Yuuki slowly made his way up the cobbled stone pathway that lead to the arena, it was a somewhat auspicious day as today he would be interviewed by the Guild master himself. Yuuki had never met the man personally but had heard stories about him being a monster in combat both literally and figuratively; however Yuuki was never one to believe stories alone he required visual proof to confirm such things as stories and legends were often heavily embellished.

He smirked to himself as he walked "There's no way this is one hundred percent true." he said matter-of-factly under his breath as he continued to walk towards the coliseum "Maybe half true but no way was it one hundred percent true." he said again with a smirk "But, you know I would not mind seeing the legend become reality." he said grinning as he gawked at a very pretty female elf with long legs that just walked by him

It was kind of weird to him how being out on his own had completely changed his perspectives and beliefs about people and the world and his own desires. As from the age of five until nine-teen he was under the tutelage of his father a samurai serving under the Shogun in Joya. That being said he was rarely afforded fun or time off to spend with friends or pursue romance, So every now and then he could help but look. Yuuki shook his head as he dodged out of the way of a oncoming cart "Aight enough of the day dreaming." he said slapping his cheeks with both palms " You're going to be interviewed you need a clear head not one filled with visions of you own lust" he muttered as his destination  was a mere two hundred feet away.

Yuuki approached his destination a little nervous, he had never been threw and interview before;  matter of fact this was his first guild interview ever and he really did not wanna mess it up " Focus Yuuki." he said talking to him self again as he made his way through the narrow corridors seeking the middle of the arena. Thankfully it was not in use today and seemed largely empty except the sounds of his own foot steps echoing all over the place. Yuuki finally found an exit out on to the sands of the arena, he promptly walked to the middle and said aloud "My names Yuki Hashimoto, and I am here for my interview." he said aloud his voicing almost booming as the echoes bounced back and forth while he awaited a response.

With the confines of the larger than life guild hall, Knuckles stood among other of the guild. He was setting somethings straight with a group of members and wishing them luck as they headed out for their mission. Unlike most guilds, Sleeping Calamanity was hired muscle for the most part as all members were chasing the dreams of becoming legendary status warriors.

In the country of Seven, warriors were the most adored people and that was who made up most of the population so the guild fit here with the culture. With an arena in the country, the guild could test themselves against others without having to go too far, and also allowed them to learn and grow as fighters. The guild had its fighting pit of course as all members for the most part were warriors by creed or devotion.

With that situation handled Knuckles heard a person introducing themselves, they were here for an interview. With a quick glance at a clock behind the bar, Knuckles smiled and faced back to the newcomer. He was on time, a trait Knux enjoyed.

Knux walked over towards the man looking him over getting a good look of the man. He had a strong build, looked agile enough his Shinigami eye peering through his strengths, and was able to see the weakness in the man. The man was young and able to be trained physically, but that did not mean he would make the cut to be a part of the guild.

Once in arm's reach, Knuckles looked up at the man who stood half a foot over him. Extending his right arm out with an open hand Knuckles smiled. "Greetings Sir Hashimoto, I am Knuckles The Clout Chaser Shi, Guild Master of Sleeping Calamanity. I am eager to hear all about you. Please follow me to my office. "

After the introduction Knuckles would turn to the stairs and lead the man up two flights of stairs bringing the man into his office. The office was built by Seven architects but the decor was of Fiore.
Knuckles pushed open the large wooden double doors and waited for the man to enter after him. "Please have a seat." Knuckles closes the door behind him and walks over to the wet bar. "Care for a drink?"

Grabbing a pair of classes Knuckles set a cube of ice in each glass and then poured them each two fingers of brandy before bringing the classes to his desk, giving one to the man Knuckles then walked around and sat in his chair.

Taking a sip of his drink he sat the glass down. "Now then let's get down to the business end of this interview. Let's start with the basics, how much do you know about the guild?"

Yuuki who had been standing silently in the middle of the arena waiting cocked his head as he heard a deep voice say "Greetings Sir Hashimoto, I am Knuckles The Clout Chaser Shi, Guild Master of Sleeping Calamity. I am eager to hear all about you. Please follow me to my office. " Yuuki turned to face the imposing man, which was ironic as Yuuki towered over the guild master by a good 6-7 inches. The man extended his hand in greetings and Yuuki took it and firmly shook the mans hand feeling a grip strength he had never felt before even from his own father who was scarcely seen with out a sword in his hand "I know who you are, quite famous even among the samurai and its a great pleasure to meet you sir." Yuuki said as he let go of the mans head and bowed his head out respect for the man.

