A Hot Soul...Dwells In An Even Hotter Body

[tehinferno]

This morning happens to be a dark, and terrible morning. Every little detail added to the day, only made it less appealing. The the fresh scent of “Suck” lingered in the air around the boy's dormitory. As each of the teenage students of Shibusen, woke up to the horribly over-used, exercise, and motivational songs, they moaned with horrible complaints.

“Where the fuck is that coming from?!?

“I...I just fell asleep! I've had projects all week!”

“What sick fuck would do something like this?! So early?!”

Which of the tenants would do something so obnoxious, and rude? As boy's pushed themselves through their doorways, trying to identify the source, they were perplexed. It was so loud that it echoed everywhere down the hall. Figuring it out would be harder for them, because of this, and giving up, the disgruntled students forced themselves back into their beds. However...The source of the music was a lot more obvious than the students made it out to be. The “sick fuck” was none other than Yuu Kaneko. The flamboyant Meister had woken up this morning, after a revelation. Yuu wanted to become stronger, and after deciding this, got up at 4 O'clock, and began playing Eye of the Tiger.

“I'm Yuu Kaneko...I'm wonderful...I'm fabulous...I'm stronger than a lot of the students...I'm the best with fashion...I'm perfect!” He let these words flow from his mouth, in between the short breaths, that followed each of the crunches he was doing. “Once I master my Kick Guard...I'll be unstoppable...Along with being the...Social anomaly...I'll be...A valuable student...To the school...That's the next step...To get to the top...I'm the original Golden Child...”

With this the Meister hopped up from the ground, and stretched out both of his legs. The weights he had left there were weighing him down, which was perfect for what he was doing. Most people would underestimate him, and perhaps they were right, but he wasn't useless. Yuu had been in both gymnastics, and martial arts for years, and it was definitely a plus for his figure. The point was, he pretty much knew what he wanted, and was determined to get stronger. Then he could truly take over this school, without any doubt. As if there were doubt.

A rather obnoxious knocking had caught his attention. One of the students, who just couldn't take it anymore, had gotten a little wise the longer he stayed awake. Only Yuu Kaneko would be this much of an asshole. Yuu opened the door to his own room, and looked at one of his fellow students. The boy had a rather pissed look on his face, and like usual, Yuu flashed him a fake smile. Though the student was through with his crap.

“Sorry about this, Yuu...but I'm really sick of this shit!”

Yuu looked at him curiously as he said this, and raised his fist. A quick jab, it sounded powerful as well, and it was aimed directly at Yuu's face. This was to be expected from a student of Shibusen, but Yuu was quick. Dodging the punch, swiftly, and then lifting his leg almost as fast, he delivered a kick to the boy's head. Yuu wasn't sure whether it was his own strength, or the weights around his ankles, but the boy fell down with a groan. That wasn't what he intended at all.

“Ooops...”

Stepping around the boy, he decided that it was about time for him to leave. Walking to the bed, and opening up is nail case, he began to paint his nails a nice shade of blue. Sure he was training, but he'd have to look decent while he did it. While he painted them, and blew on them accordingly, he wondered what he would wear with it. He found on of his blue, sleeveless tops, and put it on, after he finished. Along with some black sweat pants. This seemed like it would be good to train in, and it wasn't like it was important. They were replaceable clothes, that would be easy to work in.

Pushing the groaning boy, away from his doorway, Yuu left his room, and tried to think of where he would train. The park seemed like it'd be a little crowded later, and he already really hate the desert. He had heard of a forest...With pumpkin vines, and strange trees, at the edge of the city. This would be incredibly fun, if he could find it.

____________________________________________________

The enigmatic Meister walked down the street, and after a long time searching, he finally found the place he was looking for. This early in the morning, there were few people walking around, and it was difficult without direction, but he was sure this was the place. Running into the forest, and beginning to jog, he thought that this would be a little too easy. That is, until he caught himself on a vine, and tripped. What good was being able to run, if he couldn't pay attention enough to his surroundings.

“Dang it...This really sucks...”

