SORA

"Geez," I sigh and scratch the back of my head as I exit the headmaster's office after finally being stuck inside there dealing with Carmin for two hours. "What's it take for a guy to get a schedule around here?"

"Tsk," I glance off to the right upon hearing a scoff to see a person who looks almost exactly like Shae leaning against the wall by the headmaster's office with his hands in his pockets. "Can I go in now or what?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess?" I shrug and he kicks himself off of the wall and walks towards me, his shoulders slightly slouched.

"Good, 'been waitin' out here for damn hours. No good Carmin and his dumbass rules," he mutters and rips open the door to the office before he slams it shut, the door nearly jolting off its hinges.

"What's his problem?" I sigh to myself before I frown. "More importantly, who was that?"

"He has a lot of problems," Kit says as she stands in the hallway with a soft green tank-top and pale blue shorts with white trim and white boat shoes on, a small towel around her neck and her long reddish-pink hair pulled up into a ponytail with a hair tie that matches her shirt. "I wouldn't let him get to you."

"Yeah, but who--" I start.

"Shae's twin brother, Sander. He's Temperance," Kit shrugs and adjusts the hair tie in her ponytail by pulling it tighter while my eyes widen at her words.

"He's Temperance?" I raise my eyebrows and glance back to the door briefly.

"Yeah," Kit sighs. "No one else really gets it either. I see you've got your schedule, then?"

Kit nods to the card in my hands and I nod in return.

"Yeah," I sigh. "Guess so."

"That's good," Kit says. "Hey, I'm going to go watch the battles. You want to come with me?"

"The battles?" I question and Kit smiles.

"Yeah. We like to have little competitions every now and then for fun. It's a way to motivate everyone, you know?" Kit explains. "One's going on right now. The first round should be in progress. This time, it's a competition of doubles."

"You mean like two on twos?" I ask.

"Yeah," Kit nods. "Well, you coming or what?"

"Sure," I shrug. "Why not?"

"Okay, cool," Kit smiles. "Follow me then."

Kit and I make our way back to the training area I was in earlier where I received my staff, but this time she takes me to the stone area directly opposite of the door. Once we step through the threshold, the scenery around us changes to one of a coliseum type area. The two of us are standing in the doorway to rows of seats on the very bottom balcony of white stone, five more rows being above us and the battle field being off to the right, as well as more seating being beyond that on the other side of the battle field. Kit weaves her way through the crowd and I follow after her, listening as the crowd goes wild while sounds of battle clash off to the right. She picks a spot on the fourth floor and I sit next to her, finally taking time to notice the people in the arena as Kaito, Shae, Raciel, and Gambit.

I watch as Kaito draws his arms in together so that his armblades form into a shield after a burst of bright red energy just as Gambit runs off to the left and leaps up into the air. Gambit lands on Kaito's shield and pushes herself off to propel herself through the air as she draws her right fist back, purple energy radiating around her fists and her gauntlets as she grins. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the arena, Shae stands guard with his white with golden trim sword and shield, his shield also having a salmon colored crest in the center. Beside Shae, Raciel yawns and stretches his arms over his head and I sigh, unsurprised.

"I wouldn't count him out just yet, you know," Kit says, her eyes focused on Raciel and her lips twitching into a smile.

Gambit's fist connects with Shae's shield and the two go flying across the arena, Shae's feet sliding against the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust while Gambit presses against the shield, an explosion of purple energy going off in the shape of a dome from the impact. Kaito then turns his armblades into his original form while Gambit and Shae take swings at each other as they stop sliding and Kaito runs towards Raciel. Kaito charges Raciel and Raciel stands there, his eyes calmly focused as Kaito approaches closer and closer.

"Isn't he going to move?" I ask worriedly.

"Nah," Kit sighs and rests her face in her hands, her arms being propped up by her knees. "He'll be fine. It's quite unfair, really. All he does is laze around all day and yet..."

As Kaito swings down on Raciel, Raciel reaches off to the right and bends down with almost inhuman speed, a black greatsword with white trim and teal glowing silver chains that match the blue in his hair materializing in his right hand before he swings upwards and diagonally, sending Kaito flying back several feet with a burst of teal energy that comes off of Raciel.

"How bothersome..." Raciel mutters as he tilts his head to the side, his red eyes somehow fiercely deadly yet detached from reality at the same time, a pair of black wings made out of energy forming from his back and reaching multiple feet high, chains glowing the same color as the ones around his weapon floating around him in the air.

