'Why did she save me? What did I do to make her yell at me? More importantly why the fuck did I freeze?!' I thought furiously. I stood up quickly from the floor and grabbed my stuff running to class hoping I wouldn't be late for a second time.
'Why did I freeze? I knew I was in trouble but I couldn't have defended myself?! I know what to do, hell I knew what I should have done but she, she saved my ass.' I walked into the locker room to change out into my gray sweats and black t-shirt. I was very careful with changing my pants; I had a thick blade strapped to my calf with easy access for when I'm in trouble. 'Why didn't I use my knife?!' The combat teacher was Kakashi sensei, stood waiting between ringed arenas as I walked out of the boy's locker room with the rest of his class. The girls came from another door on the same side. We gathered around Kakashi, who was reading a naughty book and kept laughing every so often.
"Morning class." He said after the last person came into the group.
"Good morning Kakashi sensei. Said the class in unison.
"Today will be sparing. I will pick your partner to spar with. I don't care if you're not comfortable with fighting your friend or a girl. This is how you learn- hands on experience! Now" he looked around and found me. "You. New kid." he pointed me out. "You'll be in arena 3 with…" He looked to my left were most of the girls are. "You, Miyako Mizuki, arena 3 go now." He gestured and I walked to the semi-large arena with a big blue 3 on it and looked at who I was fighting. It was the pretty girl that saved me. 'Do I have every class with her?!' She looked at me with annoyed and very hostile expression and swiftly walked into the arena. It was surrounded by a 5 foot wall with only one gate. A screen hovered over it and on its right side was a blue machine with a long pod thing and key board on either side. When I closed the gate of the arena a sheet of light came up from the wall and the screen came to life with our faces and name next to them. The other students were paired off to about 20 different arenas. I gripped my necklace as I watched, and I noticed the color of our names was matching our pants color- mine gray and hers black. She still looked pretty with her black biker shorts, sports tank top, hair in a ponytail and an annoyed and disgruntled look on her face. 'WHAT DID I DO?!'
"Umm hey. I guess I should tha-"
"Shut up and get ready. Kakashi is going to tell us what's going on." She barked looking more annoyed, crossing her arms. Kakashi's voice came from the screen, as well as in the other arenas.
"Okay, so this will be a three round match. Each round will increase what power of weaponry you can use. First round is strictly fighting. Taijutsu and physical abilities, NO charkra, magic, or weaponry. Now prepare yourselves for the first round." Once he finished a sheet of light came in between each sparring partner and the screen flashed a 40 second count down. Miyako was still crossing her arms and looking around. I calmed myself and released the tension. The announcer on the screen spoke at the 20.
"This will be a three round match between Jinou Yukiko, gray and Miyako Mizuki, black. First round is pure fighting. Second round fighting and one weapon, third round is a full on fight, no limitations." The countdown showed 5, then 4, the 3, 2, 1. The screen of light disappeared between us and Kakashi's voice came through. "Fight!"
Miyako ran to me and I ran to her, ready to fight. She threw a punch but I leaned back and so that it passed mere inches away from me and I dropped down for a swing kick, but she jumped backwards and came back with a full on thrusting kick, which I blocked with my left arm, ramming it aside. 'Damn she's strong but is very direct. I might have a good chance at this'. I used the momentum to jab her in the stomach and she flew back, landing hard. She looked furious and got up quickly, standing ready in a fighting position. I stood a foot away in my fighting position and we stared at each other. 'What is she thinking? I know I have her beat at this. She doesn't seem to be a great fighter; I gave her two open shots. When I leaned back I wasn't prepared for an underhand blow, after I punched her it was soft enough to where she could have pulled me over. Hmmm.'
I punched, she ducked and jabbed upward. I kneed up and kicked her in the chest. She fell back and I pinned her with my twice size form, my arm on her neck and my full weight on her. We looked into each other's eyes and I saw something, but all of a sudden a force pulled me off her and threw me back and I landed on my side of the arena again. The light wall came back up again and the announcer spoke from the screen.
