Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters associated with it. This story is rated for a mature audience.

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oOOOo

Smack! The sound of wood against flesh echoed around the rocky surroundings. "Ow! What was that for!" the boy cried, angrily rubbing at the growing knot on his head.

"Pay attention! Do not let your guard down!" the elderly man scolded, leaning heavily on the long, sturdy wood pole. "Again!"

"Again you say—how am I supposed to defend myself with my eyes closed?" the boy asked as he eyed the man in contempt. Whack! Even with his eyes open, the wood seemed to vanish before reappearing against his head. Pain quickly followed. "Ow!" he hollered in surprised rage.

"You see? Your eyes are a weakness! Do not see the attack, feel it. If you wait for your eyes to tell you what to do, it's already too late."

"I don't see how I'm supposed to do that," the boy muttered under his breath. Whack! The boy let out a yelp.

"Again!" Rubbing his sore head before quickly returning his hand to his lap, the boy took a deep breath as his eyes closed. Surrounded by darkness, the boy focused on slowing his breathing like his teacher had taught him. With his sight gone, the world seemed to grow louder. The trees rustled around him, birds chirped happily and the sound of a distant waterfall roared into his ear. Smack!

"Argh!" the boy screamed in frustration, throwing both arms in the air. "That really hurts!" he shouted, glaring at his elder.

An amused smile crossed the old man's face. "Then dodge it. Again!" Grumbling angrily to himself, the boy closed his eyes.

oOOOo

Ten Years Later

Eyes closed, Inuyasha calmed his thoughts, focusing on nothing. In the absence of mental chatter, he felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing. A complete peace rolled over him, submerging him. His body moved on its own. There was a tiny sting against his arm as the wood impacted against it. Instantly, the pain faded into nothing, lost in the tranquility that coated his mind. There was no conscious decision on his body's movements as he dodged and blocked the incoming strikes against him. Forty strikes later, he opened his eyes to see the elderly man nodding in approval.

"You have finally mastered your father's defensive skills."

Inuyasha shook his sore arms. Now that he was conscious of his movements, the stinging pain had returned. "It's not that helpful if it's just going to hurt after." Growling, he rubbed his sore upper arm. "Damn it Myoga, why do you have to hit me so hard?"

"Then don't get hit!" he shouted, thrusting the wooded staff at Inuyasha's face. Instinct kicked in, causing Inuyasha to bend and twist backwards so the staff missed by mere inches. Continuing his twisting motion, Inuyasha's feet left the ground as he spun in the air, dodging Myoga's sweep as the old man bent low to the ground, spinning as he went. One foot planted against the ground, Inuyasha continued rotating as he flattened towards the ground, narrowly dodging the wooden pole once more as Myoga brought it around like swinging a bat. Both feet spread firmly against the ground, Inuyasha slid out of range as Myoga spun the staff in a figure eight with blinding speed before slamming and end against the ground at his side.

"Damn it old man! Stop doing that!"

Smiling, the man straightened his back, sliding the staff to rest in front of him and holding it with both hands. "You move like your mother. Speed, power, technique, I don't believe I have anything left to teach you."

"Heh, we finally agree on something old man," Inuyasha said, relaxing his guard as he ran the back of his hand against the end of his nose.

"Which is why I enrolled you in school," Myoga continued, nodding to himself. For a brief second, there was silence.

"Huh?" Inuyasha asked dumbly.

"There is still much for you to learn."

"You're kidding me right? I'm at your level! How could school possibly help me?" Before Myoga could answer, Inuyasha took a step forward, pointing towards his mentor menacingly. "And don't give me that 'knowledge is power' bullshit."

The old man chuckled softly. "No. While powerful in their own way, you are not the sort of fighter who engages with the mind and I don't intend to try and mold you into one. Rather, what you lack now is not skill, but experience. Sparing with me has increased your level tremendously in a short period of time, but you lack variety. I have done my best to switch styles, but even I have my limits. I'm afraid my moves have become predictable." He wore a wide smile, his eyes narrowing. "Besides, this isn't an ordinary school. I believe you will find it quite enjoyable."

