8:27 AM — Yama District, Lower Monastery Courtyard
The line for morning rations crept forward under the haze of the rising sun, a slow-moving trail of muted grey robes and quiet patience.
One man didn't quite belong. He stood out — tall, with loose red and black monk robes that looked more dramatic than disciplined.
Slung on his back was a long, black sword bag — fabric, zipped shut — its strap hanging over his shoulder.
He was that guy from the car before.
The monks ahead of him stood with hands folded, heads slightly bowed.
He stood with one hand in his pocket, the other loosely holding a wooden bowl, shifting his weight like he was standing in line for ramen — not ritual food.
When he finally stepped to the front, he held out his bowl with a grin.
"Mornin'. One scoop."
The monk at the rations stall didn't even flinch.
He glanced once at his face, then turned deliberately to the next person.
"No food for you."
He blinked, caught off guard.
"…Hehhhhh?"
A breathy, baffled noise — not angry, more confused that this was even a discussion.
The server didn't bother elaborating. But the second monk beside him did — a younger one, clearly used to dealing with him.
"You don't attend spiritual gatherings."
"You skipped incense duty three days in a row."
"You disappeared yesterday during water-hauling hours."
"And now when you are supposed to be sweeping, you napping on a car's bumper."
The red-and-black-robed man sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.
"See,that was one time…or maybe two?."
The younger monk shrugged, expression deadpan.
"Uh-uh, that won't work. If you want food, talk to Monk Urashima."
The man stared at him for a second.
Then threw his hands up, eyes wide, jaw dropped in an exaggerated grimace.
"Are you guys for real right now?"
No response.
He groaned, the bowl still empty, and turned with a dramatic huff.
"Unbelievable…"
He turned, bowl still empty, and began walking away from the food line, sandals crunching on gravel.
As he moved toward the stone path that led uphill, he grumbled:
"Urashima, you old fart…"
As he passed the small booth next to the path — a makeshift checkpoint manned by another elderly monk — he slowed.
Without missing a beat, he reached out and placed his wooden bowl gently on top of the old monk's head.
Balanced it like a crown.
"Mind watching that for me?" he asked casually, already stepping away.
The monk blinked in confusion. "Wh—"
But the man had already taken off at a jog, calling back over his shoulder,
"Be right back! Just gonna go have a chat with that fossil!"
Behind him, the old monk spluttered, waving a spoon in the air.
"HEY! What do you think you're doing!?
But he was gone — vanishing around the curve of the hill, his robe fluttering behind him.
—----------------------------------------------
Meanwhile— Front Courtyard, the Monastery Chamber uphill.
The Air pulsed with tension.
Matilda stood in the middle of the courtyard, barring the stone steps that led to the main chamber. Behind her, the monastery loomed — tall, ancient, silent. Before her, the twin swordsmen stood side by side, weapons drawn.
She grinned, tilting her head as her eyes dropped to the blades in their hands.
"Ah," she said, voice low with interest. "The named swords. Twin Flow Blades."
Her gaze moved to the red-sheathed weapon in Soen's hands.
"The Sun Blade," she said aloud, like testing the taste of the name.
Then to the deep green hilt clutched in Kagen's grip.
"And the Moon Blade."
Her eyes lit up with greedy delight. "You know… I think I'll take both. Once I'm done with you two."
The brothers didn't flinch.
Their feet slid apart in perfect synchronicity. Stances rooted. Blades raised. Their robes stirred faintly with the breeze — two statues carved from resolve.
Kagen spoke first, voice calm, grounded.
"You underestimate us, young lady."
Soen followed, his words colder, tighter.
"And that's a mistake you won't get to make again."
The twins charged in with their twin flow blades. But Matilda didn't blink.
She pivoted, ducking under Soen's blade, then weaved past Kagen's slash with ease.
Her fist snapped upward — a brutal uppercut to Soen's jaw.
Before Kagen could react, her foot cracked straight into his face.
The brothers staggered back in opposite directions.
Matilda stood casually between them, hands slipping into her coat pockets.
She grinned wide. "I'll be using only my legs from now on… if that counts as underestimating you again."
The twins charged together — blades used in coordinated arcs.
But Matilda barely moved her arms. She leaned, twisted — evading each strike by inches.
A knee drove into Kagen's ribs. A sweeping roundhouse caught Soen square in the side of the head.
Still, they pressed on, closing in for another strike.
This time, Matilda let them close in — close enough to trap herself between them. Then, suddenly—
She hit the floor with a low roll, sprang upward, and with her body stretching in a V-shape mid-leap, slammed her feet into their jaws — a double-leg uppercut that sent them both airborne.
Matilda flipped gracefully and landed on her feet, smooth as silk. She turned her back to them and strolled a few steps toward the monastery chamber.
