While we were heading back up the floors in the elevator, Thomas began to give me run-down on all the different changes since I had died, not to mention the different aspects of the school I'd been inducted into. Apparently, after the mysterious man had made his mark on our world, the birth rate of males had fallen rather dramatically. One in roughly 75% of all newborn were supposedly female, leaving a mere 25% of a chance to be born a male.
This didn't explain to me why the woman acted the way they did until I remembered how rare being reincarnated actually was. "Huh. No wonder they're clawing all over me. It wasn't like this at all in my last life." Thomas nodded in agreement as he picked up on his lecture as we neared our first stop, the combatant training floor. "Yeah! But that usually stops when they find out your abilities aren't anything special, though I think I just annoy them to be honest. Haha!"
He seemed bothered by that, though he didn't appear to have had a problem with it earlier. I felt sorry for the guy, though he picked himself up quickly as he spoke again, "But you're different, James. You're unique. A gem in the rock! I'd watch myself carefully, or you might end up neck deep ... " he patted me on the shoulder as the door dinged and opened to reveal a grand room full of equipment.
Like all the other floors, it was a clean white, but there were rings floating in protective spheres scattered around the room. Platforms filled with training dummies and students with various weapons and equipment. I must've been gawking, because Thomas slapped my shoulder to get my attention, startling me. "I know, right? It's pretty impressive. This is where you'll do your training, James. This place is a lot more than just a school. Let's get you outfitted before you jump into sparring."
I looked at Thomas incredulously. Fighting so soon? I just got here! Things sure move fast in this academy ... "Shouldn't we finish the tour before I step into the ring?" Thomas shook his head, smiling. His hand finding mine most suddenly as he began to walk, still facing me, "Don't be silly! If you put it off, you won't want to do it! Best to strike while you aren't afraid, James."
He led me over to a burly man in a full tan, wearing a tight dark blue body suit with an emblem of the academy and corporation. "They call him Bull, but his name is Bliar. He's from this Era, and will be your training instructor." Thomas turned to Bliar as the instructor looked me over. Our arrival not having escaped his notice. Bliar spoke, addressing us both at once, though only Thomas responded. The man intimidated me. "New blood, Hm? When's he from, Thomas?"
Thomas replied with eagerness. Though honestly, Hearing people so casually throw around my personal information was starting to bug me. I thought this stuff was top-secret? "He's from the 2000th Century, but he hasn't seen a day of combat in his past life. Work him over good, will ya' Bull?"
Bliar, or Bull, nodded slowly. Turning his heavy gaze to me as he began to look me over. I felt a pressure as he gazed at me so closely, wondering what was up with him. He wasn't just checking to see if I was fit for the courses. He seemed ... hungry. For something, at least. I spoke up as he continued the interrogation. Feeling a bit nervous, "Bull, Sir. Uhm. I'm sure you've gotten an eyeful. Could you stop staring?"
Bull seemed to blink, seeming to not have realized how long he was leering at me. He turned a rather heavy shade of red as he brought his attention to my face and responded, "Sorry. Had to get a good look at you. You're rather ... thin, for someone who's been reincarnated, Boy." Bull clearly had more on his mind than just me being thin, but he turned towards Thomas and I knew that was the end of it.
Bull agreed to take me on and show me the ropes later on, giving us access to the equipment in the meantime as Thomas brought me over to the armory. Rifling through the sizes of protective equipment before pulling out something looking reasonably hefty. I took the equipment in my grasp as he handed it to me. Wow. It was light.
I began to strap myself in, having some prior experience with equipment like this as I put on the protective gear. Thomas watched me carefully, seeming to approve just a bit. "Well, at least you know how to put on your armor!That's a step. Now for your weapon. We give new students practice swords, and I'll be pairing you up with someone similarly armed. So don't worry. You won't be dying today, James~"
Thomas pulled out a wooden sword, handing it over to let me test it. It was long, and quite a bit heavier than the armor shockingly. It didn't seem to possess any tech embedded in it. Just an old fashioned practice stick. I looked up at Thomas, inquiring about the weapon, "You guys still use these?"
Thomas laughed, reaching into the equipment box to pull out a second sword. Gently crossing it with mine for example as he spoke, "They still work, so why not? No need to waste money on practice swords that're going to end up breaking. These get the job done just fine without costing us hundreds." He swung it in the air away from me, the sword creating a heavy whooshing sound as it sliced through the rooms air. Turning to put it back as he smiled at me, "Now let's get you into that ring, James."
Making our way over to a floating ring labeled Platform 24, we stepped onto a porter pad resting beneath the levitating block that I'd be practicing on. Instantly dematerializing and reappearing on the ring above. There were ... maybe five or six people on the protected arena. I assumed everyone sane would be preparing for sleep.
As Thomas brought me over to one of the dummies, a fit woman sporting the same blue getup in blond began to approach us with a practice sword, a smile on her face. She was definitely in better shape than I was, but nowhere near as built as the man I'd spotted earlier. Bull, his name was. Thomas turned, and looked like that smile might just melt right off his face. He said nothing, but was sweating suddenly.
The girl must've been high on the chain if she made him nervous. She stopped before me, almost my height, and spoke friendly enough. Though, she possessed an air of confidence about her, "Fresh meat, Thomas? About time you picked someone. You've been putting it off for two years. Finally found some on up to snuff? I hope he puts up a good fight ... "
Thomas began to speak up. He clearly didn't like how things were going down, "Chasey, He's green. Just lay off the kid, Alr-" Chasey quickly interrupted Thomas with her own confident line as she drew her wooden blade, pressing it into my abdomen and causing me to grunt from the pressure. She shook her head, those eyes growing more intense by the second, "You know how things work in the combat room, Thomas. I promise I won't kill him."
