Well, it certainly has been awhile since I last posted. I'm so sorry! I had a serious writer's block, so it wasn't until the past week or so that my mind was filled with inspiration and motivation. And guess what? Since this chapter was posted, that means that the next chapter is already finished! Just need to finish the chapter after that... Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter Seven

To be honest, it was a stressful night. Well, not so much stressful as being annoyed by these idiots I have to be in the same goddamn room with.

"Yes! I won this round! I told you I was the master!" Some guy shouted gleefully. Damn it, some people are trying to sleep…

"Shut up, you fucker! You cheated, damn it!" I bury my head into my pillow, trying to block out the yelling.

"I don't cheat, idiot-" There was a loud thud, then a loud scream of, "OW! MY NOSE! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" I winced. Jesus, does he have a sonic scream or something?

"Why don't you guys just shut up?" Another voice, quieter and calmer, spoke. "All of us are trying to get enough rest to survive initiation tomorrow and you idiots are playing poker obnoxiously." Well said, whoever you are.

"Well, I don't see you trying to sleep, Aika." The boy sneered. Aika? What parents would name their male child that? I feel bad for him.

"It's called meditation." The voice responded coolly. "And I request of you to not call me by my birth name, or a convenient accident will occur during initiation and your injuries will be severe enough to send you back home crippled to your overprotective mother."

There was silence for a moment before the boy bit out, "Shut up, you bastard."

"I question your family's intelligence if all of those obscenities are the only vocabulary you know." The voice insulted.

"Why you-" There was sounds of struggle as the boy was held back by his friend.

"Jesus Christ, what the hell is it with you tonight?" The boy's friend hissed. He spoke loudly, "Sorry, Akuma, but he's being assier than normal."

"It's okay." The guy, apparently Akuma (Fire… Demon… Okay, whatever suits him), replied over the loud cursing of the boy. "I'll get used to it."

"YOU FUCKER! YOU LITTLE BASTARD! WHY DON'T YOU JUST GO TO HELL AND FUCK YOUR OWN GODDAMN ASS-" I'll never get sleep tonight, will I? I'm going to go deaf at this rate. I hope I won't end up on the same team as sonic scream boy. I let out a sigh and sat up from my bed, then slipped on my shoes. I grabbed my sai and headed out to the door to what will be my silent paradise for now. There is a combat room, isn't there? I can sharpen up my skills for tomorrow. I stepped out into the dark, cool corridor. I took a breath, feeling instantly calm with fresh air. Okay, turn left, continue walking… Right, left, left, right… Damn, I can't remember the map very well. So, I think… I should turn right here… Then left, and another right… I see a pair of double doors leading to what should be the combat room, white light filtering through the small windows in the doors. I hurried my pace, and I tested the doors. Unlocked. Thank god, I don't want to go back to that pit of hell. Seriously, what the hell was it with them? Couldn't they have just, I don't know, kill each other later? Jesus.

The door opened with a single push, without a creak. My eyes adjusted to the bright white lights of the combat room as I stepped in.

Well, shit.

The place was fucking huge! It's at least three times the size of the gymnasium of that middle school I went to for a year. Not to mention that was the worst year of my life.

~Start flashback~

"Fucking Faunus! You don't deserve you live, you little piece of shit!"

That voice. I hated it so much, but yet I couldn't help but fear it as well. I was never a target of violence from the condescending assface like other Faunus before.

I was under the radar always. It was in my veins to be in the shadows.

But I guess all those years of not standing up for other Faunus caught up to me.

~End flashback~

I have deep regrets for not standing up for the others. Was it the need for self-preservation? The lack of remorse? Or maybe even fear?

I wish that I was a true member of the Nagatsuko family. No one else is a goddamn coward like I. I must be a disappointment.

A complete disappointment.

I repeat these words over and over in my head- Echoing. A stupid echo.

Only idiots live in the echoes of their past.

It's ridiculous! It's fucking ridiculous. It's stupid really. So stupid, it was...

Rippling laughter pierced through my gut. The sound of bitter laughter honestly surprised me.

"Pffft-hahahaha-HAHA… Heheh…" Man, that hurt. I didn't even realize that I was already going through my habitual exercise routine. Don't laugh while doing the sai situps. I let out a soft wheeze as I clutch my chest. My lungs burned with every breath taken. I need water.

But then… Then, it struck me.

"I'm an idiot." I said. Well, it was the truth… I don't deserve the honor of being a Nagatsuko.

"You definitely are. Don't you know to keep your mind peaceful and calm?"

My mother's voice.

I screamed.

I am an idiot. A complete idiot!

And deaf!

Either that or I'm schizophrenic. Probably not.

How the hell did I get this voice confused with…. Hers? A shudder traveled down my spine at the mere mention of her.

It was the guy- With those irksome fluffy black ears of a tiger- that had walked into the combat room in the middle of the night. In the middle of the night. What the hell was wrong with him?

…

Never once was I a hypocrite before that comment. I take that back. Tigers are nocturnal, aren't they?

I fought down the urge to facepalm.

Still, he scared the shit out of me. Honestly, I don't scream. I simply don't scream. I have always been observant of my surroundings, but never once did I get caught off guard like this! When I'm… For the lack of a better term, surprised, I DON'T scream!

…Great, Scorch is staring at me.

It's… Humiliating.

"I never knew you could get to that high of an octave." The tiger said bluntly.

Now even more humiliating. Bravo, me! You should join the opera next, Shige!

"...Speak of this to anyone, and you will never wake up in the morning." I couldn't help but threaten. Threatening people seemed to run in the family… People say we're venomous, you know?

"...Deal." Scorch nodded slowly, looking as if tempted to take a step back but refrained. I shuffled uncomfortably underneath his scrutinizing glare.

