I couldn't help thinking about what would have happened if this were a real fight. One against someone who was a true enemy.

Would I become a prisoner?

Or a corpse?

My mental head surfaced from the suffocating darkness and allowed my eyes to force open.

A male face flashed before my eyes, but when my mind cleared, whoever it was was gone.

I groaned, reaching my hand up to my face, but nothing happened. My arm just flopped uselessly beside my bruised stomach which threatened to spill my lunch.

A gentle hand brushed the sweaty strands of hair sticking to my forehead. Air washed in to cool my burning cheeks.

"What happened?" I murmured into the blurry emptiness.

"Theo knocked you out and you lost the second round," a soft, flat voice replied.

"You don't have to remind me," I groaned. My body shook as I turned onto my side to cradle my stomach. "Why did he enjoy hitting my stomach so much? Was he trying to get me to puke?"

"I am sure that was not his attention. It was simply a means to an end."

"I suppose the end isn't me upending all of my stomach's contents onto his brand new uniform. Too bad."

"We haven't reached the end yet," Theo stated as he strode toward me, followed by a crowd of students. "I hope you're ready for the next round."

Wren rose to her feet beside me. "She will be ready in five minutes. Please grace her with that one mercy."

"Alright, your majesty," Theo mocked in return before turning on his heel and stalking away.

I looked up at Wren whose pale face was now as dark as a shadow. When she looked down at me with the slightest of smiles, I realized that it had only been the lighting.

"Now how exactly am I going to be ready to fight in five minutes?" I questioned.

I should've pretended to sleep to avoid this nightmare.

Pfft. Ironic.

"Drink this." She slipped a small icy bottle into my sweaty palms. "It will clear your mind and reduce your nausea."

I chugged it all at once. The soothing liquid slipped down my throat and into my unsettled stomach, sending a burst of ice through my body. It was the feeling of a cold iced tea on the hottest day of the summer when the sun was at its peak in the sky.

Energy replenished, I rose to only slightly hesitant legs. I stretched them and shot my legs out, scared of a cramp creeping in.

None came, so I continued stretching. I brought my leg to my ear on both sides, pulling the muscle tight and pushing my foot behind my ear. After both legs felt loose and free, I stretched my arms out and jogged back onto the mat where Theo was waiting with his eyes on his watch.

"You made it just in time," he said. "It's time for us to choose our weapons."

———————

I chose the shortest gun on display. The weight of extra metal flying so far in front of me would just slow me down. I was the type who chose speed over power most of the time.

The model was a recent one. It had come out just last year. I had heard about its spiral of popularity from chatter in the hall, and I was glad my curiosity had led me to do research on it.

The design was slim and simple, a basic ebony-colored base with streaks of glowing blue that varied according to different information. I swiped across one line of light and a hologram appeared, showing bullet amount and details, aim assistance, trajectory, and more. It even had the time in a small corner.

It automatically replenished bullets at incredible speeds, granting its name the speed 17. It meant that I could shoot as fast as my finger could move without a care in the world.

Theo's choice was a design I had never seen before. It was large but condensed; it held quite a few elements but didn't span more than a few feet. The handle was long and curved around to connect to the main system. The row of waiting bullets was held in a thin container jutting from the base. It didn't automatically replenish, but there were enough stored bullets for Theo to not have to worry.

It was a German design, just like the sword he had chosen before. Theo was actually part German if I remembered correctly. Although he didn't really look like it.

His eyes turned to slits, snapping me back to reality and helping me realize that I had been staring.

I gripped my sword in my right hand and my gun in my left. Both were light enough for me to settle comfortably into my stance.

My mind barely registered the 'begin!' before my legs were moving toward their target. The closer I was, the more effective my shots would be.

Bullets grazed my arms, but I managed to dodge most of them.

I leapt in close to slash his arm and was back out in a second, keeping my hand as steady as possible as I aimed my pistol using the iron sight.

The first shot missed but the second hit him right in the shoulder, throwing his own shot off. The pale blue bullet whisked past my ear.

Another bullet followed right behind, and I cut it with my sword before it could hit my chest.

I swept forward, my sword extended to my side and my gun aimed forward. I let my finger go wild on the trigger while swiping my sword again and again.

