RYTU'S EXPERIENCE
Rytu found himself on a flat, empty land. He was standing on rough dark rock, and there was nothing else but red sky and the flat surface. Before him stood a girl dressed seductive clothing that barely covered her bosom and hip. She held a long sword.
Before Rytu could say anything, she jumped forwards and slashed at his throat. Rytu brought up both of his banaged arms and directed the blade downwards and away from his body. His extensive training made such a move possible, but he still got thin cuts on his arms. The woman in black smiled, "That's nice. I have no use for fighters with no instinct."
Rytu growled in anger and punched at her with a right fist. The black blade slashed, and Rytu's hand was cut off at the wrist. Rytu stared at the sliced limb in horror, and he screamed in pain. The girl laughed, "What idiot goes against a sword with bare hands so recklessly, do you want to lose my blessing?"
Rytu cursed, "You slut!"
The girl smiled, then slashed at him with the sword. Rytu jumped backwards. As he did so, he rolled off the bandages along his right arm and quickly wrapped them around the stub where his right hand had once been. The bandages were soon soaked red, and the blood still dripped. He did these motions in a few seconds, and by the time he landed he was a little ready to fight again.
But this is impossible. Rytu thought. I've never gotten a wound worth talking about in my life. I have never let it happen. He felt weak as blood drained away from him.
The woman in black took steps forward, "You should know, though this is your mind, and your wounds may heal. However, if you die, You die."
She raised her sword so that it was horizontal, "This time, i shall fight with no mercy."
Rytu shouted, "Why the hell are you attacking me?"
She laughed, "Blood, anger, and misfortune fuel your powers. You have so far dished it out without caring for your victims, why should I?"
The blade shimmered mysteriously, then the woman grabbed it and took a stance: two legs wide apart, with the sword held away from her, pointing upwards and behind her. She looked at him in that sideways stance,
"This might end the battle, if you don't think fast."
Rytu looked at her angrily. Then he cursed. He ducked and ran forward as the woman took a step forward and slashed.
The sword didn't touch anything whatsoever, but a perfect curving white line appeared on the rock floor Rytu had just run from. The line exploded, sending pieces of black rock everywhere.
Rytu had reached the woman as he ran forward, and now he made a sliding tackle. This was a good move, because the woman had slashed horizontally. The entire top half of Rytu's messy hair was cut off cleanly.
Rytu's tackle hit the woman at her feet, and she gasped as she flipped forwards, feet off the ground. Rytu didn't let her fall onto him, he punched her with his left fist, feeling bone shatter, and then he rose and elbowed her.
The woman in black flew backwards, a trail of blood flying from her nose. She landed on the ground with a heavy crack, but she still held onto the sword.
Rytu rose from his tackle, and jumped in the air. He landed with two feet onto the girls neck, and felt bone crack. She was surely dead. He began to smile, but then suddenly a white line appeared, dividing him in half. She had cut him.
Impossible. I'm dead. Rytu thought. But the line didn't explode, it faded away into the tatoo of a vine with thorns. Rytu felt the girl move under his feet, and he stepped off her. The girl rolled backwards, then rose to her feet. She sheathed her blade.
"We have killed each other, and this part of the contract is complete."
"What contract?" Rytu asked, breathing heavily.
The girl smiled, "I am trapped in this blade, and i need a vessel who shares my dreams to aid me in a quest for pure power. I can use you to gain my freedom, and you can use me to gain more power and fame. And fun."
Rytu glared at her, "You don't make any sense."
The woman smiled, "I shall. Now, return. Awake, and from there i will give you instructions. Do not worry, though i will order you around, it will all be things you enjoy very much."
The land vanished, and Rytu awoke in the cave he had been training in. He woke up shakily, and he raised his eyebrows as something landed off his chest. He stood up quickly and looked down. He reached for the object, and his eyes widened as he recognized that his right had was back.
He patted his hair, but that was still cut. He was angry, as he had never shaved in his life, but at least he had his hands. He noticed that his entire red fist was wrapped in tattoos that showed black thorns. He checked his chest and noticed that a line tatoo showing a vine and thorn was also there.
Wherever the girl had cut him in that dream world, had turned into the strange tatoos. But it was better than death. Rytu looked at the rectangular thing that had slid off his chest. It was a sheathed blade.
He picked up the object he saw. It was a short, boxy sheath patterned with silver drawings that showed boxy flowers. The white crystal hilt of the sword was slightly long and curved.
"Is this my sword? It looks so pathetic and girlish." Rytu noticed that just two of the hilt put together would make up the whole sword. He frowned, and he grabbed the hilt, and pulled it out.
His eyes widened in astonishment as the blade kept on coming, and in the end he had a sword almost as tall as himself, and definitely longer than the sheath. Though the hilt of the katana was white, the blade was black. It had no reflection, and looked very sharp. Rytu tested the weight of the blade, and he looked at the wall he had been punching for so long.
"Go ahead." A voice said in his head. The voice of the woman. "Test me. Tell me if i look so girly then."
Rytu took a stance similar to the one the woman had chosen, and he sliced once. Nothing happened.
"Che, nothing happened. However, i'll keep this sword."
The voice didn't reply. Rytu walked out of the cave. He found himself under the light of the moon. He wondered how much time had passed. His thoughts were cut short when he heard a loud rumble. He grabbed his ears and looked back at the cave, and his jaw dropped in astonishment. The whole top half of the cave and the hill that held it had crumbled. A line had clearly been sliced along it.
Rytu looked at the sword with respect, "Woman, you are the best thing that has happened to me."
The woman chuckled, "Be careful with your words. I loathe romance."
"As do I." Rytu answered. He slashed the blade one last time, and the surrounding rocks and trees split in half. Rytu laughed with happiness.