The winter passed unnoticed, especially for Ray and Eliza. Andy had learned to ignore her fan club and gained new experience in duels. Akito simply grew older, and Kai began looking for a girlfriend, pushed into it by Ray.
They were all 16 now, the cold of winter had long since receded, the sun was visible on the horizon, trees began to awaken, and the smell of spring filled the academy. Director Franz Cremo finished his speech.
Kai approached Andy, his red hair seemed to blaze.
"You have to go with me to a duel. The girl I met is also from the fencing class, and she's your fan, so if we have a duel, she'll understand that I'm not that simple."
Andy rubbed her head, thought for a moment, and finally decided, remembering a maneuver from Richard.
"Alright, but be ready to receive a 'kiss'."
"A kiss?" Kai asked in surprise.
"Yep, just be careful not to cause trouble afterward."
'Is Andy... in love with me!? I didn't expect that, of course, but if so, I need to think. On one hand, she's a friend to me, and on the other... she's really good...'
Kai thought to himself as they headed to the fencing hall. Andy deliberately chose one where there were no people. She took out her new, custom saber and smiled. Kai smiled back, taking up a guard position.
'Andy... according to rumors, she's a real monster in fights. This is the first time I'll compete against her.'
Andy took a straight-angle stance and smiled dangerously.
"Attack, but after the 'kiss', don't cry."
Kai made a sharp lunge, the tip of his rapier whizzed at incredible speed, but Andy easily parried the blow when it entered the reach of her Thibault circle. Kai jumped back. Andy lunged forward. Blood dripped from the tip of her saber; she had cut the left corner of Kai's lips. It was a thin and precise cut. A memory played in Andy's mind.
***
It was an autumn evening three years ago. She continued to hone her basic fencing techniques and knowledge. Richard approached her, scars on his lips and hands.
"Remember, Andy, in a duel, there's a very powerful trick that will leave an unforgettable memory and experience for your opponent. It's called a 'kiss'."
"How's that? Like, you have to kiss or something?"
After these words, the tip of Richard's sword was at Andy's lips, and she recoiled in surprise, falling. Richard continued.
"To leave a 'kiss', you need to cut their lips with the tip of your sword, for example, like I almost did. It will make an impression on your opponent, don't doubt it."
Andy looked at Richard with wide eyes.
Kai stood in shock and lowered his guard along with his weapon.
"What was that?"
"A 'kiss' as I promised. You'll have something to show that girl you wanted to go on a date with."
Andy wiped the tip of her saber and put the sword back into its sheath, smiling softly at Kai, and then left.
'I didn't think doing that would be so hard. My skills have definitely grown.'
Kai stood alone as if enchanted, but a sharp pain from his cut lips brought him back to reality. He touched his lips and wiped away the blood.
"Ow! That hurts..."
He felt a strange tingling in his heart; it was painful but pleasant.
"What a day today..."
Shaking his head, he smiled, tossed his hair back, and left the hall.
"Wait for me!"
Kai and Andy met Akito on the way.
"Oh, Akito, how are you?"
Andy ran up to him and smiled. Kai felt something unpleasant as he watched them.
"Eliza and Ray have somehow drifted away from the three of us; now I feel a little lonelier."
Akito sighed, complaining.
"I can go to classes with you! I think it'll help you and be interesting, and besides, I know something about forests myself."
Kai felt the unpleasant feeling spread through his body; he couldn't hold back.
"Me too! It's fun with two, and even more fun with three!"
Akito and Andy turned to Kai. Akito rejoiced, his eyes shining.
"Of course! Teacher Cedric will be thrilled! And it'll be more fun for us, lessons start tomorrow."
Closer to evening, Kai found Shollar. His voice sounded resolute.
"I need your help. I want to study. Take me to the library and recommend some books."
Shollar's eyes widened in surprise.
"Barbarian... Are you alright? Did someone hit you on the head?"
"Never mind! Let's go to the library."
In the library, Shollar gave Kai a few books. He himself was shocked that he, Shollar, was talking to such inexperienced people and helping them.
"Everything you need is here."
Kai looked at the three books.
"Is that all? I thought there would be more."
"Your brain won't handle more."
Shollar clicked his tongue and left the library.
The next day, Kai, Andy, and Akito entered the natural science and survival skills classroom. Cedric, an old man with a bald head, looked kind and wore glasses. His eyes widened when he saw the two new students. At that moment, Cedric came alive, rushed over to them, and shook all their hands, his eyes burning. He taught them from morning until evening.
He taught them everything he knew. Andy's head was spinning, and it seemed like white foam was coming out of her mouth from the excessive amount of information, while Kai kept falling asleep, all because he had been reading books and then thinking about when he started thinking about Andy for almost the entire night.
Thoughts of her, her smile, her eyes, began swirling in Kai's head again.