"WINNER JINOU! Now the start of the second round, please type in your weapon of choice then it will appear in the pod. Please stand ready; if in need of medical care please press the blue button and you will be healed." Neither one of use called for a healer. She smiled an evil smile and started typing. I had no idea what weapon I wanted to use; I thought quickly of all the weaponry I knew how to use, then I thought of the one weapon that I knew how to use. I typed in "Soul Biter" and it appeared in the pod. A thick large gun, single barrel and 40 rounds in one go, red lined with black, Soul Biter was made from my own hands and had a very special feature only I only knew how to activate. I looked to Miyako and she was holding dual swords. She still had that evil smile; I smiled back with confidence and strapped the holster on my waist and walked to the center of my side. 'Now things are really heating up in here. That must be her primary weapon, like Soul Biter is mine.' A countdown started from 10, at 5 I drew Soul biter and held it in both hands, ready. The 15 pound gun felt right in my hands.
"FIGHT!" said the announcer and I fired my first shot. She deflected it and ran at me. 'Why can't I get over the fact that she looks pretty?!' I fired again and she blocked the shot again. I fired twice more but she still blocked it, then she swung her swords in my direction. I blocked them both with the barrel of Soul Biter and pushed forward with all my weight. She sidestepped and spun her sword, then jabbed me with the hilt of her right sword in my back. I gasped in pain and rolled forward. I took a shot from the ground, but she blocked it again with her right-hand sword and slashed the air, a slash of fire cut through the air and headed to me, I smiled and back handed it with my left, the fire curled up into a ball and disappeared, she looked shocked but quickly recovered and slashed, with her right then left and kicked. I blocked both with the barrel of Soul Biter with ease and took in the kick I slammed into the wall of light. 'Fuck bad move! Why was I being a fucking gentleman?' She ran at me with her swords poised to impale me but I brought up Soul Biter and clicked the hammer into ready position and the barrel flicked upward to 180 degrees. The inside of the barrel flipped out to reveal an inner blade, and then the last of the blade slid out. Soul biter stiffened itself and the machinery built itself around it to make a complete sword from a gun. The shocking effect on Miyako was enough to bash her swords up and I powered kicked her, causing her to fly. I clicked my 3 foot blade back into my 15 pound gun and took 5 shots, only two were not blocked by her sword, the 3rd shot skimmed her side, enough to sting. She spun in midair and tried to adjust with her right sword, but as she was moving her sword the 5th shot hit the hilt, and the sword flew out of her hand as she kept flying. She stabbed the ground with her left sword. Holding it upside down she stopped and pulled it out of the ground. I walked to where her fallen sword lay and grabbed it. She looked outraged and ran at me, the left sword pointing down. 'She is really good; I might have to work for this win.' I threw up Soul Biter, jumped and used the momentum to hurl the right sword at Miyako. It spun with dead accuracy. I caught Soul Biter and shot two more rounds following her sword and clicked for Soul Biter to turn into its sword form.
She blocked the sword just in time and slashed the other bullet and caught the other with the side of her blade. "You're actually a challenge Jinou." Miyako said as she picked up her right-hand sword. "Haven't fought a late comer that actually knew what he was doing." She had a smile that was much kinder but she never lost the tension in her body. "I didn't spend the time I was out lounging around. I learned what I could." I hefted Soul Biter onto my shoulder and put my other hand in my pocket and slowly walked to her, she walked to me slowly holding tightly her dual blades. "I made Soul Biter myself; the only one of its kind in the whole world." I gestured my head to the sword resting on my shoulder.
