Chapter Ten
"Round One" (Part One)
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"Alright, everyone, look alive." Hiko walked into his classroom with a hard scowl on his face.
"Wow, you look horrible, Sensei." A male student boldly pointed out.
Hiko regret glaring at him for so long, but it was enough to shut the student up. He was trying his best to cover up the hangover he was suffering from.
"Class won't be long," he sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'm really just here to introduce my new TA." He gestured to his left at a short old man with a slight curve in his spine. "This is Totosai and he will be leading all of the demon's in here in combat every Thursday."
"What the hell?" Inuyasha's blurt surprised the class. "You can't be serious, right?"
"I'm as serious as this hangover I'm trying to hurry home and sleep off. What's the problem?" Hiko growled with his muscular arms crossed over his chest.
"Ah, Inuyasha. How nice to see you again." Totosai's raspy old voice shook a little. "I didn't expect to see you here." He sweat-dropped.
"You got some explaining to do, old man." Inuyasha was out of his seat and in Totosai's face in two seconds with Totosai's shirt balled within his fists.
"Indeed, I do."
"Oh my, God." Kaoru's eyes were wide at her friend's actions. "Kenshin, don't just sit there! Do something!" She screamed from the back of the classroom.
"Uhh," Kenshin's face went red from being put on the spot.
Hiko sighed loudly. "Class dismissed."
"Alright, Totosai, get to talkin'." Inuyasha demanded as he got stares from everyone leaving the classroom.
"Let him go, will you?" Kaoru pinched the pup on one of his ears and pulled hard.
"Ow! That hurt!" Inuyasha let go of Totosai's shirt and reached for his own ears.
"Serves you right!" She turned towards her elder and introduced herself with a bright smile.
"My ears are sensitive, you know." Inuyasha continued to pout and glared at his non helping red-headed friend who looked away, pretending not to have seen anything.
As sensitive as his ears may have been, Inuyasha was startled when he didn't hear Ryoko actually walking down the stairs in his house as she whistled a happy tune.
"Boo!" She noticed how deep he had been into watching the news and took advantage of him. She would never pass up an opportunity to scare him.
"I wish you would stop already." He dead-panned.
Ryoko occupied the single chair to the right of him. "Your girlfriend just pulled up and she doesn't look like she has a pocket full of sunshine."
"Huh?"
Inuyasha went to the front door and opened it to Kikyo's displeased face. She walked in right by him and he followed her upstairs and to his room.
"Kikyo, what's up?" He asked, obviously sensing something was bothering her.
"I have eyes and ears all over this school, Inuyasha. All over the entire island."
He didn't appreciate her attack without an explanation. So he jumped to his own defense. "So? What the hell's your point?"
"You've been hanging around that Kagome girl a little too much for my liking. That's my point."
Inuyasha took a deep breath and exhaled as to not turn this into something bigger than it should be. "What's the big deal? She hangs around all of my friends."
"Well, I don't want you being friends with her! You two in the library. You walking her to her dorm. Did you go to her room?"
"What? No!"
"Don't lie to me, Inuyasha."
"No, I didn't. Whoever you're getting all this information from clearly isn't spilling everything. Why are you letting hearsay get in between our relationship?"
"I shouldn't be hearing about you being alone with the new girl. One that I don't particularly like."
"Well, next time, you come talk to me about it like a civilized person instead of attacking me like you have all of the facts."
"So, is my information wrong? Were you not alone with her?"
Inuyasha took another deep breath, but this time it was accompanied with an eye roll. "Not the entire time, but I had no intention of going up to her room. Kagome hasn't done a thing to you. Why are you acting like this? Are you on your period or something?"
"I don't want you around her anymore." Kikyo ignored his ignorant question and lowered her voice with narrow eyes. She stood solid across from him with her arms crossed.
Inuyasha's own eyes narrowed. "You can come back or call me later when you've calmed down. I'm old enough to choose my own friends. This is ridiculous." He opened the door for her to leave and she did so without hesitation or another word, all the way out of the house.