Just as he spoke, "I know-" I asked the same time, "Why are you here?"

"-that you're related to the Nagatsuko family."

In that very moment, I froze. I bristled, a cold shiver reverberating throughout my body. "What?"

"You heard me." The tiger narrowed his eyes. I recoiled, exhaling with a soft hiss.

"What the hell are you talking about, Scorch?" I spat. Before I knew it, I was standing up, rather scandalized.

"The scattering of your scales. It's obvious you are related to them."

…

I blinked once. Twice.

"What." I sweatdropped. Really? The scattering of my scales? I immediately felt a little self conscious. If he pays that much attention to what, the one scale at an offset from other scales, who knows what else he notices… It's creepy. Does he stalk other people too?

Golden eyes glared hard at me, boring two sizzling holes into me. I inadvertently flinched.

"I. Don't. Stalk." He hissed.

Wait, what?! I do know that I sometimes- Just sometimes!- speak aloud, but only in the comfort of home… Before what happened, I mean. But I know that the comment wasn't aloud.

"It's obvious by that expression on your face."

Lies, lies…. Lies!

So I believe. Not that I'm biased towards myself… I simply don't show those kind of emotions- Wait, here I am going off on a tangent.

But how the hell did he figure me out so quickly?

Oh, what the hell. I stare back at him in suspicion. It's better to let him know that he's more suspicious than I am.

And so the staring contest began.

Five seconds. 10 seconds. Ilyas finally blinked, backing away almost in a surrender.

"I won't tell anyone-"

Good.

"That is, if you best me in a duel."

Not good.

But challenge accepted, Scorch. You will regret this, and I'll make sure you will.

"Fine." I agreed. "Who gets the first move?"

"I'll be nice and let you have it."

... Well, damn it all. He would have the upperhand already at this rate, since he'll have the head start to see how I fight.

"Thank you." The vile words came out from my gritted teeth.

"You're welcome." Ilyas smirked.

"And no guns." I added.

"Of course." Ilyas nodded. "Is that the only request you have?"

"Yes." I confirmed. In less than a second, my fingers moved swiftly, switching the sai to an offensive hold. I lunged, the cool air of the air conditioning rushing past me as I aimed to slash at one of his arms.

Clang.

The yoku of my sai caught the silver blade of an oriental saber- A Chinese one, in fact, with oriental tigers and dragons carved within the blade.

I grit my teeth, aiming a kick at Ilyas. He leapt away a few feet, dodging my attack swiftly. I swapped my hand grip on the sai to defensive.

Next thing I knew, the enemy was in front of me, in the mid movement of jabbing me with his hilt. I felt the heavy impact of the dull metal of the hilt, and immediately after, a sharp pain in my gut.

I stumbled back, the air forced out of me.

Damn it! My defences were down!

I gained my balance quickly, just enough to dodge his next attack. As I sidestepped, I turned 90 degrees, just in enough time to attack next. As his arm was outstretched from his previous attack, I swapped one of my sai to the offensive. I swung my arm upwards, managing to slash through his sleeve and graze some skin.

Ilyas took several steps back, letting out a soft hiss of pain. He clutched his arm momentarily.

I took this as a chance for my next move. I lunged at him, to which he was about to step back… And just before I reached him, I dropped to the ground to kick his feet out from under him. Easy victory, right-?

OUCH, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!

Instead of collapsing Ilyas, my leg hit something hard and pole-like, fixed to the ground. There was an explosion of pain, and the next thing I knew, I was hopping away on one foot.

I paused momentarily to assess the damage. The pain soon faded a bit, but it was still beating with heat and torture. Well, this will be a bad bruise…

I looked up at Ilyas, who had put several feet between us. In his hand, instead of the saber he just had moments ago, a tall metal saber-spear was in its place.

That explained a lot. And it put me at a disadvantage.

Ilyas simply smirked at me. That bastard.

'Shige: 1. Ilyas: 2.' We must have simultaneously thought.

That smug smirk of yours, Ilyas, will not be there any longer when I punch it off your face.

I snarled as I lunged yet again, avoiding to put much weight on the bruised leg. This time, I made sure to be fast enough to reach close vicinity of Ilyas. I slashed both my scythe at him diagonally, and the impact of metal against metal reverberated through my hands.

He had blocked my sai yet again, but with the pole. At least I reach my objective to put him on defense.

I slid one of my sai out of the lock and punched the bastard in the gut with the hilt. How does that feel, hm?

His elbow met my face.

Okay, Shige: 2, Ilyas: 3. Screw it.

We both back away from each other, Ilyas holding his gut from the lingering pain, and I, wiping my face from the sweat and the dull pain of being targeted.

We settled for circling each other before we attacked again

Ilyas eyed me, calculating but yet weary. I simply looked back at him, harsh and ready for the next move. A bead of sweat had formed at his temple, and probably mine as well.

He lunged, jabbing the spear towards me. Instead of sidestepping, I did two back handsprings to put more distance between us. I landed, sliding back slightly and collapsing to one knee to avoid falling. Ilyas advance yet again, but this time, I stayed put.

I threw one of my sai at him. Taken by surprise, Ilyas stopped in his tracks, swinging the pole of the spear to knock away the incoming blade.

I sprinted towards him in a lunge, and before he could react to block my sai, the flat side of my blade was pressed to his neck.

Ilyas stared at me for a long moment, breathing heavily. There was a moment of silence before he said, "You win. Good fight."

I nodded, stepping back. I found myself in the same state as Ilyas, exhausted from the duel.

"Yeah, good fight."

END

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! To be honest, I'm not fully pleased with it, but I will be rewriting later, so oh well. Hope you liked the character interaction. I love reviews, so review!

Upcoming: The Second Quarter Initiation.