Yuu held his arm for a moment. He knew that there was nothing wrong with it, but he hated any type of pain. This was something that he really wasn't used to, and he knew that he would have to toughen up more. As matter of fact...When he came to this school, he was supposed to increase his Kick Guard, which he still hasn't managed to do. Deciding that he'd have to try harder, the Meister pulled himself up, and ran towards one of the trees. He jumped to it, and then activated his technique. Using the new strength in his legs, he pulled in as he feet touch, and pushed off almost immediately, gaining a stronger jump than he would have had otherwise. This moment of triumph, was again interrupted however, by the pain in his legs from activating the technique. Only registering that, at the moment, he didn't notice the other tree, which he had flung himself into.

BAM

The impact on the tree, had actually caused the birds to fly wildly from the area, as if it were under a horrible threat. Yuu felt that pain, and he cursed under his breath as he tried to pull himself up. Luckily Yuu hadn't hit himself in any...Awkward, or endangering way. The best part was, that he had missed his face, having hit the oddly shaped tree, with his shoulder. It still hurt, but it didn't hurt his pride, and that was all he really cared about. Trying to shake it off, he again came to the idea that he needed someone's help. Well...For now he would try to finish up his training. Taking a stance, and attempting it once again, the teen secretly hoped, that no one was around to see this...Especially if he did manage to hit his face.

[Eva Liu]

"Naega jaeil jalnaga."
"Naega jaeil jalnaga."
"Naega jaeil jalnaga."

She attempted and failed to lift her head from her pillow, and settled with turning towards the nightstand. There had to be a significance to this particular song playing on her phone, the reason why she was even roused from her sleep, but the pillow was so comfortable that she could not quite remember why and did not care to find out. Whoever it was that was calling had to know her habits, and shame on them for expecting her to expend energy at this hour. The phone continued to dance and sing.

"Naega jaeil jalnaga."
"Jae jae jaeil jalnaga."

"I know I'm the best," she said as she rolled over to the other side of the bed. I am the best. The sassy declaration nipped at the edges of her sleepy mind. Very recent events had impressed it deeply on her. Two things wormed their way into Eva’s consciousness: the phrase being thrown out by a person with boundless self-confidence, and the same words emblazoned on a shirt like a charm to protect himself from the fury of the crowd he was antagonizing. President Kaneko!

The pillow went sailing towards the floor as she scrambled to unwrap the toasty blanket burrito around her. She could not let it go to voicemail! She had promised the president that she would be reachable at any time she was needed! There was no time to disentangle herself, she would have to inch the whole burrito towards the nightstand. Flailing about, the girl hopped along on her stomach.

"Bam Ratatata-tatatatata."
"Bam Ratatata-tatatatata."
"Bam Ratatata-tatatatata."

With her arm stretched out, her fingers nearly reached the phone. Her nails tapped at its screen. Eva tried one final push to put it within complete grasp, but as soon as she had the device in hand, a sharp pain tore through her left calf. No, not even a leg cramp would stop her from taking this call!

“Yes?” she answered, her voice unusually pitched to the point of being squeaky.

“Ah, I was wondering if I should be calling you at this time, but I’m glad you picked up like you said you would.”

“Of course, I keep my promises!” The girl kept her answers as terse as possible.

“Did I interrupt you or something? You sound strange.”

“No, no, don’t mind me. What do you need?”

“Well anyways, I was thinking that if I was going to lead, it wouldn’t be enough to just do it with my words and stunning good looks. They need someone who can also take care of himself in a fight, or else how will they continue to look up to me?”

“That makes perfect sense.”

“I’m at the forest right now. I decided that I have to begin my training now, or else I’ll continue putting it off. Please, come join me.”

“The forest? You’re out there right now? It’s-,” she turned to one of the many alarm clocks arranged on the nightstand, “six! On a Saturday!”

“It’s the perfect time to start, and I want to prove to myself how dedicated I really am to doing this. You're paired with a meister, aren't you? He can help us, and we'll train together.”

“You want him?”

“If you trust him, then I trust him. It's the easiest arrangement.”

"Alright, alright, we're coming."

"Thank you, I knew I wouldn't have to be alone in this."

