Cyberpunk: Arasaka Secret Son

Chapter 34: Duel/Bet 2



Following Grandpa we entered the training room, which was square in shape with a wall on which Grandpa's weapons were placed, leaving a clear room in the center with some table recessed against the walls, with most of the walls covered with a black padded cape that had a texture of triangles.

As I walked in I approached the wall where our wooden swords or Bokkens were hung, as I was picking one up, Grandpa stopped me.

"Sora come here.... for today's duel we are going to use real swords" he said as he reached for his personal sword from the wall of his weapons. His Kaneshige Koshirae that uses the black leather Gangimaki style wrapping on the tsuka/handle of the sword.

When he picked up his, he walked over to the weapon maintenance workbench and put a password on the integrated pad and one of the large drawers under the table opened automatically.

From the drawer, Grandpa took out a black case, with an emblem drawn of a dog or wolf in profile with its jaws open as if its fangs were going to bite a white circle that seemed to represent the moon.

When I saw it I knew instantly what the emblem meant, it reminded me of Grandma's lessons on Japanese history..... that emblem is the Aoi-Obasan family's emblem.... The Inuzuka

"Sora this is the famous sword Getsuga Tenshō (Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer) the heirloom of Aoi's family and you bear his family name. The Inuzuka."

Said my grandfather as he opened the case `How did he say it was called...FAMOUS? just that? NO, that sword is not just a famous sword ... it's a LEGENDARY SWORD!!.... GIVE ME! GIVE ME! GIVE ME! GIVE ME! GIVE ME! GIVE ME!'

"Your grandmother Aoi is the last member of the Inuzuka family, she decided that she wanted us to give it to you when you turn 18 as a protector of the family heirloom so that it won't fall into the wrong hands... Now it is yours. Use it."

With what grandpa had said I became serious and turned to grandma who since I felt my eyes light up I didn't look at her again, afraid that she would have a look of repulsion or scared at me....

When I looked at her, she was looking at me as usual as if her initial surprise had passed or maybe because the heat I felt in my eyes had already stopped, only leaving the usual expression with a gentle smile as she nodded contentedly affirming Grandpa's words,

"Wield it Sora, I'm sure the sword is also excited to meet you, it's been decades without anyone using it!"

When I saw and heard what Aoi-Obasan said, I calmed down, I thought I had scared her whatever it is that I have inside me... I have to win Ojii-San!..... I have to know what I have inside....how can there be a.....AI, although I have a theory ...`SON!´

With grandmother encouraging me..... I still had doubts for me to wield the sword of his family!....NO!, My family!, it is true that I do not carry her blood.... but I carry her family name and I will carry it with pride!.

Feeling nervous, but at the same time grateful that Grandma let me wield the Inazuma Relic.

I approached Grandpa and the case he had open, allowing me to see...a sword? I wondered in surprise at what was inside the case, at the fucking weird and somewhat anticlimactic shape of the sword and its sheath.

I stared at the supposed Getsuga Tenshō with not knowing exactly what expression to put... for the sword I had in front of me that didn't meet at all the expectations that created that AMAZING name...., which I didn't want to show because of the emotional moment it is, `the grandparents are giving me a sword that is the treasure of the Inazuma house' but what I had in front of me was...a stick...A FUCKING BLACK STICK or to be more exact....

A black rectangular stick, where you could barely differentiate the handle from the sheath without tsuba..... giving a rectangular black stick feel.

Seeing my puzzled expression.... for what I thought would be an ancient Katana as an Inuzuka family heirloom.

Grandpa went "HEHEHEHEHE, what surprises you?.... you see the last owner of the sword your grandmother Aoi's brother, Taishi Inuzuka the penultimate head of the Inuzuka family, upgraded the sword, he was also an engineering geek like you....he kept the original blade and discarded the rest rebuilding the sword to the shape it currently has.

Take it try it how it feels in your hand."

When I picked up one end of the sword that I might as well call a black cane....I felt something inside the scabbard...vibrate....what the fuck!

I had to hold the sword with both hands one on the scabbard and one on the hilt for a while until the sword stopped vibrating.... what the fuck was that!!, when I thought that, I turned to grandpa who was smiling at me in contrast to my puzzled expression.

I could hear how grandma Aoi was also happy about what had happened saying.

"Ara Sora you seem to have a talent for charming swords.... Son I hope it's only the swords Fufu."

"What are you talking about grandma, Ojii? I have no idea what happened?"

"Sora, Mhmm(sigh), You never listen to me what I say, do you?.... about how the weapons that are used these days are empty just being instruments of killing... the handmade swords, which have been made by master blacksmith who put his emotions behind his creation, which in turn if that same sword is used for a long time..... surpassing its simple role as a weapon and becoming something more than just a piece of sharp metal, these swords.... grow, Sora this kind of swords are special because they crossed with generation after generation using them their definition as a weapon, they became companions of their owner, protecting and harming people who try to hurt their bearer as a faithful companion protecting their master."

Said my grandfather as he shifted his gaze to Eco who had also followed us into the training room, returning to his usual energetic demeanor after I changed his batteries.

