Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

From my experience doing this thing with everyone else, it'd look like they'd momentarily ground to a halt—and it was enough time for me to finish things, but from what I was seeing from Joe, as long as he was expecting it and was aware of it, he could move just fine.

However, as backwards as this may sound, the moment I took killing intent out of the picture and went with just speed, he didn't even notice the back of my blade mere millimeters from his neck.

'Whoops…'

To avoid killing one of Iskoh's rising stars, I was limiting the output to the minimum—but the moment I ran with none at all, I didn't think I'd end this exhibition match this way.

It was because even if I didn't lop Joe's head off, I completed my swing and went all the way through—leaving an indent to the side of his neck and knocking him out with that one blow.

I wasn't sure of this comparison but it would've been similar to riding a motorbike and getting clotheslines with a steel wire from the side. I guess that could also cause beheadings so let's just tone it down to a him pedaling hard with a mommy bike with the good 'ol basket at the front before getting clotheslined with a hanging wire.

Still, everyone thought I killed him but waving my katana around just to make them see that there was no blood on it was giving the wrong impression.

"NO BLOOD! NO BLOOD!"

"YOU STILL COULD'VE BROKEN HIS NECK, DOOFUS! WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP AT THE LAST SECOND?!"

"I— I thought he'd s-see it…"

"WELL CLEARLY HE DIDN'T! YOU— HEY! DON'T MOVE HIM! I KNOW HE'S YOUR FRIEND BUT DON'T FUCKING MOVE HIM!"

"Y-YES, MA'AM!"

In any case, Kaley sprung to action while Iskoh called for medical staff—and Oscar could've helped us but he was too busy laughing his ass off and getting stomach cramps just from watching from afar.

This wasn't the way I thought things would've ended but everyone was surprised by Joe suddenly getting up and then looking confused at everybody.

"W-What happened…"

But yeah, it was only for a few seconds before he passed out and ate dirt once again—and Oscar could've helped us again if he hadn't burst out laughing the second time.

"STOP LAUGHING, OLD MAN!"

"HAAAAA! HE FLIPPED IN THE AIR, KID! HE FLIPPED! WHO WOULDN'T LAUGH AT THAT?! BAHAHAHAHAHA! MORALES, DID YOU SEE THAT?!"

"IS HE OKAY OR NOT?!"

"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW FROM THAT! BUT IT LOOKS LIKE HIS NECK ISN'T BROKEN! HE GOT THAT GOING ON, AT LEAST! BUT YEAH, AN X-RAY WOULD BE GOOD!" Explore more adventures at empire

In any case, Joe's event was definitely canceled—and even if I'd hate to bring this up now, I guess I breached our little contract and I wouldn't be able to receive whatever it was that he promised me.

Still, Joe woke up and kept his consciousness before the EMS arrived and with the use of a portable X-Ray and Oscar finally getting his laughs in order, it was confirmed that Joe didn't have any serious injuries.

However, he'd still have to take care of his knuckles and ice his bruised neck—even wearing a neck brace—not because it was broken or anything but because he shouldn't move it around for the moment.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

But the moment everything was accounted for, Joe rushed up to me and jumbled and fumbled his way to the hundreds of questions he wanted to ask me.

I waved him off, "Easy now, I thought you don't take teachers?"

"I ain't! I'm just curious— I can't for the life of me figure out how you did those things!"

"What things? You have to be specific."

"Y-You know, the fakes! I-I did— Ugh… fucking neck still hurts but how come yours work and mine doesn't?!"

"Because you're weird as fuck!"

"Haah?!"

"Pfft— Sorry about that but that's just half the explanation. But yeah, your 'fakes' do work it's just that I can react much faster. I've been through more life-or-death matches than you and I've seen different tricks performed different ways."

"Then it's just a matter of experience?"

"Kinda?"

"You don't sound too sure, sir…"

"Well~ I do have a proper answer for them but you ain't learning shit if you aren't under me. That's some privileged shit right there and you need the umm… subscription."

Then Joe looked at me like I'm an idiot, "Even with the Principe?"

I never looked more confused, "Huh? Principe?"

"Umm… We had a deal, remember? You try to almost kill me and I give you some shit that I think you'd like? The Sollingen's not actually for sale—even the Principe, but I don't use two swords at the same time… so~ I guess I'll give that to you as payment. Anything else from my stuff, you could find elsewhere. But the Solingen and the Principe? You can't find anywhere else.

Here, I mean. There's only a thousand of them in the whole world."

I shook my head, "But the ten moves—"

"Eh. We can continue that some other time."

I scratched the side of my cheek, "I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm not really familiar with longswords—"

Then Tatiana cut in with this devilish smile, "I am, kinda."

I chuckled, "You know whatever the fuck's the Principe?"

Tatiana never nodded so fast, "Wide type XVIIIc blade, longer grip—making it a two-hander, Oakeshott Pommel Type V2, Style 11 Guard, Italian Origin—"

I had to cut in, "Ah~ Same as your Benelli M4, right?"

"Y-Yeah… Fuck, I don't even know what those words meant but Katarina— You know, she kept reciting that thing's specs every time she showed me a picture of it."

I then turned to Joe, "Looks like Tatiana wants it, if it's the real thing, I'm gonna exchange it with something of equal value—"

"N-No, a spar with you every time you're here would be enough—"

"No, no, I insist. What's the price tag on that?"