As soon as he hung up, Eva let the phone fall to the bed and brought her knees to her chest as she continued to massage her calf. The things she did out of loyalty really were commendable. Crawl out of bed six hours earlier than usual? Sweat on a weekend? Chance Rune's whims and subject herself to the hilarious douche baggery that she was usually on the safe side of? Yes, her commitment to the Rocton Barret Fanclub and President Kaneko did run that deep, and there would never be enough accolades to show for it.

-----------------

She tried to swing her leg over the motorcycle seat, but gasped from the exertion and let it fall back. "I can't. My leg still hurts. Can't you drive closer? It's so cold and my muscles aren't ready yet." Eva slumped into his back, ever the petulant child with him. Maybe if she pretended to nod off to sleep, he would relent? No, that would be the perfect opportunity for him to use the staff he had her carry during the ride to the forest.

"Right into the pumpkins? Just be happy I didn't make you run here like I should have."

"It hurts! I think I tore something. I need you to give me a piggy-back ride, or let me use your staff. Let me massage it before I try putting any weight on it again. Wait, no no no don't do that! I was just kidding! Really! The cramp's totally gone now. Look, I'm wal- running just fine! I'm sorry Sifu Rune!"

With the right encouragement, the girl ran towards the epicenter of the large cracking sound and tore into the clearing where Yuu had been trying to warm up. Leaning against a tree while she caught her breath, Eva gestured weakly behind her. "I- he- His staff! Why?" She laughed desperately as her meister strode in, but the sound quickly petered out. "Rune, this is my friend Yuu. Yuu, this is Rune. He's going to be our sifu today."

[Dirge]

Saturday Morning - Rune's Room

Rune's eyes remain fixed on the wooden ceiling within his scantily decorated place. The dormitory is surprisingly orderly, small yet spacious. The perfect place for someone like him. His everyday clothes - washed the day before - lay on the back of a metal, cushioned chair and, as his azure eyes drift away to gaze upon them, the meister decides that it's time to get up.

The day didn't feel any different than any other Saturday's morning at 6:10 AM. It was a quaint sunny morrow outside, with barely any clouds on the pristine blue skies. Rune's senses perked at the blaring guitars coming from the ringtone of a nearby cellphone settled on a wooden desk. Admittedly, Rune wasn't familiar with devices like these when he lived back at his hometown. He'd only picked up the knowledge to use them in the year he'd spent traveling from village to town, from town to city 'til reaching Shibusen and requesting to learn. The blue haired meister reached over from his bed and picked up the call.

"Calling this early, Shorty? You're lucky I was already up."

"Sorry! Can you meet me in around fifteen? I'll explain on the way. You should also bring the bike!"

"Explain wha-- The bike, huh? Don't need more convincin' than that to get me out of bed and rollin' on a Saturday morning. I've been wanting to test that little baby a little more."

"It's settled, then! Yuu'll be ecstasic."

"Wait, wha--?"

Before Rune could get those last words in, Eva had hung up, leaving him with one little interrogant: Yuu?

"... I'm in for an eventful day, then. Better get ready and see what Shorty wants."

Getting out of bed, Rune went through the same ol' routine for all his mornings; throw the boxers he slept in into a plastic bin dedicated solely for laundry, take a long, hot shower to wake up fully, dry up before putting on his everyday clothing, and pick up his trusty metal staff from under his bed. This weapon and family relic was always on him whenever he was within or outside Shibusen. At least if Eva wasn't around, he'd be able to defend himself to a degree.

Walking out of the dorms, Rune walked all the way to the entrance of the academy where he saw it. A devious grin found its way to his lips, and his eyes just settled on the beast of a vehicle. It was a powerful motorcycle - one of the finest models around - that Eva and Rune had purchased it recently. The meister still hadn't many chances to drive it, so he was extremely excited about it. This, too, was another thing he'd learned to use through his travels.

He removed the chain that held the motorcycle attached to a nearby lamp post and climbed on its comfortable seat, starting the ignition with the lone key he possessed and feeling the astounding growls coming from its engine. And he drove off; he rushed down the main street into the city to pick Eva up and continued on to the forest right after that.