I couldn't give him a second to retaliate.

Our swords clashed; the air filled with lines of electric blue.

I rushed in, only to jump out again once my hit was finished.

Every blow I landed increased my energy tenfold.

I might actually win this.

The second the thought crossed through my mind, pain exploded up my arm. One after another.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

My hand automatically went to my injured arm, but of course, there was no real wound for me to apply pressure to.

Just the feeling of needles breaking my skin and ripping cuts into my smooth flesh.

I cried out, falling to my knees as my vision blurred from the pain.

My sword fell to the mat with a small thump.

But Theo didn't stop shooting.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

My gun fell from my other hand as my left arm turned into a noodle.

My opponent approached slowly, dropping his sword and raising his gun to my head.

Before he could fire and knock me out again, my leg flew into the air. My heel disarmed him and I followed through into a back roll.

I grabbed his gun from where it lay beside me and jumped to my feet, shoving the barrel into his forehead.

Our ragged breaths were all that could be heard through the deafening silence.

Then I fell to my knees in relief.

I might not have a chance at winning, but we still had a chance at a tie.

I just had to win the round with no rules or reason.

While Theo and I took our five-minute break, a group of students prepared for the next round.

When I turned around after chugging three bottles of water, I saw that they had scattered all the weapons across the mat. As obstacles or for convenience, I couldn't be sure.

"The only rule is there are no rules," Theo said, walking onto the mat and picking up a weapon for each hand.

I joined him and replied, "That makes no sense." I chose two pistols and strapped a scabbard to my waist. "But I suppose that's the whole point."

He simply nodded in response and readied himself into a fighting stance. I mimicked him and raised my guns in his direction, my gaze piercing through the iron sights.

"Begin!"

I took a minute to calm my nerves, carefully dodging his attacks while clearing my mind. I was trying not to feel the pressure beginning to weigh on my shoulders.

But then I knew I couldn't hold back anymore.

In less than a second, my sword made contact with the sleeve of his shirt, creating a large gash through the fabric.

I followed it with a slash to his leg and then back up to his stomach.

It hardly slowed him down as he came rushing in like a battering ram, his sword raised like a spear.

Easily dodging, I jumped away and rolled to the other side of the mat. Pain rippled through my ankle, causing me to land at an odd angle.

I looked down and immediately understood the problem.

I bit down hard on the inside of my mouth and ripped the dagger out. My vision blurred with tears. They dissolved into the air as I stood suddenly, my weight putting pressure on my injured ankle.

Something whizzed past my ear.

My vision immediately cleared. I looked behind me and saw another short dagger sticking out of the wall.

I leapt away as more came rushing at me.

They tore my shirt and pants and pierced my skin.

My eyes went to the source, and I saw Theo waving several more daggers in his hands with a twinkle in his eye. "They're called kunai," he said, although I hadn't asked. "Japanese throwing knives. They're one of my favorites."

"I know what they are," I retorted, despite having never seen them before in my life. "Did you know—"

"Yes."

I lowered my gun from where I had been aiming. "I didn't even finish my statement."

"Whatever you say, I bet I've heard it before."

I nailed his cheek and neck, and he growled at the pain.

"Why did the chicken cross the road?" I questioned.

"I meant anything intelligent."

"Chicken jokes are intelligent."

He threw another knife, and I tripped backward over air. The knife caught on my shirt and followed me to the ground, pinning me in place.

I reached up to quickly free myself, but another two knives caught both my sleeves, leaving my arms completely useless.

I waited for him to appear above me before I kicked him in the solar plexus.

I let out a yell as I ripped through the knives and stood to my feet.

In an attempt to dodge my charging attack, he also tripped backward—but then he was up before I could take advantage of the situation.

I hugged my knee and threw it into his chest, following it with a left roundhouse, a jumping hook, and then an elbow to his neck.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead and swung his leg toward the side of my stomach.

And then it was a hand-to-hand combat fight.

My legs pulsed with energy and adrenaline and kept me light on the balls of my feet. I was able to get in close, hit, and then jump back out before he could retaliate.

My chest began to feel tight after ten minutes of nothing but full contact. Luckily, I wasn't the only one tiring out.

I leapt back out of range and shot my two guns as fast as my tired fingers would move.

