Chapter 11: Initiation, Part 1
Now that we plan to be Undertakers, in secret of course, Hibana allowed us to see where we had to go in order to reach the room. It's just a few halls downwards and to the far left of this bar; that explains Genkaku drinking sake out of the bottle. He says we have to go through some kind of initiation.
"It measures how tough you all are," he explained. "It also figures out how long you can endure pain." It's as if this program is meant for us! "Come with me and Miss Punishment over to the testing chamber."
We followed him and the young girl to this door, and inside the entire room was white. At the end was a glass window and next to it another door. This man in a white uniform that covers his face escorted us inside.
"Who's the first?" the man asked us. I decided to go first just to get this over with. "Do you possess a Branch of Sin?" I nodded. "Looks like you and possibly your siblings will take a different course, then. Step inside, please." He took me into the other room, where the floor was made of hard cement, the walls were white, and there were a few chests shaped like treasure chests. "Take off your backpack and jacket." My red backpack and purple jacket were given to Mitchell outside, and I can see them watching me from the other side of the glass window.
The man took out a whip and a shield with a gray symbol on it. If I'm going to fight him this should be easy. But he just told me to stand with my back facing him, saying the first part is the Endurance Test. He sounds like a pedophile when he tells me to lift up the back of my shirt but not completely, meaning that I was able to cover my front and the strap holding my bra in the back.
Something sharp struck across my back, just below the shoulder bones. Another strike down where the spine can be felt. I saw the tip of the whip when it hit the side of my neck. This whip feels like a giant knife striking me, for my back is pretty sensitive. I looked to my side to see my siblings staring at me, their eyes filled with worry.
My weakness has always been my back; whenever the Big Bitch would beat me there it was the only place I can't truly endure the pain. She liked to see the pain in my eyes and so always beat me there. Past memories welled up through my fighting tears. I propped myself against the wall in front of me to keep me balanced as I breathed heavily to fight back the tears.
"Show them all that a Hope can endure anything thrown at them," Mom used to say. "If you want to fight back any tears just imagine how you will get back at the one who hurt you, if there was someone in the first place of course. Just remember to breathe, too."
Mom always knew best, so I pictured myself cutting this guy's head off and felt better. Come to think of it, the whips are actually tickling me. They tickled me so much I started laughing out loud until the whipping was over.
I was allowed to pull my shirt down, and then was taken over to the giant chests. The guy lifted one of the covers up to reveal all these knives and other weapons. He told me the next part is the Physical Test. Then he had me hold a knife while he wrapped a blindfold around my eyes. Using my ears I heard something switch on, and then something growling against my nape.
Before I could figure out what it was the thing pounced onto my back and sunk claws into my skin. Haven't I taken enough back pain already? I felt a claw pierce near my shoulder, and with however long I can stretch out my arm backwards I tried to stab it and luckily didn't hurt myself.
Whatever is attacking me left me and so I stood up and listened intently for the growling, which I have identified to be circling around me. I stood to the side in time to feel a fast wind past by my body, understanding that it tried to charge. Again I felt another gust when I stepped aside and this time I felt some fur rub against my arm. Probably a wild cat of some sort.
The thing pinned me down again, this time my front is towards the beast. It scratched my arms and then near my neck. If I am going to beat this thing I have to trick it.
Slowly I held up my knife with the sharp point towards the beast and slowed my breathing. I held my breath and waited for the thing to make its move. One thing I have learned is that when a wild cat kills its prey it lunges towards the neck to break its windpipe altogether.
As if on cue I felt and heard the thing lunge forward and I pushed the knife towards it. What I felt was fur. The thing dropped to its side, and just in case I repeatedly stabbed it in what I have identified as the throat and then in its chest.
I was allowed to remove my blindfold, and with that I finally saw I have killed a tiger. The black stripes were now covered with its blood. Its bright yellows had no glint of life within them. For a minute I felt sorry for it.
"You can go outside now," he said. I eyed the shield. "Oh, this is for if I'm attacked, but this has Worm Eater." I asked him what Worm Eater is. "Worm Eater is a special device used to nullify, or cancel out, a Deadman's Branch of Sin. If you four make it you'll get a weapon with Worm Eater installed. Now go outside and ask for the boy you call Mitchell." I nodded and headed outside.