The Pumpkin Patch Forest - Nearly 7 AM

With the high speeds the monstrous vehicle could reach, both meister and weapon had made it to the forest in no time. Eva ran on ahead while Rune just laughed, still on the motorcycle's seat. Figuring he'd follow along, he took his time to get off of the vehicle, and strode into the forest with staff in hand, past the pumpkins and into the clearing where both Eva and Yuu were.

"Rune, this is my friend Yuu. Yuu, this is Rune. He's going to be our sifu today."

Rune directed a slightly confused gaze towards his partner.

"Sifu? Come to think of it, you called me that earlier too, Shorty. Got no idea what it means but I'll be you two's sifu for now." And shortly after, he looked at Yuu, whistling humorously afterwards. "And what carnival did you run off from, huh? Juuuust kidding. You'll get used to my jokes in time. Shorty here already has."

Avoiding Eva's glare, at least he thought she'd be glaring at him after that comment, Rune just twirled his staff around, spinning it a few times through the air before pointing one of the the heads of it towards Yuu.

"I don't believe I've heard why we're gathered here in the middle of the forest on a saturday morning. Something about training and shaping up." That said, he let the staff drop once more to just lean on it as if it was a cane of sorts.
"Motorcycle pretty much drowned most of the words out. I still should've made you run all the way here, Shorty." He grinned towards the demon weapon before looking at the both of them. "So, boy and gal... What's the exact reason we're out here, according to the both of you?"

[tehinferno]

Yuu was slightly interrupted by the sound of what he thought was a motorcycle. Then following it was the person he had been expecting. Eva was running in his direction, and Yuu flashed her a warm smile.

"Rune, this is my friend Yuu. Yuu, this is Rune. He's going to be our sifu today."

Yuu was caught off guard by the word friend. For a moment it seemed weird, but then he shook it off. Of course they were friends. Then he looked on to see the person she was referring to. Rune was going to be our sifu? That's all he could think, and even though he didn't know what that word meant, he figured it had something to do with the training.

"Sifu? Come to think of it, you called me that earlier too, Shorty. Got no idea what it means but I'll be you two's sifu for now."The man gave a slight whistle, as he turned to Yuu. "And what carnival did you run off from, huh? Juuuust kidding. You'll get used to my jokes in time. Shorty here already has."

At leas the man was slightly confused as well, on the sifu thing. However...Circus? This sort of frustrated, Yuu, but as he had said it was only a joke, and Yuu was a little desperate for help. The peculiar Meister seemed to be from a circus himself, by the way he was twirling his cane. The man pointed it at Yuu, and this made him jump a bit, however Yuu realized it wasn't a threat, and calmed down.

"I don't believe I've heard why we're gathered here in the middle of the forest on a saturday morning. Something about training and shaping up."

After that, he explained how the motorcycle blocked out most of the conversation, and how he should have made, Eva run. He was actually kind of funny in an unusual way, and this brought a smile to Yuu's face. This man would be trustworthy, even if Yuu didn't know that he was Eva's partner. The man leaned on his staff, and looked at both Yuu, and Eva. Grinning slightly at her, before he did so.

"So, boy and gal... What's the exact reason we're out here, according to the both of you?

Yuu sat there for a moment, as if the Meister's whimsical movements had put him in a trance. He snapped himself out of it, and thought about the answer. He was here for training, and Rune was hopefully going to help him.

“I want your help training. I need to get stronger...Specifically with my legs, and kicking techniques.”

[Eva Liu]

If only she had braved the pain! Was the effort to ignore the muscle ache just long enough to warn him of her meister mercurial tendencies really too much? In her moment of weakness, Eva simply could not bring herself to dissuade Yuu, and now they both would have to pay for it. Even she could not predict what the merry prankster Rune had in mind. He was just as likely to spring a merciless hazing on them as he was to proclaim himself a self taught yogi and lead them on a series of fabricated and highly compromising poses. The only price he asked was to be thoroughly amused, she understood.

"Motorcycle pretty much drowned most of the words out. I still should've made you run all the way here, Shorty."

