Chapter 7:

Training Day: This is nothing like PE Class

♤CE OF SP♤DES


Takeda sits with Ace in the student council room. Ace is curious to why Takeda is here, he feels as if Takeda owes him an explanation. Takeda looks at Ace not knowing how to explain himself he scratches the back of his head. “So... I..ah...I bet you wondering what am I doing here” says Takeda as he shies away. Ace sighs as he folds his arms. He looks down and closes his eyes “Is your name Shimizu Takeda?” Ace asks, as Takeda looks down and Ace goes on and on with the interrogation.


“How old are you, do you like Yakisoba, Are you even my friend”

“STOP!”


Takeda, irritated and finally had enough with Ace’s questions He quickly stands up from his seat and looks down clenching his fist. “I AM NOT WHO YOU THINK I AM... I WAS JUST DOING MY JOB, I’M NOT SHIMIZU, MIKASA ISN’T REAL EVERYTHING WAS A PART OF MY JOB... BUT I NEVER PRETENDED TO BE YOUR FRIEND AND OUT OF ALL PEOPLE, I HOPED YOU KNEW” Takeda slowly turns, walks away and exists the room as Ace stands and tries to stop him.


Ace sighs as he walks back to class clouded by many thoughts, he does not look where he is going then suddenly bumps into Mr Watanabe. “Ace I presume” says Mr Watanabe. Ace looks up and sees His home room teacher. He shies away to the side not wanting to look Mr Watanabe in the eyes. “Am I late?” Ace rhetorically asks Mr Watanabe. Mr Watanabe looks at Ace and gives him a fake smile “I think you already know the answer to that question”. Ace looking away he scratches his cheek with his index finger.


“Ace Just because you’ve gotten popular doesn’t mean you can skip class”

“I Know but it’s not like we had any important classes today... right?”

“Hmm... Well I’ll just have to...”


Before Keichiro Watanabe could finish his sentence Ace gets saved by the bell. “Well would you look at that I guess I’ll see you tomorrow Mr Watanabe” Ace smirks as he turns around and walks away. Mr Watanabe sighs and shakes his head. “Make sure you’re on time tomorrow and the dorms are the other way”. Ace turns and walks the other way “I already knew that”. 


Ace opens his door, he hears the door next door unlocks as he sees Takeda. “H-Hey...” Ace looks down nervous to face Takeda after what happened. “hey” Takeda replies. Ace feels he should apologies for the misunderstanding. He looks down as the words sorry are hard to leave his mouth.


“I’m... I’m sorry... I should have...”

“No its Fine...”

“Huh?”

“I’m the one who should be apologising really... I am the one who lied after all... I even pretended to be your friend”

“It’s okay... you were only doing your Job... I should have been more rational”

“I see...”


Ace steps closer to Takeda and looks at him. He reaches his hand out to Takeda waiting to receive a handshake.


“So... you want to start over”

“Sure...”

“I’m Iron-Heart... Nice to meet you”

“Takeda Koharu... Nice to meet you too... want Yakisoba”

“Nah... I’ll pass” 


Takeda Koharu shakes his new best friends hand as they both laugh it out. Takeda and Ace rubbing the back of their heads Ace breaks the handshake and turns to walk back to his dorm room. Ace throws himself on the bed thinking he should go to sleep early and keep his unspoken promise to Keichiro Watanabe to be early for class. He lands on a Video game that is on his bed. “Huh? Battle X Dragon?... maybe one game wouldn’t hurt” Ace makes a wrong decision that he will never regret and stays up all night gaming.


The bell rings as everyone stands outside for PE class. Mr Watanabe runs everyone through to how everything is going to be done as Ace dozes off while standing. Mr Watanabe looks at Ace and shakes his head, he prods him him awakening Ace from his slumber as everyone heads to the starting line. Ace stands with the Five person team he is grouped into. Two females and three males including Ace. 


