A/N: Whoa, this actually got views? XD I feel so special! Even though nobody's reviewed, I figured I'd step up the quality, seeing as I started this just to screw around, so I promise future chapters will be much longer and more detailed, if taking quite a bit longer to update. Well, after this one, anyway, I'd already finished it as is (eheh, I may be a little lazy). Also, I'm not creepy, but the traffic graph whatever said I had a Croatian visitor, so... Kako ste?! Moj tata je Hrvat ^^ Oprostite, ja govorim vrlo loše. Posjetio sam četiri puta, i imam obitelj u blizini Zagreba, Splita i Livna. Nadam se da ćete uživati u moje pisanje!

Two weeks following...

Stuck in your wonderland...

"Ah! Fuck..."

Shina still couldn't put even the slightest pressure on her left wrist without a sharp throbbing radiating up her arm, an obvious weakness for her next opponent to easily exploit. Especially considering she was going up against Minatsuki in less than an hour, of all people. She still hadn't forgiven her about the bloody tear in her shirt, either. It was clear, tonight she'd get some revenge. The most Shina could hope for was that 'the Hummingbird' had a short-reaching Branch of Sin...

Sparrow vs. Hummingbird

Shina resigned herself almost immediately to allowing her opponent get the first hit-there wasn't any way for her to tear her own skin. She'd already tried biting her thumb, and all she'd gotten for her trouble was a bruise. Warily, she approached the innocent-seeming girl across from her, Minatsuki's eyes rapidly filling with more than bloodlust.

"Much for not getting any more blood on my shirt, huh, Sparrow? Fucking hell, you're such a filthy slut, you know that!?"

"Yeah, I think I've heard something like that," Shina muttered, not surprised at the girl's vile personality shift. She'd been witness to it multiple times already. Tilting her head to the side, Shina calmly blinked at her opponent, irking her into action.

"Little bitch!" And there it was. Holy hell. Shina allowed a surprised yelp to leave her lips as Minatsuki ripped away her earrings, ensnaring her with a line of blood and throwing her to the ground. Don't show fear, don't show fear... Hopefully stoicism would mess with the combat sadomasochist.

It did. She released another screech and stream of profanity, lashing Shina's stomach, arms, legs, face. God, it hurt, the constant stinging and crack of the whip. Gritting her teeth, Shina threw her right palm in front of her, awaiting the slice that was sure to come. Then she could finally start fighting back-

Wait. Why had it stopped? She glanced up into the Hummingbird's eyes as she began laughing like a lunatic, her expression one of eager and bloodthirsty desire. "You think I'll be helping you form your own Bloodblade? You stupid skank! I'm not as dumb as you are!" A tendril of blood snaked around her neck, pulling tighter and making her gasp for breath even as Shina stumbled to her feet and inched closer to her opponent. More bloody strands tangled up her feet and remaining hand as she was dragged ever closer, each tightening as she stood face to face with Minatsuki. "Not so clever now, huh?" Shina released another small cry of pain, this one choked and strangled, as her left wrist's bindings were torn away, the horrifically scarred and scabbing stump ripped open to begin leaking blood again. Her vision was blacking out, dizzy from the sudden wave of pain. No, not again, not so soon, not the penalty game already! There had to be something she could do!

Shina's blood formed the shape before she even thought of it, all that dripping blood coalescing to a sharpened point, the long blade extending straight from the stump of her hand. If only it didn't fucking ache so much! Still, she wasted no time in slashing wildly at her opponent, eagerly gasping in air as her throat was released and Minatsuki tripped backwards.

"Useless whore," she growled, immediately trapping Shina again, this time strangling her tighter than before and at a farther distance. There wasn't any time to fight it, no chance to resist the pain and figure out how to wield a sword without a hand. She desperately sprinted forward, shouldering the smaller teen into the ground and falling on top of her, pressing her forearm deep against Minatsuki's throat. Now it came down to who could stay conscious the longest. The girl's blood whips were in a frenzy now, beating relentlessly against their opponent, but Shina held her place, ramming her elbow into Minatsuki's windpipe until she felt the girl's Branch of Sin retract from her own throat. "C-cocksucker," she wheezed, gradually growing limp. Spitting up blood, Shina rolled aside, taking a final glance at the passed-out form of her opponent. Huh, she almost looked cute and relatively sane when asleep.

Shina lapsed in and out of an anemia-induced haze as she was dragged from the arena and to the infirmary, not really registering what she'd just done as a 'victory.' Simply Minatsuki getting sent to the chopping block in her place...which made her feel even worse. She spent the time before the penalty round retching, chiefly bile and blood, hooked up to an IV and cutting her groans off in her throat as stitches were reapplied to her stump. And then, the TV flickered on. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could cut off her hearing, too, but knowing it would be useless. And then, she heard the verdict: stomach.

What the ever-loving fuck!? Humans, Deadmen or not, needed that shit to survive! How was Minatsuki supposed to eat? And her immune system? Her body would just fall into shock, she'd die, all because Shina-because she had-

Okay, so only half a stomach. That didn't ease her mind at all. Shina was just thankful the doctor had to knock her out before cutting open the girl...she wouldn't have to suffer the immediate pain of the mutilation.

Trying to keep her mind occupied, Shina considered her prize. So she had candy, enough to repay Karako and her continuous 'gifts' that'd been sustaining her so far. If Minatsuki didn't have enough, she'd cover her, too. And get her a new shirt. Everything else?

Whether or not Shina could manage swinging a sword without a hand, if she survived long enough, she was getting that goddamned prosthetic.