"Still, I don't want—"

"You wish to be strong correct?"

"I am strong!"

"But you have not yet reached your limit. Do not become content with your position. Advance, push yourself to new levels."

"And when I reach the top? What then?"

Myoga smiled. "Well… when you get there, that decision will rest solely in your hands."

oOOOo

Sekkoken Academy held the appearance of any other rich private school. Campus was a good thirty minute drive from the nearest town, nestled securely in the valley between two pristine mountains. The grounds themselves were massive. Campus was considered a city by itself holding many luxuries that the surrounding towns lacked. Shops, arcades, numerous restaurants and a movie theater were just a few of the things located at or around the main school buildings. The school itself was divided into three sections, the school where classes were held, the activity grounds, and the student dorms. The students were just as one would expect at such a rich campus. Everyone carried themselves confidently, like they held all the power in the world. Then there were the uniforms. It was the first thing Inuyasha learned about the school and the first thing he came to hate about it. The dress code was oppressively strict. Men wore black slacks, a thick white button-down shirt with tacky gold buttons. It had the school crest over the heart and the option of a red, blue or black tie. The women's uniform was a green or red skirt, white blouse with the crest in the same location as the men's and a red or black tie. The moment he arrived on campus, Inuyasha, to his joy, discovered that skirt length was completely governed by the women that wore them and short skirts ruled. A gentle breeze and Inuyasha glimpsed more of what the skirts hid underneath than he could count on both hands. Being from a small village, women his age was a rare luxury and being near attractive women his age was a far off dream. Seeing just the few girls wandering outside made him realize that school might not be such a waste of time after all.

The taxi dropped him off at the front of the main school building. It was a massive white building that reminded him more of a palace than a school building. It was three stories tall with wide windows spaced evenly across the front. The taxi driver unceremoniously dropped the few bags Inuyasha had brought at his feet and scampered away. The tires squealed slightly as the taxi sped away. Frowning in displeasure at the driver's attitude, Inuyasha bent over and collected his bags. I'm glad Myoga didn't tip the bastard. What lousy service. Climbing up the steps, he cautiously pushed open the heavy wooden doors and entered the building. If he thought the outside looked like a palace, the inside was. Inuyasha thought he had entered a house rather than a school. A lush red carpet lay over a polished cherry wood floor. The stairs at the far end of the entranceway spiraled up to the second and third floors. Massive golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling above. Paintings of what Inuyasha could only guess as previous principles or owners decorated the walls. The thing that caught his eye wasn't the ornate decorations or lavish building materials, it was the weapons. Cases and cases of weapons were displayed all throughout the school lobby. Swords from all cultures, various staffs, handheld weapons, and brass knuckles were just some of the weapons Inuyasha could see from his position. Even more amazing was every piece of equipment was in pristine condition. Lost in awe, he wandered the room, examining the weapons up close. The entire display was a sickening display of wealth.

"Impressive, isn't it?" The female voice caused Inuyasha to jump. Spinning, he found a squat, angry looking woman smiling at him. "You must be Inuyasha. I am Kaede, principle and head of Sekkoken Academy." She gave him a quick once over. "Hmm, I can see why he sent you here."

"Excuse me?" Inuyasha asked defensively as he cautiously took a step back.

"That old flea of a man, Myoga," the woman spat. "Usually we don't allow transfers. Past history has shown that most transfer students don't – acclimate – to our teaching style. You are an exception."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. Flea of a man? Yeah, that is Myoga. The description almost made him chuckle. Something told him Kaede wouldn't like that though. "You know Myoga?"

"Know him?" she snarled bitterly. "How do you think I got this?" She tapped just under her right eye, bringing attention to the large black eye patch she wore.