Yuuki Nodded before saying "By all means lead the way." Yuuki Said with a grin on his face as he was unusually excited for an interview where they could potentially say thanks but no thanks; this was a potential outcome for any guild interview as most wanted members with lots of potential. They made his way to the Guild masters office and he offered Yuuki a seat which he graciously took before saying "Thank you." The man then offered yuuki a drink his eyes lit up "Hell ya, I will never turn down alcohol." he said with a wide grin alcohol while it dulled the senses it also dulled the pain and improved blood circulation, While the guild master made the drinks Yuuki gazed curiously around the office taking in the various things hanging around the office.

A few moments later the Guild master returned offering what looked like brandy with a single cube, Yuuki usually took his drinks neat; but did not mind the occasional chilled drink. Yuuki took a sip of the drink as the Guild master suggested they get down to business and asked how much Yuuki knew about the guild. Yuuki paused mid drink as if he was being thoughtful but it was all for show "Well for starters your a guild full of fighters who dont seek riches or fame in the sense of being widely know for feats, but you seek to be the strongest fighters regardless of the trials and tribulations set before you." Yuuki said with a grin as he took another sip of his drink before continuing "You do not seek political power or territories, you all seek the glory of achieving of achieving zen of the mind, body, and soul." he said with another grin as he awaited the guild masters respsonse

Knuckles watched the man with a careful eye and listened to his words with an open heart. Nodding as the man spoke Knuckles sipped his drink until the man was done talking. "Well you have done well in your research. " Knocking the drink back and finishing the drink in full he set the glass off to the side of his desk.

"You have to understand that to join this guild often leads to fighting the best in the world in the search of becoming the best, if you're locked into this lifestyle then there is only one other thing to do.

Knuckles rose from his desk and walked over to a cabinet grabbed a form, and tossed it across the desk. "This is just the form for legal stuff, once you fill that out we will go the arena and see if you have that fighter spirit. "

Once the document was filled out Knuckles would smile and walk to the doors pushing them open and going down the stairs till they went down to the training area. While they were walking members of the guild could be seen coming in from missions and even heading out, while others were going to the training area too.

When it was obvious they were getting a new member murmurs would start to echo throughout the hall. By the time they got to the sparring area, a group would be waiting to see what the new guy would have to offer.

Once their Knuckles walked over to a golden rope and pulled it, drawing back a crimson curtain showing various weapons. "Pick a weapon of your choice"

While waiting for Yuuki to pick, Knuckles entered the sparring area. A red aura would cover him as the Daemon summoned his Clown Clout Armor and Helm, waiting for the newcomer to show him what he was made of.

Yuuki smirked at the guild masters compliment polishing off the remnants of his own drink before saying " Knowledge is power, and power is knowledge." he said coolly before the guild master began speaking again explaining to him that if he were to join this guild that meant potentially fighting some of the best fighters in the world, this really did not bother Yuuki as he was accustomed to fighting people stronger than him. "I am not afraid of failure, nor am I afraid of dying." he said matter-of-factly in response to Knuckles.

Yuuki watched the guild master get up from his desk and walk to a cabinet which he then procured a form from. The form slid across the desk like skis on ice as, Knuckles explained it was a legal form, likely a hold harmless which basically states were not responsible for any injury or damage that may occur while here. Yuuki looked it over, did not see anything that would even remotely suggest that he would have to hand over his first born son, or that he was signing himself into slavery. Satisfied that there was nothing entrapping about the document Yuuki quickly filled in the needed information and slid it back across the desk to knuckles.

Yuuki followed Knuckles quietly out of his office and followed him back to the arena, on the way there he could feel peoples eyes on him and could over hear indistinct whispers and murmurs about him while he could hear nothing clearly he definitely heard the world half-elf more than a few times. When they finally arrived at the arena he could see some people gathered in the stands, obviously they were there to watch him and see his potential, he noticed Knuckles approach a golden rope and pull on it which drew back crimson curtains revealing all manner of weapons. Knuckles effectively told Yuuki to pick your poison but, Yuuki did not need to even think on it; he walked over and wrapped his fingers around a katana and said "I believe this will do."