"Haha," she said flatly in reply, maintaining the glare she had been shooting him ever since his first comment. He'd turned to look at her! No holes had been bored into the back of his head, but perhaps a few strands of blue hair had been displaced? Ordinarily she would take his joke and add her own cheeky spin, but she was too jittery to maintain their usual light hearted banter. Here was her meister and the club president, both individuals she had pledged her allegiance to. Should one somehow offend the other, her social affairs would be disastrous to sort out. There was no question who she would side with without hesitation, though even she doubted her ability to remain silent if Yuu took to casually slandering Rune. They had to get along, or at the very least silently respect their differences in the least passive aggressive manner possible.

Eva watched on nervously as Yuu spoke, ever ready to cut in with a hasty recovery in case his words were less than kind. His answer brought momentary relief, but it only meant that she could take her eye off one highly volatile individual to focus on another. No matter what, Rune would have his entertainment, though he was extending them the opportunity to sway him to be more merciful through their sincerity.

She pushed off from the trunk she had been leaning on to stand straight and as tall as her petite frame would allow."I want to be able to defend myself, and more importantly be able to defend you if I ever have to," she said. She had shown him nothing but cowardice, starting from the incident in the boy's dormitory and through the zoo attack. "I don't want to always have to rely on you to save the day. I want to be able to help by being self-sufficient whenever possible."

[Dirge]

“I want your help training. I need to get stronger...Specifically with my legs, and kicking techniques.”

[/i]Rune wasn't all that surprised by these words, looking back at Yuu as he spoke. He'd assumed it was why Eva'd brought him here and he really didn't mind helping out, but he'd never imagined that his partner was tagging along for more than just introductions...

"I want to be able to defend myself, and more importantly be able to defend you if I ever have to. I don't want to always have to rely on you to save the day. I want to be able to help by being self-sufficient whenever possible."[/i]

Rune's eyes gradually shifted from the would-be trainee to the demon dadao, arching a single eyebrow at the unforeseen scenario. Why, she'd just never showed a courageous, brave side on her own... And yet here she was, her small body packing a fighting spirit that'd never surfaced in all the ocassions Rune'd seen her. Save for when he was holding the handle of the dadao, she hadn't exactly been one to defend herself. Even in the face of danger, back at the boys' dorm, it took Rune to walk in there half asleep for Eva to react. But that was all going to change today.

"So you two want to be real seasoned warriors, hm? Ain't gonna be hard, Shorty, but..."[/i] And he looked down at the girl's leg - most specifically, the one that'd been hurting. "... You're gonna let that rest for a while. No use in exertin' that leg's muscles or you're gonna pull it and be out of commission for the remainder of the training session. As for you..."[/i] Rune's eyes drifted over to Yuu. "How'bout you show me what you can do, Carnie? Throw a few swings and kickin' techniques my way. Gotta see your skills before we can discuss what to improve, hm?"[/i]

Rune wasn't a teacher by any means, but if he was going to try to help his partner and her friend out, he'd try training them the same way his father had trained him. The meister remained leaning on his metal rod, one of the ends firmly lodged into the grass and dirt underneath, and expectantly gazing at Yuu. *Time to see what the club president is capable of...*[/i] Rune thought to himself with a grin.[/justify]

[tehinferno]

"I want to be able to defend myself, and more importantly be able to defend you if I ever have to. I don't want to always have to rely on you to save the day. I want to be able to help by being self-sufficient whenever possible."

Yuu was astonished at what Eva was saying. He was sure that the only reason that she was here, was to help him...It was reassuring to know that she felt similar to him. The flamboyant Meister watched her for a moment, before returning his attention to her partner. Yuu was still pondering the 'joke' earlier, and while he was mad, he wasn't prepared to just let it slide.

"How'bout you show me what you can do, Carnie? Throw a few swings and kickin' techniques my way. Gotta see your skills before we can discuss what to improve, hm?"

Well...he had said it again, and Yuu would probably have to get over it. Yuu didn't have a problem with him, anyways, so playful banter shouldn't be that harmful...and again...he really needed the help. Yuu's smirk returned to his face, and he snickered a little bit. Yuu would still have no problem showing him some kicks...