"I-I'm sorry," he floundered uncomfortably. He knew Myoga had been quite the fighter in his younger days, but maiming someone? A woman even! While Myoga was hard as hell as a teacher, once the tough shell of his teacher melted away, it was replaced by a kindly old man. It was that kind old man that took him in and raised him after his parents died. It just didn't sit well with Inuyasha, seeing the aftereffects of his guardian's past actions. If what she said was even true… He couldn't help but feel that there was some larger story behind it.

"Bah, it was a long time ago," she said, waving it aside. To his surprise, she actually sounded like she was over it. He didn't think he would settle for anything less than death if someone did that to him. "But for him to go behind my back with the Council…"

"Council?"

She paused for a moment, as if realizing she had said something aloud she shouldn't have. Once more, she brushed it aside. "You will learn of these things soon enough. Come, I'll give you the tour." As Inuyasha moved to follow, she noticed his bags. "Leave them here. Someone will bring them to your room."

"Uh… okay," he said, slowly lowing his bags to the floor. Casting an anxious glance over his shoulder at his discarded things, he walked after Kaede. He didn't like leaving them there, not when his entire life was packed away there, but he saw little chance in arguing differently. They had walked no more than thirty seconds when he noticed her staring at him. "Something wrong?" he asked uncomfortably.

Her eyes narrowed. "The way someone walks tells a lot about them – if you know what to look for."

"Oh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Myoga had told him things like that. He didn't believe Myoga then and he certainly didn't believe this crazy old lady now. "And what does my walk say about me?" he asked, deciding to play along.

"That you're arrogant, overconfident in your abilities, completely reliant on brute strength and lack actual combat experience and finesse."

Wow! You must be psychic! Inuyasha thought sarcastically, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Next she'll tell me I'm a male half-demon and I'm starting school! "That so," he said flatly, an ear twitching in annoyance.

"But, I can tell why Myoga sent you. I can also tell why the Council agreed to accept you despite your apparent handicaps."

"Handicaps! I'll have you know—"

A crash cut him off as one of the classroom doors exploded outward a few feet from where they stood. Wood splinters clattered against the floor as the body that went through it slammed against the wall opposite the door. For a second, Inuyasha thought the bloody kid was going to get up again, but at the last second, his eyes rolled up into his head and his head fell limp against his chest. A woman stepped through the destroyed door, surveying the scene before her. Her uniform was in tatters as she used a gloved hand to wipe the blood that trickled from her nose. Seeing her unconscious foe before her, she turned her head and spat blood against a chunk of what remained of the door. Completely ignoring Inuyasha and his guide, she turned to look into the classroom.

"Sensei, I think he's done," she said calmly, pulling her frayed black hair back. A sickly bald man waddled past her, checking the boy carefully before nodding in agreement. He cleared his throat a few times before speaking.

"I, Jiro, hereby declare Kagome the winner. As per the agreement, all Kagome's homework will be passed to Ko for a period of two months, who will complete the homework to the best of his ability or face punishment as deemed acceptable by the student disciplinary committee." He waved back into the classroom and two students rushed forward to carefully pick the unconscious student up. "Take him to the infirmary." Nodding, the two students rushed off, carrying the injured boy between them.

For seemingly the first time, the woman noticed them standing there. She broke out into a wide grin, her brown eyes hovering a few seconds longer on him. "Hello Kaede-sensei," she said with a small bow as she turned her attention to the old woman beside him.

"Kagome! Getting into more fights are you?"

She shrugged, a look of helplessness on her face as she tucked the hair in her face behind her ears. "They keep challenging me."

"What the hell's going on here!" Inuyasha whispered harshly, leaning towards the old woman. He knew Myoga wasn't sending him to a regular school, but this girl had just kicked the crap out of someone! Even more, people were acting as if it were a perfectly natural thing to happen.

