grew thicker.

After a moment of silence, Ishio shouted, "Begin!"

The two began to brawl it out. The swings of the swords pierce through the air. Surata struggles to land a successful hit on Koroki while Koroki effortlessly dodges each strike. Surata gets an uneasy feeling. As Koroki dodges, Surata notices that Koroki is purposely not ending the fight in an instant.

"Is he messing with me?" Surata's determination gradually fades into anger. 

Koroki is only dodging his strikes to get a feel for his swordplay. He may be studying Surata, and this could be him testing his current abilities. In that case, Koroki might be… going easy. With that thought, Surata's anger only grew, his eyes becoming sharper.

Enraged, Surata strays from his usual swordplay and surprisingly manages to slip into a successful strike.

The spectators can only gasp in amazement since he is the first student to land a hit on Koroki.

Koroki clocks onto Surata's enraged strikes and decides to change his tactics. After letting Surata get a few hits in, Koroki takes it more seriously. After dodging for a while, Koroki throws a barrage of strikes toward Surata. Surata's eyes can't keep up with Koroki's rapid strikes. A couple of minutes is all it takes for the battle to end. Koroki stands above Surata, aiming the sword's tip at Surata's throat.

"Nice try. That wasn't half bad." Koroki exclaims, asserting his superiority in strength.

Surata is left without words, refusing to accept the result. Despite his anger, he realizes he isn't as strong as Koroki.

"Damn, it! That last barrage of strikes felt completely different from the start of the fight. He really was testing me!!!" Since their first interaction, Surata knows Koroki is on an entirely different level than him. "I thought I was getting closer to him, but now I realize the gap between us is too big."

Koroki lowers the swords and grabs Surata's hands, helping him get up.

The spectating students cheer on the boys for putting on a good fight, like spectators witnessing the end of a play. Mr. Ishio oversees the battle and is left impressed with his sons. "Looks like you've gotten stronger, boys!"

The bell rings again, and the boys continue attending school until the final bell rings.

___

After finishing school, they would return home to prepare dinner. Surata prepares their meal, and the three of them prep the table. Once everything is set, they sit down, pray, and enjoy their meal. While eating, Ishio breaks the silence and suddenly asks something of Koroki.

"Hey Koroki, there's something I'd like to ask you?"

"What is it?" Koroki mumbles with food in his mouth.

"Did you know anything regarding your Noye?"

Bringing that question makes Koroki think back to his memories. Koroki drops his utensils and swallows his food; his tone suddenly turns serious.

"Yeah… but that's not important."

"Oh. Sorry if I said something wrong." The family goes back to eating their dinner. Despite finding Koroki, Ishio doesn't know much about his son. Ishio's gaze lingers on Koroki for a little longer, a poker-faced expression in his eyes.

___

As night falls, a new side of downtown emerges. Lampposts light up the sidewalks. Drunken men and women dressed in revealing clothing roam the streets. Although only adults are present, some teenagers try to act rebellious and join in on these activities. A young couple is walking down the street, leaving a fair. The man leads the female on, beginning to get intimate with each other. The young man drags the girl in the alley to a more private area.

As they are having fun, a cunning voice stops them in their track. The stranger lurks in the shadows, unable to see his figure.

“Must be nice. Doing that with your partner,” The figure says with a sinister chuckle.

Their voice has a raspy, male sound. He notices the weapon on the man’s waist and the Noye marking on his arm.

“Nice weapon you got there. Hopefully, you can make this entertaining.”

Suddenly, the figure’s eyes emerge from the darkness, glowing orange. The sounds of flesh slashing cover the area as the couple screams in despair as the night goes on.

___