"Nice craftsmanship, I wouldn't have suspected it was handmade." We were a foot apart from each other, looking each other in the eyes. 'I still see something in her eyes, something I've never seen but also..' As if on cue we attacked at the same time, I swung down and she caught it on both her swords, ducked and double slashed at me, I crouched and used Soul Biter as a shield and spun myself around full circle. I gave a mighty slash, which she leaned to the side and bashed it over with her dual blades. I then swung Soul Biter around my head and, with both hands this time, came crashing down; but she caught it with her dual blades in an "X". She was smiling. 'HOW?! How did she catch it? And hold it as I keep putting force?' The tension lessened for only a second before she sliced upward with the two blades and swung at my hands, hitting her target.
Soul Biter fell as I lost my grip with my wrists cut, the wind kicked out of me as her foot connected with my chest and I slammed on the floor, a flash of silver and the twin blades came down to my throat but hit on either side, making another "X" that could have cut off my head. A bell rang and she was lifted with a magic force and landed on her side gently, same with me. I stood a little dazed and Soul Biter was in his holster- it turns back into a gun once it's knocked out of my hand. I looked at her. She wore a smug smile and pressed the blue button. A young woman came out of the ground with a nurse hat and tended to her, talking to her quietly. I did the same and a young man came out and looked me over.
"Miyako got to you huh?" he asked, I nodded and leaned on the wall.
"WINNER MIYAKO! The 3rd and final round will start in one minute. There are no limitations to what you may do." The screen went back to the countdown 40. "Be careful with her. She's with the Akatsuki gang. She knows how to fight." He finished with my bandages and checked if anything was broken.
"No worries I have an ace up my sleeve." I reassured him, he smiled and walked back to the hole he came from and vanished. I sat up quickly and looked over Soul Biter. I grinned; the ace up my sleeve was ready to come out this final round. I looked up and saw Miyako ready and waiting, her blades at the ready.
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, FIGHT!" yelled the announcer. Then the screen of light went down and instantly fire appeared on her blades and she slashed a fire-X in my direction. I quickly punched the X and the fire surrounded me and shrunk around me fist.
"Nice try." I threw the ball of fire at her and then ran around, firing ice shots. Every shot she caught dimmed her flaming blades. I jumped at her from behind, clicked Soul Biter to its sword form and slashed from side to side. She blocked my jump, front-flipped away from me and did a whirlwind slash with the flaming swords. Blocking most of the slashes and rolling on the ground I evaded the attack. When she spun her left-hand blade froze and shot ice bullets at me. I laughed and blasted a heat wave at the ice bullets, which melted instantly. Miyako cut the heat wave with the fire blade and came at me with full on fury, slicing, slashing, and cutting at me. We went back and forth blocking, bashing, and stabbing through each other's defenses, never quite getting a direct shot at the other. Stabbing forcefully at Miyako, cutting through her defenses was enough to put her balance, but she then cross slashed at Soul Biter's hilt. Forcing me to be open, she stabbed and sliced my side, once the cut was made I screamed and let a bust of fire surround and expand around me. Miyako slashed and cut at the expanding burst of red hot flames. Jumping away from the blast, she spun her ice blade and spinning full circle, she swung, cutting at the blast and when the blade connected with the blast it produced an ice shield appeared and surrounded her, protecting her form the scorching flames. 'She is really good.' I thought as I clicked Soul Biter but into gun form and put him back into his holster and frocused on the writhing flames, engulfing Miyako's ice ball, using my right arm as a rod controlling the fire when suddenly a ice bolt ripped through the fire and headed straight for me, smiling I caused a wall of ice to form in front of it.
"Nice try Miyako but.." I summoned fire into a raging ball and blasting it through the ice wall and through the bolt into the dome. Exploding it from the inside out and steam to appear and spread. A yell from above, Miyako sending a rain of ice bullets towards me, I put up both my arms and from my pals came a fire sheet protecting me. Miyako hurtled down at me pulling out her dual blades and ready to cleve me in two. Pulling out Soul Biter and clicking it to sword form took in the dual blades. Suddenly the buzzer rang and our weapons vanished as the force pulled us apart.
"Time is up! It's a TIE!"