Knuckles watched the young man thoughtfully, the choice of a weapon said a lot about a person when Yuuki had picked up a Katana, a gleam of respect formed in the Daemon's eyes. Before the hammers found him, Knuckles was a swordsman himself, though not of this style of blade. This was the Blade of Toga's people and perhaps Yuuki's too. Now that he thought about it he did have a name fitting of a Joya person.

"Excellent choice, I admire a man who uses a sword. That style requires a bit more footwork than the one I was trained with, but it is beautiful to watch a master with the skills to do it perfectly."

With that Knuckles stretched his right arm out as a Mythical Hammer came to his call, something he was sure never got old to others. The Daemon wielded Mjolnir the mighty hammer of Thor, the god of thunder. This weapon was not like that of a sword, but it did deliver a deafening blow. Of course, the hammer was famous, more so than Knuckles, but using the weapon had given Knuckle merit to his skill.

"A more brutal and devastating weapon in the right hands. Handy is tough spots as well. "

Knuckles twirled the hammer in his grasp as he entered the sparring circle. Lifting up his right arm he held the weapon firm fighting his grip on the hilt of the hammer. He would await the man to present himself as ready and motion for Young Yuuki to make the opening attack.

It was time to get to know the young warrior on a deeper level, a level that would only be reached through combat. There was no better way to know what lay in a man's heart, and who they were truly than to fight them. Knuckles would be looking to see just who it was that sought to join their ranks, while also displaying to Yuuki all that he could learn being apart of a guild such as Sleeping Calamanity.

Yuuki lightly wrapped his fingers around the hilt admiring and also examining the blade for damage while also determining if the balance of the sword was in front of or behind the Tsuba, as that would change how the weapon handled, concluding its balance point was in front of the tsuba, he grinned satisfied, he sheathed the katana before sliding it into his obi and tying it to his obi. Yuuki responded to the Guild masters comments in turn " You could say it was my first love, the katana has be my whole world for fifteen years as my father is a samurai." he said fondly as if remembering some point of time in the distant past.

Yuuki's eyes went wide with shock as Knuckles stretched his right arm out only to see a magical hammer come flying  out of now where to rest firmly in Knuckles right hand almost as if it was meant to be there all along. Yuuki had never faced someone who wielded a hammer before, just various Katana and spears, then again Yuuki was hardly a greenhorn having fought in the Joyan civil war against the previous shogun. Yuuki had slain plenty of his fellow country men in this war. So this would be interesting to see how he fared against someone who did not fight in similar manner to his own.

Yuuki nodded, "Seems like one swing of that would crush a mans skull." Yuuki said flatly as he followed the weapons master to the middle of the sparring area. When Knuckles took his place and beckoned him forth Yuuki bowed respectfully before removing his haori and kimono  top, which allowed him to move unrestricted. Yuuki took a second to get his breathing and pulse under control, as he did this his left hand gripped the scabbard as his left thumb again the tsuba freeing the sword from the scabbard; Yuuki's right hand gripped the hilt as yuuki burst forward easily covering the distance between them. As Yuuki reached the guild master he drew the katana from its sheath delivering as diagonal slash that would extend from knuckles right hip to his left shoulder if the blow landed.

"Impressive," Knuckles Shi said, his eyes narrowing in concentration as Yuuki handled his katana in fluid grace. He watched the precision in Yuuki's movements respect and skill polished over years of work. When Yuuki spoke about how his father had been a samurai, Knuckles nodded thoughtfully, understanding the weight of such lineage.

Yuuki's look of surprise at the sudden summoning of his hammer earned Knuckles a soft chuckle. "It's a bit different from what you're used to, I imagine," he replied, the hammer twirling with nonexistent effort before setting it ready at his side.

Yuuki nodded respectfully as Knuckles bowed, then completely focused on the oncoming attack. With one swift sidestep, Knuckles skillfully dodged the diagonal slash aimed at his torso, hearing the sound of air as the blade swished past. He came forward with a lunge as his hammer swung in a premeditated arc toward Yuuki's midsection, looking to question the samurai's quickness and reaction speed at close range.