Ace feels he should ask the rules of the training course as his team mates run him through. “Now listen carefully... the rules are simple all we have to do is run through this mountain to the other side without getting lost... and one important rule is we must cross the finish line as a team” says female A. Ace nods his head as they wait for the signal. Mr Watanabe shoots a green flare as a signal to start. “Go!” says all Ten groups in Unison.


The race ends as Ace’s team is disqualified after being unable to cross as a whole team. All four members made it but Ace is caught by a trap and found hanging upside down on a tree in the mountain by his team mates. The second training begins with Kirigimoto Nohaku as the drill’s master. All groups are to reassemble each and every gun given to them with a limited amount of time, as the spring from the gun jumps and hits Ace’s face. The timer goes off and Ace’s team loses another round.


The third training begins Target practice, each team is given virtual reality headsets and a gun as a game controller and has to shoot targets within the estimated time limit. The first team to get a lot of kills before the bell rings wins. The fourth training is a spar match where Ace is thrown to the ground by a Loli and the fifth a hunter game where groups hunt each other in the mountains with plastic knifes given to them. Ace screws up every challenge given to him with his team coming out last place.After a long day of training Ace walks back to his team in the cafeteria and over hears them talking. “We really had enough... our team comes out last place every time because of Ace he doesn’t take this seriously, why is he even in our team” says female A as Male B replies “Yeah we have to talk with Mr Watanabe and assign us a new team” Male C replies to Male B’s statement “I want to be switched to team 3, its better than having Ace around” the whole groups laughs and enjoys their back chat about Ace. Ace turns and goes to his quite spot under a huge tree at the school. He sits down and looks up to the sky.


“Hey Ace”. Satori stands in front of Ace and hands him a drink. Ace looks at Satori and grabs the drink and asks Satori a question. “When I come here to sit what is the first thing that comes to your mind” Satori sits next to Ace as he opens his drink. “Well first thing that comes to mind is Ace must be starving” Satori replies. Ace looks at Satori and cringes “This freaking guy”.


“You said something?” Satori asks as Ace looks away and answers Satori’s question “No... I just said no wonder you bring food”. Satori laughs and looks at Ace as Ace opens his drink.


“You know Ace when I said you’re starving I didn’t really mean hungry”

“How so?”

“Well when you have a lot on your mind you come here to think”

“Meaning?”

“Your brain is starving for answers and a peaceful environment”

“I guess you’re right”

“I can tell a lot is on your mind... what ever it is I hope you can learn to let it go someday”


Satori stands up and dusts himself off. Ace looks up to Satori and thinks to himself “You know his weird but kind of a nice guy”. Satori smiles “These drill are not too hard if you put your mind to it”. Satori says as he leaves Ace to have sometime alone.


Ace walks to a library as he opens the door he sees Kaori sitting and having her time alone. He looks down and walks to the books shelf looking for books. Kaori pushes her back as she stands up and leaves the library. Ace takes a book he steps back and bumps into Kaori’s chair. Ace signs as he pushes the chair in he finds a book on the table that happens to belong to Kaori and takes it with him. Ace stays in his dorm room and puts the books on the table he finds the game he was playing last night and makes another decision he will never regret.


The bells rings for day two of PE class with Ace assigned on a new team. Ace fails each and every drill one after another as the day ends he goes back to the library and back to his dorm room staying up all night. Every day he runs the same routine until the third week of his training. 


The bell rings for PE class as Ace yawns assigned to his new team. The team feels to have no hope in passing these drills with Ace on their team. “Ace you know that this time it’s for our final marks” says Male B. Ace nods his head as Mr Watanabe shoots a green flare as a signal to start. “Go!” says all Ten groups in Unison.


Ace Team pass the first second, third and fourth trainings, As the Firth starts. In the middle of the firth training, already Seven teams have been disqualified and four remains. Ace finds a safe place for his team mates including himself to catch a breather. “Now just Two teams remaining” says Ace. Female A looks down as she apologies “Ace... we should have never doubted you we’re sorry” everyone grovels on the ground begging for Ace’s forgiveness. Ace feels embarrassed he asks them to stand up as he it feels a bit awkward.