"Ah, Kagome, perfect timing." Kaede gave Inuyasha a nudge, causing him to take a few steps towards the girl. "This here is Inuyasha, a transfer student."

"Transfer student?" Kagome looked confused, giving him another quick look over. "I thought—"

"Yes well, someone pulled some strings for him. Can you give him a quick tour?"

Kagome was silent for a moment. He could tell what she was thinking. Pulled strings? Some spoiled brat. That looked quickly faded. Finally, she nodded. "If you don't mind stopping by the dorms first, I'd rather not walk around half naked longer than I have too." Her words brought Inuyasha's attention to the state of her clothes. Her blouse was ripped open, revealing her white bra and smooth, toned skin previously hidden underneath. Her green skirt was also torn and ripped in various places, but it didn't reveal as much as her top. The tattered tie did a lame job of covering what her ripped blouse didn't. He suddenly realized his face was flushed. Seeing his reaction, Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, eyes narrowing. "It will only take a moment," she continued, a grave tone in her voice.

"I-I don't mind," Inuyasha said, averting his eyes towards the ceiling as he idly scratched the tip of his nose. He had no idea why he was looking at the ceiling, but it suddenly felt like it was a better choice than to continue looking at her. The unconscious boy was proof that she was more than a regular girl.

"Yes, well, as long as it is done," Kaede said, waving her hand dismissively. She turned to walk away, but turned back suddenly. "And be sure to tell him about this school's unique – structure. Be off then," she finished as she turned her back to them and walked off in the direction they had come.

Kagome let out a sigh, rubbing her forehead with the back of her gloved hand. "Come on then," she said with an obvious tone of displeasure. "I guess I'll show you the dorms first." Without another word, she stepped over the debris from the door and headed off. Inuyasha stood there, eyeing the debris with wide-eyes. She looked over her shoulder, annoyed to find him still standing there. "For your sake, you better keep up."

oOOOo

Inuyasha felt like his head was going to come off. His mind was swimming in images of locations. The male and female dorms sat across from each other. Members of the opposite sex were free to visit the other building until ten. Breaking the rule meant punishment from the student disciplinary committee. Just what the punishment was she didn't say, but from the tone of her voice it was something he would be better off not finding out. Once she had changed her uniform, they were off again. Inuyasha had to admit, she was rather striking in her uniform. Unlike most of the girls he had seen on his tour of campus, she wore a green skirt rather than red. He really liked her long black hair as it cascaded down her back, a sharp contrast with her white blouse. She walked with brisk determination, a focus in her lovely brown eyes as she pointed out locations. To be honest, he had been paying more attention to her than on what she was telling him. He vaguely recalled where certain areas of the school were. It was something he would find out in time. Right now, he had much more interest in the girl. Living in the mountains nearly his entire life, this was the first time he had ever been so close to one his own age for so long, let alone one that looked this good.

"So that's everything you need to know about the main school building," she said, pulling a few strands of her hair behind her ear. Inuyasha thought the move was quite sexy. He almost missed what she said next. "I guess I should tell you about the fighting system."

He blinked. "The what system?" There was no way he heard correctly.

A grin formed on her face as she turned to face him. "The fight system; I believe you caught the end of one this morning."

"Uh…" It brought back the memory of her tattered clothes, making his cheeks heat.

"It takes some time to get used to, but you should catch on quickly. Most students have their freshmen year to get acclimated to it. You unfortunately, don't. As you may have noticed, this isn't like a regular school."

"That much is obvious." She frowned at the interruption. "Sorry," he said, face reddening. There was still a lot for him to learn about interacting with people.

"The student body is made up of fighters of every skill and style from all around the world. They all come here to improve their skills against fighters of all different levels."

Inuyasha found himself frowning. "I thought this was a school."

"It is. We still have lessons to attend as well as homework and tests. Fighting is only another means in which to test our abilities."