With calculated intent, Knuckles Shi attacked Yuuki's midsection, a move that was both strategic and respectful to his opponent's skill with the katana. Of course, he had already recognized Yuuki's precision, honed from years of disciplined training, and knew that a head-on clash with the samurai's blade would not go in his favor. The midsection is the prime target and is usually tougher to defend once you're committed to an offensive move. With his blow aimed low, Knuckles intended to disrupt Yuuki's rhythm and balance in the knowledge that an attack against the core could shake even a seasoned swordsman.

He also had added to the weight and power of his hammer: even a glancing blow on the torso was enough to knock the wind out of Yuuki, making him retreat or lose focus for a moment. It was a tactical move meant to shift the flow of the battle in his favor by using the differences inherent in their fighting style. While Yuuki's katana favored swift, quick strikes, Knuckles' hammer loved heavy, crushing blows.

Of Yuuki's first attack, Knuckles thought it was sharp and well-crafted. Classic diagonal slash across the hips to shoulder-easy enough to do well and all but impossible to counter properly. Yuuki closed efficiently his katana was freed at precisely the right moment. However, Knuckles observed, that he had overcommitted with the follow-through in the attack, leaving Yuuki open just enough for a good counter. It was a strike that had some finesse, but it wasn't adaptable enough to handle such an evasive maneuver from Knuckles.

To summarize, Yuuki's strike was great in terms of precision and intent but poor in adapting to the many unpredictable movements of someone wielding a hammer. The attack to the midsection from Knuckles, however, aimed to use this to his advantage by forcing Yuuki into a defense where he'd least expect an immediate counter.

Yuuki watched as Knuckles easily sidestepped Yuukis strike as his blade bit nothing but air, only to realize to his horror that he had over extended and now all his vital areas were wide. Yuuki's eyes went wide as he saw the hammer arc in aimed directly at his mid section with precious few seconds to react to the blow, Yuuki's katana was far too out of place to even attempt a parry or block, and he wasn't too sure how he would even manage that versus a hammer. If he had more time Yuuki might have been able to step inside Knuckles guard to avoid the attack, but time was a precious commodity he did not have.

Yuuki attempted to Pirouette to left, but even that was not enough to completely avoid the strike as Yuuki took a glancing blow to his right side, even from a glancing blow the focused power on the head of the hammer was enough to knock Yuuki back quite a few steps and  knocking the wind right out of him. Pain was immediately evident on the right side of his abdomen making it hard to even stand up completely straight and his breathing had become nothing more than shallow gasps.

"That fucking hurt!" Yuuki Gasped as he eyed the man in front of him realizing that was likely not even more than a Quarter of knuckles power, As Yuuki tried to even out his breathing but it was still painful to inhale fully, Yuuki gave up more ground to put some distance while he recovered, Yuuki sheathed his katana and untied the scabbard.

When Yuuki's breaths were no longer gasps or ragged, albeit still painful Yuuki pulled his scabbard from his belt and held it in his left hand before charging in the same way he had before, unsheathing his katana  at the optimal time for the same right hip to left shoulder cut only this time Yuuki purposely over rotated swinging his scabbard like a sword with his left hand aimed at Kunckles ribs.

"Oof!" Knuckles let out a grunt as Yuuki’s scabbard strike slammed into his ribs. He took a step back, genuinely caught off-guard by the sudden maneuver. His eyes narrowed with a glint of surprise and respect.

“Not bad at all… You got me good there.” Knuckles shifted his stance, one hand lightly touching his side where the scabbard had made contact. “Coming straight out of the sheath like that—smooth, quick. I was expecting you to withdraw or reposition, not attack with the scabbard itself. You’re more clever than you look, Yuuki.”

He rolled his shoulders, as if getting used to the lingering pain. His gaze locked onto Yuuki, measuring him. “I’ve fought plenty of swordsmen and close-range fighters, but this is the first time I’ve had someone swing at me straight from the sheath. You made me take more damage than I should have. I underestimated that move… and you.”

Knuckles’s expression shifted, taking on a more serious tone as he assessed Yuuki’s stance and spirit. “You’re hurting, but I see something in you… a fire. You’re not letting pain control you. It’s rare to see that in someone who’s still developing their style.” He paused, contemplating.