"Dunno...I might hurt you, but I could give it a try."

Yuu took a stance, and then tried to think about what he was going to do. The Meister was obviously skilled with the staff, and would easily block any attack to the midsection...pretty much anywhere below the neck. Attacking above would probably be the best option, and it would help show the man, more of what Yuu was capable of. Rushing forward, Yuu had originally planned to do a jump roundhouse kick...but in combination with his Kick Guard, he wasn't sure what the outcome would be. This was an obvious mistake, because he was incapable of gauging his thrust, and when he jumped, instead of going in the direction of Rune, he flew slightly over, and flung himself onto the crooked branch of a tree. He hung by his leg for a moment, and then fell...This time he had hit his head...

[Dirge]

Rune watched from his vantage point how the club president flew right over him and onto the branch of a nearby tree, and down to the ground. It was a loud, disgusting sound, the one that rang through the air when Yuu slammed down headfirst into the ground. He stood there for a moment, entire body frozen as in stasis before it slowly - and I mean really slowly - began to fall down to the ground and produce yet another thud, albeit this time it was far weaker.

"Oh boy... If this was a real fight, you'd be already dead."

Rune stared the flamboyant Meister down, approaching him with metal rod in hand. The blue haired meister knew he had to train both Eva and Yuu, but if the latter was already making mistakes this early... It wouldn't do. He could not be allowed to make mistakes in training because they'd carry over to the battlefield, and in the face of danger it was much easier to mess up. Tension, nervousness, fear, hesitation... All these factors were a problem in the middle of battle.

"C'mon now. Don't grow too comfortable, laying there on the ground. If I'm gonna train you, you're going to need focus - concentration."[/color] Rune tapped the lower end of the rod onto the supple grass and dirt. "The problem in your previous attack was... You didn't focus correctly. You used more strength in your jump than you wanted, thus messing up the whole flow of your attack. If you can't balance out your strength in battle, you're going to have a bad time."[/color]

Outstretching his free hand's arm, Rune offered to help the young meister up. "Now, c'mon. Get up and get back in your stance. I want you to focus now. Once you're ready, I want you to attack me with an accurate and powerful blow."[/color] Rune grinned down at the flamboyant one. "Y'gotta feel your entire body, you know? Don't hesitate and don't be afraid of the consequences of your blows. After all, you'll be fighting alongside us, and it'll be Kishin out there in the field. Think they're going to be as tolerant as I am? They won't show any mercy towards you!"[/color] Rune's voice was soon booming with the power of a general in front of his army, aiming to give the meister that confidence boost that he possibly needed.

"Now get up, Yuu Kaneko! Show me what you're capable of!"[/color]

[Eva Liu]

She was shamelessly relieved at being given a few moments to nurse her strained muscles. All that unforgiving personal reflection and acknowledging of her own shortcomings was just exhausting, a real emotional beating that she needed time to recover from. Eva nodded in reply, but could not entirely suppress a gleeful grin from appearing as she settled down on a rather large pumpkin. Yuu's actual experience level was a mystery to her, but even if it was abysmal she had no doubts in her meister's ability to help him improve. He was Rune: she firmly believed that he could do just about anything. Doing exactly the right thing to irritate everyone was one of those, as entertaining as it was to the both of them. Eva grimaced once she realized that he had finally settled on a nickname for Yuu, but thankfully the sassy backtalk never came.

The petite weapon was just about to get comfortable with the idea that the training session might progress without any flare ups when Yuu gave his disastrous first demonstration. She sucked in her breath through gritted teeth and cringed in second hand embarrassment. There really was no way to spin it to save face- it was just that big a goof up. Although she waited for it, Rune never laughed. He didn’t provide even a mildly annoying jab at the mistake- he sounded more resigned than anything. Eva watched on intently, the pride growing in her as he launched into his pep talk. See? He could act his age and more. Everyone always said he was just a man-child who can’t ever take anything seriously, but she knew there were a few layers beyond that to Rune. He wasn’t always too silly to accomplish anything. She had made sure that the meister she would eventually be partnered up with would not share that same self-defeating trait as she did.