Scratching his jaw, Inuyasha took another look around. They were currently in one of the garden courtyards. There was a large fountain in the center. Several students were sitting on the concrete ring around the pool below it, reading, socializing, and sharing lunch. Other students were walking in groups around the many stone pathways that weaved through the carefully groomed landscaping. Everyone seemed in high spirits. If he hadn't seen the poor boy Kagome had severely beaten just hours before, Inuyasha wouldn't believe a thing she was telling him.

As if reading his mind, Kagome continued. "Not to say we are always fighting. Fighting can only occur under the supervision of a teacher or a member of the student government. This is important, so I need you to listen."

"I have been."

Her eyes narrowed. "I mean really listen." He casually gestured with his hand for her to continue. "Before a fight, the two sides agree on conditions and victory awards."

"Victory awards?"

"In order to encourage fights, each side must agree to a condition placed by the other side. For example, someone challenges you to a fight. You agree that if you win, they must do your homework for the next month. If they win, you have to do their share of cleaning duty for the next month. By accepting, you are bound to complete it if the other side wins. Failure to do so results in punishment from the student disciplinary council."

"Are you serious?" Inuyasha was having a hard time believing what he was hearing. None of it seemed possible. He had never been to an official school before, instead he had been home schooled by Myoga. Still, he knew how schools were supposed to work. This wasn't anything like what he was expecting. The old man had said that this wasn't going to be like a normal school, but this was extreme. "I can't believe it."

"Believe me or not, but that's how things are around here." Her expression softened as her brown eyes peered into him. "Since you're new, you'll be seen as an easy target. People are going to be swarming you, so be prepared."

Inuyasha frowned. "Do I have to fight?"

"Not always. You can turn down a fight if you don't like the terms of victory or you know the opponent can defeat you. We don't want the strong bullying the weak. If you are caught doing that, the consequences are quite severe." Kagome rested her hands against her hips. "I don't see why you wouldn't want to fight. It's how things work around here, not to mention people come here solely for that reason. You can achieve so much from fighting. Not only does your skill and technique increase, but you can get people to do homework, tests, do various chores for you."

"So you can ask for anything?"

"As long as they agree and there is a teacher or student government witness, yes. Also, most teachers won't allow a fight if someone skilled in fighting challenges someone much weaker unless there is a massive victory award for the underdog." Inuyasha only shook his head, still trying to process what she was telling him.

"Getting someone to clean and do your schoolwork for a couple weeks doesn't sound like much of a reward if losing means getting your ass kicked."

"Those were examples. I'm not saying that people don't fight for those reasons, but most of them are quite different in nature. For example, you could challenge a girl and win a date or kiss."

Inuyasha frowned. "That sounds like a wonderful way to start a relationship."

She smiled. "I think you are underestimating the women here. Strength is greatly respected here. Besides the usual things, no woman wants to date someone weaker than them. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but you want a partner that you can rely on." She sighed. "There are a lot of reasons why it is like that, but you'll find out in time."

Inuyasha rubbed his chin as a thought struck him. "If you don't mind me asking, what was the reward for the guy if he won against you?"

She cleared her throat, looking away. He wondered why she was so embarrassed by the question. "And then there is the case of retaliation fights."

"Retaliation?"

"Right, say someone steals something from you or pushes you down a flight of stairs. Under the supervision of a teacher or student government member, you are able to declare right of vengeance. If someone calls a right of vengeance against you, you cannot refuse."

He frowned. "So why doesn't everyone just do that?"

"Because there is no reward for the victor. The supervisor is there just to make sure things don't get out of hand. Also, you must be wronged in order to invoke right of vengeance and the wronged action must be confirmed, so you can't just make something up. Also, there are cases where you don't have to be the one wronged in order to claim retaliation. So if a friend of yours was being bullied, with his permission, you can fight in his place." She smiled. "It's one of the balancing points in the school to keep the weak from being dominated by the strong."

"This is all so confusing," Inuyasha muttered, rubbing his temples.

