I stood there, looking at the neko, wondering what he was thinking, but I had no plans on asking. He bore a striking resemblance to my master and I wondered how that could be because my master had said that there were few of his kind left.

I asked “Mr. Neko, did you know a neko fencer, Kurenkento." He looked at me with an auspicious glare for a few moments, but said nothing, he did not appear to want to fight, so I was not gonna force him to fight me.

After a few moments, he responded, “No, I’ve never heard of him before, and if you are going to talk to me, please call me Tsukineko.”

I heard him, but because i knew there would be no blood shed between me and him, I sheathed up my sword and took off my buckler and unclipped my sword from my belt and placed them next to a tree where that I lied down against. This man was staring at the battle, as it got more and more intense, what did I care, although the man had saved me and the girl had tried to kill me, I was not intent on joining.

Before long, I noticed a strange glimmer in his eyes, a look that told me that he wanted to join this battle, but he had no good reason. I picked up my sword, and re-clipped it to my belt, picked up my shield, and attached it to my right arm, and then I charged at him and tackled him with my shield. His eyes told me that battle would help him clear his mind of what the girl had said, and it would help me with clearing my mind of why I had not assisted that man who had saved me from that attack.

I exclaimed “stand up Tsukineko, battle calls to us, and we cannot ignore it any longer.” He stared at me and understood what I was saying and drew his short sword and readied himself for battle.

He said “I’m ready to fight, lets go Zorlo, let us clear our minds of what the others have said and see which of us is stronger.”

I drew my sword, and looked at my reflection in it, and charged the neko. He was ready for me this time, he blocked my sword with his short sword, and we crossed several times before we finally broke and both leapt backwards. I could see a strange aura forming around his claw, I didn’t know what it was, my master had never used an attack like that I thought to myself. He charged with his magical claw, and I moved my shield forwards, and his claw sliced right through it, making me drop it, astonished, he launched an offensive to try to defeat me while I was distracted.

After I came to my senses, I moved to attack as well, I had forgotten some of my training, in fencing, you never let your opponent gain the offensive, but if they do, you never move into strike at the same time, it leaves you venerable to an attack, or more so then you would normally be. The time for thinking had ended, this was now a battle of instinct, for which he had, from what i’ve seen, mastered, ignoring natural logic, and fighting on through anything.

Swords slashing, crossing blades, and fighting hard to get a victory, I landed the first blow, it was a slight thrust that had caught him in his chest, the blade barely nicked him, but I could see a small wound, but in my victorious thought, he swung his magic claw at me, I dodged it barely, but he sliced my hat into three pieces, and got me mad. The second rule of fencing is don’t lose your cool, because you make foolish moves, and I moved to strike him with my blade again, and this time, he got a nice slash on my right arm. This blow slowed me down, but it didn’t stop me from continuing, the good thing for me was I am left handed.

In an instance, I decided to try it, my special technique, the most powerful attack in my arsenal.
At once, I shouted “Air Slash” and from a my sword came a mighty gust that was in the shape of a slash, and it flew towards him in amazing speed, and he sliced through it with his magic claw and I now realized that this battle would be one of interest.

Although he had split the wind into two parts, one headed for Nikudemon, and one headed for Celia. They both dodged it, but just barely and continued there battle. Amazed as I was at that, I was drawn back to the reality that I had my own opponent. The battle must go on I thought, blocking out Celia and Nikudemon fighting, and fighting Tsukineko was all I cared about.