"Nonsense..." Kai whispered, interrupting the intrusive thoughts.
A few days passed, and Kai realized that books weren't helping. He touched his lips where the "kiss" had been left; it was now a scar. The first scar in Kai's life that he had gained in a duel. Andy's eyes in that moment, her smile...
"Enough of this nonsense that haunts me!"
Everyone in the library looked towards Kai. He blushed with shame.
"Sorry... I won't do it again..."
He left the library, feeling lonely, went to his room, and fell onto his bed.
"What the hell... when I don't think about her, everything's fine, but if I even mention her once..."
Exhausted, Kai fell asleep.
At this time, Eliza, Ray, Andy, and Akito were walking around the academy. Andy sometimes talked to fans, Akito kept the conversation going, and Eliza and Ray were in their own little world.
Akito ran ahead and turned back to all of them.
"Listen, I heard there's a fair this weekend.
Maybe we should go there? I think there'll be something interesting. I'll tell Kai, just let me know if you're interested."
Andy smiled and ran a hand through her light brown hair.
"As I always say, anywhere is good, as long as it's away from boredom. Maybe I'll even buy something interesting for myself."
Eliza and Ray seemed to emerge from their small world. Ray looked at Akito.
"Anything's better than just wandering around. Maybe Eliza and I can spend some time together, like on our first date."
Eliza blushed and giggled.
"If Ray's not against it... then I'm in too."
Akito's blue eyes sparkled, his lips curving into a smile on their own.
"Then tomorrow during the day, we'll meet at the gates."
In the evening, he went to Shollar's room. Shollar was sleeping, and Kai was hugging a pillow.
"Kai, tomorrow the four of us are going to the fair. Will you come with us?"
"Maybe... I really need to get my mind off things..."
Akito fell onto his bed and quickly fell asleep, while Kai still pondered everything that had happened to him but stopped himself in time.
The next day, all five of them left the academy gates. They talked, shared their thoughts about what might happen today. Kai tried to keep up the conversation, but everyone could see he wasn't in the mood. At the fair, there was a festive atmosphere, music played, people talked everywhere. Kai's mood even lifted; the festive atmosphere would lift even Shollar's mood. The friends decided to walk through the stalls and see what was being sold. The scent of aromatic spices, sweets, wines, and flowers filled the air. They looked at stall after stall, buying a few things. Suddenly, they saw a crowd of people near a stall and decided to go there. Akito's heart stopped for a moment, or so it seemed to him as they walked there, but he quickly dispelled the negative thoughts and tried not to pay attention to the growing anxiety. As they approached the stall, the friends saw the sight and the reason why people had gathered there.
There was a merchant with black hair visible from under his hat and wrinkles on his face.
And opposite him was a young man, about seventeen or older. From a distance, it was clear that he had white, wavy hair; it seemed to float or was raised... Or something like that, because his neck was visible. He had pale skin, was tall, and dressed in a dark cloak.
The merchant opened his mouth again.
"Young man, return what you stole or pay for the goods. There's nowhere to run, look how many people are here, don't ruin the holiday for them!"
He stepped back and began to giggle, which quickly turned into loud laughter. Everyone looked at him as if he were insane. The old man reached out, but the young man grabbed the man's head and squeezed it. At that very moment, the merchant's head burst open as if it had popped; everything was covered in blood, some blood even splattered on the young man's face and hair. The smile never left his lips. People began screaming and running. He turned to the group of people. He had soulless, empty emerald eyes, and he smiled. There was a mole under his right eye, and another one beneath it.
Seeing his eyes, Akito leaned against the nearest support. He was breathing heavily, as if suffocating, his hand flew to his heart and gripped his chest tightly, his legs wouldn't hold him, his heart ached, pounding.
The white-haired young man began killing everyone who was there; they were torn apart so easily. Akito could do nothing; he wanted to run, but his legs wouldn't move. Andy quickly drew her saber and took a straight-angle stance. A sword appeared in the white-haired man's hands from who knows where. His strike was so fast and silent that Andy didn't even have time to understand what had happened; he pierced her heart. Pulling the blade out of her, Andy fell to the ground, lifeless...
Akito wanted to scream but couldn't. The white-haired man began cutting down even more people. Kai couldn't take it anymore and shouted,
"Bastard!" And he lunged. His death was swift...
Ray pushed Eliza away.
"Run!" But she did otherwise, pressing herself against Ray. The white-haired man killed them both with one blow. Some ran, but couldn't escape; he killed them all. His emerald eyes seemed to look at Akito...
Everything went dark. When Akito could see again, he was in the middle of a forest. Dark green grass and coniferous trees were everywhere. Before Akito was an abandoned temple. He quickly surveyed the place; it was unfamiliar, and an owl was sleeping on one of the trees...