She sighed. "It may seem that way for now, but you'll catch on to the basics quickly." She started walking again, leaving him behind. "If you don't, you'll be eaten alive."

Frowning, Inuyasha hurried off after her. "I thought you said there were things protecting the weak from the strong."

"Yes, but it's not a total protection. There is always someone around your skill level and they will be able to challenge you." She glanced over at him. He felt uncomfortable in his chest when she looked at him. "Besides, how can you grow stronger if someone is always holding your hand?"

"I'm more worried about them than me," Inuyasha muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. He wasn't worried about someone getting the best of him, rather, he was worried about getting in trouble for kicking the crap out of everyone weaker than him. He didn't know all the details, but Kagome had hinted that picking on those vastly weaker than you got you in hot water pretty quick. Still, as confusing and odd as everything sounded, he couldn't help but feel excited and interested. The more he learned, the more attractive the idea of going to school became. Several long minutes had passed before he realized that neither he nor Kagome had spoken. "You know, you never did tell me what that other guy would have won if he beat you."

There was a brief silence before she answered, pulling the hair from her eyes as a breeze rushed passed them. "My virginity."

"Huh?" Inuyasha said dumbly, not quite believing what he had just heard.

Her cheeks flushed a deep red as she looked down. "He would have won the right to take my virginity."

It took a second for Inuyasha to close his mouth after the shock. "And the teachers allowed this deal to take place?"

"Of course!" she said quickly, regaining her composure. "As I said, so long as both sides agree—"

"Doing someone's homework for a few months is hardly a fair bargain for that price. I'd say you got ripped off."

To his surprise, Kagome sighed, shaking her head sadly. "I told you that the rewards have to be equal compared to skill of the fighters as well. He was able to ask for such a large reward because he had next to no chance of winning. As such, I was only able to ask for something small since there was little chance of me losing." To his surprise, she smiled. "It encourages the weak to challenge the strong. You will likely lose, yes, but the reward for that off chance of winning and the small punishment of losing makes it an attractive option; not to mention the learning opportunity of fighting a stronger opponent."

Inuyasha let out a long breath, scratching at the back of his neck. "You weren't kidding when you could ask for anything."

She nodded. "As long as both sides agree to it, then anything is possible." Before he could say anything more, there was the sound of a distant bell. Eyes widening, she looked down at her watch. "That time already!" Smiling, she turned her attention back to Inuyasha. "I know this is a little sudden, but I'm going to have to cut your tour a little short. Don't worry, I showed you the important places." She was already starting to back away as she continued. "I would suggest heading back to the dorm and getting your class schedule and finding your classrooms before it gets too late. Sorry I couldn't give you a complete tour. Good luck!" she called out, giving him a wave before disappearing around a row of bushes.

"Uh… okay," Inuyasha said, suddenly feeling lost as he looked around the unfamiliar grounds. Sighing, he turned around and headed back to where he thought the dorms were. Myoga you bastard, what kind of place did you send me too?

oOOOo

Finding his room was easier than he thought it would be. Trying the handle, he found the door was locked. Frowning, he realized that in no point in time was he given a key. A bright slab beside the door caught his attention. Tilting his head, he bent lower to get a better look at it. It looked a lot like something he would see on TV rather than in real life. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he lifted his left hand and cautiously placed it on the panel. There was a slight hum before the light blinked green. Before him, there was a sound of a lock shifting in place. "You're kidding," he said as he tried the door again. This time, it opened. Stepping inside, he gave the panel a suspicious look as he stepped inside. He didn't remember giving anyone so much as a fingerprint, let alone his entire palm.