"Sora these types of swords choose their owner, it's not such a stretch to say that they wouldn't be wielded by those they don't recognize, but neither could they bring out the true potential of the sword.....Only an owner who makes the sword vibrate with emotion when wielded, can be recognized as the true master of this special type of swords" said my grandfather as he affectionately stroked the wielder of his Kaneshige Koshirae.

"And well you boy..... had to hold the sword with two hands in order to control how excited the sword was for you to wield it..... hence your grandmother's comment.....seems son that swords love you...Tch don't look at Kaneshige, I won't let her be unfaithful to me in life nor even if you are my grandson, I won't let her to you!"

Said my grandfather who upon hearing his comment about my innate attraction to swords I thought about whether it would be the same with grandfather's Kaneshige.

When I turned my attention to Getsuga I was surprised at first by its shape, but the more I look at it the more I like it.

The shape of the scabbard that attaches to the hilt making it hard to tell which is which, also camouflages the shape of the sword itself giving it a rectangular black stick feel.....

When I unsheathed the Blade.... I turned to surprise.... it almost didn't look like a katana as it barely had any curve to its blade almost making me mistake it for a Chokutō.

When I held it in my hand totally unsheathed I could appreciate an 75cm blade with a snow white edge and the opposite side changing one black as night separating each color by the hamon pattern of the sword looking like a wave separating the two colors that looked like they were chasing each other by the rippling of the Hamon.

Becoming entranced as I examined the blade..... something was shaking me..... it was the Getsuga sword itself, which was vibrating again, but this time gently, like a greeting instead of the first time it seemed like it was going to slip out of my hand, but you could also see with the naked eye how the blade was vibrating alone... making me feel that this sword was the most mysterious thing I had ever seen..... I LOVE IT!.

"Well Sora, are you ready, because let me warn you, I haven't forgotten anything you said before..... and maybe by giving you Getsuga it may seem like I've forgiven you.... but let me tell you something son....

I'm pissed OFF."

When Ojii said that I got nervous because of how intimidating looked..... very different from when we trained, it seems that the Old Man is serious because of the sense of danger I felt from him.

It was like the lighthearted atmosphere Grandpa gave when he gave me Getsuga were a lie.

Replace them with an angry and dangerous, just like the old man.

"Come on Ojii!, but are you sure you wanted to give me Getsuga before our duel, when I beat you don't make excuses saying it was just because of the sword" I said trying to sound calm, trying to mislead grandpa and also myself.

"HAHA" Ojii laughed as if he found what I had said absurd, to change to a serious one with sharp eyes looking at me like a prey.

"You know Sora?.... I think your mouth moves too much, so much that you can't take responsibility for what you say....." said my grandfather while he kept looking at me intently.

"Tch, we'll see whether or not I can take responsibility....OLDSTER!"

With that last shout I lunged towards Ojii trying to move like I did the first time I did the sword sequence trying to imagine the lines as I make my sword move following them....

Swish!

Howled the wind as our blades cut it.....

Clash!

It sounded when our swords clashed...

Hiss!

When the mental brushed against each other....

Filled the room with a cacophony of all 3 that mingled every second we swung and clashed our swords.

Swish Clash!, Clash!, Hiss!, Swish, Hiss!, Clash!, Swish, Hiss!, Clash!, Hiss!, Hiss!, Clash!,

As I kept concentrating trying to copy the moves I did... I got angry with myself..... THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE! .... when I did that sequence of moves.... they don't look like the ones I'm doing...Shit.

MORE! faster..... stronger..... MORE!

Swish, Clash, Clash, Hiss, Swish, Hiss, Hiss, Hiss, Clash! Swish, Hiss, Clash, Clash, Clash! Hiss, Hiss, Clash, Clash! Swish, Clash, Clash, Clash, Hiss, Swish, Hiss, Hiss, Hiss, Clash! Swish, Clash, Clash, Clash,

After squeezing everything I could to try to open a hole in Ojii's defense, I looked at Grandpa's face to see if I had managed to surprise him or make him nervous with my attacks..... but what I saw... made me cold.

Grandpa was calm I could almost describe him as bored as he blocked all my attacks without much or any difficulty, but for me the part that sunk me the most was that deep down his look I could almost see disappointment.....

Pulling all those thoughts out of me Grandpa .....

BAM!

he gave me a kick in the stomach that sent me against the padded wall at the end of the room and

PAAK(slamming me against the wall)

Making me...

BLUAAAAAAAAAAGH(throw up)

all the dinner I had eaten just a few minutes ago.

"MUSAHI!!!"

"DON'T GET INVOLVED AOI!"

"That's it all....?"

"This is what you wanted SORA....?"

"Why do you have to be like this...?"

"You think I enjoy doing this.....?"

"We try to do things peacefully and talk it out, but with you, there is no way...."

"YOU DON'T LISTEN!!"

"For you that's how it has to be done right?"

"What's wrong Sora... weren't you going to take responsibility for your words that come out of your mouth? That you don't stop talking and making jokes....."

"Tell me Sora did you have synchronized crashing into the wall and throwing up?"

"Has been perfect...."

"Or tell me now you would have liked to talk before starting dinner, don't you?"

BAAGH

Tch!, demon I thought as I finished throwing up everything I had eaten....realizing that.... this is going to be hard.


Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.