It is nearly the end of the free period so it is likely that our next fight will run into lunch time which could get us in to trouble.

'We haven't go long, let's do the Samurai Sword fight now' I say standing next to 96 who had just come back into the room; he left for a few minutes, I suspect to calm down.

'We don't even know how to fight with them… this is going to be interesting' 96 states with sarcasm on the word 'interesting'.

'Just hold the sword with two hands and do it' 130 rolls his eyes as he states the obvious.

'So how does this end, with one of us dead?' 96 snaps back at 130.

'No… no not at all' I dismiss the idea, 'I'm sure we'll just know when it's over and the other person has won'

'If you say so' 96 sweeps over to the weaponry cupboard and his eyes gleam at the long but thin blade of the Samurai Sword.

'This type is called Katana because it requires two hands to hold it' 89 hands me the Katana and my eyes widen with excitement.

'Wow' I hold the sword in my hand, 'it surprisingly light'

'But very sharp' 89 lightly scrapes his finger over the tip of the blade when he lifts his finger towards me a think line of blood drips from the tip of his finger.

I gulped at the thin line of red on his finger. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid.

'Let's start' I look at 96, 'shall we?'

It wasn't until I reached the mat that I realised I wasn't wearing a shirt and neither was 96; more flesh for 96 to cut, I sigh.

No. I can do this.

96 raises his sword and holds it diagonally across his body, he grips the sword awkwardly but his eyes are steady giving the impression he knows what he's doing. I of course know he doesn't and neither do I. I position the sword away from my body diagonally across my body and without any warning 96 arcs his sword into my chest.

I jump back but not quick enough as the tip of the sword cuts my chest, my body tenses at the gentle but painful touch of the Katana. I sweep my sword into his side but he blocks my attack with his sword making a loud sound upon contact. The lightness and swiftness of the sword seemed to work in both our favours as we both attacked causing a high pitched clinging sound to ring around the room.

The more we fought the better we both seemed to get, we were teaching ourselves the other's weak spots and using it against them. 96 had left a few cuts on me and I had a few on him, both they were mostly around the waist and chest, no real damage.

Until I retreated a few steps, circled the sword above my head like 89 demonstrated earlier and sliced at 96's shoulder. The crowd was silent. The pain he felt was obvious as he cried out but held a grip his sword so tight his hands started to flush a dark red and shake.

96's next attacks were fierce but I was defending then with ease and leaving more cuts in his skin. I suddenly thought about what 96 has said earlier about this fight not having an ending and my eyes flick towards the clock. There are 30 seconds until the end of the free period. My eyes narrow and I hold a stare with 96; his stare is strong but I know his body is weak like mine.

I conjure all the energy I have left in me and swing my sword against his but this time I knock the sword out of his hand. I have to finish this. I retract my sword and push it into 96's skin just below his ribs, not enough pressure to actually hurt him but just enough to break the skin and he drops to his knees. 96's hands shake trying to push away my sword with the last bit of energy he had left. Desperate to end the match I put the sword a little deeper into his skin until his face went red and his body relaxed showing he was giving up.

I jerk my hand backwards relieving 96 of his pain and position the sword as I did at the start diagonally across my body. It was rather theatrical actually.

The crowd screams in appreciation as the school bell rings sharply in our ears sounding the start of lunch.

We stood outside the tattoo and piercing parlour which is above the cafeteria, 130 advised me to eat after I get the tattoo but it didn't help that he was demolishing a baguette in front of me while he said it.

'I don't even know what I want' I shrug, 'I've never got a tattoo before'

'I have' 96 says crunching on an apple as he spoke, 'it's not really painful but you better make it a good one seeing as I'm paying for it'

We don't use actual money to pay for things here as the outside world do; we don't earn any actual money and we have very little use for it here. Instead, we each have cards with points on them, you gain points by passing combat levels and doing extra training – they can be awarded by an Instructor in a class and by completing missions. Missions gain the most points, especially if you don't die. As points are only earned through combat and combat related work; only people of high skill tend to get any points. Although, the Government aren't cruel they give us a monthly top up of 50 points but that's only just enough to live on.

Points can be used to buy clothes, food other than our three free meals a day, tattoos, piercings or have your hair cut other than the free haircut offered every three months but most of the time that is not enough. The Government says that this way we'll work harder to get the extra things and they're right because it is considered an honour to have a piercing or tattoo or new clothes. I have enough points to have anything I want and I've got a piercing on my eyebrow and a large number of new clothes but I don't work for the points, I work for the self-achievement.

'I think I want that one' I point at the tattoo of a Samurai Sword with a Cobra snake wrapped around it. Both a snake and the Samurai Sword are lethal but in totally different ways.

'Nice choice' the tattooist said getting his equipment ready, 'I call it the two deadly ends'

'Fine, how many points is it?' 96 asks the tattooist impatiently.

'40 points, unless you want it to cover the whole arm then it will be double' the tattooist appeared ready to start gesturing me towards the chair.

'Half… please' I added; I just want to finish quickly so I can eat, I'm so hungry. I sit down on the chair and cringe away from the needle the tattooist is holding in his hand.

'What happened to you?' the tattooist asks his voice nonchalant.

'Combat class' I lie smoothly, 'brutal stuff'

The tattooist doesn't ask any further questions, he's probably used to seeing us in worse condition and continues with the tattoo which stings against my already bruised skin. The tattoo is done within an hour but by the end of it my stomach hurts more than my arm. I admire the tattoo in the mirror and thank the tattooist. He talked to me while doing it which I thought would affect the tattoo but it looks as good as it does in the paper.

'Thanks, 96' I say with a smile.

'I kind of had to do it but I'm glad you got your first tattoo this way' he smiles, 'it's how I got my first tattoo'

'That's where you got the idea from' I replied while we walked to the cafeteria; my body aches so much I just try not to feel anything and ignore it.