When Swords Turn Black

When Omari fought Samson, he would have to close his eyes because they couldn't keep up with his movement when amongst the trees, but he knew sound would never deceive. Soon as Samson disappeared from Soren's sight, he looked down to see Samson had dashed, but his line of sight and weaved back to narrowly avoided Samson's slash for his head. He's using his shortness against me. So Soren stepped back, lowered his stance, stepped forward and slashed at Samson. Samson redirected the slash with one of his own. Soren stepped out of reach, but Samson threw his sword into his other hand and, with a thrust, cut open Soren's cheek. Soren wiped the blood off his cheek and rushed back in for more.

He never fought like that with me. Omari watched Samson striking and spinning his sword when blocked to quickly going in for new slashes. Samson was throwing his sword between his hands and throwing hands between his sword swings. But most notably, he was hitting harder and faster than he did when he fought Omari. Sure, Soren was faster and stronger than Omari with a better sword technique than Samson, but was stuck on the defensive. But with every blow he blocked, that defence began to break and one thing lingered in Omari's mind was, why is Soren not using his control? Before he saw the stadium lights flicker. 

Samson hit the crucifix out of Soren's hand and quickly pivoted his sword for a heavy down slash, but his whole body cramped. He froze a moment until all the lightning in the stadium came to Soren and exploded, sending Samson flying back. "Lightning is hard to gather," Soren thundered, and Samson rolled back onto his feet. "But I had just enough time." He pointed at Samson and shot a lightning bolt from his finger, Samson dodged.

"Learning to dodge invisible slashes makes this child's play."

"You didn't dodge anything." The bolt turned around and stuck in the back. His vision flashed white and suddenly Soren was in front of him with his sword pointing to the sky. But before Samson could block, Soren said the words, "Thunderclap." Lightning from the clouds above struck his sword and sent it down, cutting through Samson. Then the two of them disappeared.

Omari was stunned. Every contestant was. Easily, that was the greatest fight of the exam, but there were still more battles to go. Omari watched all the fights, but he never came till only one contestant was left. The contestants were summoned to the arena, but Omari wasn't. Then he realized he couldn't be summoned and ran to the arena. This caught the slayer's, but he kept it to himself. Omari's opponent was your average guy, but from the way he shook while holding his crucifix, Omari could tell he was nervous and inexperienced. Omari could easily win this fight, but he didn't want to hurt someone who did nothing wrong, despite what the form might say. So as soon as the fight began and his opponent ran to him, he slit his own wrist and, while holding up his arms for the blood to drip down, he said, "Give up." 

His opponent froze. "What are you doing?"

Omari simply looked at him, threw his sword into his other hand, and slit his other wrist. It hurts, He thought, but out loud he said, "Give up."

"We're supposed to be fighting each other."

"I'm not going to fight you, though, so just give up." He made a slit down the inside of one of his forearms. His opponent was horrified, but the slayer above just looked at what was going on.

The fact Omari's opponent wasn't summoned away meant he could continue. He slit the inside of his other forearm. At this point, blood was pouring from him, he was feeling lightheaded and his opponent asked, "Why? Why do this?"

"You probably have a dream you live for. That's why you're willing to kill for your dream." Omari stabbed his own thigh and groaned before gritting his teeth. "But when it's gone, you have nothing to live for?" He stabbed his other thigh but was silent this time, but it hurt. "I, on the other hand, have something I would die for." He held the point of his crucifix to his eye. It hurts so much but I got to continue.

"What are you -" Omari gouged out his eye with his crucifix screeching during the entire process but not stopping until he was done and when he done he was on knees, lightheaded, and said, "So this is what I'll do to have what I want so please give up." He grabbed his sword in a reverse grip with both his hands and - "I give up." His opponent raised a hand. "But before I go, tell me what you would die for."

Omari smiled, his teeth bloodied, and said, "I want to save people and nothing more." Before passing out.

He woke up and all he could see was white. It was the roof again. This time around he knew he was in a hospital, but next to him wasn't the slayer, but… "Soren?"

Soren looked at him and smiled, "The psycho's awake."

"Psycho?" Omari asked. He was still quite lightheaded, but was able to speak.

"Yeah, news of the stunt you pulled spread like wildfire. The incident was dubbed the Suicide Slayer Scene. Our dads were both dying of laughter at the whole incident, but also impressed. You really trusted that form, but I still don't get it. Why do that, of all things?"

"I want to spend my life-saving people and I know as a slayer there will come a day I will have to fight another human in order to protect others, but the exam was not that day. What about you? Why do you wanna be a slayer?"

"What can I say? I was born to be a slayer and a great one at that. I'm just trying to realize my potential, but that's what makes me more upset about what happened in my fight with Samson. I didn't win that fight."

He continued, "I could tell his muscles cramped, all of them even. Whatever workouts he was going before the fight had completely ruined his body. If he had rested even a day longer, if even one single muscle of his didn't cramp, he would have won."

"What about in the rankings?"

"You have us all beat at first, but afterwards Samson and I are tied for second and third with the toothpaste and Terren guy, taking the last two spots. I just hope I get the chance to fight him again at a tournament and next time I'll win."... Later that same day, Omari would be dismissed from the hospital to go home. He spent the night talking about the exams to his dad before going to pack his things because the next day, he would be off to the country's slayer school. In the morning, he kissed his dad goodbye and, with his bags, made his way to Samson's house. He waited there for a bit, but soon Samson came out of the house. "There is my little Suicide Slayer!"

"You heard it too?"

"Who didn't? Now let's go! Hate to get left behind."

While they walked, Omari asked, "Sam, do you think you won your fight against Soren?"

"You saw the match I lost. Why ask about it?"

"Because your muscles cramped up, and that ruined your chance to win the fight."

"You'll never find yourself ready to fight. Just as my muscles were fatigued, he still had to gather his lightning. The difference is he took advantage of my weakness and I failed to do the same. And even if we both fought at our best, when he's electrified, he's faster and stronger than me. I lost that fight, but I was given a second chance. I promise to win."

"Hey Sam, isn't that our bus leaving?" Omari pointed at a bus with Soren's head stuck out the window, laughing at them. And so they chased the bus, the bus that would take them all to slayer school.