Inuyasha closed his room door back and threw himself down on his bed with a deep sigh.
"What the hell." He frowned.
There was silence all around him. He did, however still hear the TV on downstairs and sensed Ryoko's calming presence. Instead of taking the nap he so desperately wanted to, he went downstairs for her company.
He was surprised when she didn't pry, and of all times he kind of wished she did, he was the one who proposed to talk about his problems instead. "Can we talk?"
"Sure we can!" She perked up with enthusiasm that made him sweat-drop.
…
Misao secured the fingerless navy blue gloves on her small hands and made sure her combat outfit was fitting correctly and comfortably. Her adrenaline was at an all-time high as she took deep breaths and hit her fists into their corresponding palms.
"Let's do this," she smiled to herself. She gave her blue ninja outfit and large pink box one more look in the mirror. She was glad there was no set uniform for the hand-to-hand combat contestants participating in the Winter Games. She moved around a lot better in her own gear.
Sango stepped beside Misao in the large mirror in the girl's locker room to secure her high ponytail. Unlike Misao, who was dressed in in shorts and had no sleeves on her short kimono, Sango wore a black bodysuit with pink armor on her knees and elbows with a red sash tied around her waist.
"You ready, Misao?" Sango asked with a smirk.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Misao was pumped. "Aren't you worried, though?"
"Hm? Why would I be worried?"
"We may be on teams for the first few rounds, but if we're the last ones standing, we'll have to battle one another for the winning spot."
Sango scoffed. "You saying you'll beat me? I'd like to see you try."
"You're on."
Meanwhile, Kagome was finished dressing and freaking out. She had no idea what to expect and she wasn't sure if she was ready to take on such a big challenge. Everyone made such a big deal about these games, she could only imagine what the Soul Games would be like at the end of the school year.
She occupied a mirror of her own and smoothed out any wrinkles the standard tan hakama had that all archery contestants were instructed to wear along with standard white kimonos.
"There you are, Kagome." Kaoru's worried voice came from Kagome's right side. "You okay?" Kaoru's hakama was a burnt orange color to indicate her being part of the swordsmen contestants.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little nervous." She admitted.
"Don't be! Everything will be fine. These two days will be over in no time." Kaoru smiled to reassure her.
Kagome appreciated her kind words, but still couldn't help the anxious feeling in her throat. She took a deep breath and gave Kaoru a nod. "You're right. Everything will be fine."
Just at the last of her words, Kagome felt an unbalanced energy behind her. Kaoru immediately took notice at the change in atmosphere between them both. "What's the matter?"
"Kikyo." Kagome turned and saw Kikyo staring daggers into her back.
Kaoru looked as well. "What's wrong with her?"
"Beats me."
Kikyo was shuffled out of the locker room by Kaede, who was hurrying everyone out to take the floor to get ready for the games.
Kagome shrugged. "That's not important right now. We have bigger things to focus on."
…
"May I have your attention, please?" Kagura's voice booming throughout the arena calmed everyone who came to be wowed by the Winter Games.
She stood on her large trademark feather and hovered in the middle of the arena while also being projected on a large screen behind her, on the right end of the building.
"We will now be starting the Winter Games. I present to you: the combat contestants, the swordsmen contestants, and, lastly, the archery contestants."
Each group of students stepped onto the floor as their groups were called. The gymnasium went into an uproar with cheers from friends, family and fans of the students participating. Some of the guests even went as far as to make supporting signs and posters.
A few names stood out among popular students, but there were more signs for Kikyo than anyone else. She smirked at the love and held her head up high, walking alongside the high wall that separated her from the people cheering all the way to the left side of the arena, facing everyone.
The archery contestants lined up beside one another beside the large mat closest to the entrance with the swordsmen contestants beside them at the middle mat and the combatants beside them on the mat further to the right.
