A Meeting With Freya and Her Valkyries

"See ya later!" I shouted over my shoulder through the small gap in the doors to Ryozanpaku before pulling the massive door to a close.

Stretching my body a little, I felt the bandages and healing salve rubbing together and couldn't help but let out an annoyed sigh. I'd had a spar with Apachai today...and by spar, I mean he beat me down until I couldn't move properly anymore.

Luckily, B- Rank Vitality is not to be underestimated and along with the help of Akisame-sensei, I was healed up pretty quickly. Just in time to do a workout session with him and Kensei-sensei. The latter of which just poked me full of needles to strengthen my organs or whatever. This was his answer to what I said about Kyoka's punch sending force through my muscles and hurting the insides. He'd said he hadn't planned to start this training for a while but if I was running into problems now, it was better to start it sooner rather than later.

A groan came from my shoulder and I looked to see my lug of a friend, Kenichi, passed out on my shoulder. I brought him here and vouched for him, saying he could learn a thing or two from the masters. At first they were highly resistant of the idea - mainly because they saw how weak Kenichi was - but a slight manipulation from me helped smooth it all out.

I pretty much relied on their egos. It really wasn't hard.

A simple 'Oh, well, if you think you can't train him to be stronger then it's okay...' was seriously all I needed and they jumped at the idea. Sakaki even more so than the others because he got to train me the least. The only thing he taught me was how to improve the toughness and flexibility of my body and how to throw a better punch. Because I didn't learn his form of Karate, he was feeling a bit peeved lately and with the arrival of Kenichi and my subtle taunting, he threw himself into the challenge.

Hence Kenichi's completely crumbled appearance and the way he kept mumbling about demons and monsters.

...Oh well, he'll eventually get over it.

"Your friend...are you sure he'll be okay, Seth-kun?" to my left, I heard Miu speak, her voice obviously filled with worry.

Turning toward her, I gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about this guy. In a way, he's a genius at taking damage and still being able to go on. He's built different, I guess," I laughed while shrugging and Miu nodded though it was clear she was still somewhat worried for Kenichi. Miu's pretty kind, so it's not surprising, honestly.

Smiling to myself, we continued to walk and I continued to speak to Miu who'd offered to help me return Kenichi home. Why she did so...was pretty obvious to me.

It was clear to me that over the two months I'd been training at Ryozanpaku and interacting with the masters and Miu herself, has caused her to develop a bit of a crush on me. Not that I'm complaining or anything...but it kinda puts me in a difficult position. She's a firm believer in the Fist of Life and I know that one day I'll have to kill someone to protect either myself or someone I love. Which makes any chance of a relationship between the two of us a bit difficult.

The only way I could be with her despite the fact I'd have to kill is either by lying to her or by manipulating her to see things my way. Both are...annoying to think about. Both are a stain on my pride as a person and as a man. Do I really need to go to such lengths just to get a girl? Do I need to manipulate someone and change their beliefs just to get them to stay with me?

...It's an annoying subject. I don't like thinking about it but whenever I'm around Miu, I find myself thinking of it without meaning or wanting to.

Whatever, it doesn't matter yet. It's only a crush on her end and lust on mine. Nothing serious. Yet.

Hearing a footstep out of sync with both mine and Miu's, I quickly came out of my thinking and looked over to Miu who looked somewhat on edge. Focusing my senses through the use of my talents, I heard a group of people slinking around behind us with a few of them speeding up to walk around us. They were out of sight but were easy enough for anyone with decent senses to find.

They were planning to cut us off and surround us.

Miu was on edge because one of the people in the group actually seemed decently strong. And she wasn't on edge for herself or for me, but instead for Kenichi who was basically a normal person. No, in fact I'd say Kenichi as he is right now is below a normal person.

Which puts him in danger if a fight suddenly breaks out and we're surrounded. Or at least that's what Miu believes.

...Man, she needs to believe in a me a little more~

Smirking, I took a deep breath before letting out a shout, "You rats just gonna keep scurrying around us or are you gonna step out and face us?!" I said, my smirk stretching to a smile as I saw my impressive voice subtly shake the windows of all the surrounding houses. A perk of [Singing Proficiency] - a strong voice!

Even Kenichi was roused from unconscious but he quickly fell back into it before a group of girls started to come out of the alleyways around us.

Leading the group was a dark-skinned girl about 170cm or so tall with an athletic frame. Though she did look pretty hot, honestly.

Tilting my head to the side somewhat, I addressed the main girl, "So, Freya, what brings you to meet lil ol' me? Could it be your annoyed about how hard I kicked Kisara? I only bruised her ribs a little--" I lifted a hand and stopped the wooden pole trying to slam down at my face, "Did I hit a nerve, Freya?" I asked with a small smile.

"You bastard...!" she spoke through gritted teeth and actually dodged the counter kick I tried to get her with, "You'll pay for what you did to her!"

"What did I do?" I laughed before dodging another strike. The other girls, Freya's Valkyries, didn't seem like they wanted to get involved with the fight and were more focused on stopping any of us from escaping. Oh well, could've been fun if they all joined in.

Blocking another strike aimed at Kenichi, I picked the brown-haired teen up off my shoulder and threw him to Miu, "Catch!" I gave a heads-up just as I threw him and Miu caught him easily enough, "Get him to safety, will you, Miu?"

