ABS0LUTE ZER0 (TW0): A Collection of Zero Two/Hiro One-Shots

Champion of the Sword

The sun rose on yet another day, a peaceful, serene feeling in the air. The morning birdsong was heard, in addition to the ambient noise that comes with every average day. There was one that was unique, however. The clashing of metal on metal, piercing the somber climate that usually constitutes the early morning. The noise continued, the scrapes and clangs heard off in the distance. The noise could be tracked to the courtyard of a large building, teetering on the border between home and mansion, due to its size. The light brown bricks contrasted with the dark black roofing tile, windows located on almost every surface. area could be compared to the size of multiple football fields with the amount of space it occupied. In this large field, a smaller building was seen, holding a similar appearance to an arena. Inside of the building, a lobby-like area appeared as you walked in. A reception desk held a lady in her early twenties, currently assisting a line of about five or six people. Locker rooms were seen to the right of the desk, where a few people entered and exited every once in awhile. Seats were scattered around the lobby, holding a few interesting characters.

The locker room was not your typical facility. Inside it were the usual showers and bathrooms, but instead of smaller lockers, very large ones were inside, each capable of fitting two to three people inside. Inside these lockers were sets of armor. Some sets were similar to those of medieval-era knights, while others likewise to edo-period samurai. Each armor set was different, each appearing to cost a fortune. In addition to these armor sets, glamorous swords lined the opposing wall, each custom-made to the user. You see, inside of this building was the world's most famous sword fighting academy, only available to the elite in the profession. In this world, the art of the sword was most valued in society, and those who could wield it, lets just say they became legends.

One girl had been a sword fighting prodigy since birth, none able to match. Not one opponent was even able to cut through her defense, even though she was able to attack like a wild animal. She was one of the most well known members of the Nines, a group of sword fighters known for their skill. Nine Iota. The metal clangs were heard again as she sparred with the leader of her group, Nine Alpha. Alpha had a look of exhaustion, while Iota seemed unfazed. Her pink hair reflected against the wood floor as she swiftly moved her sword to deflect one of Alpha's low blows, instantly countering with two more strikes to his midsection and upper chest. The wooden sword made impact, knocking Alpha off his feet. With the wind effectively knocked out of him, she held her sword tip at his neck. "I win again, Alpha. What's the score now, 234-0?" She cockily said. The truth is, she liked nobody from the squad. Her pretentious family made her join in pursuit of fame and riches that benefited them more than her. She was just a pawn in their game.

"I guess so, Nine Iota. Well met." He stood up, dusting himself off as he walked toward the sword rack near the wall, depositing the wooden blade into its allocated position. He walked off, presumably to spar with another member of the Nines. She sighed, removing her arms from the sleeves of her grey overcoat that hung to her knees, a famous symbol of the group. She hadn't worn armor in years, finding no need for it. Instead, she wore whatever she felt like wearing that day, knowing that no injury would come to it. She decided that she was done training for the day, beginning to walk back through the locker room to the outside world. She received numerous stares due to her status, in addition to her unique appearance. She walked out of the main lobby, back toward the mansion on top of the hill, dreading any interaction with her so-called family.

She walked in through the back door, only to be greeted by two servants standing near the door. She nodded, signaling to them that no help was necessary. She then proceeded to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and pulling out one of the meals she had made earlier in the morning. After all, she wanted at least one thing to be done herself. She stuck it in the microwave for about thirty seconds, pulling it out and proceeding to eat her meal. She thought back to how easy it was to defeat some of the greatest players and the world, and desperately wished for more challenging opponents. Slowly but surely, the world of sword fighting became like a chore to her, no desire, no challenge. She craved that feeling of adrenaline as she clashed blades with a fearsome opponent, as she once had before.