"Names of all participants will be displayed on this screen." Kagura said into the microphone, gesturing towards the screen her image was replaced on by the students' names and category brackets. "They will advance according to the victor of each round. The last three standing for each category will take the reigning title as the winner. The assigned instructors will guide them through the process of who will be facing off against who.
"When each category is down to two contestants, each contestant will be able to occupy all three mats for maximization of the arena for the final rounds. Elimination will start by who has the least points for archery in groups of four. For swordsmanship and combat, it will be by the victors of each set battle, also in groups of four. This half of the games is held tomorrow as the finale. I hope you all understand."
Kagura paused to take a look at each student and their guiding instructors, giving them a chance to speak out against anything they didn't understand. She was pleased that she didn't have to repeat herself.
"Very well, then. Let the games begin." She flew from the middle of the arena over to the shadows at the top of the stands being the contestants, sitting beside Naraku, who was disguised in his baboon pelt.
Kenshin, Inuyasha and their gang all sat in one section in the idle so it would be easy to see all of their friends who participated.
"Good luck, Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin yelled over the loud cheers with no shame.
Kaoru had instantly spotted his head full of red hair as she practically was standing right across from him. She didn't have to know what he said to know he was rooting for her. The butterflies went crazy in her stomach as she smiled back and waved at his thumbs up.
Sanosuke lounged behind Kenshin with his eyes closed, listening to the cheers around him that started to settle down. "Hey, Kenshin, you two dating yet?"
Kenshin flinched. Before he could even turn around to respond, Aoshi threw his two cents in.
"I wouldn't imagine so since he's still calling her 'miss'."
The red-head sulked and turned to face them. "Don't rush me. I just want to do this at the right time, that I do."
"It's been like two years!" Sanosuke pointed out.
"I do have to admit," Tenchi started. "this has been the longest cat and mouse game ever." He hated to state facts but he felt sorry for his friend.
"Don't worry about them, Kenshin. Women are sensitive creatures. Taking your time is the best thing you can do." Miroku jumped to his defense.
"Says the one who's heading on four years with trying to get with Sango." Sanosuke threw in there.
"That also gropes at every woman he sees." Ryoko mumbled, sitting to Sanosuke's right side. "How do you expect Sango to want to be with you when you can't control yourself, monk?"
"I'm working on it." Miroku sweat-dropped with lack of a real answer.
"Boy, some of these participants are dropping like flies already." Inuyasha slouched in his seat, kicking his feet up on the rail in front of him, keeping an eye on the scoreboard.
"There sure doesn't seem to be very much competition this year." Ayeka softly responded, sitting to Inuyasha's left. She and the rest of her friends looked to their right as the scoreboard changed again. "Looks like Kagome and Misao are up."
Ayeka looked to the right to see Misao stand with two groups of four people and to the left to see Kagome stand with three people.
Inuyasha's interest peaked at the mention of Kagome's name, but he didn't let himself get excited when he knew a certain pair of eyes might've been watching him. Of all the people in the room, he was still able to make out the scent of Cherry Blossom lotion when she entered the room. He wishes it wasn't so easy, but he almost couldn't help himself for searching for it when he knew there was a chance he'd get to be around her. It lulled him.
Inuyasha and Kikyo hadn't really talked since their little argument earlier that week. Things had been very dry between them and he wasn't sure where they were headed. He hadn't had that much contact with Kagome either, for that matter, and it kind of made him feel bad that he felt like he was sort of avoiding her.
Nonetheless, he was happy to see her. She looked nervous, but determined to do her best. It was cute. He was rooting for her to win.
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This was a pretty short. I got a little busy during my time writing this chapter (not to mention I got stuck). Sorry to keep you guys waiting! I wanted to finish the entire chapter and post it as one, but unfortunately, I have to do it in parts. I wanted to go ahead and post what I had so I could kinda stop "stressing" over not having updated in a while. So now, I have a little time to finish the rest of this chapter. Hope you enjoyed this small piece though! xoxo