"...and yet he's one of the best around," Kit murmurs quietly and my breath hitches.

"Hey, who decides who wins these things?" I ask and glance over at Kit. "I mean, they all seem so evenly matched in their own ways, so..."

"Each match lasts for a half hour," Kit explains, her eyes flickering between her friends on the field. "Then, once the half hour is over, the winner is decided by one of two ways. Either the crowd will declare who they feel the winner is or the winners will be the last ones still standing."

"How come you're not in the tournament?" I ask.

"I decided to sit this one out," Kit shrugs. "Besides, watching is always fun too."

"I see..." I trail off. "Hey, Kit?"

"Yeah?" She hums, her attention focused on the match.

"What's it like? Being a virtue, I mean?" I ask.

"Well..." She starts with a slight frown, her eyes flickering between her four friends, "it's not always easy. People think that because we have these powers, these abilities, that it's easier for us, that this is normal for us, but they forget that we're people too. We lose loved ones left and right just like they do, we lose battles just like they do, we cheer when we get it right, just like they do, and we hold each other tightly when we're all reunited at the end of the day because the next day we may not all be there. It's not easy, whether you're a sin or a virtue or a human. It never is, but it's our duty, so we do it anyway because somebody has to."

"Do you think that being a virtue means you're treated better than a sin though? I mean, do people..." I trail off.

"Sometimes," Kit nods. "Sometimes people treat us like we're royalty and the sins like they belong in the gutter, but that's not right. All they see is the title and not the person who carries it. It makes me sick, but...not all people are like that. It's a lot better than it used to be."

"I figured as much," I sigh and continue watching the match. "Hey, Kit? One more thing."

"What is it?" She glances over at me, one of her eyebrows raised.

"How would..." I start and glance down at my hands, subconsciously clenching them slightly, "if you stumbled across one of the outcast sins or virtues, would you treat them any differently?"

"People who mindlessly judge make me sick," Kit scoffs and goes back to watching the others as she crosses her and and frowns. "I could never be one of those."

"Good," a small smile forms its way onto my lips. "Good...I'm glad."

***

"Good work out there!" I hear Evory shout as I'm walking back to the dorms and I glance off to the left to see Akari walking away from Evory and Darius, her scythe slung over her shoulder.

"You too!" Akari grins as she glances back at the pair, who wave their goodbyes as Akari heads towards the dorms.

Upon spotting me, Akari raises a brow and continues to walk over until she's closer to me.

"What're you staring at?" She asks.

"Uh, nothing?" I scratch the side of my head and furrow my eyebrows. "Where were you guys at?"

"We went on a mission," she explains. "Speaking of which, I'm taking you with me on one tomorrow. Try not to get yourself killed, got it?"

She smacks a hand against my chest as she walks by and I watch in silence as she goes up the stairs before I sigh and run a hand through my hair.

"Sometimes I start to think that she really does want me dead," I sigh to myself.

"She doesn't, but somebody else may," Merrick says from the top of the stairs and I glance up to see him, my eyes narrowing in the process before Merrick sighs and raises his hands in surrender. "Not me, I'm just warning you."

I watch as Merrick descends the stairs in his scarlet colored silk robe with a matching pair of scarlet slippers, his red hair tousled.

"What do you want?" I sigh and cross my arms.

"Originally, I was just going to go grab something from the kitchen. Late night munchies, you know, but then I saw you and I thought I'd take the opportunity to apologize," Merrick sighs.

"Apologize? You? Really?" I raise my eyebrows in disbelief.

"I may have went a bit hard on you, but I have your best interests in mind," Merrick sighs once more. "So, sorry or whatever."

"You're not very good with people, are you?" I snort.

"I mean," Merrick grins wickedly, "if we're talking--"

"Okay," I hold up a hand. "Got it, thanks. If that's all, I'll be on my way now."

"Well, there is one more thing..." Merrick says, his eyes flickering up to my hair before he points and snickers.

I glare and snuff out the flames in my hair that started as Merrick bursts into laughter.

"Man, you really are hopeless, aren't you?" Merrick doubles over before he throws an arm around my shoulders and I glare at him. "Come on, let me treat you to some fine wine."

"I'm not--"

"And you think I am?" Merrick snorts. "I mean, technically I am but in the human realm I'm not."

"Okay, good for you old man, but--" I attempt to continue but Merrick drags me off towards his room and I sigh in defeat.

Why is it that I have to end up babysitting again? Oh right, because Merrick Milan-Mercer is an absolute piece of shit. Just how I wanted to spend my night.