When he decided to face Kato in Ambershire, he wanted to test Kenji's power, having never activated it before. Yoichi could never have imagined that such a gesture would affect his tamer career.
Luckily for him, Takamori Sada was also present that day. Subconsciously, the Nightblades leader was his supporter before meeting him at Goldhaven.
"What is it, Yozo? Are you surprised that one of my warriors beat that whining kid? Mmh... well, I would have been surprised if the situation were reversed," Takamori stated, provoking his interlocutor.
Unnerved by Takamori's irreverent behaviour and the fact that Kato's defeat could never again be erased from the mind of those who had witnessed it, Yozo stomped forward.
His feet slammed to the ground with force, leading his body in the presence of Takamori, much shorter than him. "How dare you talk to me like that? That boy wasn't one of your warriors yet when he defeated Kato. I just have to look at his appearance to see that he's a loser," Yozo roared.
"You can't go back. What is done, it is done. They are old enough to solve their problems. You and I must not meddle in what is not our business. I won't tell you again, Yozo... let us through," Takamori ordered.
Ayaka, his mantis, climbed on his head. Its little white eyes squared Yozo as if trying to figure out what his real intentions were.
"Don't try to be smart with me. That guy hiding behind you is worth less than an insect. Now, in front of everyone, he will face Kato!" Yozo shouted, raising his arms and inciting the crowd behind him.
His warriors, as if they were fans in a stadium, began to scream. Some of them cheered the name of their guildmate. Others insulted Yoichi, though they never knew him.
"Yoichi fought a few minutes ago against a professional tamer. The boy is tired and suffered minor injuries. He can not fight right now", Takamori replied, taking the young tamer's side.
A drop of sweat fell from Yoichi's forehead. His breaths became increasingly intense and frequent. Without ever diverting his gaze from those who strutted in front of his master, Yoichi realized that he had made a real enemy: Kato.
Driven by envy, Kato had never accepted that defeat. Although Yoichi had behaved sportingly even after the duel, he had rejected his friendship, holding a grudge. Since then, the blue-haired warrior had plotted his revenge, studying it in detail.
In such a situation, with two guild masters sharing mutual hate for each other, his opponent already exhausted, and his teammates supporting him, Kato was definitely the favourite. He knew that he could unleash his full potential in the training arena, already knowing Yoichi's fighting style.
"What?! Can't he fight? Don't be silly, Takamori. He can't choose. If he doesn't fight, you'll stay here until he changes his mind," Yozo complained, determined to go through with it. At that moment, the Heralds guild chief was not acting in the interests of his warrior: the old personal issues still outstanding between him and Takamori dulled his sight.
"There are no conditions for a fight on equal terms. It makes more sense to move this to tomorrow. You can choose the time. Tomorrow Yoichi and Kato can..."
"So face me, Takamori! We'll fight against each other, like the old days, huh? What do you say? Are you still going to flee like a rabbit?" Yozo boomed, screaming like a madman. Publically throwing down the gauntlet to Takamori, he demanded an answer.
Behind the two leaders, who were squabbling like two children, Yoichi still couldn't speak. "Hey, Yoichi! What do you want to do? Let Sada-sensei do this, don't get any ideas!" Enatsu whispered, resting his hand on his mouth.
His companion's hearing rejected his words. Yoichi was feeling a sense of anger too intense to be appeased. The superiority of the Emperor's Heralds was putting a strain on his patience.
Not wanting to put his promising new student at risk, Takamori began to take the combat position. He stretched out his arm forward, spreading his hand wide open and shifter the other arm over his head. The legs harmoniously accompanied that movement, opening and letting his feet slide on the floor.
Within seconds, Takamori's posture perfectly emulated that of his mantis, still stationary on his balding head.
"Hahah! Finally! I couldn't wait to kick your ass in front of my men. I will give you a lesson that you will not easily forget, Takamori-kun!" Yozo angrily thundered, smiling with wickedness.
In a quick hand gesture, the Heralds guild master tore the red cloth that adorned his armour, dropping it to the ground. Kato, with his tail between his legs, turned back and began to walk away. His gaze pointed to the floor.
The sun shone high in the sky during those moments of extreme tension. Under the watchful eyes of Ryutaro, who witnessed the scene sitting next to the Dojo, Yozo and Takamori were about to face each other in unrecoverable combat.
In his master's rusty movements, Yoichi caught a glimpse of something terrible. His instincts, somehow, were telling him that the outcome of that duel would not be at all pleasant for Takamori.
The mighty Yozo, the warrior in the good graces of Emperor Nishiyama's, wouldn't have stopped. Unleashing his fury, he would seriously endanger the future of the Nightblades and their guild leader.
Before the red-armoured warrior could summon his demon pet, Yoichi stopped shaking from nervousness and took a step forward. "No, Yoichi! Stop it! Not again!" Enatsu muttered, trying to grab his arm, without success.
"With all due respect, supreme masters..." the young tamer boomed. The tone of his voice was loud enough to capture the attention of both veterans. Kato stopped, turning astonished.
"Kato implicitly challenged me to a duel and I have not yet answered his request. It's not a matter between the two of you. It's between him and me," Yoichi spoke, holding his still sore arm.
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