Ace’s team keeps moving forward and being aware of their surroundings. Ace and his team hear screams around them as the other team has been disqualified. Ace’s team continues to walk looking at the surroundings as they hear rustling in the trees. Ace hears a twig break and shouts “Run”. Ace’s team runs forward having a plan to trap their foe one of his team mate gets disqualified. Female A stands frozen on the spot she is disqualified as the mysterious hunter tags her with her knife and the body suit shocks the wearer. With two team mates left on Ace’s team one makes a suicide charge and tells Ace and the other member to make a run for it.


After a short while blindly running away from the unknown opponent Ace makes it out of the trees and reaches a dead end of a huge mountain rock behind him as his last team mate is left behind and disqualified. Ace stands and waits for the opponent to step out. Ace sees that the opponent that has disqualified many teams is the very same girl that threw him to the ground during his first sparring match. Nekoma Kaneko (nicknamed NekoNeko/Neko), A-Cup cute as hell, short green hair and has a cat hair pin. Walks slowly out of the forest. 


Ace stands steady on the ground and looks at her. “Before we settle things here can I Know my opponents name” Says Ace trying to make small talk. Neko glares at Ace as she stops walking. “Wow tough crowd” says Ace as Neko stays quiet. Ace sighs and Neko opens her mouth and out came her first words. “If you may happen to defeat me... perhaps I may tell you my name”Ace stands and closes his eyes “I accept the offer” as Ace opens his eyes Neko rushes towards him with a thrust as bends over backwards and avoids it. Neko slashes at Ace as Ace avoids every attack one after another. 


Neko tries to swipe kick Ace to knock him off balance. Ace jumps back as he lands Neko takes the opportunity to thrust Ace once more. Ace deflects and holds Neko’s hand. With her back turn to Ace draws his knife and tries to thrust Neko as she turn swoops under Ace’s arm and flips him. THUD Ace lands on his back and loses he blade. Neko raises her Knife as she’s about to plunge Ace’s chest, Ace rolls away and she misses. Ace stands up and finds Neko below him she grab Ace’s, hold Ace’s face and uses her foot to knock Ace off balance as she slams Ace on the ground.


Ace lays on the ground gasps. Neko raises her knife once more and tries to plunge it into Ace’s chest. Ace pulls Neko’s bladed hand, throws her to the side and mounts her. He grabs Neko’s Knife and raises the knife. Ace looks at Neko “DAMN IT SHE’S TOO CUTE” deceived by Neko’s eternal cuteness Neko head butts Ace on the nose as Ace falls back with a bloody nose. Neko stands up blushing hard at the same time embarrassed, she picks up her knife and walks slowly to Ace. Ace hesitates and grabs the Knife next to him and throws it at Neko’s general direction. The knife lands on Neko’s protective vest as the vest goes off and shocks her.


The bell rings as Ace is the last man standing. Ace’s team wins as they exult. Ace walks up to Neko and helps her up. She looks at Ace then looks away. “My name... it’s Kaneko Nekoma”Neko says as she turns and leaves. Ace looks at Neko and smiles, out of nowhere Ace’s team tackles Ace and dunk piles him. They laugh and exult as Ace’s old team looks at him filled with jealousy”


After a long day Ace returns to the library and finds Kaori bending over looking for her book, with her panties flashing at Ace, Ace drops the book as he stares. Kaori hears a books drop as she quickly stands up and looks at Ace. “What did you see” Kaori asks. Ace looks away with his eyes closed he replies “definitely not purple silk panties” Kaori closes her eyes and sighs “Pervert”. Kaori walks around Ace and opens the library door. Ace stops her, she turns and looks at him “What” she looks into Ace’s eyes with anger. “You forgot this” Ace hands the book Kaori lost her mood changes in a snap as she smiles and took her book. “Thanks...” Kaori walks away hugging her book tight”


Ace stands and looks at Kaori leaves. He looks down with his eyes closed and smiles “So you kept that book all along... Sayuri”