Of course, she hadn’t forgotten about President Kaneko. “Beat his ass!” the girl snarled as she threw her fists in front of her in a 1-2 punch. “Wipe that grin off his face already.” Eva cheered him on, making it clear that she had no qualms about his fulflling Rune’s request. Her meister could take it, but Yuu was the type who could do with some ego stroking, especially after being defeated by a tree.

[tehinferno]

Yuu sat there for a moment, as Rune held out his hand. This person had a really good point, and Yuu was glad that he was going to help him. Yuu grabbed his hand, and then let go once he regained his balance. While the words were motivating enough...Yuu loved hearing his name. He was filled the max with adrenaline, and it was even enough to make him forget that he had fallen on his face. Eva's comments helped too...It was about time that he got serious about things. The flamboyant Meister got back into a stance, and stared at him.

“I'm really going to try this time...Without the cockiness for a moment...Though I am pretty great.”

Yuu flashed him a quick smirk, and then got himself ready. This time he thought this through. It'd be tough to get around him normally, and he really didn't have any idea of what Rune was capable of. Last time he was incapable of gauging his thrust...Which tossed him into the tree. It would be bad to have a repeat of that, especially after the encouragement. So what if this time...He went underneath instead? That'd throw him off balance, or make him move at least.

Yuu took in a deep breath and rushed forward. Instead of activating his Kick Guard right away, he waited until what he thought was the right moment. In the instant the he closed the distance, he ducked down and pivoted, and that was his moment. He activated his Kick Guard, hoping that it would not only increase the strength of his kick, but his pivot as well. He was unsure of the that, but he knew that the kick would be strong enough to shake him a bit.

[Dirge]

The moment Yuu grabbed onto his hand, Rune pulled him up without any effort; it was wondrous the things years of training could do to the human body. Rune's body was far more resilient than it looked, and coupled with the fact that he was naturally quick, it allowed him to last quite the long time in the middle of a battle. Granted, this was merely training. The blue haired meister wasn't about to injure the flamboyant Yuu Kaneko... Too much. After all, without pain, there was no gain!

"Cheer'im up even more, shorty! I think he can use some more fire to the brazier of his ego."

[/i] Rune commented over to the li'l asian dadao screaming for him to get his ass kicked. It was necessary, some pep talk for the young meister to muster up the confidence and focus to attack the older one. "Now..."[/i] Brandishing the metal rod with evident expertise, Rune grinned over at Yuu. "You could probably make it as art for the 'Hanged Man' in tarot decks. You're pretty great at landin' too, though. Anyone of lesser 'skill' would've probably broken a bone or two, y'know?"[/i]

After that last attack had failed, Rune was certain Yuu would try something... safer. Perhaps a straight kick to his midsection, or a sweep to his hip or knees. Several scenarios played themselves out in the older meister's mind in accordance to the experience he had in both armed and unarmed combat thanks to his father, and it really wasn't surprising that he found Yuu's movements a little predictable. But that was the point of training with someone more experienced, right? Trainers were often faster, stronger, and overall more learned in the ways of combat. Yuu would undoubtedly pick up on a few things in this session... If he lasted long enough.

Rune's eyes widened as soon as Yuu shot forward towards him. "Knew it..." The blue haired meister whispered to himself, gazing at the younger one duck and begin to pivot on his left foot, initiating a sweeping kick aimed for Rune's legs. Not bad for a rookie, really. It was an attack that attempted to erase Rune's foothold entirely and send him soaring through the air for a split second or two before he hit the ground... If it connected. He wasn't about to make it easy for Yuu, though. Reacting with quick movements, the older meister shot himself forth and jumped just enough for the sole of his right leg to step barely above Yuu's supporting leg's knee. Rune used this as a new foothold to jump yet once more, soaring above the pivoting boy and landing squarely upon his shoulders with both feet. All it took from there was the force of the landing; gravity plus the falling momentum Rune garnered to be transferred onto the flamboyant Yuu's back.

If that didn't send him faceplanting down on the ground, it'd just leave Rune standing on top of his shoulders, and perhaps his back, depending on how Yuu stood after that.[/justify]