"Maybe you haven't noticed…" she said.
She stopped. Looked back.
"…You haven't landed a single hit on me."
Blood trailed from the corners of Soen and Kagen's mouths. They stared at her, breathing heavy — not just in pain, but in awe. In fear.
And then—
BOOM.
The massive monastery doors behind Matilda exploded outward, ripped from their hinges.
Wood slammed into the courtyard, sliding past them. The shockwave gusted her coat.
The twins exchanged a glance.
Low, just between them:
"…Was that—?"
"Yeah. No doubt. It was the Dragon Finger."
Matilda turned sharply, wide-eyed.
"What the hell was that?!" she thought, breath caught.
Soen and Kagen exchanged a glance — silent, knowing.
One of them stepped forward. "You know what that means, right?"
The other grinned, a fire rising behind his calm eyes. "Yup."
And they moved.
Blades drawn, they closed the distance with fluid grace. Soen led with a high arc — a heavy, downward strike.
Matilda braced herself to dodge — but in the blink of an eye, the swordsman in front of her was no longer Soen.
It was Kagen.
"A Swap?!" Her mind screamed.
His blade came up from below — a rising slash that caught her completely off guard.
She threw herself backward using both feet, just barely escaping.
The edge grazed her coat, slicing clean through the hem.
A cold jolt shot through her spine.
"If I hadn't jumped… that would've split me shoulder to shoulder…"
They were coming at her again.
Another strike — another swap.
Left became right. High became low. Kagen vanished, Soen appeared. Then vice versa. Again. Again.
Their movements blurred — like synchronized shadows flickering in and out of phase. Matilda was barely escaping those strikes, many of them landed leaving her scarred all over with slashes.
Matilda landed in a crouch, breathing heavy, eyes darting between them. For a moment, they paused — standing side by side, blades gleaming, robes barely rustling in the breeze.
Her breath hitched.
Her body ached.
Her smile was gone.
Matilda's eyes narrowed.
They looked different now.
Not just coordinated.
Formidable.
Unshakable.
Both stepped forward in unison.
Soen spoke, voice sharp as steel.
"Still want to underestimate us, Miss?"
Caption:
Nero Ability: "Twin Swapz."
Matilda — her smile revived.
She rose to her feet, brushing the dust off her coat as she pulled something small and metallic from her fanny pack.
"You're right," she said coolly. "I shouldn't have underestimated you."
She flipped the object in her hand once — She gripped it tight.
And then her body began to change.
Flesh and skin shimmered — replaced with a lustrous sheen.
Arms, legs, shoulders — her body morphed, layer by layer, as if absorbing the very metal.
Baldes collided with her again.
CLANG.
No slice.
The blade stopped. Cold. Frozen mid-swing at the point of impact.
They tried again.
CLANG.CLANG.
Nothing.
Soen gritted his teeth. Kagen's expression cracked.
Matilda dropped the chunk of metal at her feet with a clink.
Then lunged at them.
What followed wasn't graceful.
It was brutal.
Fists. Elbows. Knees. Headbutts. She hammered both brothers without restraint, sending them reeling across the courtyard, swords clattering.
Blood flecked the stone tiles.
The twins staggered back— one spitting blood, the other clutching a rib.
They glanced at their swords — the Twin Flow Blades.
Chipped. Damaged.
Soen muttered, "Damn it…"
Kagen shook his head, disbelief in his voice. "Impossible…"
Matilda stepped forward, still grinning — breathing hard, but grinning.
"You ever heard of Gymix?" she said.
Their eyes widened.
Behind them, far below, a faint but sharp voice echoed up the hillside:
"URASHIMAAA!!"
Matilda didn't notice — too high on her own triumph.
But the twins heard it.
"…Was that—?"
"Kaito?"
She crouched slightly, metal limbs gleaming in the morning light.
"Hardest substance on the planet. Deemed uncuttable. That was a piece of it I brought in from overseas."
Kaito made it to the top.
He tilted his head a bit onto his left and let out a small "huh?"
In front of him being beaten up, Soen and Kagen devastated monastery doors and a crazy woman going on and on about something, he understood the assignment quickly.
Matilda continued
" You heard that, even the twin flow blades can't cut me, I am uncuttable!!!"
Then suddenly a SLICE appeared on Matilda's face.
Kaito walked past the crazy Matilda.
"You see, miss..." he said, Slowly sheathing back his sword into his black base pink floraled sheath.
"Something uncuttable is still something…. for a blade that can cut through anything"
As he completely sheathed his blade, he walked towards the monastery matilda behind him was cut into two halves vertically; those two halves split apart and fell to the ground.
As kaito walks towards the monastery with quiet resolve in his eyes.
Caption:
Name:Kaito.
Nero ability: "Perfect cleaver."