“You’ve got guts and you think on your feet. That’s what I’m looking for in Sleeping Calamity. A warrior’s spirit.” Knuckles raised his hammer and rested it on his shoulder, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Welcome to the guild, Yuuki. You’re rough around the edges, but I’d rather have a fighter who can surprise me than someone who plays it safe.”

Yuuki's eyes went wide with surprise as he felt the scabbard make contact, and had heard the Guild Masters oof, before he actually saw he had made contact with Knuckles ribs. Yuuki had never attempted that in a fight before, many times against a dummy, but not actual opponents as trying new things like that in combat versus as opponent wielding a weapon that was intended for quick precise cuts would likely prove fatal; however versus a weapon style he had never fought Yuuki had figured he had nothing to lose.

"I'm gonna have to chock that up to luck." Yuuki said with a grin "Never tried that before, so it was more a gamble that put me at risk." Yuuki said sheepishly as he responded to Knuckles praise, Knuckles went on to explain in detail everything Yuuki had done in that exchange, and also indicating Yuuki had a hint of cleverness about him
"I've seen my fair share of the battlefield in the Joyan civil war." Yuuki said flatly "Any warrior that can not adapt and overcome rarely survives a single battle, let alone a dozen." Yuuki said with confidence as Yuuki noticed that Knuckles seemed to be favoring his ribs where the blow had landed.

Yuuki smirked slightly at his praise "Well most close ranged fighting styles rely on brute force or over powering your opponent. Battojutsu relies on surprise and speed to land a hit on your opponent, but it also has a fatal flaw in that if you miss you are normally wide open." Yuuki said as he favored the spot where the glancing blow from that hammer had caught him.

"Aye first time I've ever faced someone wielding a hammer." he said with a wince likely indicating a possible broken but definitely bruised rib " As for the pain not controlling me." Yuuki opened the top half of his kimono to reveal scars from cuts and stab wounds "I never would have survived the war if I let something like pain inconvenience me; besides if you can feel pain you're still alive." Yuuki said in a somewhat sadistic manner

"What's a fighter with out guts and wit?" Yuuki asked curiously wondering what the Guild master thought as he wondered if it was actually guts and wit or merely the urge to not let the life he took be in vain.

Yuuki smirked as Knuckles welcomed him to Sleeping Calamity "Thanks for having me, and playing it safe is just as likely to get you killed as playing it reckless." Yuuki said as he reached out to shake the mans hand out of respect and gratitude.



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Knuckles kept close attention to Yuuki as he spoke, every word and every movement, much more so when the young swordsman showed him the scars that told the tale of his survival. He respected any who'd seen war and come out on the other side still holding their sword.

"Luck or not, you did it.". And in a fight, that's all that matters." Knuckles said calmly, but with almost an air of pride in his voice, as he observed Yuuki's technique. "But you're right, Battojutsu relies on speed, surprise. The problem is, as you said if you miss or over-extend, it leaves you exposed." Knuckles crossed his arms, thoughtful. "You've got the speed down, but your footwork needs tightening. I could tell you were overcompensating a few times. If you can get that under control, you will thus be able to adjust even if your attack misses."

He nodded slightly as he looked at the bruised spot on Yuuki's side. "First time fighting someone wielding a hammer, I know it's no joke. But remember don't let the size of the weapon psych you out. Every weapon has its weaknesses, just like every style. Mine's slow to recover after big swings. You can exploit that.

Knuckles took a slow, deliberate look around the crowd that had gathered. Some of his guildmates were watching with interest, murmuring amongst themselves. He caught a few glances of approval, which told him what he needed to know about how they felt about Yuuki.

"The war made you hard; I can see that. And it gave you the right mindset pain reminds you you're alive, but don't let it blind you either. Guts, wit. those are the foundation of a true warrior, but you need discipline too. I can see you've got the heart for battle, but if you want to stand at the top, you need to refine your technique, sharpen it like your blade."

Knuckles uncrossed his arms and raised one, gesturing openly to Yuuki, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Welcome to Sleeping Calamity, Yuuki. With the fire you got, you'll fit in just fine here. Keep working on your speed and footwork, and you'll even give me a run for my money next time."

He reached out to meet Yuuki's hand in a firm shake, his head nodding in respect. "And yeah, playing it safe can get you killed. But knowing when to risk it? That's what makes a real warrior.