I blocked another slam from the wooden pole but this time with my palm and grabbed it with an vice-like grip. Of course Freya was the same, holding it for dear life and trying to tug it from my hand. Yet I held the definite strenght advantage from the clashes we'd just had, so before she could react, I picked her and the wooden staff up before swinging her around. When the time was right, I let her go and she went flying, knocking over a few of her subordinates who'd practically volunteered themselves to act as air bags for their beloved Freya-sama.

But more important, it opened up a space for Miu. Turning toward the blonde, I saw she was still looking between me and the people outnumbering me but I ignored that and gave a shout, "Go, Miu!" she heard me loud and clear because she pouted before sprinting off through the opening I'd made.

...She really does need to believe in my strength more. It sucks to get treated like a weakling.

Though I guess that's hypocritical of me because it's exactly what I do to Kenichi. Though maybe that treatment is justified...Eh, who cares. Time to have a fight.

By this point, Freya got up, looking a little worse for wear but still completely fine. Seeing this, I smiled, "I bet you were sent here to recruit me, weren't you?" I asked and an ever so subtle flinch ran through her facial muscles. A small twitch no one would see unless they had keen senses like mine, "Bingo. Well, it doesn't matter if you attacked me without even asking...why would I join Ragnarok when going against it will give me so many fights?" I said this like it was common knowledge and most of the girls took a step back as my Dou Ki whipped out and around me.

You see, Ki that martial artists use isn't exactly something you can see. But you can definitely feel it. If it's stronger than your own, you can especially feel it. I've felt Sakaki's Dou Ki once...and it nearly blew my fucking socks off.

So, I can pretty much imagine what these Valkyries are feeling right now as my Dou Ki is flooding from every part of my body.

Not waiting any longer, I began using the Flame Kata and instead of using Raging Fire, the movement technique that digs my toes into the ground below me to give me a burst of acceleration, I instead chose to use Flash Fire. It's sorta like an afterimage technique that uses complex footwork to make your opponent see multiple of you.

Instantly, as soon as I began to use it, Freya narrowed her eyes and lowered herself into a stance. She gave a look to the other Valkyries and they backed away as I burst forward.

Afterimage after afterimage was created as I ran forward, my fists raised, and from my experience with the technique, just looking at me at the moment was confusing. Picking me out from the afterimages was harder than it seemed, basically.

As I got in front of Freya, I used Phantom Pace, sidestepping her Jo staff as it was thrust at my face and the afterimage I left was pierced giving the illusion that the attack has actually hit. But it hadn't and by the time Freya realized this, I was already sweeping her legs. But even as she was falling and caught by surprise, she reacted stunningly quickly and used her staff as a balancing point and dodged the Ironbreaker I had planned for her.

...Good!

She pole vaulted the air by bending her staff a little and flipping mid-air, bending the pole behind her back with both hands before letting go of it as she came into range with me. The momentum of her spinning and putting her weight behind the Jo staff, plus the fact she was falling and had gravity aiding her...plus the built up kinetic energy of her bending her staff...well, the staff was cutting through the air and was even looking a little blurry. Even with my reaction time.

My lack of proficiency in my style was really showing at the minute and after just doing an Ironbreaker in one arm and opening myself up to a counter attack, I could only activate Indestructible in the opposite arm and raise it to block the attack.

But I was upset with that. No, I was actually pretty thrilled. Why? Because after my run in with Kisara, I actually thought Ragnarok would be full of easily taken out trash. But Freya, or Kaname, is the real deal. I can only wonder about Berserker and Odin. Hermit as well.

I'm thrilled because I'm definitely gonna have some great fights in the future!

Freya's Jo staff slammed into my reinforced arm and the sound that came from the collision was like metal hitting metal. A tumultuous bang that sent out a somewhat visible shockwave as the noise shook the air around us.

I even felt myself being pushed into the ground somewhat, a depression being forced into the ground below me as I refused to crumble under the strike. All the while, I was smiling, my [Berserker Body] talent making the pain non-existent. I pushed back against the staff and Freya got re-acquainted with newton's third law of motion: every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Though she seemed ready for this and in a display of amazing agility, she flew backwards in a graceful arc, doing a twist and turn in mid-air to work off some of the momentum before she landed near-silently on a nearby wall.

Looking up at her, I smiled as I shook my reddened and bruised arm from where she hit me with that attack. The arm was still aching from earlier training and that attack had only made it worse.

Looking into her deep blue eyes, I saw that she wasn't looking too angry anymore, "Good - you've finally calmed down. You Sei types should keep your calm in battle...Leave getting angry to us Dou types, yeah?" I joked and she just scoffed at me but there was a bit of understanding in her eyes. She'd realized that if she wanted to take me on, she'd need to play to her own advantage and keep calm so her Sei Ki could be used properly. She was beginning to take me very seriously.

"I admit, you're pretty strong...But you can't take on all of Ragnarok. You'd get beat down by the rest of the seven Fists before you could even reach the First Fist," she said with an air of certainty I found surprising...and exciting. Exciting because I couldn't wait to prove her wrong.

Laughing, I shook my head, "Whatever you say, Freya. How about we continue with the fight? Should be more fun now that you're calm."

And so, I settled into a stance.