I spoke up as the obvious bully attempted to scare me into showing weakness, or whatever it was the girl was going for. I took a hold of the stick firmly, looking her in the eyes as I spoke, "If you're going to smack me around, then let's just get this over with. Stop milking the drama."
Chasey the bully seemed to become rather unsettled by my unaffected response, taking the practice blade away from my middle and swinging it up and over to lie on her shoulder. The girl laughed heartily as she turned towards Thomas, pointing at me lazily, "Hes got spunk if nothing else, Tom! Though he seems to know his limits."
Thomas sighed, as things seemed to progress towards the floor center. An open space set aside for sparring as the two of us took up positions on either side. Our blades already out. There was nobody to watch us, evidently, other than my Guardian. And so as soon as we both settled into our stances, with mine woefully lacking in any actual experience, Chasey lunged. Making for me without hesitation. Reflexively I attempted to intercept her, but faster than I might've thought possible, Chasey swept under my guard and knocked away my sword. Though, nobody seemed to call the match. So I kept to the ring. She waited, obviously holding back a laugh as I edged around her to grab my practice blade. No sooner had I lifted it off the floor that I spotted her coming for me again. She was toying with me, though I had no idea just how much until she jabbed next in the shoulder blade. Speaking as she thrusted past my nonexistent defenses, "Shoulder!"
Another Jab came quick as lightning, striking me in the chest, then the stomach, the opposite shoulder, the arms. Each brutal connection followed by a word to match as means to torment me as she bruised and beat me all over. Finally, falling to the ground in pain, I panted. Breathing hard as the girl, Chasey, barely seemed to be sweating at all. Blue spots, red and yellow colored me all over, though not all of them visible. She'd turned me into the most painful work of art imaginable. Putting her sword away, she scoffed. Turning to Thomas as she stepped out of the ring, "He has spunk, but not much else Thomas. You chose poorly." I was feeling irritable, and not at all like myself. Turning to Chasey with seething emotions. Without knowing what had happened, the sword at Chasey's side vanished without a trace as my raging gaze hit it. Not to the bullies ignorance, for she took notice immediately as she threw herself around to look for it. It just ... Vanished! Though moments later, so did Chasey. Her whole body pulling a disappearing act before reappearing above us as she hung by the seat of her pants, so to speak, from a ceiling lamp. Similar to one you might find in a low-budget school gym. The girl screamed. The sword tumbling through the air to smack down and snap in two down on the ground far below as panic ensued among those in the ring. Thomas looked like he might bust a lung he was grinning so hard, trying not to laugh. He quickly helped me up as I stared up at the girl. All my hatred gone, replaced with confusion as those around us frantically tried to find a way to get Chasey down, "Did ... what happened to her, Thomas?"
My guardian pressed a finger gently into my chest as he smiled at me gratefully. Those eyes shining more brightly than ever, "You did, my pupil. But you shouldn't stick around. Go ahead and find your room number upstairs. We can finish the tour later~" Quickly shoving me off in the direction of the return porter pad, Thomas yelled to me before I stepped onto it, "And don't worry about the equipment! Just return it tommorow morning!" As he gave his words to me, I vanished. Reappearing at ground level to make my way quickly to the second-to-last top floor. I opened my palm to see that Thomas had slipped me directions as I head for the elevator to head on up, "I was worried I'd have to search every room ... "
It wasn't long before the elevator dinged at my floor, and I stepped out. Muttering the directions to myself so I didn't forget them, "Room A34 ... A34 ... A34 ... Oh, there we go~" stopping before the rooms door, the soft clean carpet below me adding a nice touch to the hotel-like interior, I spotted a scanner for fingerprints. Thinking, I've been here a while and this is the future. So they must have a way to secure that piece of information for them self's without my help. I pressed my print to the scanner, and ... It opened! Being right didn't make knowing they had my prints any less creepy, but I shrugged it off. Not being the first time the future spooked me, as I made my way inside.
The room seemed to be tailored after my own personal preference. Red mingled with black wall color, a dark brown wooden floor and an unfamiliar shade of tan rugging. The furniture seemed to be a similar shade of dark brown that meshed with the wooden floor. The place spoke most depressingly, kind giving it an old-timer homey feeling mixed with a romantic vibe. It was nice.
I stepped inside, finding an easy light switch to the left of the entrance, and flipped it on. The lights weren't overly bright, but they illuminated the darkness fairly well for me as I made my way around the rooms to explore. Almost immediately finding the bedroom door in the back, with the bathroom right across from it. Perfect. Opening the door, I knew I only wanted one thing as I collapsed on the bed. My eyes shut as I sighed. Finally, rest. Wait, was the bed supposed to be this warm and squishy?
I looked up into a face that smiled down at me. Two smooth lightly tanned legs that were very feminine cupping my head as I realized who I was lying on. My face immediately flushed in a strong red blush as I looked up at Leslie, the CEO clerk I had met earlier. She spoke softly, stifling a laugh as she smiled down at me. Her palm gently cupping my face, "My. Rather bold, don't you think, Mister Pierce?"
I stammered our a response as I remembered she was going to meet me in my room. I did not realize she meant my bedroom, "I'm bold?! What are you doing in h-" She slipped two fingers gently over my lips to stop me. I couldn't read her intent, she was a mystery. She seemed to intend just a bit of everything as she spoke to me. Playfully, cutting me off, "There's no reason to always be so flustered, James. I did not say I would be waiting in the living room. Besides ... such a thing should not scare you. You should look forward to it. But that can come later. We have to talk."