The art of the blade (solo)

Ecktis was new to the Academy, so he decided he would start
off with the thing he loved most: Fighting. He began looking
into different areas outdoors but found nothing of interest so
he went indoors. It was a sunny day outside anyways. Ecktis
hated sunny days. He poked his head into different rooms but
found nothing of interest until he came to one at the end of the
hall. He quietly opened the door and peered through cautiously.
The moderate sized room had a large red circle in which two
students were sparring with wooden swords. A small crowd of
people were watching silently at the edges. It was a heated
match, as the two swung at each other no holds barred. Curious,
Ecktis approached a student with curly brown hair and blue eyes.
"What's going on here?" He asked.
The student turned towards him.
"We call it Fall Fighting. Because the loser is the person who
falls first."
Ecktis raised an eyebrow, leery of the lack of detail in his
words. Then he nodded and turned towards the fight.
A moderate sized person was facing a strong and bulky one. At
last the big one gave a mighty swing which was promptly dodged.
His adversary found a loophole to get behind his back and
delivered the blow that sent his opponent to the floor.
Nearly everyone clapped at this display.
The winner turned towards the small audience.
"Anyone wanna fight?" He said gruffly.
Ecktis observed that he had spikey red hair and olive eyes. A
prideful look was on his face that Ecktis could not stand any
longer.
"I'll be glad to." he said blandly. Everyone stepped back
leaving only the two.
"Your name."
"Ecktis Encadian. Yours?"
"Orlando Tensen."
"Wait there." Ecktis said, turning around and grabbing a sword
off a nearby weapon rack and turning to face his opponent.
"Whenever you'r ready." Orlando said with the slightest bit of

impatience.
Ecktis readied his weapon and his mind.
"Unless there are any rules I should be informed of, I am
ready." A few people shook their heads to say no and resumed
their gaze.
Orlando took the first swing. A horizontal strike which was
parried by Ecktis, who continued to block each swing and work
his way around the circle. Ecktis observed each move. His
opponent was quite skilled but he left a small window of
vulnerability open at his side. Ecktis continued to block each
consecutive blow. He had almost worked out a plan to shut his
foe down tactically when an unexpected stab caught him off guard
and stuck a blow to the shoulder. The power behind it so strong
that that spot began bleeding. His shoulder seared with pain.
Ecktis looked at it quickly and put the pain aside for another
moment. He blocked one last blow and seized his opportunity.
Ecktis clashed with his opponent but waited to unleash his real
strength. Orlando smiled confidently as he continued his assault
which he appeared to be winning. Then Ecktis unleashed all the
power he had in waiting and staggered his foe. He brought his
sword to his opponent's weak spot and struck a glancing blow to
his chest, the force hurling him 2 feet away and onto his back.
He had won.
Ecktis returned his weapon to the rack and watched his opponent
rise to his feet.
"You cheated! I don't know how but you must have cheated
somehow!" Orlando snapped furiously.
Ecktis bored into his eyes and spoke in a commanding but calm
tone. "You might be a little confused on what has just occured
so let me elaborate. You are more gifted with a blade than an
average Shingami but you lack strategy. It makes quite a bit of
difference in a fight when you can find a plan that can shut
your opponent down instantly rather than to draw it out."
Orlando glared malignantly."To hell with strategy! Fighting is
all about skill. Nothing else. Strategy has nothing to do with
anything!"
Ecktis began to walk away.
"Only a fool fails to take advice from one who has bested him.
Think about my words and feel free to fight me again when you
believe you are ready."
Everyone stared at Ecktis as he walked from the room. Some
murmured quietly, but Orlando stood where he was indignantly.
"Next time I'll be the one giving HIM advice." He muttered.
Ecktis grabbed his Asauchi he had left on the floor before
leaving the room. And as he walked away he noticed the wound in
his shoulder and decided to return to one of his spots in the
forest to let it heal.