The room was surprisingly small for two people considering the extravagant décor of the other buildings on campus. It was as if the owners had spent all the allotted money on everything else in the school and had none left over for where the students lived. Just as Kaede had said, his bags were waiting on the small bed on the side that appeared to be empty. While his roommate was nowhere to be found, Inuyasha knew already that he was going to be quite the character. Large posters of women, both real and illustrated littered the wall. Few had more than a few scraps of clothes covering choice parts of the body. Even fewer bothered covering their exposed flesh as they struck provocative poses. Two desks sat at the far end, side to side. The one he assumed was his was bare while the other appeared to be in use as a drawing area. A large white canvas took up most of the available space. A half-drawn woman stared up at him as he hovered over it. From the looks of it, she would be just as scantily clad as the other women on the wall. Peeling his eyes away from the illustration, he scanned the rest of the room. Several small drawers lay beneath his bed for his clothes. A small closet was built into the wall at the foot of his bed. Sliding the door open, he sighed at the dismal space it held. Closing the door, he once more looked around to realize that there was nothing else in the room. He sighed in resignation. Inuyasha liked having his own space. Sharing living space with a roommate was hard enough for him, but having to share a bathroom and showers with a whole floor of people really tested his patience.

There was a beep and click behind him. Turning, he found a surprised dark-haired man staring back at him. After the second of shock passed, the man smiled. "So you must be the new roommate I heard I was getting." Closing the door behind him, he brushed past Inuyasha to stand before his desk. "Sorry about the mess, but I've been living alone since my last roommate dropped out several months ago. They told me I was getting a new one yesterday so I've been cleaning…" He paused for a moment, giving Inuyasha a quick once-over. "My name is Miroku by the way."

"Inuyasha," he answered, taking Miroku's offered hand and giving it a quick shake. His eyes gravitated towards the decorated wall. "So do you…"

"Draw them? You bet!" Miroku answered proudly, puffing his chest out in pride. "Excellent quality no?"

"Err… yeah." Content aside, they were skillfully drawn. "And the photos?"

"Taken and developed by me." He let out a long, weary sigh as he hung his head. "It's so difficult to find willing, attractive models though."

I wonder why… Suddenly, he remembered back to his conversation with Kagome. "Let me guess, these are the women you've beaten," Inuyasha said, waving his hands over the wall of pictures.

Miroku grinned. "So you know about the reward system here. That's good to hear." Inuyasha continued to look over the wall. Now that he was actually paying attention, he realized that the vast majority of them were drawn and most of the real photos were different poses of a few different women. "Yeah," Miroku started as if he was picking up on Inuyasha's thoughts. "I'm more of an artist than a fighter. It's just so hard fighting women, let alone beautiful ones. I want to make art, not hurt them."

"Art?" Inuyasha thought it leaned closer to pornography than art, but then again, art was in the eye of the beholder.

Miroku smiled, spreading his hands. "I know, it's not classy or anything, but this is what sells." His smile widened. "It actually sells really well. If any girl catches your eye, let me know. I'll give you a discount since we're roomies."

It took a second for Inuyasha to realize what Miroku was telling him. "You mean you—"

"All I need is a photo of the face and the pose you want. After a little imagination and some hard work, I can have something that looks just like the real thing."

"I bet you're a real fan with the ladies."

His smile faltered. "Unfortunately, no. There is an upside. I make decent money and I have a big following among the male students. Sure, I get the occasional pissed off boyfriend come to threaten and otherwise blow hot air at me, but none are dumb enough to actually invoke a retaliation fight. I have far too many customers for that. Hell, most of them are customers, or at least were at some point." He gave Inuyasha a pat on the shoulder. "So if you ever get in trouble, let me know. I've got connections with some pretty powerful people and a lot of them owe me several times over."

"Thanks, but I can take care of myself."

Miroku grinned. "Confidence and bluster from an E-class, I like that."

"E-class?"

Frowning, Miroku tilted his head slightly. "No one told you about the ranking system? I thought that's the first thing you learned." Inuyasha shook his head. "Oh, well," he gestured to the room around him. "Welcome to the E-class dorm room; economy size for those with room to improve."