It wasn't as fast as the bullets flying at me. The lightning-fast pace didn't give me very much time to think as I dodged.

I threw one of my guns at his head and took the time that it took him to dodge to pounce on a dagger that had caught my eye on the floor. I quickly ripped off the three sheaths covering the serrated blades.

The Haladie sword was a blade from India used by the Rajput warriors back in the 18th to 19th centuries. I hadn't recognized it when my eyes had done a sweep of the floor before our fight started but I had almost stepped on it when we were doing our hand-to-hand combat.

The third blade was removable, so I covered it and tossed it aside. It would be easier without it.

I waved it through the air as the bullets began streaming toward me once again. The double blade helped me cut through the masses and reach Theo.

The haladie cut through the air and landed against Theo's gun. He dropped his second one and was about to slam his palm into my wrist to knock my weapon away, but I shifted the blade, giving him a long dark mark up his wrist and palm.

He drew in a sharp breath through gritted teeth and retreated to the far side of the mat. I followed right behind and dragged my knife along the inside of his arm. A jagged black line appeared a second later.

I pulled back, grabbed a gun, and began shooting as I moved away. Theo's body convulsed as each bullet shocked his body.

If our weapons could cut skin, he would be dead meat.

But then again, so would I.

Then a blur of glowing blue shot toward me in the chaos. I hadn't even noticed Theo raise the gun through my concentration.

All sound turned to mute as my senses turned to slow motion. My limbs froze and refused to operate.

I just stood there dumbly as though I had all the time in the world to jump out of the way. I didn't. But my body didn't seem to care as the bullet came closer and closer.

Why wouldn't it just hit already?

Why was it taking so long?

Then I felt the pain in the side of my stomach and realized that the bullet had disappeared.

I looked down and saw a faint black line where fabric used to be.

Then I could breathe normally.

My senses returned.

So did Theo's intense blue eyes.

A train of bullets—dare I say a 'bullet train'—attacked from the barrel of Theo's two guns.

I jumped onto my hand, twisting around and landing into a fighting stance with my hand back in commission.

I felt nauseous and dizzy. My legs shook beneath me, threatening to let me fall. I suddenly felt like jumping into bed and taking an eternal nap.

I shook my head to clear it. I couldn't afford to go off the deep end. I had to keep my head in the game.

It became harder to breathe as the time wore on slower than a turtle in summer. It became almost impossible to stand.

I didn't want to stand.

Why should I have to stand? I feel so weak and...what reason is there for me to keep standing?

To keep fighting?

It was like I was losing an immense amount of blood. But none stained the floor. I couldn't look up from the mat; the world was warping and I couldn't concentrate on anything.

I forced my eyes to meet my opponent's and saw that he seemed to be struggling as well.

It must be a side effect of the black marks. Too many led to death.

I was going to die.

Stop being dramatic, Tempest. They would never make training weapons so dangerous.

These Prodigious Prep people were crazy. I honestly wouldn't put it past them.

But Theo was one of their best students. They would never let him die.

It's possible to survive hypovolemic shock. They could save Theo and not you. Why should they save you? Write a three-page essay describing why they should save you.

Bet you couldn't even write one word.

Start with 'the', you dummy. That's one word.

I guess I had already fallen into the land of the crazy.

The sound of my dagger as it fell to the mat was like a nuclear bomb. It shattered the fog attempting to mess with my brain.

Everything was suddenly clear. The bright fluorescent lights, the thick crowd of people cheering for Theo, and then Theo himself, a paralyzed look in his eyes. His whole body shook as mine had probably been doing only seconds before.

This was my opportunity.

I had to win.

I ran at full speed, my arm reaching down to pick up a random sword. I didn't stop until I was centimeters away. The lights seemed to focus in on that moment, hitting the metal of the sword and nearly blinding me.

I held it firmly in front of me and slashed against Theo's stomach.

My run slowed once I had passed him and it only took a second for him to fall behind me.

That had been the last push.

That had been my victory.

I fell to the ground in a heap, my eyes focused on the tall ceiling above. My breaths were heavy and weighed down on my chest. I looked over at Theo. He was out cold.

I won.

I really won.

My smile was bigger than the sun. I threw my fist into the air and yelled, "I WON!"