Survival Game, Book 1: The Fool

Act Four: Chapter Twenty-Four

When the time came for her to begin the program, alongside the three teenagers of Kamiyama High School, she met Tatsuya in an traditional styled room similar to the Edo period. Tatsuya sat in wait for her, his former outfits of T-shirts and pants replaced with a heavy crimson and gold suit of armor. His long black hair was down, hanging loosely at his waist, and a helmet framed his face. The armor was in very good shape despite the obvious age that dated back centuries and with it, Tatsuya appeared as an actual samurai that time traveled into the future. More than likely the other way around, as Yuriko stood out with her more modern day clothing. Tatsuya had gifted her a new outfit after her recovery, a simple combination of a white blouse, black skirt, and black slip-on shoes. A black ribbon was tucked under her shirt collar and tied into a bow and she added in a pair of white stockings to match the outfit.
"Welcome, Shimamura-san." Tatsuya greeted her, not moving from his seat on the tatami floor. His eyes were closed too, only going by his other senses to tell she was there. "You shall only have one test. But, it is a difficult one. Before I begin said test, I must ask you something: What is it that you desire?" His gruff voice grew more serious as he asked the question. Yuriko knew the answer almost immediately. "I want to understand... I want to understand what it's like to be normal!" She replied, raising her voice as if he could barely hear her. "I want to be like the others. I want to cry and laugh and yell. I want to have likes and dislikes. I want to have true friendships that I actually find meaningful and I can remember them years later. That is my desire..."
Tatsuya gave a long sigh, finally opening his eyes to stare into her. "You want to be normal...?" He repeated. "Such a goal is unreachable. There's no set definition of normal. That is different for everyone. But... you can achieve the other desires you wish for. If anything, the fact you have something you want proves that. That's why I planned this test for you. To begin your goal and use your powers to achieve it and save lives both." He explained. "A warrior must prioritize the people first, but they can use that to achieve their own wants. In time, as you fight this war, you will begin to feel the things you want. But, for now, let's begin the test. Take this." He unsheathed a short katana from its scabbard and handed it to her. "I want you to cut me with it." He outstretched his hand once she took the katana, his palm open for her.
Cut him? Why? She had never been asked to do such a thing. Is he wanting to see what I feel when I cut him? It seemed strange, but she obliged. With one swift stroke of the blade, Tatsuya's palm sliced open, blood gushing out in an instant. He didn't flinched nor move his hand away, as if nothing happened. Yuriko glanced at the blood dripping from the katana then at the gash in her mentor's palm, where blood was moving down his fingers and wrist. Her heart was pounding again and she had to hold herself back from cutting him again. Is this what happiness truly feels like? She wondered. She couldn't hold back any longer, wanting to appease the craving in her heart. "I want more..." It first came as a whisper until she looked at him with gleaming eyes. "More, more! Please, Orimoto-sensei! Let me cut you one more time!" She begged in elation, her breath coming out in fast gasps.
"You may, if that what it takes to help you." Tatsuya agreed. "You cannot use your powers, but you can cut me as many times as you wish. As a warrior, I shall not fall. This is your beginning, for if you can feel such joy, another emotion will come from it as you continue. And when that happens, you'll pass the test." There was no pain in his expression, even when he talked. In fact, it was the opposite, as if he wanted her to continue. It was no more than a second as he finished that the blade sliced once more, this time cutting a long gash on his cheek. He still held no reaction, the complete opposite of his student, who was practically trembling with excitement. She needed more. She needed to feel everything that she hadn't felt for the past 20 years. And this man—this powerhouse of a man—was her key of getting it. He showed no pain, he never moved or flinched. He was like a straw training dummy, except one that'd bleed with every cut.
She did it again and again. His forearm and leg now had gashes of their own and once she'd grown so mad she'd tried to pierce through his armor. It only nicked the golden breastplate, but that was enough for her to want to do it again. Is this how other people feel when happy? She wondered. She would give anything if it meant feeling like this all the time. I need to keep on... I need more! She must've looked like a madwoman at this point, but it didn't matter. This was the type of thing she craved for every day. This was her version of what it was like to be normal, even if it was considered "bad."
Though it was against the rules, she put it in the back of her mind and began focusing her energy into the air around her. By then, Tatsuya had several cuts over every limb, leaving the only places uninjured under his golden plates of armor. The katana was no longer doing anything for her when it came to what she wanted to achieve. If it came to finally feeling any emotion, she'd turn the man into a bloody canvas. He showed no signs of caring anyway. He still sat on the floor, legs crossed and eyes closed. If he was in any bit of pain, it didn't show. So, she continued, using the air to form solid objects of various weapons. The weapon in particular was a pruning shear, which seemed to multiply into a countless amount that no normal human could survive an attack from. Her heart was racing at this point, over 100 beats a minute, and her breath came out in aroused gasps at the thought of the possibilities. This power... this power is exactly what I needed! And now I have opponents who won't die from one small cut! If only that Grandmaster and I could play again... he'd make a beautiful painting!
Using only her mind and a flick of one hand, the shears flew towards Tatsuya at an alarming rate, moving on their own as if they were alive. To the mundane eye, it'd be a sight so unbelievable that no news source alive could post about it without seeming like a psychopath themself. Such a sight would only exist in the realm of fiction before now, and that realm had merged into reality from a vial of liquid, none the less! The sight that came after seemed pretty realistic, however. The shears stabbed into her mentor as if they were needles in a pin cushion, puncturing through his armor from the fierce intensity in the attack. She didn't aim for any major arteries, but the number of wounds he had now made it look irrelevant. Blood seeped through the cracks in his armor and a thin stream came from his mouth and nose. This time, he did react, his eyes opening up to look down at his wounds before looking at her expression. He looked into her eyes, no longer sparkling, and a strange reaction reflected in his. He wasn't angry or terrified of her true self, instead giving a weary smile and looking with warm eyes that said, "I'm proud of you." And then, he fell to the ground and slipped into unconsciousness.