"You mean everyone doesn't have a room like this?"

"Are you kidding? You get up in the A or B ranks and you practically live in your own house." He sighed. "But those of us unfortunate to be low in the rankings have to squeeze together in these humble quarters." Raising his head, he shook his fist towards an invisible enemy only he could see. "Damn the people who don't understand that strength isn't just physical skill. Do connections and networking mean nothing to them?"

Inuyasha wasn't sure what he was going on about, but the ranking system did interest him. If I can increase in rank, I can get my own room – or at least a bigger one. "So about this ranking system…"

"Ah, right," Miroku said, his train of thought suddenly snapping back to the original conversation topic. "The lowest is E, where we both currently reside. You get stuck here because you don't fight, like me, you suck at it, or you just transferred in." He held five fingers up. "There are five ranks; from lowest to highest, E, D, C, B, A. Original, huh?" He grinned. "Anyways, in the top ranks of B and A, there are sub ranks that come with their own benefits. I won't bother telling you what all the benefits are because it's nearly impossible to get up there now that you transferred in so late," he said with a wave of his hand. "But the sub ranks are Alpha and Beta in B-class and A, Double-A, and Triple-A for A-class. Challenging someone in the B or A rankings mean you can just about ask for anything. As a member of the E-class, if you challenge someone in the Double-A or Triple-A rankings, you can literally ask for anything in return for a win and they can't ask for anything in return."

Inuyasha gestured to the photos on the wall. "Is that what you did for them?"

"Are you kidding me! They are fellow E-rankers. I enjoy being among the living; thank you very much. I fell for a D-class girl my freshman year. I challenged her. For my win, I would get a date. If I lost, I couldn't draw her likeness for anyone. I was in the infirmary for three weeks, even with synth-gel treatment."

Inuyasha whistled. Synth-gel was a powerful medical treatment, and hugely expensive. He wasn't sure of the science behind it. Most of the villagers who talked about it swore up and down that it was magic. What he was sure about was that it was a synthetic gel that morphed itself into things based on different electric and chemical signals. Break a bone? Set it and inject some synth-gel and in a few hours, you were good to go. Get a nasty cut? Smooth some synth-gel over it and watch the cut magically disappear. If what he saw on TV could be believed, it was scary what the stuff could do. "So this girl, did she stay D-class?"

"Hell no. At the end of the semester, she was a Beta in B, one of the few freshmen to get that high. Today, she's a Triple-A."

"Scary."

"Right? I was thoroughly destroyed. I only shiver to think about how powerful she is now." He nodded, crossing his arms. "So if you have any plans of getting up that high, I suggest you toss them now before you find yourself staring at an infirmary ceiling for a few weeks."

"Thanks, I'll try to remember that." He wasn't too concerned about people of any rank. Myoga was at a master level and Inuyasha could hold his own against him. Every day of his childhood under Myoga was one long training session. What threat could a bunch of rich kids possibly pose? Even without Miroku's warning, Inuyasha had no intention of picking any fights – even if there was the potential of his own room. Instead, he would focus on more important things; like Kagome for example. While it didn't have to be her, it would be nice to get to know a couple girls and catch up on all the things guys his age were already experiencing. His eyes rested on Miroku, giving serious thought to what he was thinking about. Well, maybe I shouldn't focus entirely on that. Perhaps he should give his studies a try. Most of what he knew Myoga had taught him and he knew already that he was severely disadvantaged in the academic department.

Miroku's hand tightened on Inuyasha's shoulder, giving him a firm grip of assurance before patting it gently. "Don't worry, stick with me and keep your head down and we'll both make it through this."

"Uh, right," Inuyasha said dubiously. Something told him that hanging out with Miroku was going to plaster a target on his head. Still, as quirky as Miroku was, he seemed like a decent enough guy. I guess I'll find out in time.

oOOOo

Proofreading, light editing, and format updates for this.