Variant: The Inception

Lone Wolf

When they first enlisted into the anti-vampire squad, the recruits were divided into five groups namely; the first fifty, the second fifty, the third fifty, the fourth fifty and the sixty. Mark belonged to the second fifty and was the best overall in both martial arts and weapons use in his group. This was done in order to reduce the student to trainer ratio, thereby optimizing the learning structure. Although, due to this, not all recruits know each other or have ever competed against each other.

It is the second day of the three-day combat assessment tests, the hand-to-hand combat assessment. The recruits are all gathered up in the same way they did the day before. Except they aren't putting on blue shorts and a white shirt today. They are instead wearing white dogi (similar to a karate uniform), and are all barefooted. They are standing with their arms folded behind them, legs apart, facing the shaded area.

Mr. Yohanne walks towards the podium wearing his usual stern look, analyzing the recruits as he draws nearer. " Handsome morning to you again, recruits", he says, ever so boldly into the microphone. "Today, we're going to have the top twenty recruits face off against each other. It would be quite unfair to have the second-ranking recruit face off against, say the last ranking recruit. Fair in the sense that we may not necessarily see the skills of the latter. Not fair in the sense that you are facing off against someone stronger than you, because the world isn't fair and you will meet vampires stronger than you out there. Now, the top twenty students, step out. I believe you know yourselves." They step out. The number one ranking student is an exceptionally large Asian named Seun. He is a tall twenty-year-old, four years older than Mark. He isn't really muscular, but fat. He has on a chonmage (which is a Japanese traditional topknot haircut).

"That boy is a beast," says Mr. Nakamura, who is the trainer of the third fifty, trying to start a conversation with Captain Stephanie who is seated beside him. He continues "he was also raised in a dojo like you. His family is longstanding practitioners of the sumo arts. He incorporated the karate I taught him into his already exceptional sumo skills."

"The top student vs the second, the third vs the fourth and so on. That way the gap difference in strength wouldn't be huge and we can see the best of both fighters. The first contenders, move to the combat arena", says Yohanne. The large Asian boy and Mark step out and walk to the combat arena. Mark was second in hand-to-hand combat only to Seun according to the rankings, although this would be their first fight. Yohanne yells into the microphone "take your stances."

Mr. Nakamura continues, "That boy has no openings. After he mastered karate and successfully incorporated it into his sumo, not even I could take him down." Captain Stephanie pays him no mind, not because she isn't listening to what he is saying but because she is trying to analyze the Asian boy. She suddenly smiles. "What's gotten into your head?' he asks.

"Ohh, but there is a way", she says.

"Well that's you, you're a crazy woman, and you fight like a beast", he responds.

She laughs and says, "well if I can see it, then so can my boy over there. But Mark is definitely going to lose the first round. How badly though, I don't know."

Mr. Nakamura is surprised at her confidence and says, "the first round and subsequent rounds. The boy raised in a dojo vs the boy who was taught by someone who was raised in a dojo. You see my point?"

She smiles and remains quiet, watching keenly as Mr. Yohanne continues, "stand facing the executives and when I call your name, take a bow. Kirihara Seun, twenty years of age. Fighting style, sumo, and karate. Rank, number one" Seun takes a bow and is applauded. "Mark Thalbot, age sixteen. Fighting style, jujutsu, judo, karate and muay thai." The applaud that Mark receives is louder than his opponent's as he takes a bow. They are asked to shake each other's hands, which they do. They step back and take their stances. Mr. Yohanne continues "The rules are, either make your opponent leave the ring completely, make him tap out, or knock him out. A complete knockout even at the first round is a victory to the man standing. And as is customary, there will be three rounds. May the best man win. Now spar!" No one ordered the crowd to be quiet, but the moment Yohanne yelled "now spar" nothing else mattered but the scene in front of them.